Top 6 Alternatives to Automation Anywhere for Visual Testing

Introduction and Context

Automation Anywhere emerged in the mid-2000s as one of the first enterprise-grade Robotic Process Automation (RPA) platforms focused on automating repetitive, rule-based tasks—especially on Windows desktops and legacy systems. As organizations looked to scale operational efficiency, RPA’s promise of recording actions, orchestrating workflows, and running automations reliably brought Automation Anywhere to the forefront.

Over the years, it evolved from simple screen and workflow automation to a broader platform with a visual designer, a centralized control room for bot management, credentials and governance features, and AI-aided capabilities for semi-structured documents. Although it was built primarily for RPA, many teams with Windows-centric applications used it to automate UI-heavy regression and smoke tests. Its strengths include broad test automation capabilities, good alignment with modern CI/CD workflows, and integrations that help bring bots and tests into pipelines.

That said, the testing landscape has expanded. With more teams shipping cross-platform apps, targeting web and mobile, and adopting cloud-first execution, many are looking for tools that deliver visual reliability, faster authoring, and lower maintenance overhead—without being limited to a Windows desktop paradigm. This is where strong alternatives to Automation Anywhere for visual testing enter the conversation.

Overview: Top Alternatives Covered

Here are the top 6 alternatives for Automation Anywhere in visual testing contexts:

• Blue Prism

• Mabl

• RPA Tools (UiPath)

• Repeato

• TestCafe Studio

• Waldo

Why Look for Automation Anywhere Alternatives?

• Platform constraints: Automation Anywhere is primarily Windows-focused. If your product spans web and mobile, you may prefer tools designed for browser and device coverage out of the box.

• Maintenance overhead: Visual and RPA-style tests can become flaky if selectors, timing, or UI hierarchy change frequently. Teams often want self-healing or more resilient computer-vision techniques with lower upkeep.

• Cost and licensing complexity: Enterprise RPA licensing is powerful but can be more than teams need for purely testing use cases, especially if you need many parallel workers.

• Web and mobile-first needs: Modern apps demand cross-browser, cross-device testing, and cloud scalability. RPA tools may require extra setup for modern CI/CD and elastically scaling runs.

• Skills and workflow fit: QA and developers may prefer low-code or code-first test frameworks aligned to their stack, native debuggers, and application-aware locators rather than general desktop automation metaphors.

Alternative 1: Blue Prism

What it is and who built it

Blue Prism (now part of SS&C Blue Prism) is an enterprise RPA platform for Windows that, like Automation Anywhere, can automate repeatable UI workflows. It has been widely adopted in regulated industries for centralized governance and controls, and can be applied to regression-like testing of desktop applications.

What makes it different

Blue Prism emphasizes robust governance, security, and scalable orchestration. Its visual process designer and object-oriented structure can lead to reusable components, which helps when teams treat tests like maintainable assets rather than one-off recordings.

Core strengths

• Enterprise-grade orchestration, security, and auditability for Windows automation.

• Visual process modeling with reusable components (objects) that can reduce duplicate work.

• Strong role-based access controls and centralized management for large teams.

• Mature ecosystem of connectors and integrations for complex enterprise workflows.

• Good CI/CD alignment through orchestration and versioning in enterprise setups.

How it compares to Automation Anywhere

• Both target RPA and can be adapted for UI test automation on Windows. Automation Anywhere is often perceived as easier to start with for recording-based tasks, while Blue Prism’s more structured, object-centric approach can improve maintainability for complex suites.

• For purely visual testing needs, neither is web/mobile-first; both will require additional setup to handle browsers and devices at scale.

• If governance and a strict change-management model are priorities, Blue Prism can be very compelling. If your team prefers a recorder-first paradigm and lighter onboarding, Automation Anywhere might feel more familiar.

Best for

Teams automating end-to-end flows across Windows desktop applications where governance, security, and maintainability are critical.

Alternative 2: Mabl

What it is and who built it

Mabl is a commercial, low-code, AI-augmented end-to-end testing platform for web and APIs, built by mabl, Inc. It’s a SaaS-first tool designed to scale test authoring and execution with self-healing locators and ML-powered insights.

What makes it different

Unlike an RPA tool, Mabl is web- and API-native. It focuses on test authoring through a low-code recorder, auto-healing selectors, visual regression checks, performance hints, and pipeline integration. It’s built to run in the cloud with minimal infrastructure friction.

Core strengths

• Self-healing web element locators to reduce flakiness from UI changes.

• Low-code authoring with support for data-driven tests and branching logic.

• Built-in visual checks and change detection for catching UI regressions.

• SaaS execution with parallel runs, environment management, and CI/CD integrations.

• Integrated reports, test coverage insights, and performance signals.

How it compares to Automation Anywhere

• If your focus is web visual testing, Mabl is purpose-built, cloud-first, and typically easier to scale than RPA-based approaches.

• Automation Anywhere is stronger for Windows desktop workflows and broader RPA tasks beyond testing. Mabl is stronger for modern web testing, visual diffing, and pipeline automation.

• Maintenance tends to be lower with Mabl’s self-healing features compared to purely visual or coordinate-based desktop automation.

Best for

Web-first teams that want low-code visual testing, self-healing, and tight CI/CD integration without managing on-prem runners.

Alternative 3: RPA Tools (UiPath)

What it is and who built it

UiPath is a leading RPA platform developed by UiPath. It supports Windows and macOS environments and is frequently used to automate UI-centric regression tasks. It blends visual design with .NET extensibility, making it attractive to teams that want a programmable backbone under a visual layer.

What makes it different

UiPath is known for its community, marketplace components, and extensibility. Its visual designer (Studio) pairs well with .NET libraries and native selectors, which can be useful for building reliable, maintainable UI automations—even when repurposed for testing.

Core strengths

• Rich activity library and marketplace components for common UI and system tasks.

• .NET-based extensibility for custom actions, libraries, and integrations.

• Mature selector strategy with visual and DOM-aware techniques to improve reliability.

• Strong orchestrator capabilities for scheduling, versioning, and parallel runs.

• Good CI/CD integration and developer tooling support.

How it compares to Automation Anywhere

• Both are RPA-first platforms with overlapping UI automation testing capabilities. UiPath often appeals to engineering-heavy teams due to .NET extensibility and a large community.

• Automation Anywhere can be simpler for non-developers; UiPath offers deeper customizability for those who want programmatic control.

• For visual testing across multiple OSes, UiPath’s macOS support can be an advantage if your workflows span beyond Windows.

Best for

Teams that want an RPA-grade platform with strong developer extensibility, a large community, and cross-OS support for UI automation.

Alternative 4: Repeato

What it is and who built it

Repeato is a commercial, codeless mobile UI testing tool for iOS and Android. It relies on computer vision (CV) to recognize screen elements and user flows, making tests resilient to minor UI changes. It is built by the Repeato team with a focus on mobile app quality.

What makes it different

Where RPA tools emulate desktop interactions, Repeato specializes in mobile. Its CV-based approach can be more tolerant to cosmetic UI changes, which often break selector-based tests. This makes it attractive for visual testing on native mobile deployments.

Core strengths

• Computer-vision-based element recognition for resilient mobile UI tests.

• Codeless test authoring for rapid test creation and onboarding.

• Support for both Android and iOS, including gestures and device-specific interactions.

• Visual assertions and image-based validation to catch rendering and layout issues.

• Integration with CI/CD for automated regression runs on builds.

How it compares to Automation Anywhere

• Automation Anywhere is centered on Windows desktop and RPA workflows; Repeato is mobile-first for iOS/Android. If your primary need is mobile visual testing, Repeato is a more direct fit.

• Repeato’s CV approach can reduce flakiness compared to coordinate-based or brittle selector strategies commonly seen when adapting RPA to mobile.

• For teams with heavy desktop process automation needs, Automation Anywhere remains more appropriate; for mobile app QA, Repeato offers specialization and speed.

Best for

Mobile product teams that want resilient, codeless visual testing across iOS and Android with minimal maintenance.

Alternative 5: TestCafe Studio

What it is and who built it

TestCafe Studio is a commercial, codeless IDE variant of the TestCafe framework, developed by DevExpress. It targets browser-based UI testing with an approachable, recorder-driven workflow and a built-in runner.

What makes it different

Unlike RPA tools, TestCafe Studio is designed specifically for web testing. It runs tests using a Node.js-based engine without needing browser plugins or WebDriver, and provides a GUI for authoring, debugging, and execution—ideal for teams who want to avoid heavy scripting.

Core strengths

• Codeless recording and editing for web UI tests with built-in assertions.

• Runs tests without WebDriver, simplifying setup and reducing flakiness sources.

• Cross-browser coverage, including headless modes for fast CI runs.

• Visual test debugging with screenshots, network logging, and error traces.

• CI/CD integrations and parallelization for faster pipelines.

How it compares to Automation Anywhere

• For web testing, TestCafe Studio is a better-aligned choice with simpler setup, faster runs, and fewer dependencies than adapting an RPA tool.

• Automation Anywhere’s strength is broader enterprise RPA. TestCafe Studio focuses on web reliability and productivity, not desktop workflows.

• Teams seeking minimal maintenance and consistent cross-browser behavior often find TestCafe Studio’s approach more predictable than visual desktop automation.

Best for

Web QA teams that want a codeless but robust environment for cross-browser UI testing and CI/CD-friendly execution.

Alternative 6: Waldo

What it is and who built it

Waldo is a commercial, no-code mobile testing platform for iOS and Android, built by Waldo. It focuses on recording interactions with your app and running them in the cloud, emphasizing ease of authoring and scale without local device management.

What makes it different

Waldo emphasizes a recorder-first experience and cloud execution, turning mobile tests into shareable, maintainable assets that run reliably. It’s optimized for continuous deployment workflows with minimal test infrastructure ownership.

Core strengths

• No-code recording for rapid test creation on mobile apps.

• Cloud-based execution and device management to eliminate local setup.

• Visual validations and UI change detection to catch regressions early.

• Collaboration-friendly UI for sharing test runs, failures, and insights.

• CI/CD integrations that fit continuous release pipelines for mobile.

How it compares to Automation Anywhere

• Waldo targets mobile apps with visual verification and cloud scale; Automation Anywhere targets Windows desktop and enterprise RPA. For mobile visual testing, Waldo offers a smoother, purpose-built experience.

• Maintenance and scalability for mobile are typically easier with Waldo than retrofitting RPA pipelines to mobile devices and emulators.

• If you also need desktop process automation, Automation Anywhere serves that need; for mobile quality at speed, Waldo is the better fit.

Best for

Mobile teams that prioritize no-code authoring, quick feedback loops, and cloud-managed device runs in CI/CD.

Things to Consider Before Choosing an Automation Anywhere Alternative

• Project scope and platforms: Are you testing Windows desktop apps, web, mobile, or a mix? Choose a tool native to your primary platform(s).

• Authoring model and team skills: Low-code/codeless tools speed up onboarding; code-first tools can be more flexible for complex logic. Pick the model that matches your team’s strengths.

• Locator strategy and stability: Visual testing can be brittle if naïvely implemented. Look for self-healing selectors, computer vision, or resilient locators to reduce flakiness.

• Ease of setup and environment management: Cloud-run execution cuts infrastructure overhead; on-prem runners may be required for secure or legacy environments.

• Execution speed and parallelization: Faster feedback improves developer experience. Ensure the tool supports parallel runs and headless execution where relevant.

• CI/CD integration: Confirm integrations with your pipeline (e.g., scripts, APIs, plugins, or webhooks) to automate runs on every build.

• Reporting and analytics: Dashboards, trend reports, screenshots, video, and diffs help teams debug quickly and track quality over time.

• Debugging and observability: Features like DOM snapshots, network logs, and step-by-step playback speed incident resolution.

• Scalability and reliability: Assess how the tool handles large suites, flaky environments, and variable infrastructure.

• Ecosystem and support: Community, vendor support SLAs, training materials, and marketplaces reduce time-to-value.

• Security and compliance: If you handle sensitive data, verify encryption, access controls, audit trails, and deployment options.

• Cost and total cost of ownership: Consider licensing, infrastructure, parallelization needs, and the maintenance burden. Lower authoring time and reduced flakiness can translate into significant savings.

Conclusion

Automation Anywhere remains a powerful RPA platform with meaningful overlap into UI automation for testing—particularly in Windows-centric environments where process automation and governance are paramount. However, testing needs have diversified. Teams increasingly require purpose-built, visual-first testing across web and mobile with cloud scalability, resilient locators, and streamlined maintenance.

• If you need enterprise RPA with a structured, object-centric model for maintainable UI flows, Blue Prism is a strong candidate.

• If your testing is primarily web and you want low-code, self-healing, and built-in visual checks, Mabl offers a modern, SaaS-first approach.

• If you value extensibility and a large ecosystem in an RPA platform that can also serve testing needs on Windows and macOS, UiPath is compelling.

• If mobile visual testing is your priority and you want computer-vision resilience, Repeato provides codeless, mobile-native coverage.

• If you want codeless yet reliable cross-browser testing with simple setup, TestCafe Studio delivers fast, CI-friendly runs.

• If you prefer no-code mobile testing with cloud-managed devices and easy collaboration, Waldo streamlines authoring and scaling.

For many teams, the best approach is to align tools with platforms: use an RPA solution for legacy desktop processes, and adopt a web/mobile-native testing platform for cross-browser and device coverage. To simplify execution at scale, consider pairing your chosen tool with a reliable device or browser cloud and a visual diffing service. This combination often yields the fastest feedback with the least maintenance—so you can focus on shipping quality software rather than managing test infrastructure.