Appian vs. Pega Platform

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Appian
Score 7.7 out of 10
N/A
Appian is a low-code development and business process management platform. It features drag-and-drop design for app building, automated work processes, unified data management, and cloud-based deployment.
$0
Pega Platform
Score 5.7 out of 10
N/A
Pega Platform is a combined business process management and robotic process automation (RPA) platform with advanced workforce analytics from Pegasystems.
$35
per month per user* (or $0.45 per case**)
Pricing
AppianPega Platform
Editions & Modules
Appian Community Edition
$0
Application - Input-Only
$2
per month per user
Application - Infrequent
$9
per month per user
Application - Standard
$75
per month per user
Platform
Custom Quote Priced per user with unlimited apps.
minimum 100 users, no maximum
Unlimited
Custom Quote Priced per development with unlimited apps.
unlimited
Platform
Custom Quote Priced per user with unlimited apps.
Minimum 100, no maximum
Unlimited
Custom Quote Priced per development with unlimited apps.
Unlimited
Low-code Factory Edition
$35
per month per user* (or $0.45 per case**)
Standard Edition
$90
per month per user* (or $0.80 per case**)
Enterprise Edition
Custom Quote
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
AppianPega Platform
Free Trial
YesYes
Free/Freemium Version
YesNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details*500 named user minimum. Additional users available in blocks of 100. Billed annually. Based on a 3-year term. **350,000 cases / year minimum. Additional cases available in blocks of 150,000.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
AppianPega Platform
Considered Both Products
Appian
Chose Appian
I am a user of Appian, where we have a data connector application built in Appian that is integrated with various systems, and provide a summary in Appian UI. We as a user can initiate new requests to extract, Transform and Load data on a specific or selected system with just …
Chose Appian
There are a lot of reasons to select Appian the first is low code. We can create various interactive data connectors applications also it is best in terms of security with an interactive user interface which makes it unique from the other platforms.
Chose Appian
Appian's pricing model and co-selling is more interesting than that of Power platform. We used Appian because of its better case management and the learning curve is also not that huge. Power platform says it is Low code no code but it still requires certain some coding …
Chose Appian
Camunda is a powerful solution like Appian, however, it is somewhat difficult from the technical side, that is why I do preferer Appian instead.
Chose Appian
Appian compares favorably with other vendors in the space. It is strongest with business workflow automation and to create custom business applications. The tool base for coding is extremely straightforward and allows for faster coding and deployment. Handles very complex …
Chose Appian
We using this from long time. We're quite familiar with them. it's easy to use and understand. and it's documentation is quite helpful.
Chose Appian
much easier to navigate and design-centric.
Chose Appian
Have not used many BPM tools but we are using RPA to automate many technologies and business processes. We are also using Servicenow for incidents and change management.
Chose Appian
ease of use; inter-operability and scalability; great support and customer service
Chose Appian
Java is much more customizable but it is also a lot more work developing apps and setting up infrastructure. Appian is much easier to learn and code in. Also, apps are able to be built much quicker. This helps when time and money are an issue.
Chose Appian
We selected Appian against Kissflow for its maturity in end-to-end process automation for all kinds of industries.
Chose Appian
In the BPM space, there are a few areas that IBM BPM gives the flexibility to integrate different systems. Whereas in Cloud space [through] Appian has picked up, there are lot of features that Salesforce provide can be put in Appian
Chose Appian
It has reduced our time to market because of the feedback we got early on. The smooth movements and easy flow create a vast difference. The team gets ample time to innovate and increase performance. Tasks are well performed in sprints and ready to release with fewer errors and …
Chose Appian
I personally think Appian will win the discussion of pricing between itself and Microsoft Power Automate currently, but since I don't feel as though the average person would be able to learn how to automate processes on Appian, I have to give the nod to Microsoft Power Automate …
Chose Appian
To be honest, I have not used any other software that is similar to Appian. I am used to just using raw code when it comes to creating an application. I find Appian very useful to use in this fast-paced industry, and when the client wishes to see the iteration of the project. …
Chose Appian
I am not involved in evaluating different products. We have a specific team that is tasked with the responsibility of evaluating various products and choosing the one that is most appropriate for the organization. My team and I are the users of the products. Appian was the best …
Chose Appian
We used custom BPM solutions in the past and find greater value in using Appian. I was not a part of the architecture team that reviewed other BPM solutions when Appian was selected.
Chose Appian
Appian has a lesser learning curve than Pega. Pega uses a combination of directed and pattern inheritance and architects need to design bearing these in mind. While the intent behind this approach is to allow for reuse of rules to allow for efficient enterprise-wide design, …
Chose Appian
Appian is the only product I have used that is anything like low-code.
Chose Appian
I did not get chance to work on the other BPM tools but I am pretty sure that Appian will outstrip others in terms of Process Designing and Management, Scalability, Security, Performance and ease of use.
Chose Appian
The main product that my company uses is Microsoft Teams. I think that Appian is far superior to Microsoft Teams in many aspects but the most significant is the ability to use easily and move from reports to reports. I far prefer Appian to Teams. The design is much better and …
Chose Appian
Appian surpasses Microsoft PowerApps because of how much easier it is to code. I found Appian easier to code than the competitor because of how you could access the code behind the scene (SAIL). This allowed for even greater customization and helps with debugging when you have …
Pega Platform
Chose Pega Platform
Pega Platform has more functionality that is relevant for our business such as templates, categories and an audit trail that helps us better manage our knowledge base. Ultimately these added features and the ability to also manage workflow within the same tool made it a no …
Chose Pega Platform
Appian and Acoustic Campaign (formerly IBM Watson Campaign Automation)
Chose Pega Platform
  • It is having solid product functionality and performance.
  • strong customer-oriented.
  • Data modeling and SOA support.
Chose Pega Platform
Pega have standards platform for developers to develop components quickly compare to others products.
Chose Pega Platform
We did the POC of both UiPath and Pega RPA. As we already have a PEGA platform, we selected PEGA RPA for ease of integration and setup.
Chose Pega Platform
Salesforce is much faster, but you can’t complete the same things in it. Pega does work well with Salesforce though and can track cases. Pega requires a lot more setup and training than Salesforce, at least at my company. I don’t even know if Salesforce offers the same thing as …
Chose Pega Platform
Pega was by far the best one on leveraging AI and BPM to drive 1-1 personalization. Pega Next-Best-Action capabilities were definitely what made us choose them among the competition. Moreover, Pega has a robust community of users that made us feel we were making the right …
Chose Pega Platform
Easy to build applications with quality delivery.
Chose Pega Platform
Pega RPA and UIPath both are tools for Robotic process automation. In our projects we were dealing with Pega applications which are easily coupled with Pega RPA. It is better in a multi-threading environment as separate features are provided in Pega RPA. In UIPath, one needs to …
Chose Pega Platform
Our business needs have a lot of dealing wherein case management is of utmost importance. We had to have a concrete structure of cases, child cases, and their binding cases. Also, data appropriation and its synchronization in these particular cases also play a very important …
Chose Pega Platform
It has less cost compared to other also good products. Very good support of the visual studio.
Chose Pega Platform
Pega is a browser portal verses with Oracle you get an installed console and BUI
Pega is Java base. If you need software you can manage with not coding, Pega is a good option however you can still do so much with the OSC without any coding. JIRA would be better for service desk …
Chose Pega Platform
Pega Platform provided me the many OOTB features like SLA, Workflow, Reports, which are very much needed for my application development with very minimal or no changes. Even customization is very simple and robust. Business rule management is very much needed in my application, …
Chose Pega Platform
Pega was who we first chose, but due to the high learning curve and really needing developers who knew CODE, we were forced to look at other solutions like UiPath.
Chose Pega Platform
I can only compare it to our legacy ticketing system we were using previously (based in Remedy) and Pega far outfunctions that system. It provides us the ability to customize intake forms, business rules, and reporting that far outperforms Remedy. We can also intergrate Pega …
Chose Pega Platform
We used Salesforce.com and Orcle CRM. Later, after creating a couple of mock applications, we found Pega was best suited to our customer business process.
Chose Pega Platform
Pega Platform is the best BPM tool with more modularity, scalability and the best case management features. Very suitable for Banking, health insurance, and finance projects. The platform is used by analysts, developers and a number of other roles within a single Pega …
Chose Pega Platform
We did evaluate multiple products offerings with Pega Platform capabilities and observed that Pega PRPC rules engine and case management capabilities are better over so many BPM Tools. We also conducted a detailed study with developers to identify the best products out of Suite …
Chose Pega Platform
Pega offers a business-friendly toolkit for defining applications. Unlike traditional BPM tools, there is much fewer complications, the technical syntax to handle in modeling processes and hardly any hard-coded programming. A well-trained business user can be trusted to create …
Chose Pega Platform
Cheaper than TIBCO and has a better front-end as compared to TIBCO.
Cheaper than Salesforce when the target audience is the internal customers like call center agents and claim specialists.
Chose Pega Platform
Pega is far more customization and cohesive in its overall design.
TrustRadius Insights
AppianPega Platform
Highlights

TrustRadius
Research Team Insight
Published

Appian and Pega Platform are cloud-based platforms that help developers quickly build apps for business process management (BPM), case management, customer relationship management (CRM), and other business needs. Appian sacrifices some flexibility in favor of ease of use, while Pega Platform sometimes prioritizes customization over usability. Overall, however, both platforms offer similar functionality. Due to their focus on addressing enterprise business needs, both products are used primarily by large companies and organizations.

Features

Although both Pega Platform and Appian offer similar features and capabilities, they differ in their user experience and flexibility.

Appian is focused on being quick and easy to use, both for developers and end users. Developers find Appian intuitive and suitable for quick-turnaround development, allowing them to create mockups and prototype apps within hours or even within minutes. Users with development experience are able to get up to speed with the platform quickly and easily. The platform integrates well with external systems such as Salesforce and DocuSign, helping businesses develop apps that play well with their existing systems. Appian is also actively developed, with quarterly releases responsive to user feedback and changing business landscapes.

Pega Platform, on the other hand, offers detailed customization options and is open to code-based modification. Its modification and update capabilities for apps are easy to use and helpful, making it simple for developers to adapt their apps as needed. Machine learning and analytics allow developers to create apps that learn from past behavior. BPM workflows in Pega Platform are easy for developers to demonstrate and explain, even to non-technical stakeholders.

Limitations

However, each platform has drawbacks that might make it less suitable for your organization. You should consider the limitations of Pega Platform and Appian before purchasing.


Pega Platform’s customizability comes with a price. Despite its low-code and no-code options, the software still requires a non-trivial amount of user training and can be intimidating for new users, especially users without previous development experience. Setting up Pega Platform initially can be a difficult task on its own, with some businesses requiring significant support from the vendor to get started. It can also be slow, especially for users with sub-optimal internet connections, since every action requires communication with the cloud server.

Appian’s frequent upgrades are great for adding new features, but some customers find the upgrade process itself frustrating. Appian doesn’t offer tools to test whether an upgrade will affect the functionality of existing apps, which means you might have to test your applications after every upgrade. Appian’s templates and default forms don’t allow enough customization for some users, requiring them to develop from-scratch solutions instead of modifying a template. The platform also provides limited support for complex UI requirements, code-based development, and data visualizations.

Pricing

Appian offers multiple pricing options in a tiered structure. The Free tier is free and includes training materials and access to basic Appian functionality so new users can evaluate the platform. The Standard tier allows one application per license with a minimum of 100 users, and is priced per user based on the user type: Standard Users ($60/user) with admin access, development capabilities, and unlimited access to the app itself; Infrequent Users ($18/user) with up to four 24-hour sessions per month; and External Input Users ($2/user) who can submit forms and requests to the developed app. The Flat Fee tier offers one fixed price per app, with unlimited users. The Enterprise tier allows an unlimited number of apps and is priced per user. Pricing for the Flat Fee and Enterprise tiers are available via a quote from Appian.

Pega Platform offers three pricing tiers. The Trial tier is free and is limited to 30 days of usage for evaluation and training purposes. The Enterprise Starter tier is $90 per user per month and includes features for internal business apps. The Enterprise Transformation tier is priced by quote from the vendor and adds features for customer engagement and users external to your organization.

Features
AppianPega Platform
Low-Code Development
Comparison of Low-Code Development features of Product A and Product B
Appian
9.1
Ratings
8% above category average
Pega Platform
-
Ratings
Visual Modeling8.80 Ratings00 Ratings
Drag-and-drop Interfaces8.90 Ratings00 Ratings
Platform Security9.20 Ratings00 Ratings
Platform User Management8.80 Ratings00 Ratings
Reusability9.50 Ratings00 Ratings
Platform Scalability9.50 Ratings00 Ratings
Reporting & Analytics
Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of Product A and Product B
Appian
-
Ratings
Pega Platform
8.8
Ratings
7% above category average
Dashboards00 Ratings9.00 Ratings
Standard reports00 Ratings8.60 Ratings
Custom reports00 Ratings8.60 Ratings
Process Engine
Comparison of Process Engine features of Product A and Product B
Appian
-
Ratings
Pega Platform
7.8
Ratings
7% below category average
Process designer00 Ratings8.00 Ratings
Process simulation00 Ratings6.00 Ratings
Business rules engine00 Ratings9.00 Ratings
SOA support00 Ratings9.00 Ratings
Process player00 Ratings9.40 Ratings
Support for modeling languages00 Ratings5.40 Ratings
Form builder00 Ratings9.60 Ratings
Model execution00 Ratings6.00 Ratings
Collaboration
Comparison of Collaboration features of Product A and Product B
Appian
-
Ratings
Pega Platform
9.0
Ratings
7% above category average
Social collaboration tools00 Ratings9.00 Ratings
Content Management Capabilties
Comparison of Content Management Capabilties features of Product A and Product B
Appian
-
Ratings
Pega Platform
4.4
Ratings
60% below category average
Content management00 Ratings4.40 Ratings
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User Ratings
AppianPega Platform
Likelihood to Recommend
9.4
(0 ratings)
6.0
(0 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
8.5
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Usability
8.7
(0 ratings)
9.0
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
8.4
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
In-Person Training
9.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Online Training
6.0
(0 ratings)
8.0
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
1.0
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
AppianPega Platform
Likelihood to Recommend
Appian is well suited for the areas which involve a workflow. For Example: Consider there is a task and 3 teams are required to work on the task, with Appian we can create tasks for each team and monitor the comments and completion. Together with the integration capabilities, this tool can function in many areas. In our firm, we are using it to automate the workflows for our business teams and help them in capturing the OLA's and SLA's.
Read full review
Pega [RPA] is good to address a specific business function requirement with not too many bots or automation processes. It takes time and effort to set it up. Though once done, it is very easy to configure and use. One should also run a POC to verify if this product meets the scalability requirements.
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Pros
  • Allows at a glance workflow documentation which assists in the need we have for information readiation.
  • Drag and drop interface for workflow development greatly speeds our apps time to market.
  • Using the advanced features of Appian, we are able to create working sites in a fraction of the time it would take to do so using "traditional" development.
Read full review
  • Reusability
  • Pega’s Situational layer cake architecture is capable of organizing application to suit enterprise needs. An enterprise can have a complex organization structure located around the globe. Because of Situational layer cake architecture reusing common policies and procedures is easy while allowing for differences between products, regions, channels and customer segments.Whereas with some application development platforms, separate copies of the application should be created to suite different business context.
  • Faster application delivery
  • With Pega developers can reuse common policies and procedures, replicate functions and industry specific frameworks and utilize pega UI elements to develop applications. IT is easy to deploy.Therefore developers are capable of delivering application earlier compared to some application development platforms. Pega reduces time taken to deliver an outcome.
  • Pega upgrades
  • Pega platform is upddated to adapt and work with latest technologies.
  • Proprietary users support and maintain Pega platform continuously. Pega customer support is always willing to enhance product support.
Read full review
Cons
  • Search issues when type ahead and database search are used in the same field.
  • Buttons implementation where user is require[d] to click on the button description - if clicks on the button outside that text - button will not work.
  • Problems with using certain off-the-shelf performance tools like WebLoad or Neoload. That is because of different dynamic variables being used internally in Appian - which these tools are unable to correlate. We are still investigating using other tools like Jmeter to overcome dynamic correlation problem for performance testing.
Read full review
  • Reporting is not extensive in Pega. Because of this higher management is not able to get the reports which will give them insights into a different area. So Reporting functionality can be improved in Pega.
  • Organizations that want to fully use all the features of the Pega 7 platform must follow Pega’s solution development methodology which may not be aligned fully with the organization objectives.
  • During upgrades, some of the rules which are deprecated have to be changed to new available rules. This becomes a problem as one has to understand all the functionality and then change a lot of things.
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Likelihood to Renew
We recently renewed our license with Appian. We are convinced that its flexibility, relative ease of use, the support they provide, there mobile advancements and their general willingness and desire to see us succeed all contributed to our reason to renew our agreement with Appian
Read full review
Pegasystems has continued to demonstrate a strong partnership with our organization and investment in their product that aligns with our overall vision and need. Pegasystems has engaged us at every level, with the assistance of minor defects to the overall roadmap planning and alignment of our goals
Read full review
Usability
There are many differences between using Appian and using other programming languages. Additionally, there are many trade offs that have to be made and that have to be accepted for using Appian. In some cases, you give up control of one small area, but in others, it may open settings that are unavailable to a developer when using other program languages.
Read full review
Pega Platform is enhancing its product and launching new features day by day which help to achieve customers needs. If I talk about the earlier version of Pega Platform (i.e. pega v5 and 6.3) there were many numbers of limitations in Pega Platform and if we need to do some customization then needed to write custom java and jave scripts to achieve the functionally. Now I can say Pega Platform is running with market trends and demand. Pega Platform is giving all the options which support the current technologies like decisioning capabilities, real time processing, mashup, process fabrics etc..
Read full review
Support Rating
Appian is one of the leading low code business automation platforms that support RPA, decision rules, case management, workflow automation, and machine learning all in a single bundle. But it is also harder to implement and replace the traditional business process.
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It’s very slow sometimes, but that may be our servers. Also the Knowledge Library needs some work - again, not sure if it’s our setup or what- but I’m unable to search the body of an article for content, so I have to be very intentional with tagging, but it’s not ideal.
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In-Person Training
As analyst I participated in a developer boot camp. At times it was hard to keep up but most of the time it made sense. Trainer took the time to explain and slowed pace down to answer questions etc.
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No answers on this topic
Online Training
Very boring; hard to get through quickly, but rather effective in demonstrating the use of the platform.
Read full review
The online training is an excellent one, but still it is missing hands on development.
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Implementation Rating
It was really seamless. SaaS in the true definition of the word. We logged on and started using the product. Very easy.
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Implementation is totally depend up on the requirement
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Alternatives Considered
Appian compares favorably with other vendors in the space. It is strongest with business workflow automation and to create custom business applications. The tool base for coding is extremely straightforward and allows for faster coding and deployment. Handles very complex process flows and has the ability to discover new opportunities for automation.
Read full review
We did evaluate multiple products offerings with Pega Platform capabilities and observed that Pega PRPC rules engine and case management capabilities are better over so many BPM Tools. We also conducted a detailed study with developers to identify the best products out of Suite of BPM products. It's observed that Rules engines integration is very streamlined with forms in Pega whereas other tools multiple have powerful data model capabilities but lacks the ease of creating business rules.
Read full review
Return on Investment
  • Our IT automated procurement process has sped up time to get paid by a few days on every transaction
  • Our approvals are more organized as a result of being put in digitally
  • Managing our own tenant requires more than we have available, given the quarterly updates
  • Since we have business-critical functions running in the platform, we have to thoroughly review every note of every update. Because of this we skip half of the updates since we don't have enough time to review these changes four times a year.
Read full review
  • Our company has boomed in the past few years because we of how we use Pega.
  • We will get a project from a client and the turnaround will be so quick they will throw 3-4 more projects at us.
  • Smaller developer teams means less complexity and less overhead.
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ScreenShots

Appian Screenshots

Screenshot of Low-Code DevelopmentScreenshot of Business Process Management SuiteScreenshot of Dynamic Case ManagementScreenshot of Mobile App DevelopmentScreenshot of Appian RPA with Blue Prism