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Appian vs HCL Domino comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 5, 2025

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

Appian
Ranking in Rapid Application Development Software
5th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
59
Ranking in other categories
Business Process Management (BPM) (4th), Process Automation (4th), Low-Code Development Platforms (4th), Process Mining (5th)
HCL Domino
Ranking in Rapid Application Development Software
18th
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
20
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2025, in the Rapid Application Development Software category, the mindshare of Appian is 10.0%, up from 8.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of HCL Domino is 0.5%, down from 0.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Rapid Application Development Software
 

Featured Reviews

Srimanta Pandit - PeerSpot reviewer
Flexible, improves operational efficiency, and reduces the time taken to complete processes
The solution’s turnaround time for development is better compared to other tools. The solution enables fast development. The traceability of the processor is good. There is much more governance and regulations on the processers. The tool reduces the time of the processes by 30% to 40%. The solution’s low-code aspect has greatly impacted the development and deployment speed. One of the major reasons we are using the product is that we can reuse the modules. The developers can reuse all the modules. It enables us to make subsequent developments in less time. The prebuilt modules can be deployed within two to three weeks. The tool is very flexible. Compared to other platforms, the Appian product team was agile in quickly customizing things for us.
Jason Levine - PeerSpot reviewer
A tool that offers great security and integration capabilities
The solution facilitates our company's workflow automation needs since it is a platform that allows users to build whatever workflows they want. The product is used for application development in our organization for our customers, as we operate as consultants. The features of the product that I found to be beneficial for the productivity of my company's team stems from the fact that it can be integrated directly into HCL Notes email so that you can manage your workflows there, and you don't have to change contacts a go to a separate application to deal with a document approval process since it can be done directly from emails. HCL Domino is one of the leading products in the industry, so it is definitely ahead of the other tools in the market. In our company, some departments use HCL Domino for emails rather than other solutions because it is more secure. The tool has an impact on the management of sensitive data in our company. My only suggestion to those who plan to use HCL Domino is that they should not be daunted by the old UI it offers. The collaboration tool of HCL Domino has affected the internal communication processes in our organization. The collaboration tool of HCL Domino is something that the solution has been offering from the time it was introduced in the market as an expensive product. The impact or value on our company from the use of the product can be proven by the fact that with the solution, it is possible to automate processes or workflows while ensuring that there is consistency, lack of human errors, and efficiency. Earlier, I would have rated the tool eight out of ten. Presently, considering the increase in the number of integrations that the product allows and its movement to meet industry standards, I rate the overall tool a nine out of ten.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"The product's most valuable feature is the low code aspect of development. We can develop an end-to-end VPN solution using a single platform."
"Recently, we added Appian Process Mining, Appian Portals, and now Appian RPA."
"It provides us with real-time data on all connected systems in terms of how they're integrated with each other and how they are performing in a workflow manner."
"The product has a very good mobile app."
"The most valuable feature is business automation."
"Technical support is helpful."
"It is really simple to create a new app, and I like the data-centric aspect of the BPM tool."
"It's heavy on business processing in terms of logic, process workflows, and primarily on the process design modeler. Appian is really great at that. In terms of the full stack set from a low-code platform perspective, it's definitely an eye opener since it can be deployed via mobile app and on the web as well."
"It is an excellent solution."
"It serves as a centralized solution that fulfills all my requirements from operating my email server to managing various aspects of my operations."
"The most valuable features of the solution are security and integration."
"For workflow applications or general applications, the rapid development capability is what we value most."
"The DAOS feature is the most valuable. It helps to save some of my storage."
"HCL Domino is an application development and collaboration platform with strong stability and security. Deployment of this platform is easy and takes only 10 minutes."
"Domino's dual functionality as both a messaging and application solution is a standout feature compared to Exchange, which solely focuses on messaging."
"The most important benefit is security. The security architecture is very good. It's the best part of the solution."
 

Cons

"One room for improvement is the ease of UI UX development, like in OutSystems and Mendix."
"Something I would like to see improved is an SQL database connection."
"Form creation and SAIL proprietary language still basically require programming. The claim a BA type can do everything is hogwash."
"There is no UI customization possible."
"Lacks business rules management as part of the solution."
"​Appian is easy to set up, but JBoss is complex. JBoss is the application server for running Appian."
"Appian could be improved by making it a strict, no-code platform with free-built process packs."
"The graphical user interface could be easier to use. It should be simplified."
"The product's user interface is one of its shortcomings since it is outdated, making it an area for improvement."
"From the Domino side, it should support DKIM and DMARC."
"They should provide its integration with other AI applications."
"The solution is expensive."
"For me, the one thing missing is a really good reporting engine."
"The client version of this solution could be faster and be made simpler for non-IT users. You will need to have some knowledge of Notes to correctly install this solution."
"Scalability needs to be improved to be on the level that's required. Support could also be enhanced."
"The solution could improve Kubernetes or Dockers migration to new environments in the cloud."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The cost depends on the number of users, although I recommend taking an unlimited license."
"It's an enterprise tool and can be used by enterprise only. So it's a very expensive tool."
"It is fully managed, and I don't believe there are any additional expenses."
"The price of the solution is reasonable and is paid annually. The price of the solution depends on how many users use the solution. It can range from $50,000 to $200,000. For example, for 20,000 users the price can be approximately $200,000."
"It is expensive, but powerful. I would recommend comparing against cheaper licensing products and open source."
"The price of this solution is a little high here in Mongolia."
"More flexibility in the licensing model is still needed because initially there were customers who are looking at only one or two use cases of business areas, but now the business areas are changing and there is a larger scope. One license model may not fit everyone. They need to be a little more flexible on the licensing model."
"The solution offers a monthly subscription model. That's what we use. I recall it being about $90 a month. They do have different tiers."
"My company's customers need to make monthly or yearly payments towards the license charges of the product."
"While I don't have precise pricing information at hand, my understanding is that it tends to be on the higher end."
"HCL Domino's pricing depends on the number of users, but its license is not cheap."
"We pay annually for the use of this solution and it is only a standard fee."
"We chose to pay for our licensing fees annually."
"It is less expensive compared to other vendors."
"Customers have to pay for a license for the Notes Client, not for the Domino database. There is a quarter license that we use."
"We're happy with the price of our license — it's pretty standard."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Educational Organization
30%
Financial Services Firm
16%
Computer Software Company
10%
Government
6%
Computer Software Company
16%
Government
10%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Financial Services Firm
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

Which do you prefer - Appian or Camunda Platform?
Appian is fast when building simple to medium solutions. This solution offers simple drag-and-drop functionality with easy plug-and-play options. The initial setup was seamless and very easy to imp...
Is Appian a suitable solution for beginners who have no additional preparation?
Appian is actually pretty big on educating its users, including with courses that reward you with certifications. There is a whole section on their company’s website where you can check out the edu...
Is it easy to set up Appian or did you have to resort to professional help?
We had some issues when we were setting up Appian. It was quite surprising, since this is a low-code tool which, in its essence, means it is meant for business users and inexperienced beginners. So...
What do you like most about HCL Domino?
The most valuable features of the solution are security and integration.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for HCL Domino?
The pricing is individually determined. HCL has a simple pricing model: per user per year. We pay $100 US per user per year. But "guest" users are permitted without any licence requirement. And any...
What needs improvement with HCL Domino?
Scalability needs to be improved to be on the level that's required. Support could also be enhanced.
 

Comparisons

 

Also Known As

Appian BPM, Appian AnyWhere, Appian Enterprise BPMS
IBM Lotus Domino, Lotus Domino
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Hansard Global plc, Punch Taverns, Pirelli, Crawford & Company, EDP Renewables, Queensland Government Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning (, Bank of Tennessee
A1 Telekom, Acubiz, Afrisam, E. A. Juffali & Brothers, Fiducia & GAD, and Pakistan State Oil
Find out what your peers are saying about Appian vs. HCL Domino and other solutions. Updated: January 2025.
831,265 professionals have used our research since 2012.