IBM Cloud Pak for Automation vs Oracle BPEL comparison

IBM and Oracle are both solutions in the Process Automation category. IBM is ranked #21 with an average rating of 9.0, while Oracle is ranked #25 with an average rating of 7.7. IBM holds a 0.4% mindshare in PA, compared to Oracle’s 0.6% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of IBM users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 75% of Oracle users who would recommend it.

IBM Cloud Pak for Automation

Read 2 IBM Cloud Pak for Automation reviews

261 Views
150 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Oracle BPEL

Read 4 Oracle BPEL reviews

528 Views
218 Comparison Views

75% willing to recommend

IBM Cloud Pak for Automation

Oracle BPEL

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 17, 2024

Oracle BPEL and IBM Cloud Pak for Automation compete in workflow automation and process integration. Oracle BPEL holds an advantage in pricing and support, while IBM Cloud Pak for Automation offers superior features and value, appealing to those focused on comprehensive capabilities.

Features: Oracle BPEL offers robust process orchestration, business process integration, and connects diverse systems seamlessly. IBM Cloud Pak for Automation provides various automation tools such as machine learning integration, business rule management, and document processing. It is suitable for complex automation needs with its advanced automation capabilities.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Oracle BPEL features a straightforward deployment model suitable for those seeking traditional approaches, supported by effective customer service. IBM Cloud Pak for Automation features cloud-native deployment fitting its scalable architecture, with enhanced customer service for enterprise-scale needs. Oracle BPEL's simplicity appeals to those with less complex needs, while IBM's scalable approach suits enterprises seeking agility.

Pricing and ROI: Oracle BPEL is generally more affordable concerning setup costs, making it attractive for budget-conscious organizations. It provides satisfactory ROI through integration efficiency. IBM Cloud Pak for Automation, despite higher initial costs, offers higher ROI because of its advanced features and scalability. Organizations focusing on ROI and scalability may prefer IBM’s flexible automation capabilities, justifying the premium pricing.

To learn more, read our detailed IBM Cloud Pak for Automation vs. Oracle BPEL Report (Updated: April 2025).

Buyer's Guide

IBM Cloud Pak for Automation vs. Oracle BPEL

April 2025

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Helped 847,625 peers since 2012

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

IBM Cloud Pak for Automation

Ranking in Process Automation

21st

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

5.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Oracle BPEL

Ranking in Process Automation

25th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Process Automation category, the mindshare of IBM Cloud Pak for Automation is 0.4%, down from 0.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Oracle BPEL is 0.6%, up from 0.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Process Automation

Featured Reviews

SYEDMUJTABA

Vice President - Digital Automation Services at Techvista Systems

Effectively handles parallel instances effectively

I find it quite straightforward, perhaps around 8.5 out of 10 in terms of ease. When we upgraded from the old version of IBM BPM to the new one within IBM Cloud Pak for Automation, we didn't encounter any major issues. There were some minor ones, but they were easy to overcome.The migration process was part of our deployment strategy. We had a plan to migrate two processes per week from on-premises to the cloud. The migration involved taking the instances and migrating them to the new environment. There is an inbuilt feature in IBM Cloud Pak for Automation that facilitates the migration process, although I personally haven't conducted it myself; it's managed by my team. Overall, the setup process was relatively smooth.

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Posham Nampelli

Architecture and Consulting at Synaptics Inc

A highly scalable solution that provides various features for the execution of business processes

I'm a consultant. I do architecting, designing, and development. I have used two versions, 1.1 and 2.0. I’m unsure about the prices because I oversee the development and implementation. I'll highly recommend the product depending on an organization’s requirements. As someone who has worked with BPEL for 13 years, I highly recommend the product for an on-premise or hybrid integration. Multiple products or alternate solutions have come into the integration domain. However, the product has been in the industry from SOA 11g to SOA 12c and OIC. Though there are multiple competitors, the product has been here for a long time and has been helping multiple customers improve their business. Overall, I rate the solution a nine or nine and a half out of ten.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"What this product allows us to do is to move from on-prem instances where we are running independent instances of FileNet, Datacap, and ODM. It allows us to leverage container-based resiliency and availability modeling so that we have some visibility across the CP4BA ecosystem. We're now migrating all of our data to be in the Cloud Object Storage, and we can now use some of the features of Azure in terms of how we store and retrieve content for our members and our providers."

"I believe two significant features of IBM Cloud Pak for Automation are the focus on SLA management and the capability to handle parallel instances effectively. Parallel instances, for instance, are valuable when dealing with a large number of users, enabling tasks to be performed concurrently for efficient system operation. The SLA aspect is crucial for tracking and ensuring timely completion of tasks. Additionally, the cloud compatibility of IBM BAW allows for seamless migration from on-premises to the cloud. This version also includes a business rule management system for storing and managing business rules effectively."

"The product has everything we need."

"The solution is very seamless and fast."

"The most valuable feature is the support for human tasks."

"What I find the most valuable about Oracle BPEL is that it saves me time."

Cons

"One of the challenges we're having is finding vendors who have experience in developing on the cloud. We can find developers on the old platform, but it is leading-edge technology. So, we are having some challenges, and IBM is assisting us to find vendor partners. To be able to leverage all the capabilities of the new platform, we have to upgrade our existing ecosystem of FileNet applications. Upgrading to the new platform while trying to modernize is always challenging because it is like you have a moving target."

"I believe there is room for improvement in the user interface, particularly in the Process Portal that customers use to view and manage their tasks. The UI of the Process Portal needs enhancement. Additionally, in the next release, I would like to see improved compatibility with Angular, allowing for direct integration with front-end systems. It would be beneficial to have built-in GUI features based on Angular within the system, rather than developing separate applications externally. This, in turn, would provide a more seamless and enhanced front-end experience."

"In the next release, I would like to see REST improved and new technologies for microservices. I'd like to see more containers for separating containers."

"Some user-defined functions for transformation must be added to the next release of the solution."

"They need to have support for new protocols like GraphQL and possibly some out-of-the-box adapters for SAP and other big systems."

"The solution's integration with SAP should be seamless because some formats are not accepted in SAP but are accepted in Oracle BPEL."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"IBM Cloud Pak for Automation is relatively expensive, especially considering it is designed for long-living processes, not for normal automation needs. On a scale of one to ten, I would rate the pricing at around 9. There are no additional costs beyond the standard licensing fees, but IBM has multiple pricing models that make it expensive in its own way. Different plans are available, but overall, the experience suggests it is a costly solution."

"Its cost is almost the same or comparable to what we pay with FileNet, but I'm not sure what we pay a year. A good part of CP4BA is the CPU-based licensing model. When we're dealing with 50,000 dentists, for example, if we were to use Salesforce, we would be hit with the licensing of 50,000 dentists, whereas when we build out in CP4BA, it is just based on our CPU usage, not on individual licenses."

"The product is moderately priced."

"The solution's pricing is moderate and not expensive."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

No data available

Manufacturing Company

13%

Financial Services Firm

13%

Computer Software Company

12%

Government

11%

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about IBM Cloud Pak for Automation?

I believe two significant features of IBM Cloud Pak for Automation are the focus on SLA management and the capability to handle parallel instances effectively. Parallel instances, for instance, ar...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IBM Cloud Pak for Automation?

IBM Cloud Pak for Automation is relatively expensive, especially considering it is designed for long-living processes, not for normal automation needs. On a scale of one to ten, I would rate the pr...

See all answers

What needs improvement with IBM Cloud Pak for Automation?

I believe there is room for improvement in the user interface, particularly in the Process Portal that customers use to view and manage their tasks. The UI of the Process Portal needs enhancement. ...

See all answers

What do you like most about Oracle BPEL?

The product has everything we need.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Oracle BPEL?

They need to have support for new protocols like GraphQL and possibly some out-of-the-box adapters for SAP and other big systems. It should be better if the SAP adapter were included in the bundle.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Oracle BPEL?

We primarily use Oracle BPEL for process automation. It is used for workflows for documents, data transfers, and other processes implemented for our customers.

See all answers

Comparisons

IBM BPM vs IBM Cloud Pak for Automation

Compared 100% of the time

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Camunda vs Oracle BPEL

Compared 48% of the time

Flowable vs Oracle BPEL

Compared 32% of the time

Bonita vs Oracle BPEL

Compared 20% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Process Automation

April 2025

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Buyer's Guide

Process Automation

April 2025

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Also Known As

No data available

BPEL Process Manager

Overview

IBM Cloud Pak for Automation offers design, build, run, and automation services to rapidly scale your programs and fully execute and operationalize an automation strategy.

IBM

Oracle BPEL (Business Process Execution Language) Process Manager is a tool for designing and running business processes. This product provides a comprehensive, standardsÂbased and easy to use solution for creating, deploying and managing crossÂapplication business processes with both automated and human workflow steps â all in a serviceÂoriented architecture. Oracle BPEL Process Manager is a powerful integration tool for the enterprise. Its ability to connect to external systems and process, mixed with its support for a variety of presentation technologies makes it an ideal tool for defining and implementing business process logic.

Oracle

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

Nacional Monte de Piedad IAP, Bimbo S.A. de C.V., Intelligent Pathways, DVZ Datenverarbeitungszentrum Mecklenburg-Vorpommern GmbH, Arqiva

Buyer's Guide

IBM Cloud Pak for Automation vs. Oracle BPEL

April 2025

Free Report: IBM Cloud Pak for Automation vs. Oracle BPEL

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