The 15 Best Workflow Automation Tools (Ultimate Guide for 2024)

Workflow automation tools have become essential for streamlining processes and increasing productivity. But with so many options, how do you know which ones are the best for your specific needs?

To help you navigate the ever-growing landscape of workflow automation tools, we have compiled a list of the 15 best tools to help you find the right software for your business tools. These tools can save time, reduce errors, and ultimately improve the overall efficiency of your operations.

• What is Workflow Automation Software?
• Types of Workflow Automation Tools
• Benefits of Using Workflow Automation Tools
• The 15 Best Workflow Automation Tools 
• How to Pick the Right Workflow Automation Tool for Your Business

What is Workflow Automation Software?

Workflow automation software is a tool that helps organizations streamline and optimize their workflows by automating repetitive tasks and facilitating the flow of information. It is designed to simplify complex processes, improve efficiency, and reduce errors.

Common use cases include:

• Human Resources: Automating employee onboarding, leave requests, and performance reviews.
• Sales and Marketing: Managing leads, automating email campaigns, and tracking customer interactions.
• Finance: Streamlining invoicing, expense approvals, and financial reporting.
• IT and Operations: Automating ticketing systems, incident management, and change requests.
• Customer Service: Handling support tickets, managing service requests, and tracking customer feedback.

Types of Workflow Automation Tools

There are numerous workflow automation tools available in the market that cater to different departments within an organization. These tools streamline processes, reduce manual effort, and increase efficiency. Here are the various types of workflow automation tools:

• Project Management Workflow Tools: These tools assist in managing and automating project-related tasks, such as task allocation, deadline tracking, collaboration, and project reporting.
• Marketing and Sales Workflow Tools: These tools automate marketing and sales processes, including lead generation, email campaigns, CRM integration, social media marketing, and analytics.
• Customer Service Workflow Tools: These tools streamline customer support operations by automating ticketing, routing, knowledge base management, customer feedback, and live chat services.
• Finance Workflow Tools: These tools automate financial processes, such as invoice generation, payment approvals, expense management, budgeting, and reporting.
• Human Resources Workflow Tools: These tools automate HR tasks, including employee onboarding, leave management, performance reviews, training and development, and HR analytics.

Benefits of Using Workflow Automation Tools

Workflow automation tools offer numerous benefits to organizations, improving productivity, reducing errors, enhancing compliance, saving time, and providing better visibility into processes.

Increased Productivity

With workflow automation tools, routine and repetitive tasks can be automated, freeing up employees’ time to focus on more important and high-value activities. By streamlining and optimizing workflows, these tools eliminate manual and time-consuming tasks, leading to increased productivity levels across the organization.

Fewer Errors

Manual data entry and human errors can cause significant setbacks and delays in business processes. Workflow automation tools minimize the chances of errors by automating repetitive tasks and ensuring data accuracy and consistency. By eliminating human touchpoints, these tools reduce the risk of errors, ensuring seamless operations and smooth workflows.

Improved Compliance

Compliance with regulations and standards is crucial for businesses in various industries. Workflow automation tools provide built-in compliance features that help organizations ensure adherence to legal and regulatory requirements. These tools enforce standardized processes and automatically track and document activities, reducing compliance risks and enabling easy audits.

Time Savings

By automating workflows, organizations can significantly reduce the time required to complete tasks and processes. Workflow automation tools eliminate manual steps and bottlenecks, enabling faster and more efficient execution. This time savings allows employees to dedicate their time and energy to more strategic and value-added work.

Better Visibility

Workflow automation tools provide enhanced visibility into processes, allowing organizations to track, monitor, and analyze performance. These tools offer real-time updates, centralized data, and customizable reporting capabilities, enabling decision-makers to gain insights into process bottlenecks, resource utilization, and overall efficiency. This visibility empowers organizations to make informed decisions, identify areas for improvement, and streamline operations.

The 15 Best Workflow Automation Tools

Process Street

Process Street is a robust workflow automation tool designed to help businesses streamline their processes, improve efficiency, and ensure consistency in task execution. It offers a user-friendly interface and a range of features that cater to various industries and organizational needs. 

Key Features:

• Easy-to-Use Interface: Process Street boasts a clean, intuitive interface that makes it easy for users of all technical backgrounds to create, manage, and track workflows. The drag-and-drop functionality simplifies the process of designing workflows.
• Template Library: It offers a comprehensive library of pre-built templates for common business processes, allowing users to quickly deploy workflows without starting from scratch. These templates are customizable to fit specific needs.
• Conditional Logic: This feature allows users to build dynamic workflows that adapt based on specific conditions or triggers. It ensures that processes can handle different scenarios and exceptions smoothly.
• Task Assignments and Due Dates: Tasks within workflows can be assigned to specific team members, with due dates and priority levels, ensuring accountability and timely completion.

• Integrations: Process Street integrates seamlessly with a wide range of third-party applications such as Zapier, Slack, Google Workspace, Salesforce, and more. This enhances its functionality and allows for greater automation by connecting various tools and platforms.
• Automated Workflows: Users can set up workflows to run automatically based on triggers or scheduled times. This reduces manual intervention and increases efficiency.

Zapier

Zapier is a highly regarded workflow automation tool that connects different apps and services to automate repetitive tasks and streamline business processes. It is especially popular for its ease of use and extensive range of integrations, making it an invaluable tool for businesses of all sizes looking to enhance their productivity and efficiency.

Key Features:

• Extensive App Integrations: Zapier supports over 3,000 apps, including popular ones like Google Workspace, Slack, Salesforce, Trello, and Mailchimp. This vast range of integrations allows users to connect virtually any tool they use in their workflows.
• No-Code Automation: With Zapier, users can create powerful workflows, known as “Zaps,” without any coding knowledge. The platform uses a straightforward, user-friendly interface that allows for easy setup and management of automations.
• Multi-Step Zaps: Users can create complex workflows involving multiple steps and actions. This capability allows for more sophisticated automations that can handle a variety of tasks and processes within a single Zap.
• Conditional Logic (Paths): Zapier includes a feature called “Paths,” which adds conditional logic to Zaps. This means workflows can branch based on specified conditions, allowing for more dynamic and customized automation processes.
• Filters: Filters allow users to specify conditions that must be met for a Zap to proceed. This ensures that only relevant data triggers the workflow, reducing unnecessary actions and improving efficiency.

Microsoft Power Platform

Microsoft Power Platform is a comprehensive suite of tools designed to empower users to create custom applications, automate workflows, analyze data, and build intelligent virtual agents. It includes Power BI, Power Apps, Power Automate, and Power Virtual Agents, providing a unified ecosystem for workflow automation and business process management.

Key Features:

• Seamless Integration with Microsoft Ecosystem: Power Platform integrates natively with other Microsoft services such as Office 365, Dynamics 365, Azure, and SharePoint. This deep integration allows for smooth data flow and enhanced functionality across the Microsoft ecosystem.
• Power Automate (formerly Microsoft Flow): This is the core automation tool within the platform. It enables users to automate workflows between various applications and services. With its intuitive interface, users can create automated workflows (flows) without needing extensive coding skills.
• AI Builder: AI Builder allows users to add intelligence to their workflows with AI capabilities such as object detection, form processing, sentiment analysis, and more. This helps in creating smarter and more efficient workflows.
• Custom Connectors: In addition to the hundreds of pre-built connectors for popular apps and services, Power Platform allows users to create custom connectors to connect to proprietary or less common applications.

Workato

Workato is a powerful and versatile workflow automation tool designed for businesses of all sizes. It excels in connecting various applications and automating complex business processes without requiring extensive coding skills. Workato is known for its user-friendly interface, extensive integrations, and robust automation capabilities.

Key Features:

• Extensive Integrations: Workato supports integrations with over 1,000 applications, including popular ones like Salesforce, Slack, Google Workspace, SAP, and more. This wide range of integrations allows businesses to connect all their tools and streamline workflows across different platforms.
• Low-Code/No-Code Platform: Workato’s platform is designed to be user-friendly, enabling both technical and non-technical users to create and manage automations. The drag-and-drop interface and intuitive design make it easy to build workflows without coding.
• Recipe Building: Workato uses “recipes” to automate workflows. Recipes are sets of instructions that define how data moves between applications. Users can create custom recipes or leverage the extensive library of pre-built recipes to get started quickly.
• Advanced Data Transformation: Workato provides powerful data transformation capabilities, allowing users to manipulate and format data as it moves between applications. This ensures that data is accurately transformed to meet the needs of different systems.

Pipefy

Pipefy is a highly regarded workflow automation tool that aims to simplify and streamline business processes. It provides a flexible, user-friendly platform that enables businesses to design, manage, and automate workflows efficiently. Pipefy is particularly useful for teams looking to improve collaboration, standardize processes, and enhance productivity.

Key Features:

• Customizable Workflow Templates: Pipefy offers a wide range of pre-built workflow templates that can be customized to meet specific business needs. These templates cover various processes such as HR, finance, customer support, and project management.
• Drag-and-Drop Interface: The platform features an intuitive drag-and-drop interface, making it easy for users to design and modify workflows without any coding knowledge. This simplicity helps teams quickly adapt and optimize their processes.
• Kanban View and Task Management: Pipefy uses a Kanban-style interface for visualizing workflows, which helps in tracking tasks, managing work in progress, and ensuring transparency across teams. Each task or “card” can contain detailed information, attachments, and comments.
• Automation Rules: Users can create automation rules to streamline repetitive tasks and ensure that processes run smoothly. These rules can trigger actions such as sending notifications, updating fields, and moving cards between phases based on specific conditions.

Jira

Jira, developed by Atlassian, is a well-known project management and workflow automation tool widely used in software development, but its capabilities extend to various types of projects and business processes. Jira’s strength lies in its flexibility, extensive integration options, and powerful features that enable teams to plan, track, and manage workflows efficiently.

Key Features:

• Customizable Workflows: Jira allows users to create highly customizable workflows that reflect their specific project needs. Workflows can include various statuses, transitions, and conditions to ensure precise tracking of tasks and issues.
• Agile Project Management: Jira supports agile methodologies, including Scrum and Kanban. It provides agile boards, sprint planning tools, backlog grooming, and real-time reporting to help teams manage and optimize their agile workflows.
• Automation Rules: Jira Automation allows users to automate repetitive tasks and processes. Users can set up rules that trigger actions based on specific events or conditions, such as updating issues, sending notifications, or changing workflow statuses.
• Integration with Development Tools: Jira integrates seamlessly with development tools like Bitbucket, GitHub, and Jenkins. This integration enables continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) workflows, providing visibility into the development process.
• Advanced Reporting and Analytics: Jira offers powerful reporting and analytics tools, including customizable dashboards, burndown charts, velocity charts, and more. These tools provide insights into team performance, project progress, and potential bottlenecks.

DocuWare

DocuWare is a comprehensive document management and workflow automation tool designed to help businesses manage, store, and process documents efficiently. It is particularly useful for organizations looking to digitize their paper-based processes and automate repetitive tasks. DocuWare’s features support enhanced productivity, better compliance, and improved data accessibility.

Key Features:

• Document Management: DocuWare provides robust document management capabilities, allowing users to store, organize, and retrieve documents easily. It supports various file formats and integrates with scanners for digitizing paper documents.
• Workflow Automation: The platform offers powerful workflow automation features that enable users to design and automate business processes. Workflows can be created to handle tasks such as document approvals, routing, and notifications based on predefined rules and conditions.
• Electronic Forms: DocuWare includes an electronic forms feature that allows users to create, fill out, and process forms digitally. This reduces the need for paper forms and streamlines data collection and processing.
• Integration Capabilities: DocuWare integrates with a wide range of third-party applications, including ERP systems, CRM platforms, and email clients. This integration capability ensures seamless data flow and enhances the functionality of existing business systems.

Camunda

Camunda is a powerful open-source workflow automation tool designed for businesses that need to manage complex business processes. It is particularly popular among organizations that require robust BPM (Business Process Management) capabilities, including detailed process modeling, execution, and monitoring. Camunda’s flexibility and extensibility make it a valuable tool for developers and business analysts alike.

Key Features:

• BPMN 2.0 Standard Compliance: Camunda supports BPMN 2.0 (Business Process Model and Notation), allowing users to create standardized and detailed process diagrams. This ensures that processes are well-documented and can be easily understood by all stakeholders.
• DMN and CMMN Support: In addition to BPMN, Camunda supports DMN (Decision Model and Notation) for decision management and CMMN (Case Management Model and Notation) for case management. These standards enable comprehensive modeling of both structured and unstructured processes.
• Modeler Tools: Camunda provides user-friendly modeler tools, including a web-based modeler and a desktop application. These tools enable users to design, edit, and share process diagrams with ease.
• Process Engine: The core of Camunda is its robust process engine, which executes BPMN workflows, DMN decision tables, and CMMN cases. The engine is highly performant and can handle large volumes of process instances.

Jotform

Jotform is a versatile online form builder that also functions as a powerful workflow automation tool. It enables businesses to create custom forms and automate workflows efficiently, streamlining data collection and process management. Jotform is known for its user-friendly interface, extensive customization options, and wide range of integrations.

Key Features:

• Drag-and-Drop Form Builder: Jotform’s intuitive drag-and-drop interface allows users to create forms quickly and easily. Users can customize forms with various field types, widgets, and design elements without any coding knowledge.
• Workflow Automation: Jotform enables the creation of automated workflows by setting up conditions and triggers within forms. This feature allows for automatic routing, approval processes, notifications, and other actions based on user inputs.
• Conditional Logic: Users can add conditional logic to forms to show or hide fields, send emails, and route submissions based on specific responses. This ensures that forms are dynamic and responsive to user inputs.
• Integration with Third-Party Apps: Jotform integrates with numerous third-party applications, including Google Workspace, Dropbox, Salesforce, Slack, and more. These integrations facilitate seamless data transfer and extended functionality.
• Approval Workflows: Jotform offers built-in approval workflows, allowing users to set up multi-step approval processes directly within the platform. This feature is particularly useful for processes such as leave requests, purchase orders, and project approvals.

Kissflow

Kissflow is a comprehensive workflow automation and business process management tool designed to help organizations streamline their processes and improve efficiency. It offers a no-code platform that empowers users to create, modify, and manage workflows without needing technical expertise. Kissflow is particularly noted for its user-friendly interface and extensive customization options.

Key Features:

• No-Code Workflow Builder: Kissflow’s intuitive drag-and-drop interface allows users to design workflows without any coding knowledge. This ease of use enables non-technical users to create and manage workflows effectively.
• Customizable Templates: Kissflow offers a wide range of customizable templates for various business processes, including HR, finance, procurement, and more. These templates help users get started quickly and ensure that best practices are followed.
• Form Designer: The form designer in Kissflow allows users to create custom forms with various field types, validations, and layouts. Forms can be easily integrated into workflows to capture and process data efficiently.
• Integration Capabilities: Kissflow supports integration with numerous third-party applications such as Google Workspace, Microsoft Office 365, Slack, and more. These integrations enhance the platform’s functionality and enable seamless data flow between different systems.
• Approval Workflows: Users can create multi-step approval workflows with conditional logic, ensuring that processes like purchase orders, leave requests, and expense approvals are handled efficiently and transparently.

Wrike

Wrike is a popular project management and workflow automation tool known for its versatility, collaboration features, and ease of use. It offers a comprehensive suite of features that cater to various industries and organizational needs, enabling teams to plan, track, and execute workflows efficiently.

Key Features:

• Task Management: Wrike provides robust task management capabilities, allowing users to create, assign, and track tasks within projects. Tasks can be organized into folders, projects, and subtasks for better visibility and organization.
• Interactive Gantt Charts: The platform offers interactive Gantt charts that visualize project timelines, dependencies, and milestones. Users can drag and drop tasks to adjust schedules and quickly identify potential bottlenecks or delays.
• Customizable Workflows: Wrike allows users to create custom workflows with unique statuses, transitions, and approvals. This flexibility enables teams to automate repetitive tasks, standardize processes, and ensure consistency across projects.
• Collaboration Tools: Wrike includes built-in collaboration features such as real-time commenting, @mentions, and document sharing. Team members can collaborate effectively within the platform, reducing the need for email communication and improving productivity.
• Time Tracking and Reporting: Users can track time spent on tasks and projects directly within Wrike. The platform offers customizable reports and dashboards that provide insights into project progress, resource allocation, and team performance.

Zoho

Zoho offers a suite of business applications that include workflow automation tools designed to streamline processes and improve productivity. With a focus on simplicity and integration, Zoho provides solutions for businesses of all sizes across various industries. 

Key Features:

• Workflow Builder: Zoho’s intuitive workflow builder allows users to create custom workflows without any coding knowledge. The drag-and-drop interface makes it easy to design and automate business processes.
• Pre-built Templates: Zoho offers a library of pre-built workflow templates for common business processes such as sales, marketing, HR, and finance. These templates serve as a starting point for customization, saving time and effort in workflow creation.
• Integration with Zoho Suite: Zoho integrates seamlessly with other Zoho applications such as Zoho CRM, Zoho Books, and Zoho Projects. This integration enables data sharing and synchronization between different tools, streamlining workflows across departments.
• Third-party Integrations: In addition to the Zoho Suite, Zoho integrates with popular third-party applications and services such as Google Workspace, Microsoft Office 365, Slack, and Zapier. This extensive integration ecosystem extends Zoho’s functionality and connectivity.

Confluence

Confluence is primarily a collaboration and documentation tool developed by Atlassian, commonly used for creating, organizing, and sharing content within teams and organizations. While it isn’t inherently a workflow automation tool like some of the others mentioned, it does support some workflow-related functionalities through integrations and add-ons.

Key Features:

• Integration with Jira: Confluence integrates seamlessly with Jira, Atlassian’s project management and issue tracking tool. Users can embed Jira issues, reports, and boards directly into Confluence pages, allowing for better collaboration and visibility into project workflows.
• Customizable Templates: Confluence offers customizable templates for various types of content, including meeting notes, project plans, and knowledge base articles. While not specifically for workflow automation, these templates can help standardize processes and streamline content creation.
• Add-ons and Apps: Confluence supports a wide range of add-ons and apps from the Atlassian Marketplace. Some of these add-ons offer workflow automation capabilities, allowing users to create custom workflows, automate repetitive tasks, and integrate Confluence with other tools and systems.
• Page Permissions and Restrictions: Confluence allows administrators to set permissions and restrictions on pages, spaces, and content. This includes controlling who can view, edit, or comment on content, which can help enforce workflow processes and ensure data security.

UiPath

UiPath is a leading robotic process automation (RPA) platform that empowers organizations to automate repetitive tasks and streamline business processes. It combines robotic automation, artificial intelligence, and machine learning to automate a wide range of tasks, from mundane administrative processes to complex business operations. 

Key Features:

• Robotic Process Automation (RPA): UiPath enables the creation of software robots, known as “bots,” that can automate repetitive tasks by mimicking human interactions with digital systems. These bots can perform tasks such as data entry, data extraction, form filling, and more, across multiple applications and systems.
• Visual Designer: UiPath provides a user-friendly visual designer that allows users to design, build, and manage automation workflows without the need for coding. The drag-and-drop interface simplifies the process of creating complex automation sequences.
• Activity Library: UiPath offers a comprehensive library of pre-built activities and components that cover a wide range of automation tasks. These activities can be easily dragged into workflows to perform specific actions, saving time and effort in development.
• Integration with External Systems: UiPath integrates with various external systems, applications, and APIs, allowing for seamless data exchange and interaction between different systems. This enables end-to-end automation of complex business processes that span multiple systems.
• Citizen Developer Support: UiPath provides support for citizen developers, enabling business users with limited technical expertise to create and deploy automation workflows. This democratization of automation allows organizations to scale automation efforts and empower business users to automate their own processes.
• Orchestration and Monitoring: UiPath Orchestrator is a centralized platform for managing and monitoring automation workflows at scale. It provides features such as scheduling, monitoring, logging, and reporting, allowing administrators to oversee automation activities and ensure smooth operation.

Creatio

Creatio, formerly known as bpm’online, is a comprehensive low-code platform designed to streamline business processes, automate workflows, and enhance customer engagement. It offers a suite of integrated applications for sales, marketing, service, and operations, empowering organizations to automate and optimize their business processes. 

Key Features:

• Low-Code Platform: Creatio provides a low-code platform that allows users to design, build, and deploy custom workflows and applications with minimal coding. This empowers business users and citizen developers to automate processes without relying on IT resources.
• Process Designer: Creatio offers a visual process designer that enables users to model, configure, and optimize complex workflows using a drag-and-drop interface. Users can define process stages, actions, conditions, and transitions to automate business processes.
• Pre-built Solutions: Creatio provides a library of pre-built solutions and industry-specific templates for common business processes such as sales pipeline management, customer service, marketing campaigns, and more. These pre-configured solutions can be easily customized to fit specific business requirements.
• Integration Hub: Creatio integrates seamlessly with third-party applications and systems through its Integration Hub. Users can connect Creatio with popular applications such as CRM systems, ERP systems, email marketing tools, and more, enabling data exchange and synchronization between systems.

How to Pick the Right Workflow Automation Tool for Your Business

Assess Your Business Needs

• Identify Processes: Identify business processes that need automation, focusing on repetitive tasks like data entry and approvals. Understanding the complexity and frequency of these tasks helps in selecting the right tool.
• Set Objectives: Define clear objectives such as improving efficiency, reducing errors, enhancing collaboration, or ensuring compliance. Clear goals guide tool selection and help measure success.

Features and Functionality

• Customization: Choose a tool that offers extensive customization to fit your unique workflows. Customizable features ensure the tool adapts to various departmental needs and tasks.
• Integration: Ensure the tool integrates seamlessly with existing systems (e.g., CRM, ERP, email platforms). Effective integration promotes smooth data flow and reduces manual data entry.
• User-Friendly Interface: Select a tool with an intuitive and easy-to-use interface to ensure quick adoption and ease of use, enhancing overall user experience.
• Mobile Accessibility: Ensure the tool offers mobile support, enabling workflow management on the go for greater flexibility and responsiveness.

Scalability and Flexibility

• Growth Potential: Choose a tool that can scale with your business, accommodating increased workloads and complexity as your business grows.
• Flexibility: Select a tool flexible enough to handle a variety of workflows and adapt to changing business needs.

Security and Compliance

• Data Security: Verify that the tool offers robust security features like data encryption and access controls to protect sensitive information from unauthorized access.
• Compliance: Ensure the tool complies with relevant industry regulations and standards, supporting efforts to maintain legal and regulatory compliance.

Reporting and Analytics

• Insights and Metrics: Look for robust reporting and analytics capabilities to track workflow performance, identify bottlenecks, and measure efficiency.
• Custom Reports: Check if the tool allows the creation of custom reports to focus on the most relevant metrics for informed decision-making.