10 BEST Workload Automation Tools [2023 Top Selective]

Select the right Workload Automation (WLA) Tool from this intensive list to manage your workloads effectively. This tutorial includes the Most Popular Workload Automation (WLA) Tools along with their Features, Pricing, and Comparison.

Organizations of all types and sizes face these challenges of digital transformation i.e. the process of using digital technologies to create new or enhanced business processes, platforms, or customer experiences to meet the changing market demands.

Why Workload Automation?

With so many new tools and technologies being introduced each day, yet there is a bigger challenge of managing, maintaining, monitoring, and automating all the data and dependencies that flow from system-to-system or process-to-process.

This is amplified by the shortage of skilled and technical workers, thereby creating the IT skills gap or IT resources gap. Workload Automation is a rapidly growing market with software designed to address all three problems.

Recommended reading =>> Comparing Workload vs Workflow Automation

Organizations that adopt the right Workload Automation solution can reduce errors and time spent on performing repetitive tasks while releasing skilled workers to explore new areas to innovate and stay ahead of the competition.

What is Workload Automation?

Workload Automation is the practice of using software tools to schedule, trigger, run, and manage workloads comprised of repetitive business and IT processes. Workloads can be a manual or digital effort that takes place during the day-to-day operations of a business.

Manual workloads can be digitized, and digital workloads can be automated to eliminate manual intervention, reduce errors, and improve the overall efficiency of the business or IT operations.

Workload Automation is a close sibling to Job Scheduling, which is the process of scheduling, triggering, and running resource-intensive workloads in the overnight periods referred to as Batch Windows.

As computer processing has dramatically advanced, the need to restrict heavy workloads to overnight batch windows has been reduced. Workload Automation shifts from the Job Scheduling approach of the scheduled date and time-based execution, to event-driven execution of workloads.

Suggested reading =>> Best Batch Scheduling Software

Event-driven automation is more efficient and is usually preferred as it eliminates the slack time between the two methods i.e. when a process is able to be kicked off, and when it actually begins running.

On the flip side, event-driven automation is also more reliable as the process only begins once its final dependency i.e. the one causing the event – has been met.

For Example, if a report needs to be processed and loaded into a business intelligence tool, then it can either be scheduled for 8 pm when the data is usually ready or as soon as the report source file is deposited onto an FTP server – a time that changes daily.

On days when the report file is deposited at 6 pm, the process can be started sooner, thereby making it more likely that it will finish before its deadline. Inversely, if the source file isn’t deposited until 9 pm, the process won’t have a false start or unexpected failure because of the missing file.

As Workload Automation tools can manage such a wide array of processes, some WLA solutions are designed to act as a central orchestration hub for the digital enterprise at the top of the entire IT environment.

Different types of Workload Automation tools have additional features to enhance the WLA development or operational experience, reduce or eliminate resource-intensive scripting, improve efficiency & resource optimization, and provide a better administrative console for managing this central hub.

Suggested reading =>> 12 Best Workload Management Software Tools

Types of Workload Automation Tools

Enlisted below are the various types of Workload Automation Tools.

#1) Scheduling Tools

The most fundamental WLA tools focus primarily on the Job Scheduling aspect of Workload Automation. These tools can reduce the manual intervention required for workloads, but are often limited in advanced scheduling types like event-driven automation.

Working on one machine, operating system, or infrastructure type can be a limiting factor in hybrid or changing environments. Some tools are wizard or form-based while others are code-based.

• Pros: Cost-effective (sometimes free), sufficient for basic scheduling needs.
• Cons: Often lacks in advanced scheduling options, cross-platform or cross-infrastructure support, sometimes script-heavy, limited visibility & reporting.
• Examples: Windows Task Scheduler, Cron, Puppet, Chef.

#2) Point WLA Tools

This type of solution is more capable and efficient than the basic scheduling tools as it supports granular scheduling options, conditional logic, and some forms of low-code job assembly.

Point tools operate best in a single location or for a single platform or application. They are often the most capable solution designed for their specific use case but have few options for interfacing with the external systems and apps.

• Pros: Sometimes the most capable (or only) automation and scheduling tool for a specific application or platform, often built-in or bundled with a parent application.
• Cons: Limited or complete lack of integration with the external applications or platforms, not often designed for end-to-end visibility across systems.
• Examples: SQL Server Agent, Informatica PMCMD, AWS Instance Scheduler.

#3) Universal WLA Tools

This type of WLA tool is designed for universal application. These tools are good for automating nearly any digital task and work across multiple applications, infrastructures, and operating systems.

Universal solutions often provide the most granular and advanced options for distributed environments like business day and time zone considerations, constraint logic and Constraint-Based Scheduling (CBS), extensive event-driven automation, and virtual/cloud infrastructure deployment and management.

Many of these tools also provide a drag-and-drop job designer that allows new tasks to be automated faster than with script-based scheduling. Given the breadth of capabilities in these platforms, these tools can lack the depth required for certain specialized use cases.

• Pros: Central management of most (or all) platforms and technologies, fewer individual tools to learn and maintain.
• Cons: Sometimes less capable than point tools for special use cases, generally greater up-front cost.
• Examples: ActiveBatch Workload Automation, IBM Tivoli, JAMS Scheduler.

List of Best Workload Automation Software

1. ActiveBatch (Best Overall)
2. Redwood RunMyJobs
3. Tidal Automation
4. IBM Workload Automation.
5. Control-M
6. Broadcom
7. JAMS
8. Stonebranch
9. Activeeon ProActive
10. Oracle Autonomous Transaction Processing
11. vCloud Director

Comparison of Best WLA (Workload Automation) Tools

	Best for	Features	Free trial	Price
ActiveBatch	Medium to large-sized businesses.	Rich content library, Low-code job assembly, Complete API accessibility, Built-in machine learning for optimized performance, Business-friendly, Self-Service Portal.	Demo and a 30-day free trial.	Get a quote.
Redwood RunMyJobs	SaaS-based workload automation and job scheduling.	Uncompromising security, simple pricing plans, automate anything anywhere, etc.	Available on request.	Get a quote.
Tidal Automation	Small to Large-Sized Businesses	Advanced Calendaring & Scheduling, Event Based Scheduling, 60+ Pre-Built Integrations, Full Robust RBAC Security Policies.	Free 30-day Demo available	Contact for quote
IBM Workload Automation	Small to large businesses.	Dashboard Workflow folders, Advanced Rerun flexibility, Hybrid Workload automation, etc.	Free trial available for 30 days.	The price starts at $74.30 per 1000 jobs per month.
Control-M	Medium to large-sized businesses.	Jobs-as-Code approach, Monitor Job flow & task status, Web-based self-service.	Available.	Get a quote.
Broadcom	Small to large-sized businesses.	Fault Tolerance & Recovery, Workload Automation Agents, Self-service, etc.	--	Get a quote.
JAMS	Small to large businesses.	Automating batch processes.	Available for 14 days.	Get a quote.

#1) ActiveBatch (Recommended)

Best for medium to large-sized businesses.

Price: ActiveBatch provides a demo and a 30-day free trial. You can get a quote for it’s pricing details.

ActiveBatch is an intelligent IT automation solution that will help organizations to accommodate changing conditions and bring value to the entire business. It will allow developers to integrate with any virtual technology for which built-in support is not provided.

It helps with making the business units and helpdesk users more productive. To help with designing and assembling end-to-end workflows, it provides a lot of prebuilt integrations for commonly scripted actions through Integrated Jobs Library.

Various key business technologies are supported along with the integrations for a series of third-party applications, databases, and platforms.

Features:

• It features the largest library of prebuilt no-code integrations in the industry, with hundreds of drag-and-drop steps included at no additional cost.
• ActiveBatch extends the power of its Jobs Library through Service Library with API accessibility. This provides the facility to load and execute WSDLs, SOAP Web Services, RESTful Services, Stored procedures, .NET assemblies, and command lines.
• It has a Machine Learning-Powered Queue allocation designed to reduce slack time and bottlenecks within hybrid and multi-cloud distributed environments.
• It provides a user-friendly self-service portal to reduce business user’s dependency on IT for repetitive requests.

Verdict: ActiveBatch is a customizable solution. ActiveBatch is designed for change as it can integrate with virtually any technology through its Jobs Library and Service Library i.e. implementations of all sizes can adopt ActiveBatch today with confidence that it will continue to orchestrate all of its changing technologies going forward.

#2) Redwood RunMyJobs

Best for SaaS-based workload automation and job scheduling.

Price: Redwood has simple pricing plans and follows a pay-for-what-you-use policy. You can get a quote for pricing details. You can also request a free trial.

Redwood RunMyJobs is a cloud-based solution for workload automation and job scheduling. It is a platform for modern automation that will let you automate anything. It has capabilities for easily automating processes over on-premise, cloud, and hybrid environments.

Features:

• RunMyJobs has simple API wizards that will help you quickly incorporate REST or SOAP web services.
• It offers features for coordinating and managing data pipelines with Hadoop, Snowflake, etc.
• It provides functionalities for securely managing file transfers through a fully integrated MFT.
• All the connectors are included in the solution.

Verdict: Redwood RunMyJobs contains all the capabilities required for orchestrating the automation of the entire enterprise. Its fully-hosted infrastructure will eliminate the complexity and endless lifecycle of maintenance. It has simple pricing plans to pay for what you use.

#3) Tidal Automation

Best for Small to Large-Sized Businesses.

Price: Contact for quote

With Tidal Automation, you get an advanced workload automation tool that allows you to considerably streamline the management of both business and IT processes. The software serves as the perfect alternative to manual processes, scheduling silos, and custom scripting.

Tidal Automation allows you to rapidly implement automation across all layers of an enterprise. This includes everything from infrastructure to middleware and applications. Tidal Automation also connects seamlessly with a plethora of pre-built, ready-to-run 60+ integrations. You are also provided with a set of tools to build your own integrations as well.

Read more => Tidal Automation Alternatives for 2023

Features:

• Single Pane of Glass for Automation Across Enterprise Applications
• Full Robust RBAC Security Policies
• Advance Calendaring and Scheduling Options Across Multiple Time-Zones
• 60+ Pre-Built Integrations
• Manage Job Dependencies Across Applications and Software
• Time Based Scheduling
• Event Based Scheduling
• Critical Path Tracking
• Integrated Resource Management
• Developer Friendly Automation

Verdict: Tidal Automation offers you a platform that’s highly scalable, secure and predictable. This is a platform that facilitates automation across your cloud, on-premise, and hybrid environments. Tidal Automation delivers when it comes to enhancing business and IT efficiency with advanced automation.

#4) IBM Workload Automation

Best for small to large businesses.

Price: IBM Workload Automation price starts at $74.30 for 1000 jobs per month. A free trial is available for 30-days.

IBM Workload Automation solution will improve decision-making strategies through predictive analytics and centralized management. It provides a self-service model for managing jobs and job streams.

It provides advanced Rerun flexibility. There will a powerful integration between Workload Automation and Containers. It offers a facility to run and monitor processes from mobile and tablets.

Features:

• IBM Workload Automation provides a powerful and intuitive dashboard.
• It provides a facility to organize jobs and job streams in a hierarchical folder structure.
• It offers features for security. You will be able to manage access control lists at the folder level.
• It will allow you to deploy all components of workload automation in containers.
• You can connect jobs using variables.

Verdict: IBM Workload Automation will help you with batch & real-time hybrid workload management. It will optimize workload management, improve business agility, and simplify operations.

Website: IBM Workload Automation

#5) Control-M

Best for medium to large-sized businesses
Price: You can get a quote for its pricing details. Control-M can be tried for free.

Control-M is the Workload automation software with capabilities of Workflow Orchestration, Data Pipelines, SLA Management, Managed File transfer, etc. It supports the Hybrid and Multi-Cloud environment. It can provide a 360-degree view of the data pipeline at every stage.

With intelligent file movement and enhanced visibility, you will have control over file transfer operations.

Features:

• This solution will let you extend Dev and Ops collaboration with a Jobs-as-Code approach.
• It provides native AWS and Azure integrations that will simplify the workflows across Hybrid & Multi-cloud environments.
• It provides proactive SLA management with intelligent predictive analytics.
• It offers robust support to audits, compliance, and governance.

Verdict: Control-M Workload Automation solution will simplify the workflow orchestration. It provides the functionalities to define, schedule, manage, and monitor workflows. It has advanced operational capabilities.

Website: Control-M

#6) Broadcom

Best for small to large businesses.
Price: You can get a quote for its pricing details.

AutoSys Workload Automation can effectively manage business-critical workloads. It is the solution to improve the availability of critical application workloads across enterprises.

Suggested reading = >> Top AutoSys Alternatives

AutoSys Workload Automation platform comes with various capabilities like extreme scalability, regulatory audit support, fault tolerance & recovery, self-service, extensive application support, and workload automation agents.

Also read =>> Fault Tolerance Testing using Katalon Studio

Features:

• AutoSys Workload Automation software dynamically responds to real-time business events.
• It can map workload processes to service level agreements to SLAs.
• It can perform continuous monitoring. It provides the functionalities for automating recovery.
• AutoSys Workload Automation will provide a single point of control to manage and visualize the critical business processes end-to-end across platforms.

Verdict: AutoSys Workload Automation will improve visibility and control. Its benefits include reduced operational costs, improved efficiency, and increased performance.

Website: Broadcom

Further Reading => Most Popular Hybrid Cloud Workload Automation Tools

#7) JAMS Scheduler

Best for small to large businesses.
Price: JAMS Scheduler offers a free trial for 14 days. You can get a quote for its pricing details.

JAMS Scheduler is an enterprise workload automation and job scheduling software. It supports the processes on Windows, Linux, UNIX, iSeries, SAP, Oracle, SQL, etc. This solution will enable developers to build smart automation directly into their applications.

Features:

• JAMS Scheduler has functionalities for automating the batch processes.
• For automating the batch processes, it supports on-premise, in the cloud, and hybrid environments.
• Application managers will integrate business applications with your business processes.

Verdict: This centralized solution can be used for all critical IT processes like scheduling batch processes and orchestrating multistep, multi-platform workflows.

Website: JAMS Scheduler

#8) Stonebranch

Best for small to medium-sized businesses.
Price: Stonebranch offers a free trial. You can get a quote for its pricing details.

Stonebranch is a dynamic automation solution for IT operations that provides functionalities for automating, managing, and tracking complex IT processes. It provides support to various business applications and workflows like cross-systems dependencies.

Suggested reading =>> Alternatives to Stonebranch

Stonebranch provides a convenient GUI to manage all processes and handle complexity. It will enhance the performance and productivity of your IT staff. It will help in reducing costs and improving service quality.

Features:

• Stonebranch provides intelligent scheduling features that will let you set specific dates & times as well as data particularities. It can include allocating the appropriate resources according to the business needs.
• It provides fault-tolerant architecture.
• For high availability, it provides automated disaster recovery.
• It can perform event-based scheduling in real-time.
• It will provide ease of use, central control, compliance, cost optimization, security, and high availability.

Verdict: Stonebranch Workload Automation solution will help in automating the entire business systems including heterogeneous server environments.

It provides several benefits such as labor savings, system-wide improvements, increased overall speed, intelligent & predictive resource allocation, etc.

Website: Stonebranch

#9) Activeeon ProActive

Price: You can get a quote for its pricing details. ProActive can be tried for free.

ProActive is a job scheduling, workload automation, and orchestration & meta-scheduling solution. It provides a user-friendly scheduling system, error management system, priority management, and event-driven execution.

Features:

• You will be able to check deviations and fetch logs through execution analysis.
• For error management, it provides the features for keeping intermediate results, global error policy, and granular policy.
• It provides the features of graphical workflows & dependencies and powerful replication
• It is resource agnostic, thus supports public & private cloud, on-prem data center & HPC, and Multi-cloud & hybrid cloud strategies.

Verdict: This solution can be integrated into your existing CI/CD pipelines. It provides controlled scalability and dynamic scaling on workload.

Website: Activeeon ProActive

#10) Oracle Autonomous Transaction Processing

Best for small to medium-sized businesses.

Price: Oracle Autonomous Transaction Processing is available with two pricing options i.e. Pay As You Go ($0.4839 OCPU per hour) and Monthly Flex ($0.3226 OCPU per hour).

Oracle provides a database service that is self-driving, self-securing, and self-repairing. It is the scalable solution to meet the demands of mission-critical transaction processing. It provides the features of limitless performance, limitless scalability, and always online operations.

Features:

• Oracle Autonomous Transaction Processing has the capacity to protect from all downtime like planned maintenance and enabling online application schema updates.
• It can protect from external attacks as well as malicious internal users.
• It provides a self-securing solution by ensuring up-to-date security patching.
• Relational workloads and JSON documents, graphs, etc. are supported by Oracle Autonomous Transaction Processing.

Verdict: Oracle Autonomous Transaction Processing makes use of machine learning for automating the database & infrastructure management, monitoring, and tuning.

Website: Oracle Autonomous Transaction Processing

#11) vCloud Director

Best for medium to large-sized businesses.
Price: You can get a quote for its pricing details.

vCloud Director is the platform provided by VMware for providing role-based access to Web console.

This platform will help the users to interact with the organization’s resources for creating and working with vApps and virtual machines. It helps in delivering secure, efficient, and elastic cloud resources to various enterprises and IT teams.

Features:

• vCloud Director provides elastic virtual data centers.
• You can enable simple & secure VM migration and Datacenter extension along with vCloud availability.
• It supports enterprise-driven workflows and cold & warm migration options.
• It provides multi-site aggregate views for multi-site management.

Verdict: vCloud Director provides seamless connectivity. This platform is for cloud providers for operating and managing successful cloud-service businesses. It provides native support to K8S and PKS.

Website: vCloud Director

#12) Automate.io

Best for all business sizes.

Price: Automate.io has five plans, Free, Startup ($39/month), Growth ($79/month), Business ($159/month), and Enterprise ($319/month). A free trial is available. All these prices are for annual billing. Monthly billing plans are also available. It offers plans based on the number of actions.

Automate.io provides a solution to connect all your cloud applications easily. By using this tool you will be able to automate marketing sales, payments, or any business processes quickly. It will help you to create simple automation as well as complex workflows.

More than 100 connectors are available for cloud and SaaS applications. To connect with other apps you can make the use of Webhooks or Rest API.

Features:

• Automate.io will let you drag-and-drop for data mapping and visually create the integrations.
• It has powerful tools that will let you format data, add conditional logic, or time delay in your workflows.
• It provides data encryption at rest and transit, data retention controls, & audit logs and hence a secure and reliable solution.

Verdict: All the popular apps that are required for CRM, Marketing, E-Commerce, Helpdesk, Payments, Web forms, Collaboration, etc. are supported by Automate.io. It is a simple and intuitive tool that will let you visually create the integrations.

Conclusion

Workload Automation software will help businesses to schedule, initiate, run & manage tasks, and provides the benefits of improved efficiency, reliability, and control.

ActiveBatch is our TOP recommendation Workload Tool.

IBM Workload Automation, Control-M, Broadcom, and JAMS are our other recommended Workload Automation tools.

ActiveBatch provides the low code platform for workload automation with a rich content library and full API accessibility. IBM workload Automation has the capacity to optimize and automate complex workloads. Control-M is the solution provided for simplifying the application workflow orchestration.

Recommended reading =>> Top Alternatives to Control-M 

Most of the above-mentioned solutions follow quote based pricing models except IBM and Oracle.

We hope this detailed tutorial will help you in selecting the right Workload Automation software.

Review Process:

• Time taken to research this tutorial: 25 Hours
• Total Tools researched: 14
• Top Tools shortlisted: 10