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Choosing an enterprise data integration solution rates highly on the list of strategic technical decisions that organizations take on, regardless of their industry, size, or age, to compete in the present market. It is in every company's best interest to consider how to connect systems, apps, and data; the risks of not embracing these technologies can be very impactful, and the potential provided by digital transformation is enormous.

In today's Information Age, businesses must employ an enterprise integration platform for technological innovation to thrive. This enables them to harness existing data assets, ensuring seamless performance, swift delivery, and commercial viability for any tech endeavor.

Here are the key takeaways from the article:

  • Both Workato and Boomi are leading enterprise integration solutions, assisting companies in automating processes and ensuring smooth data flow.
  • Workato stands out for its user-friendly features, while Boomi is known for its extensive connector library and suitability for large-scale integrations.
  • Workato provides ease of use with features like real-time data synchronization and error handling.
  • Boomi, on the other hand, offers support for complex integrations, an advanced workflow management system, and a master data hub.
  • Both platforms have their respective strengths and weaknesses according to user feedback.

This article will comprehensively compare integration solutions, Boomi and Workato, across various dimensions and for diverse sets of requirements.



Introduction to iPaaS

Integration platform as a service (i-PaaS) solutions play a significant role in modern company operations, allowing for smooth interactions between diverse applications and systems. It is a cloud-based integration method that can connect apps, data, and processes more quickly than manual integrations.

The technology functions as a set of automated technologies that combine software applications distributed in various scenarios. With the popularity of SaaS applications in the market, the demand also increases for easier and self-service solutions to connect and manage all your data.

With dashboards and a user-friendly interface, an iPaaS makes your ecosystem of integrations and connectors understandable. Many iPaaS offerings are heading toward drag-and-drop low-code / no-code features, allowing business leaders and citizen integrators to assemble and deploy new integrations, as well as retire or replace existing ones. 

However, an iPaaS also provides a high code environment for programmers who desire more control over how they develop. Such data integration solutions enable the flow of data between on-premise and cloud-based applications, as well as interconnect multiple cloud apps. This synchronization can occur in real-time, making it the most efficient method of transmitting data inside a company. This applies to internal procedures as well as external interactions, such as those between a CRM or e-commerce platform and an ERP or marketplace program.

Boomi and Workato both stand out when it comes to enterprise integration requirements. They both assist organizations of all sizes in automating and streamlining their business operations, as well as ensuring a smooth flow of data between applications and systems. In this article, we will look at the many features of both systems and how each is uniquely suited as an integration provider.

Workato vs Boomi and Their Key Features

What is Workato?

Workato is a sophisticated iPaaS tool that streamlines corporate processes by linking various apps and data sources. One of its distinguishing features is its ease of use. It provides a set of capabilities through its simple interface that aids in creating quick integrations, automation, & data management methods. Its secure integration services handle complex business logic, multi-step workflows, and conditional actions. It is hosted on public cloud infrastructure from Amazon Web Services (AWS) & Google Cloud Platform.

What is Boomi?

Boomi is another powerful and feature-rich iPaaS technology that functions as a cloud-centric integration platform as a service (iPaaS). It focuses on interlinking business applications & mobilizing data between them, through a series of platform services that handle different areas of your IT infrastructure and operations. Boomi maximizes its connector and data mapping capabilities by making user-generated maps and connectors for other users to access. It maintains and runs Atom Clouds and Test Atom Clouds in the Americas, Europe, & the Asia-Pacific region. 

Key Features:

The importance of features in iPaaS (Integration Platform as a Service) software arises from its important role in enabling seamless connectivity and interoperability between various applications, systems, and data sources inside an enterprise. Here are some of the most important features of both competitors Workato and Boomi:

Workato:

  • Low-code/no-code interface 
  • Pre-built connectors for over 1,000 applications
  • Drag-and-drop recipe builder
  • Real-time data synchronization
  • Training Library and Online Forums 
  • Error handling and monitoring

Boomi:

  • Low-code/no-code interface and visual data mapping tool
  • Pre-built connectors for over 2,000 applications
  • Support for complex integrations, EDI, and B2B integration
  • Data governance and security features 
  • Advanced workflow management capabilities
  • Master Data hub to manage master data across applications

Workato vs. Boomi Comparison Table

ASPECT / SOLUTION

WORKATO

BOOMI

Workflow Automation

Citizen integrator-focused automation capabilities

Automation capabilities emphasize lesser towards citizen integrators

Functionality and Scope

Suitable for medium-sized companies or department-level integrations

Suitable for large-scale and complex integrations across departments

Ease of Use and Learning Curve

Workato is much easier to learn and configure, especially for users with limited coding experience

Boomi is comparably complex and is geared more toward technical users

Power and Flexibility

Comparatively less powerful and flexible than Boomi

More powerful and flexible than Workato

APIs

Offers an API platform as an add-on. Provides API recipes and access policies

Comprehensive and detailed API management features are included in the key set of offerings

Support Offering

Learning access to training material, ticket systems, and online discussion forums

Email assistance, knowledge base, customer forums, and documentation

Data management and scalability

The custom REST connector makes it scalable, but comparatively less scalable for enterprise-level integrations than Boomi

Great reputation for scalability with advanced data management features. But has a steeper learning curve comparatively

User Interface (UI) / User Experience (UX)

Workato's UI is designed to be simple and intuitive, even for non-technical users

Boomi's UI is more complex than Workato's UI and is geared more toward technical users

Documentation

Workato has pretty robust documentation

Has decent documentation but less than Workato

Pricing Criteria

Business & product pricing models with an annual base workspace payment. Recipes can be purchased individually or in packs

There is two-tier pricing under both pro and enterprise pricing models, with a monthly base fee, but the recipes are free of charge

Pricing Analysis

Workato and Boomi operate under distinct licensing models, resulting in varying degrees of suitability and affordability for their respective user bases. This section will elucidate the diverse pricing plans provided by both competitors:

Workato Pricing Structure:

Workato has two pricing options:

  • Business: This plan is intended for small and medium-sized businesses. It comprises a base workspace charge as well as a fee per recipe. The annual base workspace fee starts at $10,000, with additional active recipes and transactional costs.
  • Product: This plan is for companies that want to create and market their own integration products. It comprises a base workspace charge as well as a fee per product. The annual base workspace fee begins at $25,000 per year. The product's number of users and transactions determines the fee.

Boomi Pricing Structure:

Boomi has four price tiers:

  • Professional: This strategy is intended for small businesses. It has a basic fee as well as a per-transaction fee. The monthly base cost begins at $1,000. The per-transaction cost is determined by the number of transactions processed by the account.
  • Pro-Plus: This strategy is intended for medium-sized businesses. It has a basic fee as well as a per-transaction fee. The monthly base charge begins at $3,000 per month. The number of transactions completed by the account determines the per-transaction cost.
  • Enterprise: This strategy is intended for large corporations. It has a basic fee as well as a per-transaction fee. The monthly base cost begins at $5,000. The per-transaction cost is determined by the number of transactions processed by the account.
  • Enterprise Plus: This package is intended for enterprises that require complex integration. It has a basic fee as well as a per-transaction fee. The monthly base cost begins at $10,000. The per-transaction cost is determined by the number of transactions processed by the account.

User Reviews and Testimonials:

Workato:

Rating: 4.7/5 (G2 and Capterra)

Positive reviews:

  • "Workato is the easiest iPaaS platform I have ever used. It is very intuitive and easy to learn." - Business Analyst
  • "Workato is very affordable, especially for small businesses."
  •  "Workato's customer support is excellent. They are always responsive and helpful."

Negative reviews:

  • "Workato is not as powerful or feature-rich as Boomi."
  • "Workato's pre-built connector library is not as large as Boomi's."
  • "Workato's scalability can be an issue for large organizations."

Users praise Workato for its ease of use, powerful features, and affordable pricing.

Boomi:

Rating: 4.3/5 (G2) and 4.4/5 (Capterra)

Positive reviews:

  • "Boomi is a powerful and flexible iPaaS platform that has helped us to automate and streamline our business processes." - CIO, Fortune 500 company
  • "Boomi is easy to use and manage, and it has a wide range of pre-built connectors that make it easy to integrate our applications." - IT Manager, small business
  • "Boomi's customer support is excellent. They are always responsive and helpful." - IT Consultant

Negative reviews:

  • "Boomi can be expensive, especially for small businesses."
  • "Boomi's learning curve can be steep, especially for users who are not familiar with iPaaS."
  • "Boomi's documentation can be improved."

Users praise Boomi for its wide range of features, support for complex integrations, and enterprise-grade security and scalability.

Real-World Use Cases:

Boomi and Workato can both be used to support a variety of real-world use cases, in organizations of all sizes. For example:

  • Integrating Customer relationship management (CRM) systems with other programs such as marketing automation platforms & e-commerce platforms
  • Integrating human capital management (HCM) systems with other applications such as payroll and talent management systems
  • ERP stands for Enterprise Resource Planning, and it refers to the integration of ERP systems with other applications such as finance management systems and supply chain management systems
  • API integration entails exposing and maintaining APIs for internal and external consumption
  • Data integration is the process of combining data from several sources into a single data warehouse or data lake

Here are some specific examples of how real-world businesses used Boomi and Workato to maximize their efficiency in different industries like Healthcare, Information technology, Operations, Social Media, Finance, Media, Non-profit etc:

Workato:

  • In just two days, the Australian Medical Association (AMA) DevOps team used Workato to build the integration between their database and Mailchimp. Now, data is automatically extracted from both their legacy database and Mailchimp, transformed according to AMA’s requirements, and synced between the systems. Records are automatically updated (or created, in the case of new members)
  • Slack leverages Workato to automate processes across 300 distinct pieces of software, reducing manual work and ensuring data and process governance
  • Cycle & Carriage (C&C), a leading automotive group in Southeast Asia, used Workato to connect Workday and Workbot for Workplace on the backend. Now, reservations can be made directly via Workbot at any time. Once the reservation date is confirmed, employee data is pulled from Workday and populated on a digital pass, which is sent directly to the employee via Workbot
  • Heavy Construction Systems Specialists (HCSS), a leading Heavy civil projects software company wanted to make its data simpler and easier to access. For this the Enterprise Software Services team pushes it into Einstein, Salesforce’s cloud-based analytics platform, using Workato to provide actionable business insights across the business in an easy-to-read dashboard format
  • The IT team at Hubspot created a HelpDesk Assignment Rules dashboard by leveraging Workato to map data to HubSpot’s enterprise collaboration platform on the backend. This dashboard allows the HelpDesk team to determine which team member to assign specific onboarding tasks to, based on a set rule of configuration like office location and region. This integration also allows the HelpDesk team to automatically assign a team member for specific onboarding tasks.
  • New South Wales Rural Assistance Authority used Workato to automate the process of providing financial assistance, mainly to private producers in NSW of approximately 26,000 farming enterprises. 

Boomi:

  • HealthBridge, a healthcare/fintech innovator, uses Boomi Flow to build self-service engagement portals that deliver efficiency and partner satisfaction while scaling its business on Boomi and Amazon Web Services (AWS)
  • The cloud-first company, Moderna Therapeutics, needed to integrate a large portfolio of applications to speed biomedical innovations that could improve lives. Boomi’s cloud-native integration platform helped Moderna scale by integrating systems, automating complex, cross-platform business transactions, and, most importantly, helping its scientists focus on their research
  • British media Company, Sky uses the Boomi Platform to create an innovative application that helps customers quickly resolve service issues, resulting in a significant boost to customer satisfaction and savings of £6 million within the first year
  • LinkedIn uses AtomSphere, Boomi’s Integration Platform as a Service (iPaaS) solution, to automate two critical business processes: LinkedIn automates their lead-to-cash process by integrating Salesforce.com Sales Cloud with Oracle eBusiness Suite, and they also automate a process they call Crystal Ball, which brings multiple, disparate data sources into Salesforce.com Sales Cloud to help the LinkedIn sales team identify high probability opportunities.
  • Riverbed Technology, a global IT vendor benefitted from greater speed, agility, and cost-efficiency in integration and trading partner EDI by upgrading from on-premises TIBCO BusinessWorks to Boomi’s cloud-native platform
  • Exertis, an Information Technology Distribution giant uses Boomi to  Increase its IT and Operational Efficiency and delivers frictionless transactions to power rapid growth

Ease of Use and User Experience:

Workato and Boomi are both iPaaS solutions that are simple to use. However, there are some noteworthy variations between the two platforms in terms of usability.

Workato:

Workato is intended to be user-friendly for both technical and non-technical users. It makes it simple to develop and manage integrations by utilizing a drag-and-drop interface. Workato also offers several pre-built templates and connections to help with the integration process. Workato's versatility is one of its primary features in terms of usability. Users can tailor the UI to their requirements and tastes. Users, for example, can design their dashboards and reports, as well as personalize how integrations are displayed.

Workato's accessibility is a significant asset in terms of usability. Workato offers a variety of services, such as a large documentation library and a community forum, to assist users in getting started. Workato also provides a range of training courses, including online and classroom instruction.

Overall, Workato's reputation as a user-friendly integration platform is a result of its user-friendly interface, no-code/low-code approach, pre-built templates, and comprehensive support resources. 

Boomi:

Boomi is intended to be user-friendly; however, it is oriented more toward technical people. Boomi's user interface is more complicated than Workato's and has more features and capabilities.

Boomi's visual programming environment is one of its primary assets in terms of usability. Boomi's visual programming environment enables customers to establish and manage integrations without the need for coding.

Boomi offers a single platform for managing, regulating, and synchronizing master data across applications known as the Master Data Hub, which is suitable for organizations that need data management and governance as essentials.

Scalability is another significant feature of Boomi in terms of usability. Boomi's user interface can handle even the most complicated and demanding integrations. Boomi is also an excellent alternative for enterprises that require integration with a variety of applications.

Conclusion:

Workato and Boomi are both simple iPaaS solutions. Your unique needs and requirements will determine the appropriate platform for you. Workato is a good alternative if you want a platform that is simple to use for non-technical users. Boomi is a wonderful alternative if you want a more powerful and adaptable platform.

You should experiment with both platforms to see which one you prefer. Workato and Boomi both have free trials so you may try them out before committing to a paid subscription.

As we progress deeper into the information era, businesses must modify their digital strategy accordingly. This could begin with choosing the appropriate integration technology to commence their digital transformation activities. Making an informed decision involves a rigorous study of popular products and their advantages and downsides, whether comparing Boomi v/s Workato, Azure v/s AWS, or WSO2 v/s Mulesoft.

The following considerations can assist an enterprise in choosing the right product to efficiently streamline a company's data management while also enhancing business processes. When deciding between Boomi and Workato, keep the following considerations in mind:

How simple is it to design and maintain integration workflows?

Is the platform capable of supporting citizen integration?

Does the platform have pre-built integrations for the applications that need to be linked?

Is the platform capable of powerful automation?

Is there built-in collaboration functionality on the platform?

Is the platform capable of supporting your present and future workloads?

Suggestions:

  • If you are looking for an easy-to-use iPaaS solution that is affordable for small businesses, Workato is a good choice. If you need an iPaaS solution that can support complex integrations and EDI, then Boomi is a better choice.
  • If you are looking for a powerful and feature-rich platform that can scale to meet the needs of a large organization, then Boomi is a good choice. If you are looking for an easy-to-use and affordable platform that is a good fit for small businesses, Workato is a good choice.
  • If you are looking for a platform that is easy to use for non-technical users, then Workato is a good choice. If you are looking for a platform that is more powerful and flexible, then Boomi is a good choice.

How Integrate.io Can Help

While the focus of this article has been a deep dive into Boomi and Workato, it’s worth noting that other platforms also offer specific solutions to integration challenges. One such platform is Integrate.io, known for its user-friendly interface and robust capabilities in addressing ETL requirements. Integrate.io stands out for its solutions for ETL and reverse ETL, CDC & ELT, Instant API Generation, and Data Observability. Integrate.io was one of the first platforms to offer low-code and no-code ETL at scale, allowing users to build pipelines from over 100 (and now over 200) data destinations and sources: relational databases, SaaS, CRMs. ERPs, Salesforce, and more.

The Platform allows customers to clean, normalize, and transform their data while also adhering to compliance best practices. It offers batch transformations at the table level, which can be more efficient and cost-effective than looking at records one at a time.

Some key advantages of utilizing Integrate.io include:

  • User-friendly interface
  • Suitable for high data volume and processing needs
  • More affordable at an organizational level
  • Flexibility in managing computation capability (clusters & nodes) 
  • Inclusive onboarding assistance in the base plan

Ultimately, the choice of an integration platform should align with a company's unique needs and challenges, and Integrate.io presents itself as a viable option to consider.

You can explore the platform freely with a 14-day free trial today or book a Demo with one of our experts where you can ask questions to learn more and see how the platform can fit into your data-driven projects.