What Appian can do for you‍

Appian is a SaaS vendor specializing in low-code business process automation. It offers a visual platform designed to let users quickly and easily automate workflows and processes without the need to write custom code. Using Appian, complex workloads can be created across different software solutions to increase efficiency throughout your business. To use a simple example, here’s what happens when an employee uses Appian to request reimbursement for an expense:

1. The employee submits an expense report through the company portal, triggering an automated workflow.
2. Appian extracts key information from the submitted report — such as total amount, type of expense, and receipt data — using artificial intelligence.
3. The appropriate manager is selected based on the employee’s department, and Appian sends the report through for review.
4. Within Appian, the manager can approve the reimbursement, request more information, or reject the report. Predefined business rules can also be created for automatic approval or rejection.
5. The report is sent to the finance department for processing and reimbursement once approved. Payment itself can also be automated by integrating Appian with the company’s payroll software.

This process automation is enabled through functionality in several different areas:

• Low-code design – A simple drag-and-drop interface makes it easy for anyone to build automated workflows quickly.
• Automate anything – Appian leverages native and API integrations, artificial intelligence, robotic process automation (RPA), and intelligent document processing (IDP) so you can automate all aspects of your workflow.
• Artificial intelligence – Appian lets you securely create custom AI models and incorporate generative AI within your processes. And with Appian AI Copilot, you’re empowered to build apps and workflows faster.
• Total experience – You can create responsive web and mobile apps using Appian’s drag-and-drop designer, engaging both internal and external users across every step of your automated workflows.
• Process intelligence – Real-time visualization of your existing business processes makes it easy to identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies, while AI can intelligently suggest improvements.
• Data fabric – Appian helps break down data silos, allowing you to unify information from different systems for use in building applications and automating processes.

With the Appian platform, organizations can improve efficiency, streamline operations, and gain a better understanding of their processes — all through a simple, user-friendly interface that’s accessible to pro and citizen developers alike.

Appian pricing structures and tiers‍

Appian doesn’t disclose specific pricing figures online — a common tactic among SaaS vendors to help retain an advantage during contract negotiations. SaaS management platforms such as Vertice can help here: we negotiate on your behalf, leveraging unique market intel on what other businesses are paying. Appian’s pricing tiers are split into four subscriptions, all of which are priced per user per month. All tiers come with a cloud SLA of 99.8–99.99%, one minute RPO (recovery point objective) and as low as four min RTO (recovery time objective), and can be deployed in self-managed hybrid clouds or on-premises. Here’s a breakdown of what you get with each subscription plan.

Appian pricing – Standard

Cost: contact sales

The cheapest Appian pricing tier, Standard, gives users full access to the low-code process and app development platform, including the creation of mobile apps and Portals (limited to one per app). Also included are integrations, data fabric for a single source, and RPA up to a maximum of five bots. AI Copilot is available to developer users.

Appian pricing – Advanced

Cost: contact sales

Advanced Appian pricing builds on the Standard tier by upping the number of RPA bots to 25 and allowing an unlimited number of Portals. Data fabric supports multiple sources instead of just one. Advanced users get access to Self-Service Analytics and Case Management Studio too. On the AI side, email and document classification is enabled alongside intelligent document extraction for up to 20,000 pages per month.

Appian pricing – Premium

Cost: contact sales

On top of everything included in Advanced, Appian’s Premium plan permits the creation of unlimited RPA bots. There’s also more AI functionality, with Copilot enabled for business users (not just developers) and up to 50,000 pages of intelligent document extraction per month. Generative AI features are added, expediting the process of building new workflows.

Appian pricing – Appian Community Edition

Cost: free

If you’re simply looking to test out Appian or improve your skills on the platform, the Community Edition provides free, time-unlimited access for up to 15 active users — albeit with some limitations:

• DevOps, Infrastructure, and Import/Export features are disabled;
• Limit of one Appian RPA robot;
• SSO is disabled;
• Up to 250 process instances (executions of an Appian Process Model) per day;
• Up to 50 robotic task executions per day;
• Up to 30 document extractions and classifications per day;
• Up to 30 email classifications per day;
• Publish up to two Portals (public websites connected to your Appian application).

Appian Community Edition may be used for limited production purposes, provided they fall within the terms and conditions of the license.

Additional Appian costs to consider‍

Generally speaking, the Appian pricing template is straightforward and free from additional costs. Of course, additional seats will increase the monthly fee. There’s also a token-based limit on AI usage. There aren’t any overage fees if you run out — the request will simply return an error.Appian does offer a range of customer success services that incur additional charges:

• Appian Accelerate provides tailored guidance to help you achieve your objectives, optimize your solutions, and get the most value out of your plan.
• Expert Delivery puts a dedicated Appian expert at the wheel of your implementation, and you can opt for Appian Guarantee to have a custom solution delivered within eight weeks.
• Appian Academy offers learning resources to help your staff upgrade their skills on the platform.

Other vendors offering business process automation

As part of a strong procurement cycle, it’s worth considering alternative solutions to find the best balance between price and functionality. Here are three competitor solutions for business process automation.

Appian pricing vs Nintex

Nintex’s user-friendly interface and drag-and-drop functionality is similar to Appian’s, and its pre-built templates for common processes make it ideal for citizen developers. However, it’s less powerful for complex application development compared to Appian, and its AI functionalities are more limited. On the plus side, it offers strong integration with Microsoft products like SharePoint and Office 365. Nintex pricing starts at $25,000 a year for unlimited users and workflows under the Pro plan, with Premium costing $50,000 a year and quotes available for on-prem deployments.

Appian pricing vs OutSystems

Businesses building highly scalable and complex enterprise applications may want to consider OutSystems. This solution offers more flexibility and customization than Appian, but the steeper learning curve means it’s better suited to organizations with experienced developers. OutSystems pricing starts at $32,500 per year for 100 internal users. It’s generally more expensive than Appian, in line with its focus on the enterprise market. However, it does offer a free version for personal use.

Appian pricing vs Mendix

Like Appian, Mendix features a user-friendly low-code interface that enables rapid application development. It’s best-suited to medium-sized projects and may not be as suitable as Appian for highly complex process automation. Mendix pricing depends on how many applications you want to build. A single basic workgroup application starts at $75 a month — a low barrier to entry — while the unlimited department-wide application plan is from $2,495 a month ($29,940 a year). There’s a free Mendix plan available too.

‍Appian pricing – the Vertice verdict

So, is Appian worth the price? If it meets your organization’s requirements, we’d argue it is. Many efficiencies can be gained through business process automation, and Appian makes this easy to achieve thanks to its low-code platform. The solution is further bolstered by powerful AI-based tools, which not only eliminate tedious manual tasks but help you build workflows in less time. A lack of transparency around Appian pricing may be frustrating for some. That’s where Vertice enters the picture — our experts can negotiate on your behalf, delivering the most competitive price by leveraging market intelligence on what other businesses are paying. Furthermore, our SaaS Purchasing Platform makes it easier to monitor SaaS usage and optimize SaaS spend management, eliminating unused licenses and redundant subscriptions. To get started, simply get in touch below.