Anyone who wants to automate processes quickly runs into three routes: no-code tools such as Zapier and Make, RPA (software robots that work in existing screens) and custom software. All three have their place — and in practice a combination is often smartest. Below we compare them honestly.
The three routes in brief
- No-code (Zapier, Make): ready-made connections between cloud apps. Quick to set up, ideal for simple flows with few exceptions.
- RPA: a software robot clicks and types like a person in existing screens. Useful when a system has no integration option (API).
- Custom software: software that runs exactly your process, with its own logic, checks and integrations. Pays off for core processes, volume and many exceptions.
Side by side
| No-code | RPA | Custom | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time to start | Hours to days | Days to weeks | Weeks, often delivered in phases |
| Complex rules & exceptions | Limited | Limited | Fully |
| Volume | Costs rise per task or operation | Limited by screen speed | Scales with your infrastructure |
| Robustness | Depends on the available connectors | Sensitive to screen changes | Under your own management |
| Costs over time | Subscription that grows with use | Licences + maintenance | Build + management, no per-task costs |
| Fits your process | Within the platform’s options | Within the system’s screens | Exactly |
When do you choose no-code?
For simple steps between cloud apps — a form that lands in your CRM, a Teams notification for a new order — with low volumes and few exceptions. No-code is also fine for quickly testing whether an automation adds value. Do watch the costs as you grow: they rise with the number of tasks.
When do you choose RPA?
When an (older) system has no integration option and its screens are stable. RPA is then a pragmatic bridge. The downside: when a screen changes, the robot has to be adjusted. For processes that must last for years it’s therefore usually an interim solution.
When do you choose custom software?
For the processes where your money is: order processing, invoices, price checks or the warehouse. That’s where volume, exceptions and checks come into play, and automation must work closely with your ERP. AI that has to understand an order and act within your rules also calls for custom work. You then pay for build and management, not per task.
Combining is often smartest
An example: newsletter sign-ups run fine through a no-code tool, while the order flow from webshop to ERP — with customer prices, stock and checks — runs in custom software. That way you use every tool for what it does well. Torn between an off-the-shelf package and custom? Read custom software or an off-the-shelf package.
How we advise
We start with your process, not with a tool. In the process inventory we advise the best route per step — even if that’s a no-code tool or no new software at all. That makes the report always usable, whether you continue with us or not.
Which route fits your process?
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