Cost of RPA: Implementation, Licenses, & ROI

As a Robotic Process Automation consultancy we price RPA projects for our clients all the time.

Based on our experience, Robotic Process Automation (RPA) costs vary from $1,000 to $5,000 per bot on average. However, some small automations could be developed for as little as a couple of hundred dollars.

Apart from the development costs, you will also have the licensing costs, which you pay to RPA software vendors that you use. Finally, you might also be paying for extra plugins for your RPA software for certain functionality like extracting the data from additional data sources.

We will cover all the factors that make up the cost of your RPA project in this article so that you can budget properly.

We will also discuss the benefits of RPA so that you can do the cost-benefit analysis. Notably, RPA leads to cost reduction of 25-80% for ongoing processes.

Factors Influencing the Cost of RPA

The cost of RPA depends on several factors, like the software you choose, licensing fees, setup and infrastructure, ongoing maintenance, and training for your team.

The scale of automation also matters, since more processes mean higher costs (but often greater savings too).

All of these can be largely classified into: license cost and implementation cost. Let’s look at these two in more detail.

RPA License Cost

*UI Path provides a very limited number of features for $25 per month. They target Enterprise users so the real costs will be $5,000-10,000 per year.

RPA license costs vary from $10 per month to tens of thousands of dollars per year for enterprise level software. RPA license costs will be ongoing after implementation so it is important to choose the right tool for your budget.

RPA license types are different per vendor.

• User licenses: Power Automate Cloud charges a monthly cost per user
• Credit licenses: Zapier and Make.com charge monthly based on the number of credits that you use for performing your tasks
• Execution licenses: Power Automate Desktop and Automation Everywhere charge per number of bots that are active.

Overall, based on our experience, Power Automate is the most affordable RPA tool since monthly costs are predictable. UI Path is the most expensive RPA tool that we have had a chance to work with.

We have a guide to help you compare different RPA tools. You can use this guide to find which tool has the functionality that you need.

Cost of RPA Implementation

The implementation cost of RPA with our consultants is usually $1,000-5,000 per bot. However, a typical implementation requires several bots.

So, what are the factors influencing costs?

1. Number of integrations: RPA tools have pre-built integrations with different systems. However, sometimes it is necessary to develop another integration from scratch. If you need to develop integrations from scratch, your cost per bot would go closer to $5,000 mark. 
2. Number of steps: Complex RPA workflows that include many data transformation steps take longer to develop. As a result, their cost will be higher than simple workflows with a limited number of steps.
3. Third-party tools: integration with certain complementary tools may be necessary depending on your project. For example, we offer a QuickBooks Online connector that can be used to automatically extract your accounting data. Using these tools reduces the cost of RPA implementation but increases the licensing costs.

Cost of Automation Beyond RPA

RPA may not be the only type of automation your company needs. Other options are:

1. AI and Machine Learning: These solutions are usually more expensive because they need data models, training, and advanced infrastructure. They are best for tasks that involve complex, decision-heavy processes.
2. Custom scripts: This is the cheapest option to start with. But they are hard to scale and maintain, especially if your business moves and pivots fast.
3. Business Process Management (BPM) tools: These take care of entire workflows, not just tasks. They are generally more expensive than RPA in terms of licensing.

Operational Savings With RPA

The biggest business case for RPA is cost savings. Companies that adopt RPA report a 25-80% reduction in operational costs. This is from automating repetitive tasks, reducing errors, and speeding up processes that take hours.

Take RPA in accounting, for example. Many teams spend hours entering invoices, copying numbers between spreadsheets or preparing month-end reports. With RPA, these tasks run automatically. At Vidi Corp, we’ve helped clients automate accounts receivable follow-ups, invoice tracking, and financial reporting. The results:

• Reports compiled 75% faster
• Overdue payments are collected quicker
• Teams saved 10+ hours a week.

Beyond accounting, similar savings are seen in HR, customer service, and supply chain operations. The more rule-based the process is, the bigger the gain.

For businesses looking to automate, the question isn’t if RPA saves money, but how much. If you’re ready to see what RPA can do for your operations, you can hire an RPA developer to design and implement a solution for you.

Measuring the Value of RPA

Many businesses adopt RPA with an end goal of saving on operational costs, but the value of RPA is way beyond that.

Value of RPA in Business Processes

1. Speed: Bots work faster and maintain consistency across all rounds of work, so routine tasks that typically take hours to complete are done to the same level of quality in minutes.
2. Compliance: Every action a bot takes is logged, so audits are easier and human error is reduced.
3. Scale: As your business grows, RPA can handle more work without needing more staff. RPA goes from being a nice-to-have to a must-have.

When you add up these benefits with the cost savings, you’ll see the full value RPA is adding to your business.

Robotic Process Automation ROI

To calculate RPA ROI, consider both direct and indirect benefits:

1. Direct savings come from lower labour costs, faster task completion, and fewer errors to fix. If a bot does the work of two employees, you can calculate the savings straight away.
2. Indirect benefits are just as important. These are happier employees who spend less time on monotonous tasks, have better customer service from faster response times, and have smoother audits.

And then calculate the payback period. This is how long it takes for the savings to pay back your RPA investment. For many businesses, the payback period is less than a year, making RPA one of the fastest technology investments to show results.

Comparing Costs Across Automation Strategies

There’s a common saying that “just because you can automate something doesn’t always mean you should”

It’s true because not all automation options make sense for every business. This is how RPA stands in comparison to other automation strategies:

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