If you're reading this article, you're most likely researching Integration Platforms as a Service (iPaaS), or you're a Celigo customer looking to resolve Service Integration challenges. In both cases I've put together a number of options for you.

What is Celigo?

Celigo is one of the leading iPaaS solution designed to streamline business processes by automating integrations between various applications and systems. Its core functionalities include pre-built connectors for cloud-based and on-premises applications, workflow automation tools, and data mapping capabilities.

Celigo helps businesses to connect their CRM, ERP, e-commerce platforms, marketing automation tools, and other critical systems, facilitating data synchronization and process automation. Celigo is also known for it's integrator.io platform mainly focused on the needs of Mid-market customers. For smaller businesses, two common self-service alternatives integrator.io are Make.com and Zapier.

How to compare Celigo in the iPaaS software market

Celigo is one of the leading software providers in the iPaaS software category offering services to a large number of different types of businesses. This is a pretty contested space, as Gartner lists over 120 different solution providers.

When selecting an integration platform as a service (iPaaS) solution, several factors should be considered to ensure it aligns with your requirements and strategic goals. The integration needs of small businesses will be very different from enterprise organizations.
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If you're a customer of analyst firms like Gartner or Forrester you can get more detailed commentary of iPaaS solution functionality to suit your unique needs. Here are some key dimensions often mentioned by analyst firms and iPaaS software experts:
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1. Integration capabilities:
   The core functionality of an iPaaS should include data consistency, multistep processes, and composite service creation to cover various integration needs like customer data synchronization, employee onboarding, and fraud detection. Evaluate if the platform offers a broad array of connectors for application and data integration and if it supports different integration styles such as real-time data pipelines or event-driven architectures.
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2. Ease of use and automation:
   With low-code or no-code environments becoming more common, the chosen platform should empower both IT and non-technical users to implement integrations seamlessly. Look for solutions that provide guided user experiences, prebuilt connectors, and templates to streamline the development process. Platforms like Workato and Celigo excel in this regard, offering AI-assisted features to guide users through the process.
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3. Architecture and strategy alignment:
   Ensure the iPaaS solution aligns with your organization's application architecture. Modern architectures often require integration layers to decouple legacy systems and enable modular deployment. Mulesoft, with its API-led approach, excels in strategic integration, while SAP Integration Suite is ideal for those heavily invested in the SAP ecosystem.
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4. Scalability and flexibility:
   Consider how the iPaaS adapts to your organization’s growth and evolving requirements. Features like consumption-based pricing models, as found in Mulesoft's recent pilot, provide flexibility. Solutions like Boomi and Informatica offer modular bundles that allow organizations to scale specific services based on demand.
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5. Geographic and compliance requirements:
   Assess the platform's data residency and compliance features. Boomi and Informatica provide global data center coverage, crucial for organizations with specific data residency needs. Ensure the platform meets your industry-specific regulatory standards.
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6. Support and ecosystem:
   A strong support system, training programs, and a partner ecosystem can significantly enhance the onboarding experience. Vendors like Workato and Boomi offer comprehensive training and have solid customer support systems, while SnapLogic and TIBCO provide robust partnerships for additional expertise.
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Ultimately, selecting an iPaaS solution requires a careful analysis of your current and future integration needs. Balancing core capabilities, ease of use, strategic alignment, and relevance to your industry will help you choose a solution that most suits your business needs.

Celigo limitations referenced by real customers

While Celigo offers many valuable functionalities, it isn't perfect. On the customer review website Capterra Celigo gets an overall high score of 4.6/5, but falls short in both Customer Service and Ease of Use categories. It is a good choice as an iPaaS tool, but we'll go through a few reasons why it isn't necessarily your top choice for service integrations.

With over 1000 customers of different shapes and sizes, Celigo has capabilities to serve different kinds of businesses. However, with such broad focus, it may not suit every need.

Here are some real customer quotes from Capterra where Celigo falls short:

"The field mapping in Celigo is very difficult to use. I wasn't able to compare a date field and return a value based on logic. That is basic functionality that took me hours to find out i couldn't make work, even after asking for support." - Kyle W

"Problem solving sync errors can be challenging. The error codes are super general, and a lot of time one has to look at the originating records on both SaaS being linked and just mentally go through a list of fields to make sure they are still in unison. It can be super tedious and time consuming." - Brett G.

"Support Organization Custom connectors can be complicated to deploy System Performance in ETLs with a heavy amount of data." - Omar P.

"Any custom flows are extremely difficult to configure." - Kelly B.
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In addition, a number of customers on Reddit mention how Celigo's pricing increases are difficult to predict. You can find examples of Celigo customers discussing pricing on Reddit here, here, and here.

Why Service Integrations require special dimensions

While Celigo offers a simple interface and a range of pre-built integrations one point where it falls short is in service integrations, which often present unique challenges and requirements to larger organizations.

ITSM integrations especially present unique challenges that require specific considerations beyond plug-and-play application integrations. Here are a few reasons why:
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• Diverse systems and complex processes:
  Service management often involves a heterogeneous environment with various applications, infrastructure components, and service providers. Integrating these diverse systems requires a platform capable of handling complex workflows and orchestrating interactions between multiple endpoints.
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• Real-time integrations and event-driven architectures:
  Efficient service delivery relies on real-time data exchange and event-driven architectures. iPaaS solutions need to facilitate instant updates and trigger automated actions based on events occurring within the service ecosystem.
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• Advanced monitoring and alerting:
  You need proactive identification and switft resolutions of service disruptions. Your integration platform should provide comprehensive monitoring capabilities with real-time alerts and detailed logs to enable swift incident response and minimize service downtime.
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• Integration with Service Management tools:
  You absolutely need seamless integration with ITSM and SIAM platforms for end-to-end service visibility and control. This allows for centralized management of incidents, service requests, and service level agreements (SLAs).
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As a large vendor, Celigo can handle a variety of service integrations, with over 200 native integrations on offer. However, one feature often cited on peer review sites is the lack of configurability and customization. If you've expecting simple integrations to Netsuite or Salesforce, Celigo could be your option, but it may be more difficult to integrate in multi-vendor service landscapes or across complex ITSM ecosystems.

List of Celigo alternatives for Service Integrations