If you’ve worked in the integration space for a long time, you’ve either worked with MuleSoft, or considered it for some integration capabilities. According to Gartner, it is the largest player in the integration as a service (iPaaS) market.
MuleSoft is a clear leader in API-led integrations, but if you’re looking to integrate your full ITSM landscape, there are some areas where MuleSoft falls short.
Let me give you some examples and service integration alternatives to consider.
How to see MuleSoft in today’s integration landscape
MuleSoft is a major player in the integration platform as a service (iPaaS) market focused on an API-led integration strategy. Acquired by Salesforce in 2018, MuleSoft is best known for its Anypoint Platform, which offers broad capabilities for API management and integration.
For ITSM professionals, MuleSoft's value lies in its ability to create a cohesive yet flexible integration network via its Anypoint Platform. Working like an enterprise service bus (ESB), Anypoint allows you to design, deploy, and manage APIs and integrations in a unified manner, supporting both SOA (Service-Oriented Architecture) and microservices environments.
In recent years, MuleSoft has expanded its focus into process automation, offering robotic process automation (RPA) and intelligent document processing (IDP) functionality. These areas bring MuleSoft’s service offering closer to broad, intelligent automation platforms like Workato and UiPath but away from an integration service vendor.
MuleSoft Limitations in IT Service Integration
While MuleSoft is a powerful tool for ITSM and service integration, it does come with several limitations that ITSM professionals need to be aware of:
- Complexity and learning curve:
MuleSoft's Anypoint Platform can be complex for users who are new to it or unfamiliar with its extensive capabilities.
- Cost:
Like many other Salesforce solutions, MuleSoft is often perceived as a premium-priced solution. The cost of licensing, along with the operational expenses associated with deploying and maintaining the platform, can be significant.
- Resource intensive:
It’s not uncommon for the implementation and maintenance of MuleSoft to require significant resources and headcount.
- Performance overheads:
While MuleSoft can be good at managing complex integrations, the overhead introduced by heavy API traffic and data transformation processes can impact performance.
- Vendor lock-in:
For obvious reasons, MuleSoft is a great option for you if you run mostly on a Salesforce service environment, however it lacks integration capabilities for other service and system landscapes.
- Limited customization:
While MuleSoft offers extensive customization capabilities, many ITSM-focused integration use cases may require additional development work to tailor to your specific needs.
MuleSoft limitations mentioned by real customers
As the market leader MuleSoft has many customer ratings to see on peer review services. On Capterra, it has an overall rating of 4.4 / 5 falling especially short in Customer Service (4.2 / 5).
“Anypoint Platform is not cheap at all. It's far more expensive than competing solutions. Secondly, it requires a learning curve to master.” - Frank W.
“Is rather expensive Could use better database integration tools The IDE tends to be sluggish.” - Tim W.
“Maybe they need to improve on little bit on customer support. Any point studio needs some improvement, when designing large flows.” - Desh S.
“Customer support can be a bit slow and hard to reach. - Developer Portals for APIs do not allow for much customization. - If you manage a lot of APIs, it is hard to keep track and administer APIs since tables do not let you sort using API request date and other variables.” - Amber B.
Don’t get me wrong—overall, MuleSoft has many happy customers. However, since Salesforce's acquisition, you can see more dissatisfaction arise, both in terms of pricing and the level of service offered.
So what are your alternatives?
List of MuleSoft Alternatives for Service Integrations
ONEiO
ONEiO is a next-generation iPaaS solution that automates integration processes, offering a central hub for connecting disparate IT tools, teams and vendors, enabling end-to-end process flows and data exchange across an organization's entire IT ecosystem.
HQ:
Helsinki, Finland
ONEiO provides a cloud-based integration solution for businesses focused on managing and delivering digital services. Understanding the specific needs of these companies, ONEiO offers predictable subscription-based integrations, allowing businesses to budget and plan with greater accuracy without investing in integration technologies, resources, and development. This flexibility ensures that regardless of a company’s resources or expertise, ONEiO delivers a fitting solution and allows businesses to concentrate on their core offerings without the complexities of integration development and management.
Overall rating
Customer support rating
Pros:
- Support for integrations with multiple parties and tools, with Out-of-the-box runtime intelligence.
- Flexible and predictable subscription based pricing. Supports volume-based and fixed price integrations.
- Domain experts in B2B and Ebonding, including pre-integrated vendors.
Cons:
- Small partner network
- API management capabilities
- On-premise systems can be integrated using ONEiO. However, ONEiO cannot be deployed on premise.
Celigo
Celigo is an iPaaS vendor focusing on automating back-office processes with a strong emphasis on AI and ease of use.
HQ:
Redwood City, California
Celigo offers integrator.io, targeting upper-midmarket and small enterprises for back-office automation. It blends ease of use with AI innovations for efficient process automation and integration. Celigo emphasizes customer success through dedicated support and a roadmap prioritizing B2B integration, improved developer experience, and AI efficiency. Ideal for empowering non-technical users while addressing complex integration scenarios.
Overall rating
Customer support rating
Pros:
- AI for categorizing and resolving runtime errors.
- Large library of business-oriented templates.
- Strategic focus on empowering citizen integrators.
Cons:
- Limited enterprise features for large-scale operations.
- Operational data cannot export to external tools.
- Complex user interface.
Workato
Workato's iPaaS solution focuses on process automation and collaboration between IT and business through an intuitive, AI-assisted user experience.
HQ:
Mountain View, California
Workato offers a serverless integration platform emphasizing ease of use and democratized development. It accelerates business-IT collaboration with a user-friendly, AI-enhanced interface, encouraging adoption with in-product assistance and proactive customer engagement. The platform boasts a vast array of connectors, facilitating diverse integrations and automations. Despite a global presence, Workato's strategic emphasis on AI assistance and customer-centric innovations positions it as a formidable choice for organizations aiming to empower citizen developers and streamline business processes. Its approach to integration challenges not only simplifies the user experience but also promises to enhance operational efficiency and innovation across industries, making Workato an excellent choice for cloud-based business process automation and teams blending IT expertise with business insight.
Overall rating
Customer support rating
Pros:
- Intuitive user experience with AI-driven process guidance.
- Extensive library of connectors and templates.
- Fine-grained access permissions.
Cons:
- Pricing model can lead to cost escalations as new processes are added.
- Absence of out-of-the-box support for EDI and B2B-specific features.
- Reliance on Amazon AWS data centers.
Jitterbit
Jitterbit offers a versatile iPaaS focusing on APIs, EDI, and citizen development, with a model conducive to predictable costs.
HQ:
Alameda, California
Jitterbit Harmony iPaaS focuses on in API, EDI, and easing citizen development, backed by a predictive pricing model. It innovates based on customer feedback, though its service integrator ecosystem is not as extensive. Its roadmap aims to improve business automation and developer support, making it an attractive option for general iPaaS needs or EDI modernization.
Overall rating
Customer support rating
Pros:
- Strong focus on EDI with significant templates.
- Simple user interface
- Customizable template marketplace for OEMs.
Cons:
- Limited prebuilt connectors and templates.
- Endpoint-based pricing model can be complex.
- Lacks cloud support for connectors.
Informatica
Informatica excels in data integration within its comprehensive Intelligent Data Management Cloud (IDMC) platform.
HQ:
Redwood City, California
Informatica focuses on amplifying data integration capabilities as part of its IDMC, offering a wide range of services for robust data management and integration strategies. It prioritizes data-centric integration with extensive features for governance, quality, and transformation, making it suitable for organizations emphasizing a unified data management approach. Informatica's global footprint and strong partner network support its comprehensive services, despite perceptions of complexity.
Overall rating
Customer support rating
Pros:
- Broad industry solutions and cloud infrastructure options.
- Strong platform security and operational reliability.
- Depth in data integration and management capabilities.
Cons:
- Pricing based on compute power can be complex and costly.
- UX focuses primarily on data, less on guided integration.
- Complex user interface
SnapLogic
SnapLogic's iPaaS emphasizes data integration with a focus on AI-driven automation, offering a blend of application and API management.
HQ:
San Mateo, California
SnapLogic, the Intelligent Integration Platform (IIP), focuses on data integration, leveraging AI to boost automation and productivity. It supports diverse integration needs through a user-friendly interface and a modular approach. While innovative, its B2B capabilities are modest, making it suited for organizations prioritizing low-code process automation and data integration.
Overall rating
Customer support rating
Pros:
- Easy to use integration wizard
- Transparent pricing and multi-cloud marketplace presence.
- One of the first generative AI solutions in SnapGPT
Cons:
- Limited B2B integration features.
- Limited access permissions
TIBCO
TIBCO offers broad integration styles with a focus on data integration, though it has a less unified user experience.
HQ:
Santa Clara, California
TIBCO Cloud Integration includes a range of products for application, data, APIs, and automation. With a global presence and a focus on data integration, TIBCO is a fit for data-centric integration strategies and enterprises emphasizing developer self-service.
Overall rating
Customer support rating
Pros:
- Flexible, volume-based pricing.
- Diverse integration capabilities.
- Supports a wide range of integration styles.
Cons:
- Inconsistent user experience across products.
- Some functionality is only self-hosted.
- Less frequent feature updates.
Webmethods
Software AG's Webmethods.io delivers iPaaS with a focus on democratized integration and a wide range of integration styles.
HQ:
Darmstadt, Germany
Webmethods.io by Software AG emphasizes business transformation through integration, offering a versatile platform that supports various integration styles. It's innovating with AI to enhance productivity and simplify the user experience. The commitment to a robust roadmap and customer-driven features makes it a compelling choice for B2B integration, citizen developers, and modernizing legacy systems. Software AG's focus on security and ease of use positions Webmethods.io as a strong contender in the iPaaS market.
Overall rating
Customer support rating
Pros:
- Wide functional capabilities and platform versatility.
- Large number of connectors and varied B2B offering.
- Extensive testing and debugging tools.
Cons:
- Lower customer satisfaction ratings.
- Not suitable for more advanced integrations
- Fewer hosting options than competitors.
SAP
SAP offers iPaaS functionality as part of its SAP Business Technology Platform, emphasizing integration within the SAP ecosystem.
HQ:
Walldorf, Germany
The SAP Integration Suite, part of the SAP Business Technology Platform, offers comprehensive integration capabilities. It focuses on SAP-centric ecosystems, aiming to unify business data and processes with a strong emphasis on AI. The suite's flexibility and extensive template library make it a robust option for businesses heavily invested in SAP products, offering a path towards digital transformation with a focus on modern application architecture.
Overall rating
Customer support rating
Pros:
- Thousands of templates, primarily for SAP applications.
- Global operational and support presence through SAP
- Transparent pricing.
Cons:
- Perceived primarily as an SAP-centric tool.
- Business model leans heavily towards SAP applications.
- Pricing not tailored to all market segments.
Bottom line on MuleSoft alternatives for service integrations
While the clear market leader in iPaaS software, MuleSoft is not always your top option for service integrations. Based on customer feedback, some of the top challenges include a steep learning curve, high costs, and the need for specialized personnel.
While MuleSoft benefits from the stability of the Salesforce data ecosystem, performance can be affected by the complexity of handling extensive API traffic and data transformations, potentially leading to latency issues when integrating with other IT systems.
If you’re fully committed to Salesforce, MuleSoft may be the right option for you. However, if you have a fragmented or complex service landscape it may be difficult and costly to integrate all of your ITSM services and 3rd party managed services.
For an effortless integration as a service that can integrate your whole ITSM landscape ONEiO is a better alternative than MuleSoft.
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