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Appian vs OutSystems
March 17, 2025 | Author: Michael Stromann
19★
Appian is a leader in low-code development & BPM. It provides companies a simpler way to create powerful software.
16★
OutSystems is the most complete low-code platform for building the enterprise solutions that drive real business value.
Appian and OutSystems, at first glance, appear to be the kind of indistinguishable corporate overlords that would sit next to each other in a board meeting, nodding sagely while presenting PowerPoints with phrases like "synergistic optimization." Both are low-code development platforms, which is a fancy way of saying they let you build applications quickly without having to bribe a team of overworked developers with coffee and existential dread. They both automate things, integrate with other things and secure things in ways that make compliance officers feel warm and fuzzy inside. You can deploy them in the cloud, on-premises or in that mysterious in-between realm where IT departments sigh and mutter about "hybrid solutions."
However, Appian—hailing from the land of hamburgers and ambitious business automation—started life in 1999 as a BPM platform, which is short for "Business Process Management" but might as well mean "Making Bureaucracy Move Slightly Faster." It thrives in environments where companies have realized that their paperwork is evolving into a sentient entity and must be tamed through rigorous workflow automation. It integrates seamlessly with robotic process automation (which sounds far cooler than it actually is) and is priced in the way that suggests you should have a corporate budget before making inquiries.
OutSystems, on the other hand, emerged in 2001 from Portugal, a country famous for its explorers, seafood, and, apparently, rapid application development. Unlike Appian, which obsesses over streamlining business operations, OutSystems is the sort of tool you use when you wake up one morning and decide you need to build a dazzling front-end application that makes people weep with joy at its UI design. It offers a freemium model, which is code for "go ahead, build something tiny and wonderful, but if you want to get serious, be prepared to open your wallet." It’s a bit more of a playground for developers who want flexibility and control, rather than an enterprise command center for ensuring your supply chain doesn’t collapse into chaos.
See also: Top 10 BPM Software
However, Appian—hailing from the land of hamburgers and ambitious business automation—started life in 1999 as a BPM platform, which is short for "Business Process Management" but might as well mean "Making Bureaucracy Move Slightly Faster." It thrives in environments where companies have realized that their paperwork is evolving into a sentient entity and must be tamed through rigorous workflow automation. It integrates seamlessly with robotic process automation (which sounds far cooler than it actually is) and is priced in the way that suggests you should have a corporate budget before making inquiries.
OutSystems, on the other hand, emerged in 2001 from Portugal, a country famous for its explorers, seafood, and, apparently, rapid application development. Unlike Appian, which obsesses over streamlining business operations, OutSystems is the sort of tool you use when you wake up one morning and decide you need to build a dazzling front-end application that makes people weep with joy at its UI design. It offers a freemium model, which is code for "go ahead, build something tiny and wonderful, but if you want to get serious, be prepared to open your wallet." It’s a bit more of a playground for developers who want flexibility and control, rather than an enterprise command center for ensuring your supply chain doesn’t collapse into chaos.
See also: Top 10 BPM Software
