Best Workflow Automation Software [7 SOP and Workflow Tools]
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If you’re looking for a way to streamline and automate repetitive business tasks and procedures, there are many options available. I tested over 15 of these and narrowed down 7 of the best workflow automation software solutions.
7 Best Workflow Automation Software
Here’s a quick rundown of my 7 top picks and why they stand out:
| Software | Best Features | Price Point | Ease of Use | Demo or Trial |
| Sop Zupria | SOP automation & Dynamic procedures | From €99/yr | 5/5 | Demo |
| Process Street | AI & Template library | From $1,500/mo (billed annually) | 4/5 | 14-day free trial |
| SweetProcess | AI & Knowledgebase template | $99/mo for 20 users + $5/mo per user | 4/5 | Demo |
| Trainual | AI & Template Library | From $249/yr | 3.5/5 | Demo |
| ProcedureFlow | Visual Workflows & Integrations | From $300/yr | 3.5/5 | Demo |
| Jira | Task automation & Free tier | From $875/yr | 3.5/5 | Free Tier |
| Tallyfy | Rich text editor & Zapier integration | From $2,300/yr | 4/5 | Demo |
1. SOP Zupria – Best for Standard Operation Procedures
As the name suggests, SOP Zupria focuses on standard operation procedure management. It’s available as a WordPress plugin you can install in-house or on a hosted subdomain.
It automates and streamlines business procedures, reducing errors, saving time, and making tasks more efficient.
You can easily add all your procedures, tasks, or processes like WordPress pages while checking the relevant department grouping. This ensures everything remains consistent and accessible to the intended team members.
The Full and Corporate versions also offer a base template to make creating SOPs easier.
Version history is tracked, so you can see changes and the relevant info behind them.
Moreover, users get email notifications, update acceptance, and the ability to comment, allowing for collaboration and improvements.
Other Great SOP Zupria Features:
- Dynamic Procedures – With open, closed, and multiple-choice answers.
- Searching and Filtering – Easily find procedures by searching the title, content, sorting via published date, and more.
- Export as PDF – For offline printing or sharing externally.
- Activity Log – See who has viewed and accepted a procedure, who made changes, and relevant dates of actions.
Starting at just €99/yr, it’s one of the most affordable solutions on the market.
| Pros | Cons |
| Very easy to use | Activity log and SOP template requires Full or Corporate version |
| Affordable for small businesses | Lacks some non-SOP workflow features |
| Groups and access levels | |
| Dynamic procedures |
2. Process Street – Best with AI Suggestions
Process Street is a cloud-based workflow automation platform. It allows users to create, manage, and automate various business processes and SOPs.
It’s one of the few solutions with good AI implementation. This offers suggestions for optimizing workflows and improving efficiency. Moreover, the AI analyzes data for trends and patterns and provides predictive insights that can help you anticipate potential bottlenecks.
Common features include process creation and management with a visual drag-and-drop interface. As well as dynamic workflows with if-this-then-that rules.
Plus, it offers individual or group-based assignments with tracking and progress notifications.
Furthermore, approval requests, comments, and file sharing keep everyone communicating and collaborating effectively.
I like that it has extensive analytics and reporting, as well as a template library, so you don’t have to create from scratch.
You get a 14-day free trial, while the Pro plan starts from $1,500/mo (billed annually).
| Pros | Cons |
| Good AI implementation | Expensive |
| Groups and access levels | Bit of a learning curve |
| Dynamic/conditional logic | |
| Workflow templates |
3. SweetProcess – Best with AI Content Creation
Like Process Street, SweetProcess has implemented AI, but in this case, it focuses on content creation. For example, just by inputting a document title, it will automatically write the procedure or process.
Procedures are easily accessible by the relevant team members, with built-in notifications. There are also sections for business policies, processes, and tasks.
It allows for collaboration, so processes can be refined over time. Moreover, task tracking and history logs ensure you stay informed about your workforce’s progress.
One standout feature is the knowledgebase template. Here you can make procedures and policies more accessible, with built-in search and feedback forms.
Other Great SweetProcess Features:
- Conditional Logic/ Variables – Create different paths within a procedure based on specific conditions.
- Version History – Track changes and rollback versions.
- Files, Videos & Images – Embed files, images, and videos, and edit images with the built-in editor.
- Quizzes – Generate feedback by quizzing your team on policies, processes, and procedures.
| Pros | Cons |
| Good AI implementation | Per-user pricing model is expensive for large teams |
| Dynamic procedures/processes | Learning curve for procedures and tasks |
| Create a knowledgebase | |
| Built-in image editor |
4. Trainual – Best for Onboarding and Training Materials
Trainual is an excellent solution for onboarding new employees through SOPs, training materials, tests, and reports. Everything is easily accessible from the centralized dashboard.
It excels with templates for training guides, video support, and interactive training materials that can be tracked.
Beyond onboarding, Trainual allows you to assign tasks to employees, set due dates, and track completion.
Furthermore, you can create and store a wide range of documentation, such as policies, procedures, and best practices.
Conditional steps allow for true/false or multiple-choice questions to create procedures that adapt to the user’s responses.
Its built-in notifications cover tasks, content updates, and test completions. Moreover, admins can organize users into groups or departments and assign specific content.
Trainual is one of the more affordable solutions, starting at $249 per year.
| Pros | Cons |
| Interactive and trackable onboarding materials | Templates can be restrictive |
| Conditional procedures | Known to sometimes run slowly |
| Group level access | |
| Built-in notifications |
5. ProcedureFlow – Best Visual Workflows
The cloud-based platform from ProcedureFlow offers comprehensive SOP and business process workflow automation.
Its visual workflow builder is a cut above the rest. This boasts a drag-and-drop interface for designing and customizing workflows, procedures, and decision trees.
In addition, you can create interactive procedures that guide employees step-by-step through complex tasks, reducing errors and improving efficiency.
Admins get full access control to manage who can view specific procedures and information. What’s more, it tracks all changes made to procedures and can revert to previous versions if needed.
I especially like its integration with third-party apps, such as Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Salesforce.
Its Teams plan is $300 a year, and you can test the platform with a demo account.
| Pros | Cons |
| Excellent visual workflows | Confusing search function |
| Interactive procedures | Laggy log-in process |
| Access control | |
| Several integrations |
6. Jira – Best for Task Automation
Jira is noteworthy for its in-depth task automation, which includes an admin-level task tracker and an employee-level tracker.
Dynamic automation includes update fields, preset rules that send alerts about issues with the task, and other triggers based on your preset conditions.
It’s the perfect solution for task management, bug tracking, and project management. However, it’s mostly aimed at agile software development, not a catch-all workflow tool.
Nonetheless, it can still be adapted to manage procedures and processes via custom fields and labels.
It supports projects across different departments. I.e., access control. Plus, tasks can be broken down into steps and tracked with visual boards and lists.
Notifications and real-time data keep you and your team on track, along with performance measurements and insights.
Jira is the only pick with a free tier that supports 10 users.
| Pros | Cons |
| Excels at task management and automation | Not natively designed for procedures or processes |
| Dynamic tasks | |
| Lots of tracking features | |
| Free tier |
7. Tallyfy – Best for Zapier Integrations
Honorable mention goes to Tallyfy, which offers a solid range of features to manage and automate business procedures and processes.
It stands out most for its seamless integration with Zapier, so you can streamline data exchange with your existing stack.
Nonetheless, it doesn’t lack native features. You can easily create workflows as a task list, with due dates, dynamic procedures, and track their statuses.
Its rich text editor supports images and videos but lacks any premade templates.
Moreover, there are multiple modes of team communication and filtering.
However, it’s held back by the inability to assign tasks and processes to specific groups or departments. Essentially all users can see all the content.
It’s also costly, starting at $2,300 a year for 1 admin role and a minimum of 40 users.
| Pros | Cons |
| Dynamic tasks and processes | All users can see all tasks and processes |
| Rich text editor | No group-level tasks |
| Advanced filtering | Lacks premade templates |
| Integrates with Zapier |
What to look for in the Best Workflow Automation Software
When choosing the best workflow automation software, there are several things to consider. I focused on the following areas.
Ease of Use
The idea of automation is to make your business operations easier. Therefore, I only picked software that has an intuitive interface and is easy to use. See the ease-of-use rating in the table at the top.
Pricing
Businesses of all sizes need workflow automation software, so I didn’t exclude pricier solutions. However, I paid special attention to solutions like SOP Zupria that offer a more affordable pricing range. It’s a good idea to weigh up your budget against the features you need to find the ideal price for you. At the least, you want the ability to try a free demo or trial to get a feel for the software.
Dynamic/ Conditional Logic
While some business procedures are set in stone, it’s ideal for software to include dynamic or conditional logic. This allows workflows to adapt and respond to different scenarios or variables.
Access Control and Permission Roles
The best workflow automation software lets admins assign permission levels, so certain users can only access certain tasks, procedures, etc. Not only is this good for security but it ensures everyone sticks to their assigned content. For example, one method is the ability to create groups of users, such as departments, who can then be assigned SOPs intended only for them.
Tracking and Notifications
Tracking and notifications are a cornerstone of workflow automation. If you can’t immediately notify your team or monitor progress, the whole process grinds to a halt. I focused on platforms with both built-in and email-based notification features.
Communication
It’s key to have a mode of communication within the software, so managers and staff can have their say and there’s a way to accept or mediate changes to procedures, processes, tasks, etc.
Visuals, Media, and File Sharing
While not a necessity, embedding videos and images into content or sharing files is a great way to engage employees. This helps with onboarding or learning more about procedures and tasks. Visual workflows like those from ProcedureFlow
Summary
The best workflow automation software for you depends on your business and requirements. However, all things considered, SOP Zupria takes the top spot. It’s affordable enough to be within reach of small businesses and its simple WordPress backend is incredibly easy to use.
If you have a higher budget and wish to use AI, Process Street, and SweetProcess are also comprehensive solutions. Likewise, the visual workflow features from ProcedureFlow cannot be ignored.
Do you have a favorite workflow automation software? Let me know in the comments below!
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