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Embedded Integration Platform as a Service (embedded iPaaS) is a specialized technology solution primarily designed for software companies looking to streamline and simplify their integration challenges. It offers a white-label, plug-and-play integration platform equipped with a comprehensive set of pre-built connectors and integration tools. This setup facilitates seamless connectivity between SaaS products and various third-party applications and services.
EiPaaS or embedded iPaaS solutions always come with a set of pre-built integration connectors. They take on the responsibility of maintaining them and introducing new ones as the market demand evolves. This kind of technology eases the challenges of developing all the necessary tooling for a smooth integration experience—like authentication, data transformation, encryption, and implementing logic such as delays and human-driven interactions, among others.
One major perk of embedded iPaaS solutions? They save time, and thus money. Modern SaaS companies opt not to reinvent the wheel, but to lean on tested and proven solutions that address this specific issue. These solutions ensure everything works even when external APIs change, new authentication methods appear, or specific regulations come into play—saving heaps of potential extra work.
And as the name implies, embedded iPaaS is designed to operate within other software so seamlessly that it goes unnoticed.
The iPaaS market is quite saturated and mature in terms of awareness and adoption. However, embedded iPaaS introduces a fresh take on technology, catering specifically to the needs of software companies flooded with integration-related queries from their customers.
To grasp the differences, consider these questions:
Do I want to integrate applications and services that either I or my company use internally for daily operations (like syncing new contacts between CRM systems to streamline marketing or sales workflows)?
OR
Am I aiming to offer native integration and workflow automation features within my software for my end-users' benefit?
For the first scenario, an iPaaS solution comes in handy. It provides a plethora of connectors for most of the popular cloud applications out there. Such a tool can, for instance, synchronize contacts from one CRM to another or send alerts when new contacts are added. Think of iPaaS as a tool tailored for your own personal use or for your company's internal automations.
On the other hand, embedded iPaaS targets software vendors like yourself. The idea? To seamlessly integrate it into your product (and under your brand) so that your customers can effortlessly link their favorite products with others and make their day-to-day routines a breeze.
Choosing the right embedded iPaaS solution for your product can be tough. To make things easier, we've put together an overview that compares different embedded iPaaS options, helping you make a smart decision.
Embedded iPaaS can help your SaaS business grow and make your customers even happier. As your company and number of users get bigger, you'll need to add more and more connections to applications and databases that your users want. This means they're more likely to keep using your software.
One big plus of embedded iPaaS, as we mentioned earlier, is that it comes with ready-to-use software components and connectors. This means you can quickly add integrations and automated processes in a way that can grow with your needs. This not only cuts down on research and development costs but also makes users more loyal to your software. It can give you an edge over competitors and get your product to customers faster.
When you're thinking about which embedded iPaaS solution is best for your software, you should think about these factors:
Different solutions provide different options for embedding integrations and workflow automation features into your software. Typically, there are four options available:
Embedded iPaaS vendors typically offer a set of ready-to-use connectors that you can integrate into your software without any need for R&D efforts. However, for many applications, you'll often find the need to supplement this collection with your own connectors. These might be for private APIs, other public APIs, or they could represent specific business logic or utilities exclusive to your application. Examples include data transformations, decision-making logic, manual entry points, notifications, and bespoke database connectors, to mention a few.
While most embedded iPaaS vendors allow for the creation of custom connectors, they usually have to be crafted using a set template for HTTP API calls. This setup falls short when you need to execute custom processes, transformations, or unique logic. The situation becomes even trickier if you're trying to create a connector for an API that isn't under your control, meaning you can't modify the logic on the other end of the API.
Another aspect to weigh up is the cost structure of many embedded iPaaS vendors. Often, their pricing escalates with the number of connectors (be it built-in or custom) utilized in your integrations. However, there are solutions like Appmixer which offer unlimited connector usage and provide all the necessary tools for crafting your own connectors.
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Many embedded iPaaS vendors operate on a hosted/SaaS model. While this approach simplifies onboarding and maintenance, it also implies that all data will be relayed to your embedded iPaaS vendor.
If this doesn't raise concerns for you, then a hosted solution might be the perfect fit. However, if you prioritize stringent data security and privacy, it's wise to seek out embedded iPaaS vendors offering an on-premise installation package. Furthermore, on-premise packages typically come with enhanced customization options.
Many embedded iPaaS vendors offer drag-and-drop workflow automation designers, which enable you to craft integrations for your customers. However, only some of them allow you to seamlessly embed this UI builder directly into your software for end-user access. When embedding a third-party UI into your web application, it is essential to provide extensive customization options. This will allow the newly integrated UI components to be consistent with your branding and the overall look and feel of your software. Attention to this level of detail will ensure that end users feel they are interacting with an integral part of your software, which will significantly impact the perception of ease of use.
Below you will find an example of such a no-code workflow automation designer. When built into your software, it provides your customers with a wide range of automation options, both in terms of what they can automate and how they can go about it.
If you want to read a concrete example of how such an embedded automation designer can be used, read the story of StarRez, who used it to transition from building custom automations for their enterprise clients to a self-service environment that frees up their development team and provides all the complexity their clients need.
The workflows of you and your end users create activities that should be recorded. Logs and BI dashboards can be useful for both your end users and you as a SaaS vendor. These activities and data logs can provide valuable information about what is happening in your users' automations or provide other types of important information.
Embedded iPaaS solutions can make things a lot easier for your development team after they're set up. But, to get things started, you'll need your tech team's help. So, before you pick a vendor, make sure to check their documentation, see how much you can change to fit your needs, and find out how they help if there's a problem. Many vendors offer a free trial, which is a good chance to get your development team involved.
Now that you understand the six key factors to consider when choosing an embedded iPaaS to support your software development needs, let's compare how the current embedded iPaaS solutions available on the market stack up against each factor.
Appmixer is an embedded iPaaS service that prides itself on an embeddable workflow automation designer. It enables the deployment of a native integration marketplace with pre-built integration templates. Alternatively, a no-code workflow automation designer can be deployed, allowing your customers to construct workflows of varying complexity with an unlimited number of connectors and tools such as logic, delays, and data modifiers.
Launched in 2018, Appmixer is the product of a company renowned for its expertise in SDK development. Their previous success, JointJS, a JavaScript diagramming library, set the stage for Appmixer's cutting-edge UI SDK. It supports easy embedding along with extensive customization options. The result? You don't have to rely on potentially insecure iFrames or external hubs for embedding. Instead, a JavaScript-based approach ensures seamless and secure integration of external UI widgets into your software.
Although Appmixer offers more than 100 pre-made connectors and tools, this number may seem modest compared to the competition. However, Appmixer equips users with tools for developing custom connectors and implementing custom logic, such as schedulers and data modifiers. The extensive library of extra connectors can be tempting, but one might wonder, "How many integrations do I actually need?". Some embedded iPaaS solutions tie the price to the integration usage, making the "more is better" philosophy irrelevant.
In terms of deployment, Appmixer offers both a hosted service and an on-premise package. This allows you to run Appmixer either on their servers or deploy the technology on your own infrastructure to meet specific regulatory requirements or personal control preferences.
Moving on to the next feature on our list, the workflow automation designer, it's worth highlighting some key benefits. Appmixer provides a no-code automation designer that:
These capabilities have made Appmixer a versatile and invaluable tool for many companies.
In the case of dashboards and BI tools, Appmixer provides basic functionality to track integrations and facilitate debugging. Additionally, its robust API makes it easy to transfer data to different data visualization systems and create custom dashboards.
Appmixer also comes with extensive documentation and a detailed API reference. Additional features include a CLI, integrated data storage, file management system, and horizontal scalability for optimal performance and stability.
In conclusion, Appmixer is a tried-and-true solution for software companies of all sizes that want to provide native integrations quickly and with minimal effort, enable their customers to automate business processes within their SaaS, or even automate internal routines.
👉 Appmixer offers a free trial, during which you can request a POC delivered by their expert development team. Start today and offer native integrations in just a matter of days.
Tray.io was founded in 2012 as a tool for automating internal processes. Since then, it has grown in this area and later moved into the embedded iPaaS market. However, this shift has its pros and cons. For example, they allow embedding either through an external link or by creating a custom interface using their API, which can be challenging.
One of Tray.io's strengths is their collection of over 500 ready-made connectors, and they allow you to create your own. They provide tools for modifying data and setting rules, and many developers find their guides and documentation useful. However, Tray.io does not have an embeddable workflow automation designer and only comes as a hosted solution. So businesses that want more control over their software and data may need to look elsewhere.
 👉 Curious about how Tray.io and Appmixer measure up against each other? Dive into our in-depth Tray.io alternative analysis to make an informed decision.
Let's look at another provider of embedded iPaaS services: the UK's Cyclr. This solution shares similarities with the previous two, offering a library of over 500 connectors and the ability to create your own. In addition, Cyclr allows you to set up advanced workflows and has tools for real-time data modifications. However, like Tray.io, the embedding options with Cyclr are limited to an external hub or custom UI via their API. Based on reviews from sites like G2, some find their API and documentation challenging.
As with other solutions, you can create integrations using a low-code designer. These can be presented to customers in two ways: the traditional integration marketplace and another way called "LAUNCH" which is simpler and requires less setup. Unlike Appmixer, there is no option to expose the workflow automation designer to your customers.
On a positive note, Cyclr offers both hosted and on-premise options, although the latter is only part of their Enterprise plan. Their hosted package starts at $999 including 3 connectors, making it affordable for smaller businesses and startups.
👉 Curious about how Cyclr and Appmixer measure up against each other? Dive into our in-depth Cyclr alternative analysis to make an informed decision.
Let's turn our attention to Prismatic, another player in this area. The company launched its embedded iPaaS solution in 2019 and has since attracted several rounds of investment. Similar to Appmixer, Prismatic facilitates embedding through its JavaScript UI SDK, which opens the door to extensive customization. The platform comes with over 150 pre-made connectors and equips you with the tools to develop your own.
One of Prismatic's standout capabilities is its deployment flexibility. Although it offers both hosted and self-managed options, the latter is available exclusively to enterprise customers at an undisclosed price. In terms of features, Prismatic matches the previously discussed solutions and, in particular, shares with Appmixer the advantage of an embedded automation designer - but without the company's history and years of experience in the world of diagrams and developer SDKs.
Feedback from users testing Prismatic suggests potential issues with logs and insights, as some reviews on G2 confirm. As with all platforms, trying Prismatic for yourself is essential to making an informed decision.
👉 Curious about how Prismatic and Appmixer measure up against each other? Dive into our in-depth Prismatic alternative analysis to make an informed decision.
"Workflow automation for technical people" appears right at the top of the n8n website. This German startup has quickly gained popularity among developers who want to do more than they can in Zapier or Make, but with less code. As with Tray.io, n8n's history is not associated with an "embedded" solution, so the question is whether this tool is the right choice for those looking for a robust embedded iPaaS platform. However, this solution does offer an embedded version.
Nodemation or n8n is known for its fair-code philosophy and licensing model. Their self-hosted workflow automation solution is free for anyone to use and modify the source code with the caveat that it cannot be used for commercial purposes. However, this type of license does not apply to their embedded offering, which starts at $50,000/year, making them one of the more expensive vendors on the market.
N8n comes with a library of over 350 connectors and allows you to create your own. Perhaps most importantly, however, is the inability to use it as an integration marketplace (with simple out-of-the-box integration wizards or templates). If you intend to offer simplified versions of integrations to your customers or internal teams, you may want to consider the other solutions listed below or above.
👉 Curious about how n8n Embed and Appmixer measure up against each other? Dive into our in-depth n8n alternative analysis to make an informed decision.
Workato follows a similar path to Tray.io and originally started as a workflow automation solution to help companies automate internal processes. The company was valued at $5.7 billion in 2021 and employs more than 800 employees, making it one of the biggest players in the space. Of course, this could be good or bad for you, depending on how price sensitive you are and how personal of an approach you expect from a supplier.
Let's get back to the technical side of this platform. Workato comes with over 600 pre-built integrations into SaaS applications and databases. If an extensive library isn't enough, you can create your own using their tools. Workato's offering is limited to a hosted deployment option only, which doesn't give you the ability to gain full control over the automation and integration stack. Additionally, embedding is available via iFrame, which by default poses potential security threats.
Overall, Workato is certainly a proven solution, but it comes with its limitations - hosted-only deployment, embedding options, and potentially higher price.
👉 Curious about how Workato and Appmixer measure up against each other? Dive into our in-depth Workato alternative analysis to make an informed decision.
Having mentioned the big names and reputable players in the embedded iPaaS field, let's dive into a niche and more specialized solution, Frends. This Nordic platform uniquely leverages a visual process modeling language based on BPMN 2.0 to design business processes. Frends thinks of itself as a platform that "fully supports BPA, or Business Process Automation, through which both short-term and long-term business process automation can be created".
The important thing about Frends is that their embedded or white-label solution is only offered to companies that are part of their partner program. In other words, Frends' core solution is offered to companies that want to automate their processes using low-code tools, but the embedded offering is a bit more difficult to obtain because it is locked in by their partner program.
From a technical standpoint, the platform is built on .NET and offers over 150 connectors thanks to Frends' partnership with CData and several others curated or open sourced and created by their community.
After researching the opinions of users who have tried Frends, you will find that the reason for their dissatisfaction with the software is its immaturity and lack of basic features. Needless to say, this platform, like all others, deserves a thorough evaluation based on your unique needs and expectations.
Pandium markets itself as an integration marketplace as a service, which means it specializes in providing everything software companies need to implement an integration marketplace in their applications. These features include an integration infrastructure with a library of over 300 connectors, authentication, activity logs, etc. Unique to Pandium is support for a publicly accessible integration or partner directory and a separate partner portal through which software companies can invite partners, view new integrations and marketing materials.
Returning to our six key criteria for choosing an embedded iPaaS solution, embedding in the case of Pandium only works through iFrames, which, as mentioned above, carries potential security risks. Additionally, Pandium's specialization in simpler and more point-to-point integrations comes with the disadvantage of not offering a no-code automation designer for customers or the ability to create more complex integrations.
Pandium offers a wide range of pre-made connectors and provides its own resources when additional connectors are needed - at no additional cost. This can come in handy if you need niche connectors that aren't included, but comes with potential limitations in terms of delivery of the required connectors.
Last but not least, the developer experience is definitely something to consider when choosing Pandium, as their customers mention incomplete documentation or a missing storage mechanism.
E-commerce platforms, watch out, as the next solution started out primarily as an e-commerce integration platform. Despite its recent expansion outside of commerce, Alloy Automation was built with e-commerce solutions in mind, which is reflected in its more than 220 prebuilt connectors and integration templates.
Alloy Automation offers three products, AlloyEmbedded, AlloyUnifiedAPI and AlloyFlow. The former could be called a typical embedded iPaaS solution that offers software companies a more efficient way to offer native integrations with third-party applications. AlloyUnifiedAPI tries to solve the problem of different data schemas and endpoints and offers, as the name suggests, a unified API. The latest solution, AlloyFlow, offers an automation designer for complex workflow automation (an OEM version is coming soon, according to the Alloy Automation website).
There are several options for embedding. Integration modals can either be inserted via the JavaScript SDK or exposed via a unique external link. A third option is to rely on their headless embedding option and use their API to pass credentials programmatically.
As mentioned, Alloy Automatiom comes with a suite of over 220 integrations. The custom ones can only be delivered by their team, on demand and for a fee. The estimated delivery time for the connector is between 3 and 4 weeks. Compared to other solutions like Appmixer, where connectors can be created in literally hours, this sounds like a somewhat cumbersome process to go through. However, this depends entirely on your use case and whether you don't succeed with a library of already created integrations.
Hotglue, similarly to Alloy Autoation, is different in more aspects. They also newly offer a Unified API schema, pride themselves in bi-directional syncing (similar to what you could have used in PieSync before the Hubspot acquisition) and unlike other vendors in this market, the data transformation and logic implementation is done through code–Python script, marketed under the term “pre-processing layer”.
An important thing to note is that hotglue supports simple integrations and no automation designer through which more complex integrations could be built (or which could be exposed directly to your customers). So if your use case is to sync data (reciprocally) between your software and other app, hotglue might be the right fit. However, if you look for a complex solution with more data points in your integration chain, a different platform might be a better fit.
The good news is that hotglue pays attention to the developer experience, offering an isolated testing environment, CLI to manage configuration programmatically and very proactive approach towards their customers–kudos for that!
The library of connectors counts 200+ pre-built integrations and their team is available to deliver connectors on request (and a fee). This again is somewhat different from other solutions that give the control over connectors and utilities to your hands.
Cobalt is one of the younger players in the embedded iPaaS space, having launched in 2022. Their origins seem to be developer-based, as can be surmised from their website communications. This brings us to the first criterion: embedding. Like the other vendors on the list, Cobalt has chosen to provide a JavaScript SDK for embedding that allows for a higher level of customization and adherence to security standards. Their library offers more than 90 prebuilt integrations and allows you to request custom integrations (based on the chosen plan). The downside may be that their connectors are REST-only, which can become problematic for companies looking to connect to SOAP-based APIs, for example.
Like other solutions, Cobalt provides a no-code automation designer that allows you to pre-build complex integrations and expose a simple integration template to your customers. It's a concept we've seen in most other solutions, and it's built on the fact that developing integrations from scratch (using code) is time consuming, and as companies like Cobalt are proving, it doesn't have to be built only by engineers. As we learned at the beginning of this article, a no-code, drag-and-drop environment is proving to be an ideal solution for custom and complicated integrations.
Cobalt is offered both as a hosted solution and as an on-premise solution (for enterprise clients only). As mentioned, the tool is built by developers for developers and comes with a set of useful developer tools such as a test environment or OAuth configurations. On the other hand, it seems to lack analytics and reporting capabilities.
Let's visit Germany once again and take a look at another player from this Central European country, elastic.io. The platform, which offers both a typical iPaaS and an embedded version for SaaS companies, has several similarities with the other solutions mentioned above or below. First of all, it comes with a set of more than 100 connectors, allows you to create simple and advanced integrations, and provides all the necessary features such as data transformation, field mapping from previous steps, and low-code automation designer. Like few other companies, elastic.io allows its customers to develop their own connectors using the technologies of their choice: Java and NodeJS.Â
Embedding can be done via an external hub or through an API, an SDK for secure embedding is not available. The platform offers only one deployment option - hosted, which can bring potential drawbacks for companies that need to have complete control over their data and technology stack.Â
Reading some of the G2 reviews, it is clear that the weaker aspects of the technology are performance and documentation.
As mentioned in the first lines of this article, this list is intended to give you a broad overview of the platforms available on the market. Some of them are quite mature solutions, others seem to lack even basic features and fall short compared to their peers. The latter is true for Saasler, which positions itself as a pure embedded iPaaS solution but lacks features such as automation designer, data transformation, field mapping from previous steps or even documentation to ensure a good developer onboarding experience and beyond.
The good news is that Saasler offers more than 450 connectors, which is more than the market average. The potential inventiveness comes from the fact that they cover two integration use cases: automatic triggers (an event such as a new contact in the CRM system) and user-triggered workflows (a user clicks a button, selects from a drop-down menu, or fills out a form). While this can be easily achieved with other integration platforms, it can be useful if your use case matches their offerings exactly.
Embedding is done via JavaScript and unfortunately there is no evidence of their deployment capabilities - a factor that companies should not overlook when choosing a suitable vendor. Another important point is Saasler's one-year commitment to one of their plans, offering a full refund within the first 90 days in the event of dissatisfaction.
Still with us? Well done, you must have had at least two coffees to finish reading this article, didn't you? 🙂 The good news is that we're going to talk about the big boys again, starting with Zapier. This famous solution is a pioneer in the iPaaS space and definitely deserves attention and credit for democratizing integrations for non-technical users.
Their pride can be considered a negative tho. Being long in the iPaaS world doesn't equal offering the best embedded iPaaS - Zapier's embedding capabilities prove this by offering iFrames or APIs as ways to get the Zapier experience into their software. The important catch is that Zapier doesn't offer (unlike Appmixer, for example) virtual user features that promise to mirror the user base from your software to the embedded iPaaS, and thus don't require users to sign up for the embedded iPaaS separately - even if it's embedded inside your software. In other words, if your customers want to integrate with applications of their choice, even though they can access the Zapier interface directly within your software, they still have to sign up and pay based on their usage. Zapier's revenue in this case represents your opportunity cost foregone because that revenue could have ended up in your pocket.
A strong argument for Zapier is of course its extensive connector library, which exceeds an incredible 5000. Zapier can be embedded into a software in two ways: the Zap templates or the Full Zapier Experience. Embedding is done via iFrame or API, which requires additional resources from your IT team.
Interestingly, Zapier Embed is offered for free and charges "only" your end customers based on their usage.
👉 Curious about how Zapier and Appmixer measure up against each other? Dive into our in-depth Zapier alternative analysis to make an informed decision.
Make, formerly known as Integromat, is software developed and marketed by Celonis Inc. Like Zapier, Make is one of the early players in the iPaaS field and shares the same path as Zapier in terms of the evolution of its offering, initially starting as an iPaaS solution and later expanding into the "embedded" world (with a product called Make OEM).
Make's connector library numbers over 1000 integrations with the ability to add your own. Embedding is done via an external hub and deployment options are, as far as we know, limited to hosted only. Make's integration platform is very robust in terms of features such as real-time data transformation, field mapping, data storage and analytics. The way workflows are created is quite complex compared to, for example, Zapier and is based on a visual no-code editor. This is certainly something to consider based on your or your customers' requirements.
Choosing the right technology is a challenging decision. We hope this overview has brought you some clarity, reduced feelings of confusion or overwhelm, and provided you with a solid foundation for your further research. As you are considering integrating third-party technology into your software, it is very important to have the opportunity to try it out before making a commitment. Don't hesitate to reach out to your preferred iPaaS embedded system vendor to discuss trial options.
In the case of Appmixer, our free trial will not only allow you to assess the capabilities of the platform, but also provide you with a valuable proof of concept provided by our expert technical team. This allows you to confidently make the right choice for your needs. Start your trial today and within days, not months, you can offer your users native integration and automation capabilities.
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đź’ˇ This article is based on all public information as of October 2023. Did you find incorrect information? Let us know! Our goal is to provide complete information to help you make the right decision, and we're always happy for suggestions for improvements.
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