As one of the leading low-code workflow automation platforms, Kissflow has a loyal customer base that includes some of the world’s most respected organizations.
That said, it’s not surprising that you’re considering Kissflow as your go-to workflow optimization tool. However, as a savvy entrepreneur, you know that it takes more than just a good reputation to trust a platform with such a vital part of running a business.
One of the best ways of determining whether a product you consider buying is the best possible solution is to compare it with its competitors. And when it comes to Kissflow alternatives, one of the names that comes to mind is HighGear.
Although less known than some other brands in the workflow automation industry, HighGear’s no-code workflow automation software is gaining more attention among organizations seeking an efficient and effective workflow automation platform.
Let’s see how HighGear and Kissflow compare.
Company Overviews
Before we get into the actual comparison, we’d like to briefly introduce the two platforms.
HighGear
Established in 2003, HighGear stands out as a prominent provider of a no-code workflow automation platform specifically designed for use in enterprise settings.
It was founded by Vaughn Thurman and Josh Yeager, who initially developed it as an internal tool called JobTraQ to manage tasks for their team. HighGear quickly evolved into a full-fledged product due to high demand from early clients, including NASA and Beazley Insurance.
Today, HighGear’s primary objective is to empower non-technical teams by enabling them to create intricate workflows independently.
It does that by enabling analysts, managers, and subject matter experts to swiftly create, oversee, and connect process automation without the need for coding skills. This shift effectively transfers the responsibility for automation tasks from specialized IT personnel to business teams.
HighGear has continually refined its platform based on feedback from various sectors, including financial services, energy, and government. In doing so, it has effectively bridged the automation skill gap commonly found in enterprises.
Furthermore, HighGear strongly emphasizes providing exceptional customer support, with a core mission centered around customer success, not just the technology itself.
Kissflow
Kissflow’s roots also date back to 2003. Initially, the platform was called Dimension and was one of the first no-code business app development platforms in the industry. Their user-friendly approach allowed them to quickly gain attention from big IT brands.
Today, Kissflow stands as a leading name in BPM and workflow automation, catering to businesses of all sizes. The platform’s hallmark is its user-friendly, low-code approach, allowing organizations to automate tasks and streamline workflows without requiring extensive technical expertise.
Kissflow offers a rich array of pre-built templates covering various business functions, such as HR, finance, procurement, and more. These templates serve as a foundation for organizations looking to kickstart their automation journey promptly.
Moreover, Kissflow facilitates approval workflows, ensuring that tasks are efficiently routed to the appropriate individuals or teams, thereby expediting decision-making processes. The platform also provides valuable insights through data analytics and reporting, helping businesses monitor and optimize their processes.
HighGear vs. Kissflow – Quick Comparison
| Feature | HighGear | Kissflow |
| Ease of Use | Designed with ease of use in mind | A bit steeper learning curve |
| Workflow Design | Takes advantage of visual workflow design tools | Uses visual workflow drag-and-drop charts |
| Analytics & Reporting | Extensive real-time reporting and data analysis | Exceptional real-time reporting and data storage |
| Integrations | It can be integrated with numerous apps and platforms | A comprehensive selection of integrations |
| Scalability | While designed for large enterprises, it can also be used by businesses of all sizes | Similar to HighGear, the platform can be used for businesses of all sizes. |
| Deployment Flexibility | Cloud-based & on-premise deployment | Cloud-based deployment |
| Training and Support | Responsive customer support and an extensive selection of training resources | Reliable customer service and tons of training resources, including videos and eBooks |
| Pricing | Starts at $63/month per licensed contributor | Basic plan starts from $1,500/month, whereas an Enterprise package comes with custom pricing |
| Customer Reviews | 5.0 out of 5 on GetApp | 3.9 out of 5 on GetApp |
Platform Features & Capabilities
Kissflow and HighGear offer their users numerous features and tools that can take their workflow management to the next level. But which platform ultimately offers the best performance and user experience?
Ease of Use
HighGear
HighGear sets itself apart by its steadfast dedication to user-centered design and intuitive interfaces designed specifically for business users.
The platform prioritizes simplicity while retaining robust functionality, making it accessible to users with diverse technical backgrounds. An excellent illustration of this approach is the visual drag-and-drop workflow builder, which encourages users to take control of automation without requiring coding skills.
Supported by a team of dedicated experts, guided tutorials, helpful tooltips, and well-organized features, HighGear has mastered the art of reducing the learning curve. This leads to a streamlined interface that empowers users to swiftly engage in automation processes.
Kissflow
While also designed with user experience in mind, Kissflow falls behind HighGear regarding functionality.
Don’t get us wrong, Kissflow is still a solid platform with a clear interface and easily accessible tools. However, the learning curve is steeper, and it may take some time to get accustomed to all the apps and functions it offers.
As a low-code platform, Kissflow does require its users to have at least some coding experience. Once the coding work is done, users can control their workflows through simple forms and visual drag-and-drop workflows. More advanced options, however, may require some coding knowledge from the user’s part.
Workflow Design
HighGear
Workflow design is something HighGear excels in. Its Visual Workflow Designer is a remarkable tool that significantly simplifies the process of crafting custom workflows.
Whether you’re dealing with a straightforward approval process or a highly complex cross-departmental workflow, HighGear users can effortlessly map out and customize comprehensive solutions.
Personnel Health Case
HighGear’s Visual Workflow Designer encompasses a range of features, including color-coded sections, pre-designed process templates aimed at expediting automation, and real-time analytics that furnish valuable data-driven insights.
Another standout feature of HighGear is its ability to allow multiple users to make changes to the same workflow in separate sessions. Rather than isolating the creation process, it fosters collaboration, teamwork, and the opportunity for multiple perspectives to contribute to enhancements.
Changes are immediately visualized, ensuring alignment with the intended process flows. This visual approach significantly reduces the need for extensive training when embarking on workflow design.
Kissflow
Like HighGear, Kissflow takes advantage of visual workflow design tools. Using its drag-and-drop workflow charts, users can quickly design custom workflows and processes with practically no coding skills.
Furthermore, similarly to HighGear’s data-driven insights, Kisslflow’s workflow charts collect real-time data that team members can easily access. They also provide management with valuable insights regarding workflow and employee performance.
One thing that Kissflow lacks, though, is the ability for users to efficiently collaborate. HighGear provides exceptional support for non-simultaneous multi-user workflow design, boosting productivity and collaboration between teams.
Kissflow’s collaboration features are much less efficient and comprehensive. And not just compared to HighGear but to other workflow platforms as well.
Scalability & Enterprise-Grade Capabilities
HighGear
While HighGear is primarily designed for larger enterprises, it remains accessible and beneficial for smaller organizations looking to leverage its workflow automation solutions and scale their operations.
HighGear’s Enterprise Task Management empowers companies of varying sizes to effectively manage intricate workflows and adhere to strict regulatory standards without sacrificing performance or flexibility.
Kissflow
Kissflow can also be utilized by smaller enterprises – but at its higher price point, it might make the platform cost-ineffective for smaller teams.
Furthermore, the platform isn’t as easily customizable as HighGear, making it difficult for various organizations to adjust Kissflow to their specific needs.
Analytics & Reporting
HighGear
HighGear’s dashboards offer instant, enterprise-wide visibility into status and operations, leading to a substantial improvement in business efficiency and responsiveness. HighGear offers a range of customizable real-time reporting and analytics options and features, including bar charts, pie charts, trend lines, and tabular data presentations.
Users have the ability to generate, schedule, and export comprehensive reports in various formats, simplifying automated distribution.
Additionally, HighGear serves as a reliable compliance record-keeping system, providing comprehensive audit trails and activity logs. It seamlessly integrates with other business systems, such as ERP and CRM, facilitating data sharing for heightened efficiency.
Kissflow
Kissflow offers a generous selection of analytics and reporting capabilities. They work in real-time, providing team members and management with reliable and quick access to relevant data displayed in easily digestible formats that are easily customizable.
Furthermore, like HighGear, Kissflow has an excellent record-keeping system, providing users across the organization with valuable insights and focused reports.
Long story short, the two platforms are very closely matched when it comes to their reporting and analytics capabilities.
Integrations
HighGear
HighGear provides remarkable integration capabilities, effortlessly and smoothly connecting with numerous applications and platforms, including Zapier and Microsoft Power Platform.
Even individuals without technical or IT expertise can easily use a drag-and-drop approach to link workflows and business processes across a range of platforms and systems, including PeopleSoft, SAML, PowerBI, Salesforce, and Office 365.
Kissflow
Kissflow offers its users a wide range of available integrations. You can easily integrate the platform with such apps and platforms as Gmail, Slack, Mailchimp, or Salesforce.
Its software works exceptionally well with Google Workspace applications, and its in-app automated integrations are extremely easy to set up.
When it comes to integration capabilities, there isn’t much to separate the two.
Deployment Flexibility
HighGear
HighGear offers two deployment options: cloud-based and on-premise solutions.
Opting for the cloud-based solution provides the benefit of accessibility from any location and at any time, offering flexibility without the requirement of managing infrastructure.
Alternatively, HighGear enables companies to host the platform on their own servers on-premise, granting them increased control over the deployment environment.
Kissflow
Kissflow relies on cloud software to facilitate the integration of teams, processes, and data within a comprehensive cloud-based infrastructure.
Unlike HighGear, Kissflow does not provide on-premise deployment alternatives. If you desire greater flexibility in this regard, HighGear represents the superior choice.
Customer Support & Training
When implementing enterprise-level software, comprehensive training and support are not simply optional but rather indispensable. Given the complexities of solutions at this magnitude, expert guidance and assistance are crucial, especially during the initial phases.
Lacking proper training can impede an enterprise’s ability to fully leverage the platform’s capabilities, while inadequate support can result in unresolved issues, hindering its effectiveness. Both HighGear and Kissflow recognize the significance of this principle. They both prioritize preparing organizations for success in automation, covering aspects ranging from onboarding to continuous education and issue resolution.
Now, let’s embark on a comparative analysis of how they perform in terms of these two critical pillars: training and customer support.
HighGear
HighGear provides exceptional customer support and training services to its clients. Their team is comprised of experts who care deeply about helping customers and are empowered to invest as many resources as are needed to ensure customer success. The team is readily accessible through various communication channels, including email, phone, and screen-sharing sessions.
As an added support resource, HighGear also offers a dedicated Customer Success team. A Customer Success Manager is specifically assigned to each client (at no additional cost for the Department license tier and above) who serves as a client’s business process and workflow management coach, mentor/advisor, and client advocate. They are accountable for proactively engaging with each client’s key stakeholders on at least a quarterly basis, and ensuring clients have access to all of HighGear’s vast experience, knowledge, best practices, and personnel to finely tune the platform to solve even the most unique business need. When it comes to training, HighGear offers an integrated set of self-service help resources, which include step-by-step instructions, videos, and comprehensive documentation for troubleshooting.
For those who prefer hands-on learning, HighGear offers complimentary instructor-led training sessions designed to enhance proficiency in process design and effective feature utilization.
Furthermore, HighGear’s support system contains a vast repository of detailed help articles, tutorials, and videos. This extensive resource empowers customers to independently search for answers to their queries.
In addition, the close collaboration between the support team and product development ensures an in-depth understanding of the platform, providing expertise that spans every aspect of it.
Kissflow
Like HighGear, Kissflow’s customer support is world-class, providing users with fast and reliable help whenever they require it. You can reach Kissflow’s customer support via phone, email, or chat.
The platform also has a comprehensive selection of training resources, such as eBooks and videos, as well as a dedicated Developer Hub that offers detailed information about the platform and its various features.
One thing we’ve noticed, though, is that many of the documents are slightly outdated. Some of them still include the old brand name of OrangeScape instead of Kissflow, which may not be that big of an issue, but it does raise a question of whether they update their resources appropriately to provide reliable information.
Client Testimonials and Case Studies
Reviews are one thing. If you truly want to learn whether HighGear is a promising Kissflow alternative, it’s best to see what users have to say about these two workflow management platforms.
User Feedback
As of the time of composing this review, HighGear has received 20 reviews on GetApp, garnering an impressive average rating of 5.0 out of 5. Let’s explore what users have to say about the platform:
“Good way to track workflows and good for auditing purposes.” – Kathleen T.
“Their assistance with understanding our business model and clearly defining outcomes in workflow was impressive. Any questions to the support team are answered quickly and efficiently.” – Brooke W.
“Ease of use for daily project management and workflow.” – Maxine A.
“They allowed us to become entirely virtual, innovative, and lower costs all at once.” – Kathy T.
What about Kissflow? Its GetApp score isn’t as impressive, with an average rating of 3.9 out of 5 based on 36 reviews. While it’s not the worst score, it shows perfectly why so many users decide to search for Kissflow alternatives.
Case Studies
HighGear provides an impressive selection of case studies that offer comprehensive examples from notable figures in the global finance, healthcare, and technology sectors. These case studies vividly demonstrate the remarkable versatility of HighGear’s platform.
Kissflow takes a similar approach here, providing users with a dedicated ‘Success Stories’ page where they display case studies from various industries, including manufacturing, finance, and logistics.
Pricing
Both platforms are loaded with features that can propel any company to greater heights. However, when it comes to determining which one provides better value for your money, HighGear and Kissflow adopt entirely distinct pricing approaches.
HighGear
HighGear offers a starting monthly rate of $63 per additional licensed contributor with minimum license requirements. Moreover, they provide discounts for higher volumes and longer subscription terms.
It’s worth noting that specific additional features, such as expanding the number of workflows, forms, API transactions, single sign-on (SSO) capabilities, and storage, may come with additional charges.
Nevertheless, considering the wide array of tools, cutting-edge technology, exceptional performance, outstanding user experience, and exceptional customer support, HighGear offers remarkable value for money that surpasses what many other workflow automation platforms can provide.
Kissflow
Kissflow offers two pricing packages – Basic and Enterprise. The first plan starts from $1,500 a month and offers limited features compared to the Enterprise package, which has custom pricing that depends on the number of users and features you want to include.
Still, while Kissflow allows customers to build custom packages, it offers much less transparency than HighGear. Its pricing is also significantly higher, making it a less cost-effective option, especially for smaller businesses.
Final Word: Is HighGear the Best Kissflow Alternative?
If you’re looking for a reliable Kissflow alternative, HighGear is much more than that. While it’s not as recognized in the industry as Kissflow (yet), HighGear, in many instances, is a superior workflow management platform.
Its numerous no-code applications, real-time reporting, exceptional ease of use, and straightforward workflow design make HighGear one of the best workflow optimization solutions on the market. Furthermore, you can take advantage of all its features for a fraction of the price many other workflow automation systems offer.
If you’re ready to take your business operations to the next level, HighGear is the solution to achieve your goals.