The verdict in three sentences
For a CIO or operations director who wants to remove retyping between applications, RPA (UiPath, Power Automate Desktop, Automation Anywhere) deploys fast but costs EUR 5,000 to 15,000 per bot per year and breaks with every screen change. Custom API integration costs EUR 8,000 to 30,000 upfront (about USD 8,700 to 32,500) but stays stable for years, with 5 to 10 times fewer failures. The right rule: RPA for an application without an API or near end of life, API for any critical flow expected to last more than two years.
Two automation philosophies
An RPA bot mimics a human: it opens the application, clicks, copies a field and pastes it elsewhere. It requires no change to the systems, hence its success in large companies, from logistics to retail. An API integration makes applications talk directly, without screens: it reads and writes data through interfaces built for that purpose, with checks and logs.
| Criterion (2026 order of magnitude) | RPA (UiPath, Power Automate Desktop) | Custom API integration |
|---|---|---|
| Setup cost per process | EUR 4,000 to 12,000 | EUR 8,000 to 30,000 |
| Recurring cost | EUR 5,000 to 15,000 per bot per year (licence, virtual machine, orchestrator) | EUR 1,000 to 4,000 per year hosting and maintenance |
| Time to production | 2 to 6 weeks | 6 to 12 weeks |
| Observed monthly failure rate | 5 to 15 % of runs on changing screens | 0.5 to 2 % of runs |
| Sensitivity to updates | High: a moved button stops the bot | Low as long as the API is versioned |
| Throughput | A few thousand operations per day per bot | Hundreds of thousands per day |
| Prerequisite | Application reachable on screen | API or database access |
Power Automate Desktop is attractive because it ships with some Windows licences, but unattended orchestration (bots running overnight without a user) is paid: count about EUR 150 per month per unattended bot, plus the virtual machine. UiPath remains the reference for high volumes, with a higher entry ticket.
The hidden cost: maintenance
The real comparison is over three years, including repair time. An RPA bot on a web application that changes every quarter needs 2 to 4 days of fixes per year on average. On a frozen legacy business application, it can run for years without incident. Conversely, a custom API only moves when the vendor ships a new version.
| 3-year scenario (1 process, 3,000 operations per month) | RPA | Custom API |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | EUR 8,000 | EUR 18,000 |
| Licences and infrastructure (3 years) | EUR 27,000 | EUR 6,000 |
| Corrective maintenance (3 years) | EUR 9,000 | EUR 3,000 |
| Cost of failures (manual fallback) | EUR 6,000 | EUR 1,000 |
| Total 3-year cost | EUR 50,000 | EUR 28,000 |
| Time to first gain | 1 month | 3 months |
RPA wins when no API exists, when the application will be replaced within 12 to 18 months, or when you need results within weeks to get through a peak. API wins everywhere else.
How to decide process by process
List your 10 most expensive retyping tasks with, for each, the monthly volume, time per operation, whether an API exists and the remaining life of the application. Then rank them: high-volume processes with an API go to integration, those without an API and with a short life go to RPA, and very low-volume ones stay manual. In many companies, the right final portfolio mixes 70 % API and 30 % RPA.
Think governance too: an RPA bot uses an application account that must be traced, with minimal rights. Auditors increasingly ask for it.
Mini case study
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
Thomas, CIO of an industrial parts distribution group in Lille, has 4,500 supplier orders a month retyped from the ERP into three supplier portals, at 4 minutes each, 300 hours a month. Two portals offer an API, the third does not and will be dropped within a year. He picks two API integrations at EUR 22,000 in total and a Power Automate Desktop bot at EUR 6,000 plus EUR 2,500 of annual licence for the third. The 300 hours at EUR 32 loaded (EUR 9,600 a month) fall to 30 hours of checks, EUR 8,640 saved per month. The EUR 30,500 invested in year one pays back in under 4 months, and the bot will simply be switched off with the portal.
FAQ
Is RPA doomed by AI?
No, but it is evolving: 2026 bots embed document reading and AI agents to handle varied cases. Fragility to screen changes remains, with 5 to 15 % failures on interfaces that move.
What if the vendor provides no API?
Three options: read access to the database, scheduled file exchange, or RPA. Database access often costs 30 to 50 % less than a bot over three years when the vendor allows it.
How many bots do we need to start?
One, on the most painful and most stable process. An RPA proof of value costs EUR 4,000 to 8,000 and ships in 3 to 4 weeks.
Does a custom API require an in-house team?
Not necessarily. The vendor delivers documentation, monitoring and a maintenance contract of EUR 1,000 to 4,000 a year; IT keeps ownership of code and access only.
How do we measure success?
Track three numbers: retyping hours removed, error-free run rate (target above 98 %) and number of maintenance interventions per quarter.
Let's scope your project. Send us your list of retyping tasks and the applications involved: we recommend RPA or API process by process, with a budget of EUR 4,000 to 30,000 and a timeline per batch. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
