Industry
Taylor Halliday
Co-Founder, CEO
10 minutes
If you're still manually provisioning servers in 2025, you probably also enjoy watching paint dry. Research shows IT teams waste about 69% of their time on support tasks that could be automated. That's nearly three-quarters of your day spent clicking buttons that a well-trained script could handle in seconds.
So unless you're getting paid by the manual process, or you really love those 2 AM "urgent" server reboot requests, it's time to join the automation revolution. In this guide, we'll explore the IT automation tools that'll help you reclaim your weekends, reduce your caffeine dependency, and maybe even make it to your kid's soccer game for once.
Why do these tools matter?
The complexity of modern IT environments has reached unprecedented levels. Organizations are managing hybrid cloud infrastructures, diverse SaaS applications, and increasingly sophisticated security requirements. According to industry forecasts, 80% of organizations will adopt intelligent automation by 2025, making it clear that automation isn't just a nice-to-have—it's essential for competitive survival.
Key benefits of implementing IT automation tools include reduced operational costs by up to 40% through automated task execution, faster incident response with automated workflows and remediation, improved security through consistent policy enforcement and automated patching, enhanced scalability to handle growing infrastructure demands, and better resource allocation by freeing IT staff for strategic work.
The various types of IT automation tools.
Now, let’s break down the different types of automation tools you can use as an IT Leader.
1. IT Process Automation Tools
IT process automation tools streamline repetitive tasks and workflows within your IT operations. These solutions help eliminate manual intervention while ensuring consistency across processes.
Top IT Process Automation Tools for 2025:
Zluri
Zluri stands out as a cutting-edge IT process automation platform designed specifically for modern IT teams managing complex SaaS environments. Its no-code interface makes it accessible for teams without extensive programming experience.
Pros:
No-code visual workflow builder
300+ direct integrations with popular tools
Automated user onboarding/offboarding
Real-time analytics and compliance monitoring
Intuitive interface with minimal learning curve
Cons:
Relatively new in the market
Limited customization for highly complex workflows
Focused primarily on SaaS automation
Pricing: Starts at $11 per user/month (Joy plan)
ActiveBatch by Redwood
ActiveBatch delivers enterprise-grade workload automation with pre-built integrations and templates that make implementation remarkably straightforward. The platform excels at handling complex, cross-platform automation scenarios.
Pros:
Extensive library of pre-built job steps
Cross-platform support (Windows, Linux, Unix)
Advanced scheduling capabilities
Strong integration with enterprise systems
Excellent customer support
Cons:
Steeper learning curve for advanced features
Higher cost for smaller teams
Complex licensing structure
Pricing: Custom pricing based on requirements
Microsoft Power Automate
Microsoft Power Automate brings enterprise automation capabilities to organizations already invested in the Microsoft ecosystem. It's particularly powerful when integrated with other Microsoft 365 applications.
Pros:
Deep integration with Microsoft 365 suite
Low-code/no-code interface
Extensive template library
AI-powered automation suggestions
Strong security and compliance features
Cons:
Best suited for Microsoft-centric environments
Limited functionality outside Microsoft ecosystem
Can become expensive at scale
Pricing:
Power Automate Premium: $15 per user/month
Power Automate Process: $150 per bot/month
2. IT Infrastructure Automation Tools
Infrastructure automation tools help manage and provision IT resources programmatically, enabling infrastructure as code (IaC) practices. These tools are essential for organizations looking to scale their infrastructure efficiently while maintaining consistency and reducing human error.
Terraform by HashiCorp
Terraform remains the industry standard for cloud-agnostic infrastructure provisioning through declarative configuration. It allows teams to define their infrastructure using code, making it versionable and repeatable.
Pros:
Multi-cloud support (AWS, Azure, GCP, etc.)
Declarative syntax with HCL
Large community and ecosystem
Strong state management
Extensive provider support
Cons:
Steep learning curve for beginners
Complex state file management
Limited GUI options
Requires programming knowledge
Pricing:
Open source: Free
Terraform Cloud: From $20/user/month
Ansible by Red Hat
Ansible simplifies configuration management and application deployment with its agentless architecture and human-readable YAML syntax. Its simplicity makes it a popular choice for teams looking to automate without extensive coding.
Pros:
Agentless design (no client software needed)
Simple YAML-based playbooks
Extensive module library
Strong community support
Idempotent operations
Cons:
Can be slow for large environments
Limited Windows support compared to Linux
Debugging can be challenging
Requires SSH access
Pricing:
Open source: Free
Ansible Automation Platform: Custom enterprise pricing
AWS CloudFormation
For AWS-centric organizations, CloudFormation provides native infrastructure automation with deep service integration. It's the most direct path to automating AWS resources.
Pros:
Native AWS integration
No additional cost (pay only for resources)
JSON/YAML template support
Stack updates with change preview
Drift detection capabilities
Cons:
AWS-only (no multi-cloud support)
Verbose template syntax
Limited debugging capabilities
Slower than some alternatives
Pricing: Free (pay only for AWS resources created)
3. IT Operations Automation Tools
IT operations automation tools focus on the day-to-day management of IT services, including monitoring, incident response, and service delivery. These platforms help organizations maintain operational excellence while reducing manual intervention.
ServiceNow IT Operations Management
ServiceNow delivers enterprise-scale IT operations automation with AI-powered insights and comprehensive service management. It's become the standard for large organizations seeking end-to-end IT automation.
Pros:
End-to-end ITOM capabilities
AI-driven predictive analytics
Extensive integration ecosystem
Scalable architecture
Strong reporting and dashboards
Cons:
High cost for full platform
Complex implementation
Requires dedicated administration
Steep learning curve
Pricing: Custom enterprise pricing (typically starts at $100/user/month)
Atera
Atera combines RMM, PSA, and automation capabilities in an all-in-one platform perfect for MSPs and IT departments. Its pay-per-technician model makes it particularly attractive for growing teams.
Pros:
All-in-one platform approach
AI-powered automation features
Pay-per-technician pricing
Remote monitoring and management
Integrated ticketing system
Cons:
Limited customization options
Newer platform with evolving features
Some advanced features still in development
Pricing: From $149/technician/month
Ravenna.ai
Ravenna brings AI-native automation directly into Slack, transforming how IT teams handle internal support requests. Built specifically for teams that operate within Slack, it eliminates the need for external portals or context switching.
Pros:
Deep Slack integration for seamless workflows
AI-powered ticket deflection and automation
Automatic knowledge base generation
No-code automation builder
Real-time performance analytics
Cons:
Requires paid Slack plan for full AI features
Primarily focused on Slack environments
Limited functionality outside internal support
Pricing: Contact for custom pricing
4. Best IT Automation Tools for IT Management
IT management requires tooling that can handle multiple aspects of IT operations, from asset management to security compliance. These platforms below provide a holistic approach to IT automation.
Rippling IT
Rippling unifies IT, HR, and Finance automation with powerful device management and identity capabilities. This integration eliminates silos between departments and streamlines employee lifecycle management.
Pros:
Unified platform for IT/HR/Finance
Automated employee lifecycle management
Zero-touch device provisioning
Role-based access control
Strong compliance features
Cons:
Higher cost for full platform
Best suited for mid-to-large organizations
Learning curve for full feature utilization
Pricing: Starts at $8/user/month
ManageEngine OpManager Plus
ManageEngine delivers comprehensive network and infrastructure automation with real-time monitoring capabilities. It's particularly strong in environments with diverse hardware and software components.
Pros:
Integrated network configuration management
Real-time monitoring and alerting
Automated compliance checking
Extensive reporting capabilities
Multi-vendor support
Cons:
Complex interface for new users
Resource-intensive for large deployments
Requires significant configuration
Pricing: From $595 for 50 devices
How to think about choosing the right vendor
When evaluating IT automation tools, consider these critical factors:
1. Integration Capabilities
Ensure the tool integrates seamlessly with your existing infrastructure. Look for pre-built connectors to your current monitoring systems, ticketing platforms, cloud providers, and security tools. The best automation tools act as a bridge between disparate systems rather than creating additional silos.
2. Scalability
Your chosen tools should grow with your organization. Consider whether they can handle increasing workload volumes, support distributed teams, and adapt to new technologies as your infrastructure evolves. Cloud-native solutions often provide better scalability than traditional on-premises tools.
3. Ease of Implementation
The implementation timeline can significantly impact your automation ROI. Tools with no-code or low-code interfaces, pre-built templates, and strong documentation can dramatically reduce deployment time. Consider whether you need professional services or if your team can handle the implementation independently.
4. Total Cost of Ownership
Look beyond initial licensing costs to understand the true investment required. Factor in implementation costs, training requirements, ongoing maintenance, and scaling costs. Some tools may have lower upfront costs but require significant resources for customization and maintenance.
5. Security and Compliance
Ensure your automation tools meet security requirements and compliance standards. Look for features like role-based access control, audit logging, and encryption. Tools should help enforce security policies rather than create new vulnerabilities.
How to implement this software
Implementing IT automation requires careful planning and execution. Start with high-impact, low-risk processes to build confidence and demonstrate value. Document your existing workflows before automating them, as automation can amplify inefficient processes.
Invest in comprehensive staff training and create internal champions who can drive adoption across teams. Establish metrics to measure the impact of automation on key performance indicators like ticket resolution time, system uptime, and staff productivity.
Remember to continuously monitor and optimize your automated workflows. Gather feedback from users and stakeholders regularly, and be prepared to adjust your automation strategy as your organization's needs evolve.
A few factors to consider when making a purchase decision
When building your IT automation tools list, prioritize based on your organization's specific needs:
For Small IT Teams:
Atera (all-in-one platform)
Ravenna.ai (Slack-native automation)
Microsoft Power Automate (if using Microsoft 365)
For Enterprise Organizations:
ServiceNow (comprehensive ITSM)
ActiveBatch (enterprise workload automation)
Terraform + Ansible (infrastructure automation)
For Cloud-Native Companies:
Terraform (multi-cloud IaC)
AWS CloudFormation (AWS-specific)
Ansible (configuration management)
For MSPs:
Atera (per-technician pricing)
ManageEngine (multi-client management)
Rippling (client lifecycle automation)
Wrapping up
Change is scary. That legacy system you've been nursing for 15 years is like an old friend – unreliable, high-maintenance, but familiar. But here's the thing: while you're manually updating server configs, your competitors are automating their entire infrastructure and actually going home at 5 PM.
The right IT automation tools won't just transform your operations – they'll restore your sanity. Start small (automate that one process everyone hates), measure the results (spoiler: they'll be good), and watch as your team suddenly has time for those "strategic initiatives" that have been gathering dust since 2019.
Ready to join the 21st century? Your future self – the one who actually takes vacation days without anxiety – will thank you.
