Compare
RPA vs AI Agents vs Computer Use
the main ways automation reaches business software, from scripted robots and API-connected agents to models that operate the screen
Four approaches, defined by how they touch software
In 2026 vendors started spanning categories, so ask three questions instead: where does the agent run, what decides the number, and who fixes it when the screen changes?
Which slice each category covers
Every back-office step is one of a few kinds. Each category owns some of them.
| Kind of step | Scripted RPA | Integration platforms | Hosted computer use | Local computer use (LaunchAI) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Structured record between systems with APIs | Through the screen or API actions | Fastest and cheapest | Through a browser | Yes, via API or screen |
| Identical clicks on a stable screen, in volume | Cheapest at scale | Only if an API exists | Yes, metered per step | Yes, at human pace |
| A screen that changes between releases | Breaks until repaired | Unaffected until the API changes | Re-plans | Re-plans; stops for a person if unsure |
| A portal under a person's login and MFA | Practical when attended | Only with an API | A person takes over for codes | Inside the session the person opened |
| Scanned or photographed paper | Needs a document add-on | Needs a document step | Model reads it | Model reads into typed fields |
| An exact number | As scripted | In code or expressions | Model judgment unless code is added | Deterministic rules, no model call |
The last column can take every row. That does not make it the cheapest for every row. A connector moves a record faster, and a robot farm posts 200,000 identical transactions for less per item.
The quick decision table
| Question | Scripted RPA | Integration platforms | Hosted computer use | Local computer use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Who builds and maintains | RPA developer | Integration developer or power user | Anyone can prompt; repeatability is on you | The process owner, in LaunchAI |
| Desktop app with no API | Yes, while selectors hold | No | Only apps on the vendor's VM | Yes |
| Whose IP a portal sees | Your robot server's | The platform's | The vendor's data center | Your office's |
| Where credentials live | The RPA platform | The platform's connection store | On the vendor's side | The user's open session; a local vault when needed |
| Evidence for an auditor | Run logs | Step history | Session replay while retained | Before-and-after screenshots per action |
| Speed per step | Fastest on a screen | Fastest overall | Slower | Slower: look, act, verify |
| Cost unit | Bot or user license | Tasks, credits, or executions | Credits, tokens, or browser hours | License |
| Best at | Identical transactions at volume | Moving records between APIs | Public-web work at scale | Mixed desktop, portal, and paper work with rules |
Three neighbors sit beside these four: document AI extracts fields and stops, custom scripts are RPA without the platform, and AI workflow builders are integration platforms with a model in the middle.
Split the process, not the vendor list
Freight audit shows why most processes need more than one kind of step.
Steps
- 01
Receive X12 210 invoices from national carriers: a structured feed.
- 02
Download PDFs from regional carrier portals behind named logins: a local agent.
- 03
Match each bill to its shipment by BOL number, weight, and class: an exact rule.
- 04
Re-rate with the contract rate and the week's diesel surcharge: an exact rule over a table.
- 05
Read a scanned delivery receipt behind a detention charge: the model reads, a rule decides.
- 06
Post the approved bill in NetSuite: RPA or a local agent.
- 07
File an overcharge dispute on the carrier portal: a local agent plus human review.
Steps 3 and 4 are where the money is. Neither belongs to a model's judgment, in any category.
When a narrower tool wins
A stack where every system has a licensed API: an integration platform is faster per step.
A one-time research pass across public sites: a hosted agent or chat assistant for the price of a seat.
In each case the question is cost for that slice. Keep the tool that can reach every step for the handoffs between them. See how LaunchAI does it on Product →.
FAQ
Is computer use replacing RPA?
Not for stable, high-volume work, where a scripted robot is still cheapest per transaction. Computer use wins where screens change, documents vary, or a login cannot move to a server.
Can one process use two categories at once?
Yes, and most should. The handoff is a file, a table row, or a webhook.
Why is a local agent slower per step than RPA?
It looks, acts, and checks that the screen changed as expected. Those extra seconds buy survival through layout changes and a picture of every action.
Do we need an API before we can use an AI agent?
No. A computer-use agent needs what a person needs: the app, a login, and permission.
Which category should hold the exact numbers?
Whichever you choose, arithmetic belongs on a deterministic path. A model should read the number, not decide it.
No prompts. No babysitting. No Integrations.