iPaaS: The Difference Comes Down to Non-Functional Requirements

Beyond the AI-facilitating integration features, iPaaS platforms tend to look alike.

Gartner confirms this in the summary of the latest Magic Quadrant dedicated to this market. Vendors differentiate themselves essentially by how they manage non-functional requirements, the research firm explains. On the one hand, by targeting diverse user profiles. On the other, by adapting to a variety of operating models.

The notion of “sovereignty” is establishing itself as another axis of differentiation. Although an iPaaS is by definition a cloud service, many providers now offer lightweight runtimes or agents that can be deployed in environments controlled by the customer.

Among the features that “foster the use of AI,” there is notably support for emerging protocols (exposing integrations as MCP tools, for example). There are also data transformation pipelines and policy engines. A set of agent-based building blocks (designers, orchestrators, governance…) is also starting to appear. But their implementation remains uneven, sometimes still experimental. On this point, Gartner expects the market to reach a level of maturity within 12 to 24 months.

With MuleSoft and Informatica, Salesforce has two “leaders” in iPaaS

Last year, Oracle was demoted from “leader” to “challenger,” following a perceived slowdown in innovation. Salesforce had followed the same trajectory for the same reason.

This year, Oracle remains a “challenger.” Salesforce, meanwhile, has returned to the “leader” quadrant… and it appears twice. On the one hand, with the MuleSoft offering. On the other, with Informatica, which Gartner treated separately because the acquisition closed after the cut-off date for this Magic Quadrant’s reports.

Sixteen vendors listed last year remain in the ranking. They are joined by Google and SEEBURGER, positioned respectively in the “challengers” and “niche players.” While the rankings remain functionally aligned, Infor, ServiceNow, and Workday are not categorized here because their offerings are not standalone. All three still receive an “honorable mention.”

The “execution” axis of the Magic Quadrant reflects the ability to effectively meet demand (customer experience, pre-sales performance, quality of products/services, etc.). Vendors are positioned as follows:

On the “execution” axis (reflecting the ability to actually meet demand — customer experience, pre-sales performance, product/service quality…), the vendors’ standings are as follows:

With the “vision” axis (reflecting sectoral, geographic, commercial, marketing, product strategies, etc.), the situation is as follows:

With the exception of Salesforce with MuleSoft, this year’s “leaders” were already leaders in 2025. Namely, Boomi, Informatica, Microsoft, SAP and Workato.

Boomi distinguished for its sector-focused approach…

Last year, Gartner praised Boomi for the crosscutting nature of its offering, as much in terms of user profiles as in use cases. It also highlighted the effectiveness of feedback mechanisms and the marketing strategy, the partner ecosystem, and the regular delivery of innovations.

This year again, Boomi’s marketing strategy earns it top marks. In particular for aligning with a sectoral approach that “keeps improving,” especially in energy, manufacturing, retail, and higher education. Gartner also values the AI-assisted support for building integrations, openness to MCP (creation and management of servers), and the implementation of SSO.

… but not in customer experience

In 2025, Boomi had earned a poor note for hosting its solutions: regional availability varied. For example, some control plans were deployed only in the United States. Functionally, Gartner considered basic Boomi capabilities for file transfers, IDP, and RPA. It also noted that the API management blocks acquired from APIIDA and Cloud Software Group had not yet been fully integrated.

The variable regional availability of certain control plans remains this year. It adds to the fragmentation of the portfolio across datacenters, a consequence of Boomi’s acquisitions. The customer base remains largely concentrated in North America, more so than for other leaders, despite investments in other geographic areas. Customer satisfaction is also lower than that of main competitors. Boomi could improve as much in the evaluation and contracting phases as in services and support.

A flexible pricing at Microsoft…

In 2025, Gartner had praised Microsoft’s global presence (sales, support, hosting). It also highlighted advances in agent-based automation. And for the business model overall, including strong integration with Azure AI, a focus on migrating from legacy tools, and capabilities to connect cloud and on-prem environments.

This year again, geographic reach — and the ecosystem of partners/integrators that goes with it — earns Microsoft a solid point. The adaptability of its solutions to different user profiles earns another. The pricing flexibility, with an affordable entry ticket and a degree of price predictability, adds a further advantage.

… but a portfolio that lacks cohesion

Last year, Gartner was less positive about costs, noting they were difficult to forecast. It also pointed to a lag in sector-focused approaches relative to other leaders. And a lack of cohesion across the iPaaS portfolio, both functionally and in pricing.

This time again, sectoral strategy is a weakness. While the catalog of connectors is broad, it is still focused mainly on horizontal integration scenarios. Microsoft’s offering is also less mature than other leaders on governance. Especially for multi-cloud environments and/or specialized SaaS. And the lack of cohesion across the portfolio remains, potentially driving more complex integration patterns.

SAP praised for deployment and support…

As Microsoft did, SAP earned a positive note in 2025 for geographic reach (hosting and partner network). Gartner also commended its sector strategy, manifested in a range of packaged integrations grouped by products and by business processes. It added the development, reinforced by AI, of a “composable” and event-driven approach.

The remark on sector strategy returns this year. The same for geographic presence, with consistent regional support and local/sovereign deployment options. SAP also stands out on the functional side, with AI assistance, API management, and event-driven architectures.

… but not on innovation, notably agent-based innovation

It was hard to gauge costs, Gartner lamented in 2025. It had also, like Oracle and Salesforce, observed a slowdown in innovation, the consequence of a focus on modernizing existing integrations.

With the consumption-based model, the difficulty in predicting costs remains, given message volumes and API calls. In addition to the emphasis on modernization of existing integrations, there are now focuses on consolidating the platform and migrating legacy customers, so SAP appears delayed in delivering agent-based capabilities. Its architecture and terminology remain deeply rooted in its ecosystem. For users of third-party products, the learning curve is steeper and the UI less intuitive.

The AI angle well anchored at Workato…

Another vendor praised in 2025 on the functional side: Workato. Gartner noted advances in B2B gateways, MDM, RPA, and agent-based capabilities. More generally, it highlighted the rapid integration of AI into the offering and consistently high customer satisfaction, both in ease of use and in support.

This remains valid, including the AI aspect. Notable elements include the “AI Architect” AIRO, the “Genies” (IT support agents), and the introduction of an IDP component.

… but hosting options remain limited

Be wary of Workato’s rapid extension beyond the iPaaS space, Gartner warned last year: depending on use cases, this trajectory may not always be easy to interpret or its impact. Costs can rise quickly even if the pricing is easy to understand and forecast, the firm added. It also noted that expansion into the infrastructure space did not keep pace with other leaders (availability then limited to five AWS regions).

The remarks are largely the same this year. The notes about expansion into adjacent markets persist, as does the infrastructure story (now six AWS regions). The Virtual Private Workato offering can help those seeking alternative hosting options, but it isn’t without added cost. Gartner also cautions about AI-based agents, noting that Workato ONE’s marketing has been realigned accordingly.

“Cohesion” and “reliability” at Informatica…

Last year, Informatica scored well for its flexible pricing, sector strategy, and partner network. Gartner also praised its ability to respond to requests for new features — in particular for packaged integrations and API management.

This year, Gartner broadens the comment to include the channel aspect within a broader view of the customer experience, driven by advisory services and robust support. The firm depicts a platform that is “cohesive,” “reliable,” and “high-performing,” with flexible deployment options. It also highlights AI-driven innovations, including CLAIRE AI to generate, document, and troubleshoot integrations.

… still perceived as a data-centric provider

In 2025, Gartner had flagged the complexity of Informatica’s solutions, and at the same time, that their breadth did not always suit tactical use. It was seen as oriented to advanced data-centric use cases, despite improvements in application integration and process automation.

This year, the positioning is a bit different: with its data-centric legacy, Informatica may appeal less to those seeking application- or event-oriented capabilities. The caveat about unsuitability for tactical use remains, especially given a high entry price. It is difficult to ignore the lingering uncertainties about Informatica’s future alignment with MuleSoft.

A qualitative customer experience at MuleSoft…

MuleSoft, in particular, stands out for its sector-focused approach, integrated into Salesforce’s “industrial clouds.” Gartner also highlights the quality of the customer experience across three elements: the partner network, AI assistance for deployment, and the level of service/support tied to the Signature Success plan. It also notes MuleSoft’s brand strength, supported by marketing that clearly emphasizes strengths in API management, AI governance, and agent orchestration.

… but lagging on innovation

Uncertainties about Informatica’s future echo concerns about MuleSoft’s trajectory. In the meantime, costs remain complex to study. And there is hope that an innovation cycle revives: according to Gartner, aside from a few elements around agent-based capabilities, innovations have been scarcer than in other leaders.