Top 10 Alternatives to VisualCron in 2024

Effective management of IT infrastructure hinges on reliable workload automation and job scheduling. VisualCron stands out for its Windows-based job scheduling capabilities. However, different businesses have varied needs, and it’s crucial to explore alternatives. This article reviews VisualCron’s functionalities and examines the leading alternatives, providing a detailed analysis to aid businesses in making an informed choice.

Users looking for alternatives tend to fall into two categories; please select yours to see relevant alternatives for your business:

• If you are considering using VisualCron but are undecided, please check out the alternatives that offer similar capabilities.
• If your business is already using VisualCron, is frustrated by its limitations, and needs to upgrade to a more scalable enterprise-focused solution, please see the solutions that offer extended job scheduling capabilities.

Schedulers similar to VisualCron

Enterprise-grade solutions as alternatives to VisualCron

VisualCron Review 

VisualCron is a job scheduler and automation tool for Windows developed by NetCart AB. It’s designed to replace the Windows Task Scheduler and the cron job scheduler found in Unix-like operating systems. 

The software operates on a client-server architecture, which allows administrators to manage multiple servers over a network. It provides features such as triggers, tasks, notifications, time exceptions, conditions, and timeouts and includes built-in tasks like file operations, SQL queries, system restarts, and user-defined macros. The program supports IA-32 and x86-64 platforms, is available in 100 languages, and operates on Windows XP and later versions.

Pros:

• VisualCron is highly regarded for its task automation, scheduling, and integration capabilities, with users considering it best in class for these features​​.
• It offers ease of configuration and integration with DEVOPS, adding to its flexibility of features​​.¹
• The tool provides excellent product support and allows users to build interactive flows with varied feedback mechanisms​​.²
• It has many built-in features that facilitate setting up automated jobs which files, time events, or other jobs can trigger​​.

Cons:

• Users report an initial learning curve, which is common with any software, but this may present a challenge for some individuals​​.³
• There are criticisms regarding the command console, which some find difficult to understand and suggest that it needs improvement​​ ⁴
• Performance degradation has been noted when scaling up, as VisualCron can consume considerable memory or CPU power, potentially requiring increased hardware resources​​. ⁵

In-Depth Look at VisualCron Alternatives

ActiveBatch 

Known for its intuitive graphical workflow and scalability, ActiveBatch facilitates cross-platform automation with a centralized management approach. Its advanced scheduling features are complemented by extensive auditing and analytics capabilities, making it a preferred choice for over 2000 global customers​​.

• Capterra:4.8/5.0 based on 52 reviews.
• Gartner:4.3/5.0 based on 61 reviews.
• G2: 4.6/5 based on 171 reviews.

Redwood RunMyJobs

RunMyJobs offers a central console for job management and event-driven triggers, with a graphical workflow designer and backward compatibility with cron scripts. Its customer base spans over 600 worldwide, with a reputation for simplifying IT process workflows​​.

• Capterra: 4.8/5.0 based on 33 reviews.
• Gartner: N/A 
• G2: 4.7/5 based on 117 reviews.

Stonebranch Universal Automation Center

Stonebranch provides a unified platform for workload automation, with agent-based execution and workload analytics. It enables the management of workflows across different platforms and applications, which may have data stored in various locations. Users can create and manage the organization’s workload using its intuitive drag-and-drop interface.

• Capterra: N/A
• Gartner: 4.7/5.0 based on 7 reviews. 
• G2: 4.5/5 based on 78 reviews.

Fortra’s JAMS

JAMS specializes in centralizing automation visibility and offers graphical workflow design and simulation. It is lauded for its detailed reporting and high availability, serving organizations such as Coca-Cola and FedEx​​.

• G2: 4.7/5 based on 142 reviews.
• Gartner: N/A
• Capterra: 4.5/5 based on 20 reviews.

Control-M 

Control-M is an enterprise-level workload automation solution that supports Windows, as well as various other platforms. It provides scheduling, dependency management, and monitoring capabilities. Control-M is known for its scalability and extensive integration options.

• Capterra: 4.3/5 based on 3 reviews.
• Gartner: N/A
• G2: 4.3/5 based on 45 reviews.

If you have further questions, reach out:

External Links

• 1. Capterra “VisualCron”.
• 2. Capterra “VisualCron Reviews”
• 3. Getapp “VisualCron”
• 4. Peerspot.“Opcon vs VisualCron”
• 5. Peerspot.“Opcon vs VisualCron”