Macro Recorder vs RoboTask

Macro Recorder

• Repeating the same clicks and keystrokes in desktop software or a browser
• People who want to automate without learning a scripting language
• Buyers who prefer a one-time license to a subscription

RoboTask

• Windows users replacing Task Scheduler jobs and batch files
• Unattended file transfers, backups and email jobs on a server
• Buyers who want a perpetual license instead of a subscription

Macro Recorder

• The shop page shows no prices. The figures here are from the vendor's version 5 press release of September 25, 2026; checkout is handled by its reseller, PayProGlobal.
• SmartClick, image and OCR recognition and the macro scheduler need Professional; AI support, variables and barcode reading need Enterprise.
• A license includes 12 months of updates. The installed version keeps working after that, but newer versions need a paid maintenance renewal.
• There is no Linux version, one license covers either a Windows or a Mac user, and the vendor does not offer refunds.

RoboTask

• Windows only: the system requirements list Windows 7 to 11 and Windows Server 2008 to 2022.
• The Free License is for personal, non-commercial use and stops at 5 tasks of 50 steps each.
• The Personal License leaves out the Database, CSV Data, WebSockets and Console App plugins, and remote connections need a Business License.
• Updates are included for one year. Renewing costs $59 a year for Personal and $99 for Business; the installed version keeps working without it.

Macro Recorder

Record, edit and replay

Captures mouse movements, clicks, scroll-wheel actions and keystrokes. Mouse moves between two clicks are merged into one action, so the list of steps stays short enough to edit and rearrange.

SmartClick

Clicks are located by the visual area around the target, not by fixed coordinates, so playback waits until the target appears and still finds it if it has moved. Needs Professional or Enterprise.

Image, OCR and pixel detection

A macro can find an image or text on screen, wait for a pixel to change color and branch on the result. Capturing text, barcodes and QR codes for later steps needs Enterprise.

Window position restore

Window positions and sizes are tracked while recording and restored before playback, so clicks land in the right place even if a program has been moved or resized.

AI actions

Enterprise adds AI steps for text processing, image analysis and finding objects on screen, using OpenRouter, OpenAI, Anthropic or a self-hosted model through Ollama.

PhraseExpress integration

With the vendor's PhraseExpress, macros are organized in folders, triggered by a hotkey or text shortcut and shared with other users on a network. Both products need an Enterprise license.

RoboTask

Visual task editor

A task is built by picking and combining actions in a visual editor, with conditions, loops, custom variables and expressions. No batch files or scripts are needed.

Schedules and event triggers

Tasks run on a schedule or when something happens: a hotkey, a file or folder change, a window or process event, a device being plugged in, a logon, or CPU and RAM usage.

Macro recorder

Keyboard and mouse actions can be recorded and replayed, and tasks can send keystrokes, move the pointer and click in any application.

Files, FTP, email and web actions

Actions copy and sync files, transfer over FTP, SFTP and FTPS, send and receive email with attachments, call REST APIs, scrape pages and fill web forms.

Python, JavaScript and PowerShell

Scripts in Python, JavaScript or PowerShell run inside a task alongside the visual actions, with no extra services to install.

Windows service and networking

RoboTask runs as a regular application or as a Windows service that works with nobody logged on. Instances on different machines can launch each other's tasks over a LAN or the Internet.

Macro Recorder

• Freeware$0

  Personal use only, with limited features but unlimited actions and repeats. License notifications appear in a company setting or when a paid feature is used.

• Standard$99.95

  one-time per user, with 12 months of updates

  Licensed for professional use, with program execution and Goto, Repeat and Wait actions. No SmartClick, image or OCR recognition, or macro scheduler.

• Professional$149.95

  one-time per user, with 12 months of updates

  Adds SmartClick, image and OCR text recognition, Smart Record, pixel color detection, command-line parameters, the macro scheduler and post-playback options.

• Enterprise$249.95

  one-time per user, with 12 months of updates

  Adds AI support, variables, image and text capture, barcode and QR code reading, and use with PhraseExpress.

RoboTask

• Free License$0

  Personal, non-commercial use only. Standard action set, all triggers and the task debugger, with at most 5 tasks and 50 steps per task.

• Personal License$149

  one-time, with 1 year of updates

  Unlimited tasks and steps plus Windows service mode. Leaves out the Database, CSV Data, WebSockets and Console App plugins; network and REST API are local only.

• Business License$249

  one-time per license, with 1 year of updates

  No functional limits: every plugin, remote network and REST API connections, and priority support. Volume pricing starts at 2 licenses.

Macro Recorder

• Lifetime license

  One-time purchase with a lifetime license

  Every edition is a single payment with no subscription. The license does not expire and includes 12 months of updates and major new versions; later maintenance renewals are discounted.

• Other savings

  Volume discounts in the cart

  The shop FAQ says a volume discount is applied automatically when the quantity is raised in the shopping cart.

RoboTask

• Lifetime license

  Perpetual license with a one-time payment

  Every license is perpetual and never expires. A purchase includes one year of updates and priority support, and a Personal license upgrades to Business for the $100 difference.

• Other savings

  Volume discounts on Business licenses

  The per-license price falls to $207.50 for 2 to 4 licenses, $166.00 for 5 to 9 and $124.50 for 10 to 49. Orders of 50 or more are quoted.

• Other savings

  Multi-year update renewals at a discount

  Renewing updates for 2 years saves 5% and for 3 years saves 10%: $113 and $160 for Personal, $189 and $268 for Business.