How Binions
compares.
Two families dominate this space: cloud iPaaS suites and self-hosted node-based workflow tools. Here is where Binions sits — by category, on facts, including the cases where the others are the better call.
Side by side
Where each approach shines.
| Binions | Cloud iPaaS (typical) | Node-based tool (typical) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where it runs | Your host — LXC, VM or bare metal | Vendor's cloud only | Your host or vendor cloud |
| Pricing model | One-time £13 per host | Monthly plans, metered tasks/runs | Free core; paid cloud & enterprise tiers |
| Runtime | 13 static Rust binaries, no GC | Managed — opaque to you | Node.js runtime + node_modules |
| Full-stack footprint | 629 MB RSS measured, everything included | n/a (hosted) | ~500 MB for the engine alone |
| Step latency | 10 ms–1 s wall-clock; 0.5 ms health p99 | Hundreds of ms to seconds | Tens to hundreds of ms |
| Industrial / OT (MODBUS) | Native TCP + RTU-over-TCP, client & server | Not offered | Community add-on at best |
| AI steps | Multi-provider verbs, cost-metered per call | Built-in, vendor-selected models | Add-on nodes, varies |
| Your data | Never leaves your host | Transits and rests in their cloud | Stays local if self-hosted |
| Audit trail | Every step is a bus event; logs are events | Plan-dependent | Basic execution history |
| Smallest sensible box | Raspberry Pi 4, 2 GB | n/a | 8 GB-class machine, tight |
Category columns describe typical, publicly documented behaviour of each family as of mid-2026 — check any specific vendor against their own materials. Binions figures are measured on a production host.
Honest guidance
Pick the right tool — even if it is not ours.
Choose a cloud iPaaS if…
- you have no host to run and want none,
- non-technical teammates must build flows in a visual editor,
- your data is fine living in a vendor cloud.
Choose a node-based tool if…
- a drag-and-drop canvas is the interface your team wants,
- you need its huge catalogue of ready-made app nodes,
- a Node.js runtime on an 8 GB box is acceptable.
Choose Binions if…
- the data must stay on hardware you control,
- you automate machines (MODBUS/OT) as well as SaaS,
- you want reviewable YAML, an audit-grade event log, and a one-time licence,
- the whole box may be a Pi at the edge.
Cost over time
Metered platforms charge for every run, forever — busy months cost more by design. A Binions host is £13 once; from then on the only meter is your own electricity.
Data gravity
Every cloud round-trip is a compliance question (GDPR, HIPAA, privilege). On Binions the mail, the AI extraction and the database write all happen on one machine you own.
The OT gap
Cloud automation stops at the factory door. Binions speaks MODBUS natively — both directions — with circuit breakers and an audit log, on the same host that files your invoices.