RTO vs UI.Vision
UI.Vision is a mature visual RPA platform. RTO is a local-first controlled-tab bridge. They overlap in browser automation, but the best choice depends on whether you need visual screen automation or an API-first web cockpit.
UI.Vision wins when the screen is the API
UI.Vision is built for visual RPA: image recognition, OCR, record/replay macros, desktop automation and real-user XClick/XMove style interactions. That makes it especially strong when the page is a Canvas, a PDF, a video, a legacy app, or when the DOM is unreliable.
Choose UI.Vision when you need
- OCR or image-driven targeting.
- Real mouse/click simulation with XClick/XMove.
- Desktop automation beyond the browser.
- Record/replay macros operated from the extension UI.
- A mature RPA-style tool for visual testing and screen workflows.
Do not choose UI.Vision just because
- You only need a page-master API.
- You want your own web application to own the UX.
- You want to target named browser tabs with
tabKey. - You want a local bridge instead of macro playback as the product center.
RTO wins when your own page is the cockpit
RTO is strongest when the main application is yours. A page can detect the extension, open or reuse controlled tabs, target them by tabKey, use documented DOM/flow primitives, and keep the user inside a local, visible, allowlisted workflow.
Choose RTO when you need
- A custom page-master / web cockpit.
- API-first JavaScript integration.
- Controlled visible tabs identified by
tabKeyortabId. - Local-first orchestration without a cloud bot.
- Explicit allowlist and deny-by-default behavior.
- Guided overlays and labels integrated into your own site.
RTO is not trying to be
- A full desktop RPA suite.
- An OCR platform.
- A replacement for UI.Vision XModules.
- A general-purpose image recognition engine.
Use both categories honestly
Use UI.Vision when the task is visually defined: click this image, read this text on screen, automate a desktop window, or replay a macro that must look like a human operating the machine.
Use RTO when the task is product-integrated: your own page asks the browser to open, reuse, inspect, guide, and focus controlled tabs with a documented local bridge.