# Frends vs MuleSoft (2026)

> Frends is an EU-headquartered integration platform (iPaaS) and a MuleSoft alternative for European enterprises. Trusted by 6,000+ businesses & enterprises.

Source page: https://frends-vs-mulesoft.frends.com/

## Summary

- Total cost of ownership: Frends is 70% lower than MuleSoft.
- License: Frends subscription is typically 25% of MuleSoft's annual license cost.
- Development and operations: 34% less costly with Frends.
- Speed: days to first integration with Frends, versus weeks to months with MuleSoft.
- Data sovereignty: Frends is EU-hosted and GDPR-first. MuleSoft is US-headquartered and part of Salesforce.

## Key differences

| Capability | Frends | MuleSoft |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Cloud-native, lightweight | ESB-based, heavyweight |
| Developer requirements | Low-code, any developer | Requires certified specialists |
| Development speed | Days to first integration | Weeks to months |
| AI capabilities | Native AI orchestration, vendor-agnostic | Salesforce-tied AI features |
| Total cost of ownership | 70% lower TCO | High license and implementation costs |
| Data sovereignty | EU-hosted, GDPR-first | US-headquartered |

## G2 ratings (Frends vs MuleSoft)

| Category | Frends | MuleSoft |
|---|---|---|
| Meets requirements | 8.8 | 8.7 |
| Ease of use | 8.8 | 8.6 |
| Ease of setup | 8.3 | 8.6 |
| Ease of admin | 8.8 | 8.4 |
| Quality of support | 8.9 | 8.2 |
| Good partner in doing business | 9.1 | 8.7 |
| Product direction | 8.5 | 9.1 |

Where MuleSoft scores higher: ease of setup and product direction. MuleSoft also has a larger review base and deep Salesforce ecosystem integration.

Source: https://www.g2.com/compare/frends-vs-mulesoft-anypoint-platform

## Customer stories

### Aalto University

Moved from a complex MuleSoft implementation to Frends: implementation time cut by 60%, maintenance cost cut by 50%, developer productivity up 200%.

"With Frends, we can operate and understand everything without technical knowledge." (Patrick Maltusch, Head of Integration, Aalto University)

Case study: https://frends.com/customers/aalto-university

### Matkahuolto

This Finnish logistics company replaced its MuleSoft-based integration environment with Frends. Fixed integration costs dropped by half and payback took under a year. The project was fixed-price and fixed-schedule, with zero change requests.

"We stayed on budget, stayed on schedule, everything went as agreed, so there's actually fairly little for a steering group to do, and nothing to complain about." (Petri Luurila, CIO, Matkahuolto)

Case study: https://frends.com/customers/matkahuolto

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the best alternative to MuleSoft?

Frends is consistently rated as a top MuleSoft alternative by enterprise teams. With 70% lower total cost of ownership, 5x faster implementation, and native AI orchestration, Frends addresses the most common MuleSoft pain points — high costs, complexity, and Salesforce lock-in.

### How does Frends compare to MuleSoft?

Frends outperforms MuleSoft on G2 in key categories including Quality of Support (8.9 vs 8.2), Ease of Admin (8.8 vs 8.4), and Good Partner in Doing Business (9.1 vs 8.7). Frends uses a low-code approach that doesn't require certified specialists, while MuleSoft typically requires dedicated MuleSoft developers.

### Why are companies switching from MuleSoft?

The top three reasons companies switch are: high total cost of ownership (license fees plus costly implementation and maintenance), the need for scarce certified MuleSoft developers, and Salesforce lock-in that limits flexibility. Frends solves all three with transparent pricing, low-code development, and vendor-agnostic AI capabilities.

### What is the cost of MuleSoft vs Frends?

Frends' subscription cost is typically 25% of MuleSoft's, and development and maintenance costs are 34% lower. Overall, organizations switching to Frends report 70% lower total cost of ownership, including license fees, implementation, and ongoing operations.

### Is Frends a good MuleSoft replacement for European companies?

Yes. Frends is an EU-headquartered iPaaS with GDPR-first data sovereignty, EU-hosted infrastructure, and local support. For European enterprises concerned about data residency and regulatory compliance, Frends offers significant advantages over US-headquartered MuleSoft.

### How long does a migration from MuleSoft to Frends take?

It depends on the number and complexity of your integrations, but Frends migrations typically run as fixed-scope, fixed-schedule projects. Matkahuolto migrated a high volume of business-critical APIs from MuleSoft to Frends on budget, on schedule and without a single change request.

### Can we reuse our existing MuleSoft integrations and APIs?

Yes. The integration logic, API contracts and documentation you already have form the basis of the migration. Integrations are moved over largely as is and rebuilt as visual Frends processes, so partners and consumers of your APIs see no disruption.

### Do we need certified developers to build on Frends?

No. Frends is a low-code platform with visual, BPMN-based processes that any developer can pick up quickly, with full code available when you need it. You are not tied to scarce certified specialists or a small group of named consultants.

### Does Frends support API management and a developer portal?

Yes. Frends includes API management and an API Portal for publishing, securing and monitoring APIs. Matkahuolto uses them to onboard partners and online stores after moving off MuleSoft.

### How does Frends handle AI and agentic workflows?

Frends includes native AI orchestration that is vendor-agnostic, so you can use the AI models that fit your business instead of a single ecosystem. AI can also speed up the migration itself, for example in mappings and in resolving error situations.

## Contact

Book a 30-minute consultation: https://frends-vs-mulesoft.frends.com/#cta