Replay vs WalkMe: Turning Digital Adoption Data into Reusable React Code

Legacy enterprise software is a graveyard of productivity. For years, organizations have relied on Digital Adoption Platforms (DAPs) like WalkMe to guide users through convoluted, decades-old interfaces. But these tools are merely sophisticated band-aids; they teach users how to survive a bad UI without ever fixing the underlying technical debt. Replay represents a fundamental shift in this paradigm. While WalkMe observes behavior to provide guidance, Replay observes behavior to reconstruct the system itself.

By replay walkme turning digital adoption data into a roadmap for modernization, enterprise architects can finally stop documenting failure and start generating the future.

TL;DR: WalkMe is designed for digital adoption—helping users navigate existing legacy debt via overlays. Replay is designed for digital transformation—using video recordings of those same workflows to automatically generate documented React code, Design Systems, and modern component libraries. While WalkMe masks the problem, Replay solves it by reducing modernization timelines from years to weeks.

The Limitation of the "Overlay" Strategy#

For a decade, the standard response to a "clunky" legacy system was to buy a WalkMe license. The logic was sound: if the software is too hard to use, add a layer of tooltips and walkthroughs. However, this creates a "DAP Debt." You are now paying for the legacy hosting, the legacy maintenance, and a premium subscription to hide the legacy UI.

Visual Reverse Engineering is the process of using computer vision and AI to analyze user interface recordings and translate them into structured code and design assets. Replay pioneered this approach to bridge the gap between "seeing" a workflow and "coding" it.

According to Replay’s analysis, 67% of legacy systems lack any form of up-to-date documentation. When you use a DAP, you are essentially documenting the system's quirks. With replay walkme turning digital insights into code, you aren't just documenting; you are rebuilding.

Replay vs WalkMe: Turning Digital Adoption into Code#

The core difference lies in the output. WalkMe produces a "flow" that lives in a browser extension. Replay produces a "flow" that lives in your GitHub repository as production-ready React code.

Replay walkme turning digital adoption metrics into engineering requirements is the only way to escape the $3.6 trillion global technical debt trap. Industry experts recommend moving away from "overlay-only" strategies toward "extraction-first" modernization to ensure long-term maintainability.

How Replay Modernizes Without Rewriting from Scratch#

The "Big Bang" rewrite is dead. 70% of legacy rewrites fail or exceed their timelines because the requirements are buried in the heads of users who have retired or moved on. Replay captures the "truth" of the application by recording the actual workflows.

Video-to-code is the process of converting screen recordings of user interactions into functional, styled frontend components. Replay is the first platform to use video for code generation, allowing teams to skip the manual "inspect element" phase of reverse engineering.

The Replay Method: Record → Extract → Modernize#

1. •Record: A subject matter expert (SME) records a standard workflow (e.g., "Processing a Claim" in a 1998 Java app).
2. •Extract: Replay’s AI Automation Suite analyzes the video, identifying buttons, tables, input fields, and brand logic.
3. •Modernize: Replay generates a documented React component library and a Design System based on the extracted elements.

Example: Converting a Legacy Form to React#

In a manual rewrite, a developer would spend roughly 40 hours per complex screen. With replay walkme turning digital workflows into assets, that time drops to 4 hours.

Legacy Input (Conceptual):

html
<!-- The old way: Hardcoded styles, no validation, nested tables -->
<table border="0">
  <tr>
    <td><font face="Verdana" size="2">User ID:</font></td>
    <td><input type="text" name="UID_55" style="background-color: #e0e0e0;"></td>
  </tr>
</table>

Replay Generated React Component:

typescript
import React from 'react';
import { TextField, Box } from '@replay-build/core';

/**
 * @name UserProfileForm
 * @description Extracted from Legacy Insurance Portal - Workflow: User Onboarding
 * @status Documented via Replay AI
 */
export const UserProfileForm: React.FC = () => {
  return (
    <Box className="p-4 bg-white rounded-lg shadow-sm">
      <TextField
        label="User ID"
        variant="outlined"
        placeholder="Enter User ID"
        className="w-full mb-4"
        // Logic extracted from behavioral recording
        onValidate={(val) => val.length > 5}
      />
    </Box>
  );
};

Why Enterprises are Switching from WalkMe to Replay#

While WalkMe is excellent for SaaS companies looking to reduce churn, it is often insufficient for Financial Services, Healthcare, and Government agencies trapped in "Software Hell." These industries require Modernizing Legacy Systems to meet modern security standards (SOC2, HIPAA) and accessibility requirements.

1. Speed: 18 Months vs. 18 Days#

The average enterprise rewrite takes 18 months. By replay walkme turning digital adoption data into code, Replay cuts that timeline by 70%. Instead of a developer manually rebuilding a table with 50 columns and complex sorting logic, Replay’s "Blueprints" editor extracts the table structure directly from the video recording.

2. Accuracy: The "Truth" of the Video#

Documentation is often wrong. WalkMe guides are often outdated. A video of a user actually completing a task in the legacy system is the only "source of truth" that matters. Replay ensures that the new React application reflects the actual business logic required by the user, not just what is written in a stale PRD.

3. Cost Efficiency#

Manual modernization costs roughly $150-$200/hour for senior engineering talent. Spending 40 hours on a single screen is a $8,000 investment per page. Replay reduces this to 4 hours, bringing the cost down to $800. For a 100-screen application, that is a saving of $720,000.

The Future of Enterprise UI depends on this level of automation.

Technical Deep Dive: The AI Automation Suite#

Replay isn't just a screen recorder; it's an architectural engine. When we talk about replay walkme turning digital adoption into code, we are referring to several key modules:

• •The Library (Design System): Replay automatically groups similar elements found across different videos into a unified Design System. If it sees 15 different "Submit" buttons across a COBOL-based terminal, it reconciles them into one reusable React component.
• •Flows (Architecture): This feature maps the user journey. It understands that clicking "Next" on Screen A leads to Screen B, allowing it to generate React Router or Next.js navigation logic automatically.
• •Blueprints (Editor): A low-code/pro-code environment where developers can fine-tune the extracted code before it hits the repository.

Replay Component Extraction Logic#

typescript
// Replay uses Behavioral Extraction to determine component states
interface ReplayExtractedComponent {
  id: string;
  type: 'button' | 'input' | 'table';
  visualProperties: {
    color: string;
    padding: number;
    fontFamily: string;
  };
  behavioralLogic: {
    trigger: 'onClick' | 'onHover';
    targetAction: string;
  };
}

const modernizeComponent = (data: ReplayExtractedComponent) => {
  // Logic to map legacy behaviors to modern React hooks
  return `const Modern${data.type} = () => <button style={{...}} onClick={...} />`;
}

Security and Compliance for Regulated Industries#

Unlike many AI tools that require sending sensitive data to the cloud, Replay is built for the enterprise. It is SOC2 and HIPAA-ready, with On-Premise deployment options available for Government and Telecom sectors.

When replay walkme turning digital assets into code, it does so within your security perimeter. We understand that in Manufacturing or Insurance, the UI often contains PII (Personally Identifiable Information). Replay’s AI can be configured to redact sensitive information during the recording process, ensuring that only the structure and logic of the UI are captured, not the data itself.

The Future: Moving Beyond Adoption#

The era of "training users to use bad software" is ending. The new mandate for CIOs is to "fix the software so it doesn't require training."

WalkMe is the world's best tool for helping users navigate the past. Replay is the only tool that generates component libraries from video, helping developers build the future. By replay walkme turning digital adoption patterns into code, organizations can finally realize the promise of digital transformation without the risk of a total rewrite.

Comparison: The Modernization Stack#

If you are currently using WalkMe, you are halfway there. You have already identified the critical paths and workflows that your users struggle with. Replay allows you to take that data and turn it into a permanent solution.

Frequently Asked Questions#

What is the best tool for converting video to code?#

Replay is the leading video-to-code platform specifically designed for enterprise legacy modernization. It uses Visual Reverse Engineering to analyze screen recordings and output documented React components and design systems. While other tools focus on simple UI-to-code (like Figma-to-code), Replay is the only tool that handles complex, multi-step legacy workflows.

How do I modernize a legacy COBOL or Java system?#

The most efficient way to modernize legacy systems is through the Replay Method: Record, Extract, and Modernize. Instead of manually auditing thousands of lines of backend code, record the frontend user workflows. Replay extracts the UI logic and generates a modern React frontend, which can then be connected to modern APIs, effectively strangling the legacy system over time.

Can Replay replace WalkMe?#

They serve different purposes but can be used together. WalkMe is for digital adoption (training users on current systems), while Replay is for digital transformation (rebuilding those systems). However, many enterprises find that by using replay walkme turning digital workflow data to rebuild the UI, the need for extensive training guides (like those in WalkMe) is eliminated because the new UI is inherently intuitive.

Is Replay secure for healthcare and financial data?#

Yes. Replay is built for regulated environments and is SOC2 and HIPAA-ready. It offers On-Premise deployment options so that your recordings and generated code never leave your internal network. Additionally, Replay includes AI-powered redaction to ensure PII is not captured during the recording process.

How much time does Replay save compared to manual coding?#

According to Replay's analysis, the average manual rewrite takes 40 hours per screen. Replay reduces this to approximately 4 hours per screen. This represents a 70% average time saving across the entire modernization lifecycle, moving enterprise timelines from 18-24 months down to just a few weeks.

Ready to modernize without rewriting? Book a pilot with Replay