Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect vs Visual Paradigm comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 6, 2024
 

Categories and Ranking

Sparx Systems Enterprise Ar...
Ranking in Business Process Design
4th
Average Rating
8.0
Number of Reviews
97
Ranking in other categories
Enterprise Architecture Management (2nd)
Visual Paradigm
Ranking in Business Process Design
7th
Average Rating
8.0
Number of Reviews
25
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2024, in the Business Process Design category, the mindshare of Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect is 9.8%, down from 13.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Visual Paradigm is 9.5%, up from 6.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Business Process Design
Unique Categories:
Enterprise Architecture Management
14.7%
No other categories found
 

Featured Reviews

PO
Feb 20, 2024
Powerful tool when it comes to modeling features and traceability
In general, we now have a problem with Sparx Enterprise Architect because many analysts think it's too complicated to use in a giant environment. So, two years ago, it was used very, very often, and it was a basic tool in the organization. Now, there's a discussion. Is it worth using Enterprise Architect in the company? We need a better, lighter tool to create, for instance, user storage. So, our company is at a specific stage in our product development or software development, where there are some people who want to use it in connection with something like Papyrus, for instance. For engineering, it's not a good description because it's complicated and for analysts in a dry environment. In the agile environment, the analyst focuses on use cases or creating user stories for support. It's not user-friendly for them. It is not not user-friendly. But in general, it's complicated for very simple activities. For example, when we know and use Enterprise Architect well, and we can use all these features for such analysts, it's no problem to use it. But new analysts, modern analysts who work in a giant environment, don't want to learn how to use Enterprise Architect in the environment because they think it's too complicated and has too many functions. There should be ways to find what you need easily and use only the functions relevant to our project. For example, if we're just analyzing a small project, we don't necessarily need tracing or tons of diagrams. We've also had issues installing the Proof of Concept (POC) for Sparx Prolaborate. Many people found it overly complicated and needed improvement. Overall, user-friendliness is a major pain point for Sparx in my company. So, Sparx could look at similar products with a more user-friendly interface in the industry. There are people who use Enterprise Architect religiously, and there are others who prefer simpler tools like point UML for just drawing diagrams. It depends on the needs of the project. Another point for improvement would be enhancing the versioning of models. Although there's a way to establish timelines, it's not as powerful as it could be.
Vipin_Kumar - PeerSpot reviewer
Nov 17, 2023
Offers lot of training videos, intuitive and user-friendly
There is room for improvement in the licensing model. I would suggest implementing country-specific pricing, as many other products in India do. This would make Visual Paradigm more affordable and accessible. So, it's a small point for improvement: the pricing model should be more flexible. Every company, especially American companies, should have country-specific pricing for India. It's a huge market with a lot of potential, and having competitive pricing would encourage more people to use the product. Most other product managers, such as Microsoft, Oracle, and SAP, have country-specific pricing for India, and it's a strategy that Visual Paradigm should consider adopting as well.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"It's like a repository. So far, we use it only for Information Modelling."
"It's a very practical solution. You don't need to do an advanced course to start using this tool."
"It's a stable and scalable solution. I like that it's similar to Rational Rose."
"We can easily use it with our new customers."
"Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect supports multiple modeling languages like ArchiMate for database design, software lifecycle visualization, and team management."
"The most valuable features are the flexibility and adaptability of Sparx Enterprise Architect."
"Provides a single repository for all architecture work."
"Large variety of profiles and frameworks available out-of-the-box without the need for customization."
"It is easy and intuitive to use, not excessively rigid, and quite flexible."
"The pricing model is attractive."
"It is a scalable solution...The initial setup was straightforward."
"Stable design software with multiple functions and features. It's simple to install and easy to use."
"What I found most valuable in Visual Paradigm is diagramming. I had a great user experience as diagramming in the tool is easy and convenient, even for complex diagrams or models. Visual Paradigm is the perfect tool for me, and I prefer it over Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect. Visual Paradigm is better for collaboration if you consider, for example, versioning, so this is another valuable tool feature that's simple and embedded in the solution. In Visual Paradigm, it's also easy to set up the project with team members and collaborate, and it's also a pro of the tool."
"The application is easy to use and provides informative diagrams."
"Visual Paradigm is super user-friendly, especially for new team members. I always have them start with it because the interface is so simple to pick up. They usually spend about six months to a year using only Visual Paradigm before moving on to other tools. We also use the cloud repository for collaborative work, but I've had some trouble with code reviewing and limitations. Sometimes, customers even request the source file or exported XML because it's easier for them to access and review."
"The initial setup is extremely straightforward."
 

Cons

"It really did not work for logical modeling. The look is very old-fashioned. You can't make the diagrams easy on the eye, so we ended up drawing them again in Visio anyhow."
"The modeling tool is targeted toward a sophisticated user."
"There should be a MATLAB-specific toolbox added to the solution with better compatibility. The connections currently are good but in the future, it needs a huge improvement."
"In general, we now have a problem with Sparx Enterprise Architect because many analysts think it's too complicated to use in a giant environment."
"The Portfolio Management features can be added in the next release. As it helps you to manage more portfolio of projects and architectures of cost projects on a portfolio level. This would be an important feature in the next release."
"One room for improvement in Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect is that it's not very friendly. Another room for improvement in the tool is that it doesn't enable you to import the metadata from a database very easily, so reverse engineering of a database was very difficult. Its database modeling and entity-relationship modeling functions need improvement."
"The window froze for five or ten seconds. You can click and click again and it takes a second to come up. It might have been specific to a version."
"If you just want to create some diagrams with shapes and arrows, then use Visio."
"Visual Paradigm is heavier and has more complexity than one of its competitors, e.g. Lucidchart. It could have been better if it was more simplified."
"The solution's technical support can be improved and accessible for our company location since Visual Paradigm follows a remote support model with some challenges."
"In terms of room for improvement in Visual Paradigm, I tried looking for one. I'm pleased with the tool, but it would be great if you could integrate Visual Paradigm with more tools. For example, when moving from Visual Paradigm to another tool, such as Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect, the process could be improved a bit. Still, I wonder if it's not limited by the standards Visual Paradigm follows, such as XMI files. It could be connected to limitations related to the standards rather than a tool limitation. When you move projects from Visual Paradigm into Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect via XMI files, you lose all your notes from the elements, so this is an area for improvement in Visual Paradigm. TOGAF support is an additional feature I'd like to see in the next release of Visual Paradigm. I'd also like the tool to have ArchiMate support. If both TOGAF and ArchiMate could be supported in Visual Paradigm and made part of a lower level of licensing or cheaper licensing models, that would be best for me."
"More flexibility when choosing the type of diagram would be nice."
"I would like to see something for visualizing innovation work maps."
"There are some connectivity issues that crop up rarely when used with SQL Server."
"The product's versioning capability needs improvement."
"Visual Paradigm's initial deployment was difficult since we did it for the first time. It is challenging to learn to use the product."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The license I use is on-premise. We haven't gone to the cloud where we have to pay monthly or something like that. Sparx is cheaper than most similar tools."
"Pricing and licensing are suitable even for small companies."
"I use my own license. So, I just bought the professional version, which costs $800 or something like that. In the company where I am working, we have floating licenses. They are probably more expensive. Its licensing is affordable, but we are talking about a large organization, and there could be modelers or viewers of the models. We don't know how much that would cost us."
"We had a yearly license."
"Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect is priced well. The price we pay is approximately $20 per month. Other solutions I have found to be much more expensive."
"We paid 1200 euros as a once-off cost. All add ons and integrations come at an additional cost."
"The licensing is not as expensive as some of the other data modeling tools such as Erwin."
"It's reasonably priced for large organizations."
"This product is fairly cheap, but if you want more complex features, e.g. integration with other products, it does require an additional cost."
"Visual Paradigm's pricing is not expensive."
"Over the years I've seen an increase in price, and it makes it difficult for a single person company, like me, to decide whether to extend the license."
"You can use Paradigm on a subscription basis and you can choose from different tiers of subscription."
"You can move between the tiers from month to month so you are not restricted to one pricing model."
"Visual Paradigm has two models available. One of them is the educational edition, and another is the business edition. For my personal usage, I use the educational version mostly. In a project, my customers have to purchase a license."
"Pricing for Visual Paradigm is a four out of five for me. I'm happy with its pricing."
"This is an open-sourced solution, it is free to use."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Educational Organization
14%
Government
12%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Computer Software Company
10%
Computer Software Company
12%
Educational Organization
10%
Financial Services Firm
10%
University
10%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect?
The stability has been good and satisfactory. I would rate the stability a ten out of ten.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect?
It's reasonably priced for large organizations, though it may be perceived as expensive for individual users.
What needs improvement with Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect?
In general, we now have a problem with Sparx Enterprise Architect because many analysts think it's too complicated to use in a giant environment. So, two years ago, it was used very, very often, an...
What do you like most about Visual Paradigm?
The solution is the best application for data modeling. It helps to architect business processes. Its best features are pricing and functionality.
What needs improvement with Visual Paradigm?
Visual Paradigm's initial deployment was difficult since we did it for the first time. It is challenging to learn to use the product.
 

Learn More

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Overview

 

Sample Customers

OmniLink
Adobe, Apple, at&t, Caterpillar, Intel, NASA, Nokia, Toyota
Find out what your peers are saying about Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect vs. Visual Paradigm and other solutions. Updated: May 2024.
787,817 professionals have used our research since 2012.