ARIS BPA vs IBM Blueworks Live comparison

Software AG and IBM are both solutions in the Business Process Design category. Software AG is ranked #6 with an average rating of 8.1, while IBM is ranked #15 with an average rating of 7.0. Software AG holds a 7.2% mindshare in BPD, compared to IBM’s 3.4% mindshare. Additionally, 89% of Software AG users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 91% of IBM users who would recommend it.

ARIS BPA

Read 68 ARIS BPA reviews

5,697 Views
3,931 Comparison Views

89% willing to recommend

IBM Blueworks Live

Read 21 IBM Blueworks Live reviews

2,301 Views
2,002 Comparison Views

91% willing to recommend

ARIS BPA

IBM Blueworks Live

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 3, 2024

ARIS BPA and IBM Blueworks Live compete in the business process management and modeling category. ARIS BPA appears to have the upper hand due to its comprehensive feature set, including robust reporting and integration capabilities.

Features: ARIS BPA offers a robust module design, strong reporting capabilities, and comprehensive process modeling. It excels in object reusability, database structure, and flexibility, which are suitable for process modeling, analysis, and architecture. IBM Blueworks Live provides cloud-based process modeling with easy collaboration features, BPMN 2.0 support, and integration with Microsoft Office, valued for its simplicity and cost-effectiveness.

Room for Improvement: ARIS BPA could enhance its pricing structure and simplify installation. Users seek improvements in report formatting, team activity tracking, and stability, along with a more intuitive scripting language and unified interface. IBM Blueworks Live lacks process execution and simulation features, with users suggesting enhancements in reporting, integrations, and customization options.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: ARIS BPA offers versatile deployment options across on-premises and cloud environments. Customer support is generally good, though responsiveness varies. IBM Blueworks Live is praised for its simple cloud-based deployment, with user support receiving positive feedback but with room for improvement in communication.

Pricing and ROI: ARIS BPA is considered expensive with complex licensing, yet its robust features are valued by large enterprises for ROI. IBM Blueworks Live is noted for its cost-effectiveness and subscription model, appealing to businesses seeking affordable solutions with quick adoption.

To learn more, read our detailed ARIS BPA vs. IBM Blueworks Live Report (Updated: September 2025).

Buyer's Guide

ARIS BPA vs. IBM Blueworks Live

September 2025

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Helped 867,445 peers since 2012

Review summaries and opinions

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

ROI

Sentiment score

6.8

ARIS BPA varies in ROI timelines, enhancing process understanding and control but with hard-to-quantify financial impacts.

Sentiment score

8.5

IBM Blueworks Live enhances efficiency and reduces costs with automation, offering quick returns and significant time savings annually.

No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the ARIS BPA report

No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the IBM Blueworks Live report

Customer Service

Sentiment score

6.6

ARIS BPA's support is praised for technical assistance and flexibility but could improve in responsiveness and communication.

Sentiment score

9.0

IBM Blueworks Live's customer service is praised for responsiveness and helpfulness, with effective technical support and satisfactory service levels.

The consultants are fine, however, reliance on single experts for modules can be risky.

reviewer2625741

Consultant at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees

For more quotes and insights, download the ARIS BPA report

Support deserves a rating of nine out of ten.

Nupur Wadhwa

Consultant 2 at Protiviti

For more quotes and insights, download the IBM Blueworks Live report

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score

7.6

ARIS BPA is scalable for small to large enterprises, offering flexibility, modular features, and easy licensing for process management expansion.

Sentiment score

7.6

IBM Blueworks Live is scalable, effective for enterprises, though some note minor performance issues and potential cost considerations.

ARIS BPA has high scalability and wide scalability for any enterprise or organization.

Sherif Allam

Enterprise Architect at Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), Egypt

For user scalability, it is a matter of licenses, while functional scalability is supported and easy to implement.

reviewer2625741

Consultant at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees

For more quotes and insights, download the ARIS BPA report

IBM Blueworks Live is easily scalable, but it can be expensive to scale and there may be some limitations.

Nupur Wadhwa

Consultant 2 at Protiviti

For more quotes and insights, download the IBM Blueworks Live report

Stability Issues

Sentiment score

7.3

ARIS BPA is generally stable, with minor issues primarily in large environments, but responsive support enhances stability perception.

Sentiment score

8.9

IBM Blueworks Live is praised for reliability and stability, despite minor latency and cloud security concerns.

The stability of ARIS BPM is quite strong, rated eight out of ten.

reviewer2625741

Consultant at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees

For more quotes and insights, download the ARIS BPA report

For the on-premise version, there aren't speed challenges, but sometimes the server goes down, preventing work.

Nupur Wadhwa

Consultant 2 at Protiviti

For more quotes and insights, download the IBM Blueworks Live report

Room For Improvement

ARIS BPA needs better integration, user interface, scripting, documentation, training, pricing, and simplicity for wider accessibility.

IBM Blueworks Live struggles with limited functionality and integration, lacking robust process execution, customization, and reporting capabilities.

Software AG should focus on developing AI models for ARIS BPA on-premises, particularly in user interfaces, as well as creating predefined business processes for common areas such as HR and finance.

Tamer Eldamanhouri

Software Engineering & Manager at Arab Infromation Management Services

Software AG could improve this by making the database more open.

reviewer2625741

Consultant at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees

ARIS BPA needs to be more accurate when generating documents.

Sherif Allam

Enterprise Architect at Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), Egypt

For more quotes and insights, download the ARIS BPA report

Normal business users or consultants cannot perform the installation as it requires extensive technical knowledge.

Nupur Wadhwa

Consultant 2 at Protiviti

For more quotes and insights, download the IBM Blueworks Live report

Setup Cost

ARIS BPA pricing is high but valued by large enterprises; smaller firms may find costs prohibitive due to complex licensing.

IBM Blueworks Live provides flexible, competitive pricing and ease of use, ideal for enterprises with varied licensing needs.

No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the ARIS BPA report

No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the IBM Blueworks Live report

Valuable Features

ARIS BPA offers powerful modeling, customization, and collaboration tools, integrating SAP and databases, ensuring strategic alignment and governance.

IBM Blueworks Live simplifies process mapping with user-friendly interface, real-time collaboration, and integration, enhancing efficiency and accessibility.

ARIS BPA is a tool to build models and frameworks for organizations or reengineer business processes from both functional and business perspectives.

Tamer Eldamanhouri

Software Engineering & Manager at Arab Infromation Management Services

The solution is very stable with no stability issues.

Sherif Allam

Enterprise Architect at Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), Egypt

The maintenance capabilities of ARIS BPM and the strong underlying database are particularly valuable.

reviewer2625741

Consultant at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees

For more quotes and insights, download the ARIS BPA report

IBM Blueworks Live provides clear ROI as it saves both time and money.

Nupur Wadhwa

Consultant 2 at Protiviti

For more quotes and insights, download the IBM Blueworks Live report

Categories and Ranking

ARIS BPA

Ranking in Business Process Design

6th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Business Process Management (BPM) (8th)

IBM Blueworks Live

Ranking in Business Process Design

15th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2025, in the Business Process Design category, the mindshare of ARIS BPA is 7.2%, down from 8.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IBM Blueworks Live is 3.4%, up from 3.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Business Process Design Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
ARIS BPA	7.2%
IBM Blueworks Live	3.4%
Other	89.4%

Business Process Design

Featured Reviews

Tamer Eldamanhouri

Software Engineering & Manager at Arab Infromation Management Services

Empowers teams with robust business process modeling capabilities

They should examine competitor solutions to identify differentiators. One issue related to ARIS BPA is its integration with AI; it has AI features for cloud solutions, yet many in the government sector in Kuwait do not view the cloud as viable. Software AG should focus on developing AI models for ARIS BPA on-premises, particularly in user interfaces, as well as creating predefined business processes for common areas such as HR and finance. This aspect is crucial for adapting to the market's needs and streamlining custom solutions. While they have been helpful regarding pricing, I cannot compare ARIS BPA to other business process modeling tools because I understand some competitors have significantly lower costs than ARIS BPA. To maintain market share, good discounts should be provided to customers.

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Nupur Wadhwa

Consultant 2 at Protiviti

Enables efficient process mapping but requires improvement in maintaining server stability

The pricing of the solution can be quite expensive when compared to competitors, though IBM Blueworks Live stands out from a technical standpoint. IBM Blueworks Live provides clear ROI as it saves both time and money. I have successfully imported Visio flowcharts into both IBM Blueworks Live and ARIS. Both tools handled the imports successfully, though some manual intervention was required because Visio is quite a basic tool. Importing flowcharts into advanced tools such as ARIS and IBM Blueworks Live requires some manual effort. The primary advantage is the ease of use. I have not encountered any features in other tools that I couldn't find in ARIS. This is a major factor because I don't have to switch between tools to find specific features. Using ARIS for the past three years has built confidence and trust in the tool.

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

15%

Computer Software Company

12%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Government

Financial Services Firm

18%

Computer Software Company

10%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Insurance Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	32
Midsize Enterprise	8
Large Enterprise	47

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	5
Midsize Enterprise	1
Large Enterprise	17

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about ARIS BPA?

The most valuable features of ARIS BPA are its flexibility and reporting.

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for ARIS BPA?

Pricing for ARIS BPA is average, not cheap or expensive. It's cost-effective and worth the money we pay.

See all answers

What needs improvement with ARIS BPA?

ARIS BPA needs to be more accurate when generating documents. While it covers many blueprints and functions that I need, the document generation feature could be enhanced for better accuracy.

See all answers

What do you like most about IBM Blueworks Live?

The solution is easy to operate. Also, there is an automatic mode to make the business flow. You don't have to put any lines or arrows in a decision point in IBM Blueworks Live; it's very automatic.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IBM Blueworks Live?

The solution costs around 600-700 dollars/year, which is quite affordable.

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What needs improvement with IBM Blueworks Live?

Sometimes, the tool is automatic, which can complicate it, but once you're accustomed to manipulating it, you can use it very effectively.

See all answers

Comparisons

SAP Signavio Process Manager vs ARIS BPA

Compared 23% of the time

ADONIS vs ARIS BPA

Compared 9% of the time

Camunda vs ARIS BPA

Compared 8% of the time

Bizagi vs ARIS BPA

Compared 6% of the time

Visual Paradigm vs ARIS BPA

Compared 2% of the time

More ARIS BPA Competitors

Visio vs IBM Blueworks Live

Compared 30% of the time

SAP Signavio Process Manager vs IBM Blueworks Live

Compared 23% of the time

ARIS Cloud vs IBM Blueworks Live

Compared 14% of the time

Lucidchart vs IBM Blueworks Live

Compared 13% of the time

Camunda vs IBM Blueworks Live

Compared 6% of the time

More IBM Blueworks Live Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

ARIS BPA

September 2025

Download ARIS BPA product report

Buyer's Guide

IBM Blueworks Live

September 2025

Download IBM Blueworks Live product report

Also Known As

ARIS, ARIS BPM

IBM Lombardi Blueprint

Overview

ARIS is the market-leading solution for professional business process management and modeling. Whether you want to document the "as-is" state of your operations for quality or certification reasons or design the "to-be" in terms of continuous improvement in your transformation program, ARIS is the best choice for establishing a single source of truth regarding all process excellence topics in your organization. It is for any organization looking to digitally transform their business, increase operational excellence and customer experience and ensure compliance in execution. ARIS helps you to make the most out of your processes with Process Mining, Risk & Compliance Management, RPA and much more.

What makes the difference?

The most comprehensive platform for process excellence in the market
Easy to use
Covers business & IT architecture from all angles
Full flexibility and >100 diagram types
Customer-driven development based on best practices
Strong partner ecosystem

ARIS is the market-leading solution for any organization and ideally suited to digitally transform the organization, increase operational excellence and customer experience and ensure compliance in execution.

Software AG

IBM Blueworks Live is a cloud-based business process modeling tool that helps you discover, map and document your processes. It is easy to use, allowing you to learn and perform business process modeling in minutes.

With Blueworks Live you can:

Simplify business process modeling
Quickly build business processes in a straightforward, cloud-based interface designed for both IT and business users.

Improve process efficiency and accuracy
A central process repository eliminates version control and consistency issues by providing users real-time access to process workflows.

Enhance cross-team collaboration
A shared team workspace engages all business process owners, encouraging cross-team participation and continuous process improvement.

IBM

Sample Customers

Tesco, Weifu, Airbus, Siemens, Proximus, Alicorp, Sekerbank, Bancor, Philips,Sky, Emirates NBD, Dubai Municipality, Suva, U.S. Army, Australia Post, Westfalen Weser Energie - ARIS serves customers across all industries and of every size worldwide. Companies trust ARIS as the market leader for process excellence with more than 30 years of experience in the market, 10 million users worldwide, from 1 user companies to the Fortune 500.

Cloudsoft Corp. Ltd., Bayer, S¾SS, Essex County Council

Buyer's Guide

ARIS BPA vs. IBM Blueworks Live

September 2025

Free Report: ARIS BPA vs. IBM Blueworks Live

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