Broadcom Agile Requirements Designer vs IBM Rational Performance Tester comparison

Broadcom and IBM are both solutions in the Test Management Tools category. Broadcom is ranked #8 with an average rating of 8.0, while IBM is ranked #23. Broadcom holds a 3.5% mindshare in TMT, compared to IBM’s 2.3% mindshare. Additionally, 90% of Broadcom users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of IBM users who would recommend it.

Broadcom Agile Requirements...

Read 21 Broadcom Agile Requirements Designer reviews

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90% willing to recommend

IBM Rational Performance Te...

Read 17 IBM Rational Performance Tester reviews

754 Views
279 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Broadcom Agile Requirements...

IBM Rational Performance Te...

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 16, 2024

IBM Rational Performance Tester and Broadcom Agile Requirements Designer are tools in the performance testing and test management categories. Based on user reviews, Broadcom seems to have the upper hand with its specialized features and responsive customer service.

Features: IBM Rational Performance Tester offers robust performance testing capabilities, detailed reporting features, and consistent reliability during large scale tests. Broadcom Agile Requirements Designer provides comprehensive test case generation, effective requirement traceability, and extensive coverage planning which users find valuable for deeper test management capabilities.

Room for Improvement: IBM Rational Performance Tester users suggest enhancements in usability, integration with third-party tools, and better visualization options. Users of Broadcom Agile Requirements Designer express a need for improved documentation, a more intuitive approach to complex test case scenarios, and a more user-friendly interface for beginners.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Deployment of IBM Rational Performance Tester is described as straightforward by users, but customer service can be slow to respond. Broadcom Agile Requirements Designer is praised for its smooth deployment process and highly responsive customer service, giving Broadcom an edge in user satisfaction regarding implementation and support.

Pricing and ROI: IBM Rational Performance Tester users feel the setup costs are high but recognize a solid return on investment over time. Broadcom Agile Requirements Designer's pricing is seen as competitive with a favorable ROI due to its feature-rich platform. Users generally perceive Broadcom to offer more value for the cost despite the initial investment.

To learn more, read our detailed Broadcom Agile Requirements Designer vs. IBM Rational Performance Tester Report (Updated: December 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Broadcom Agile Requirements Designer vs. IBM Rational Performance Tester

December 2025

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Review summaries and opinions

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

Categories and Ranking

Broadcom Agile Requirements...

Ranking in Test Management Tools

8th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Application Requirements Management (6th), Test Design Automation (4th)

IBM Rational Performance Te...

Ranking in Test Management Tools

23rd

Average Rating

7.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Test Management Tools category, the mindshare of Broadcom Agile Requirements Designer is 3.5%, up from 2.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IBM Rational Performance Tester is 2.3%, up from 1.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Test Management Tools Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Broadcom Agile Requirements Designer	3.5%
IBM Rational Performance Tester	2.3%
Other	94.2%

Test Management Tools

Featured Reviews

Hosney Osman

Technical Solution Architect at Vodafone

Integration capabilities enhance testing and workflow automation

I rate Broadcom Agile Requirements Designer as 8 out of 10. It will be very nice if Broadcom has questions or comments related to my review and can reach me via email to clarify something. I want to be a reference for Broadcom. I don't have any information regarding the visual modeling function specifically. I'm not dealing with modeling requirements or generating optimized test cases in Broadcom Agile Requirements Designer. Broadcom takes a lot of information from us as end-users, and they provide fixes within two to five days maximum. My team has raised many enhancement requests and discussed them with Broadcom, and they are adding some of these features to the product itself. I look forward to receiving an email regarding these reviews, and I can add anything later if I forgot something, earning some points for this contribution on the website.

Read full review

KashifJamil

CEO at Xcelliti

Supports web and mobile applications, very scalable, very stable, and wonderful support

There are some features that Micro Focus LoadRunner provides, but they are not available in IBM Rational Performance Tester. They should include such features. It can also have more reports similar to what HP provides. It might also need some improvement in terms of the tools and support for other technology areas. Certain technologies are not supported by every tool. They need to support all sorts of technologies and platforms on which web applications and mobile applications are built. They need complete support for all sorts of technologies.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The ability to create models/diagrams at multiple levels (nest/embed them) helps in taking models from high-level business requirements and building them into detailed requirements models and test models. Plus, it helps reuse lower level models. It also allows maintaining models at appropriate levels, even for very complex systems/solutions."

"It gives us an idea of creating the visual diagrams, which are quite easy to use. It is helpful in creating our business processes."

"I like the way Broadcom ARD inserts test cases in execution mode. Also, ARD can be used apart from Broadcom TDM. It's an add-on through which you supply data through ARD test cases when there is a need for extra data."

"It takes away all the time to construct test cases, so it is all automatic now, but it also levels the playing field."

"It helped us to move from manual testing to automation testing."

"Technical support is excellent. They provide solutions quickly for issues encountered."

"The scale possibilities are endless, especially when combined with all the other products that CA has to offer."

"Measuring test coverage helps in one of the most challenging tasks. It has logic that can help to select the right set of scenarios and know what coverage it will provide."

More Broadcom Agile Requirements Designer pros

"Technical support is very good. I'm very satisfied with the assistance we've received so far."

"It can support both web applications and mobile applications, and in certain cases, it can also support testing of desktop applications or software-based applications. You can write web applications, mobile applications, and software-based applications."

Cons

"The solution could improve security and authentication."

"Needs improvement in aligning models so they look clear and readable without having to move boxes around."

"CA ARD doesn't provide integration with Tosca. The possibility of creating a test case and exporting it into Tosca is not available. Integration with end-to-end automation tools, like Worksoft or Tosca, is not provided by CA ARD as of now."

"I think it's already coming, but it needs more automation aspects. There is a tab for Automation, but I think it's not robust. I think that it's going to be a crucial element of the tool."

"At present, there is no option for test data parameters from ARD for virtual databases. We have to create them in TDM and push them as well. Virtual database connectivity needs to be improved. They need to come up with some areas where they can create synthetic data parameters easily from the test cases that have been designed."

"It would help if it would save different subsets of test cases, use cases, etc., of a given diagram, for different purposes and provide an easy way to name those subsets."

"A template in App Test should be created in advance. This has proven to be time consuming. The process is not fully automated, because there is a lot of manual intervention is required."

"The solution could be more user-friendly. For example, attachments could be icon-based to make it easier for the user to notice them."

More Broadcom Agile Requirements Designer cons

"The solution is not easily scalable. If you want to extend the solution, you need to purchase a different kind of license. You also have to work with the IBM team to assist in scaling."

"There are some features that Micro Focus LoadRunner provides, but they are not available in IBM Rational Performance Tester. They should include such features. It can also have more reports similar to what HP provides. It might also need some improvement in terms of the tools and support for other technology areas. Certain technologies are not supported by every tool. They need to support all sorts of technologies and platforms on which web applications and mobile applications are built. They need complete support for all sorts of technologies."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The cost of the tool was well worth the benefit that we saw on the back-end."

"This tool reduces the cost associated with test cases, automation script generation, and maintenance costs."

"It is less costly when compared to other tools on the market."

"At present, Broadcom works through partners rather than dealing directly with the consumer. When there are discounts given, it's up to the partner as to whether they want to give that discount to the customer. Sometimes, the partners decide to take the discount themselves. Pricewise, I would give ARD's price a rating of three out of five."

"Recommendation is to go with concurrent licenses as oppose to seat license; this gives more flexibility."

"The pricing model is based on how many people are using it. We have an annual license. There are not any additional costs."

"We were able to scale down some resources to basically self-fund our ability to purchase the tool."

"It is much cheaper than Micro Focus LoadRunner. We need perpetual licenses. Support is included in the first sale. After that, you need to renew support every year."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

17%

Computer Software Company

15%

Retailer

Transportation Company

Financial Services Firm

23%

Computer Software Company

11%

Government

Real Estate/Law Firm

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	2
Large Enterprise	21

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	4
Midsize Enterprise	6
Large Enterprise	8

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Broadcom Agile Requirements Designer?

It's not affordable; it's very expensive. It would be suitable only for large customers, and a large customer will think twice before making a deal with Broadcom.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Broadcom Agile Requirements Designer?

Integration with AI is an area that needs to be improved quickly. To be clear, this relates to how to use AI to improve use cases, break down applications, and review designs, as this area needs to...

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What is your primary use case for Broadcom Agile Requirements Designer?

This solution saves a lot of time in the software testing cycle because, with Broadcom Agile Requirements Designer specifically, I am doing a flowchart, and I can extract test cases and use cases t...

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Broadcom Agile Requirements Designer

January 2026

Broadcom Agile Requirements Designer report

Download Broadcom Agile Requirements Designer product report

Buyer's Guide

IBM Rational Performance Tester

January 2026

Download IBM Rational Performance Tester product report

Also Known As

Grid Tools Agile Designer, CA ARD, CA Agile Requirements Designer

Rational Performance Tester

Overview

CA Agile Requirements Designer is an end-to-end requirements gathering, test automation and test case design tool which drastically reduces manual testing effort and enables organizations to deliver quality software to market earlier and at less cost. The optimal set of manual or automated tests can be derived automatically from requirements modeled as unambiguous flowcharts and are linked to the right data and expected results. These tests are updated automatically when the requirements change, allowing organizations to deliver quality software which reflects changing user needs.

Broadcom

IBM Rational Performance Tester is a performance testing solution that validates the scalability of web and server applications. Rational Performance Tester identifies the presence and cause of system performance bottlenecks and reduces load testing complexity.

IBM

Sample Customers

Williams, Rabobank

andagon, Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon

Buyer's Guide

Broadcom Agile Requirements Designer vs. IBM Rational Performance Tester

December 2025

Free Report: Broadcom Agile Requirements Designer vs. IBM Rational Performance Tester

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