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Visio vs erwin Data Modeler comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 23, 2025

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
4.0
Erwin Data Modeler boosts productivity by automating data modeling, enhancing workflow efficiency, and supporting customization for business needs.
Sentiment score
1.3
Visio streamlines documentation, enhancing efficiency and reducing delivery timelines, offering significant ROI within three to four years.
It replaces manual charting in Visio with a structured tool, providing significant return on investment.
Data Architect at a energy/utilities company with 10,001+ employees
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.7
erwin Data Modeler tech support is praised for helpfulness and responsiveness, though improvements are needed, especially for JSON features.
Sentiment score
6.4
Most Visio users avoid direct support, preferring documentation and online resources, though premium support users find it helpful.
The quality and speed of their support are excellent; everyone is very helpful, and they can solve problems quickly.
Senior Data Scientist at a consultancy with 10,001+ employees
Quest is committed to keeping the product robust.
Data Architect at a energy/utilities company with 10,001+ employees
Erwin Data Modeler requirements function at a standard level.
Data Modeler at Capgemini
While I like Microsoft products in general, the main issue is with the licensing options and the problems associated with them.
IT Professor at Sakarya University
The cost to deploy this 170-page solution was too high and the needed time was months. It was almost not an answer.
Chief Executive Officer at Easy Touch
I would rate their support a nine or even 9.5, recognizing that their support system is robust and cooperative.
Senior Network Specialist at a computer software company with 51-200 employees
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
6.5
erwin Data Modeler offers scalability across databases, excels with small user groups, but may face performance issues with large expansions.
Sentiment score
7.2
Visio is manageable for organizations but faces challenges with scalability, compatibility, and broader deployment due to desktop constraints.
I would rate it probably a nine, making it a leader in data modeling.
Data Architect at a energy/utilities company with 10,001+ employees
erwin Data Modeler had a very good standardization infrastructure and supported a controlled multi-user environment with check-ins and check-outs.
Data Metrics Engineer at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
Regarding scalability, erwin Data Modeler is performing well; from a few tables to 100 tables, it is working effectively so far.
Senior Data Scientist at a consultancy with 10,001+ employees
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
5.7
Erwin Data Modeler shows reliability but struggles with large databases, causing crashes and freezes, despite recent stability improvements.
Sentiment score
8.3
Visio is mostly stable, with improved recent versions, though complex tasks or hardware limits may cause occasional issues.
This lack of an auto-save methodology can be improved so that if a system crash occurs, work can be saved and rework can be avoided.
Data Modeler at Capgemini
New versions often introduce enhanced features but may cause model crashes due to memory exhaustion.
Data Architect at a energy/utilities company with 10,001+ employees
Sometimes when I want to open the attribute editor, it stops working and the whole application freezes.
Senior Data Scientist at a consultancy with 10,001+ employees
 

Room For Improvement

Users seek interface modernization, better database compatibility, improved reporting, navigation, and enhanced support for Erwin Data Modeler.
Visio users encounter challenges with templates, integration, performance, costs, and licensing, seeking better functionality and user experience.
The previous version of erwin Data Modeler used to crash unaccountably, but this one hasn't ever crashed on me, so it's been a lot more stable than the previous version that we had.
Data Warehouse Architect at a healthcare company with 10,001+ employees
There are many features, and I would expect good documentation detailing each feature, including when and how to use it, to be very useful because data modeling is not very popular in the data area and there aren't many educational videos regarding erwin Data Modeler.
Senior Data Scientist at a consultancy with 10,001+ employees
Erwin Data Modeler could improve in areas such as the interface, as there are features like copy and paste, creating duplicates, and the visualization elements and toolbars which feel quite old.
Data Modeler at Capgemini
Visio should implement more complex tools or graphics to facilitate processing and use flexible templates.
IT Professor at Sakarya University
Licensing cost is one of the major points for improvement since it is quite high for personal use.
Senior Network Specialist at a computer software company with 51-200 employees
The visual icons and shapes for different vendors like Cisco network could be improved.
field service manager at Saudi Business Machines - SBM
 

Setup Cost

erwin Data Modeler is feature-rich but expensive, with variable pricing and suggestions for more flexible licensing to suit diverse markets.
Enterprise buyers must navigate varied Visio pricing, with options like cloud subscriptions offering cost efficiency through integration and discounts.
It is more targeted toward an enterprise level since organizations looking to store business information and relationship values may consider the pricing.
Data Modeler at Capgemini
If asked to rate the price, I would give it around nine points out of ten, indicating it is somewhat expensive.
IT Professor at Sakarya University
 

Valuable Features

Erwin Data Modeler streamlines data lineage, database visualization, collaboration, and synchronization, enhancing efficiency with bulk editing and templates.
Visio enhances productivity with seamless Microsoft integration, diverse templates, and user-friendly features for creating professional diagrams.
One of the key aspects of data governance is defining the data dictionary and clearly identifying which data is accessible by whom and what is not accessible, particularly regarding PII-related data.
SPM at Infosys
The way the data is organized and you have a visual of that organization helps a great deal in terms of trying to remember what you did and trying to retrieve the information.
Data Metrics Engineer at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
One of the best aspects of the tool is its reverse engineering capability.
Data Architect at a energy/utilities company with 10,001+ employees
When you use this template, you find directly the related buttons. It saves time and effort.
Chief Executive Officer at Easy Touch
The main benefits Visio provides me include simplifying processes, saving time on manual work with diagram creation, and delivering a clean architecture, whether it is network architecture or application flow.
Senior Network Specialist at a computer software company with 51-200 employees
Visio allows me to create detailed diagrams that provide value to customers by giving them a clear view of their network and devices.
field service manager at Saudi Business Machines - SBM
 

Categories and Ranking

erwin Data Modeler
Ranking in Business Process Design
8th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
5.9
Number of Reviews
44
Ranking in other categories
Enterprise Architecture Management (2nd), Data Governance (15th)
Visio
Ranking in Business Process Design
2nd
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
109
Ranking in other categories
Mind Mapping Software (1st)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Business Process Design category, the mindshare of erwin Data Modeler is 2.5%, up from 2.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Visio is 11.3%, down from 12.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Business Process Design Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Visio11.3%
erwin Data Modeler2.5%
Other86.2%
Business Process Design
 

Featured Reviews

Alton Thibodeaux - PeerSpot reviewer
Data Warehouse Architect at a healthcare company with 10,001+ employees
Data modeling has supported secure migration from legacy platforms to cloud analytics
I write code and I write code accessing erwin Data Modeler's API, the Application Programming Interface, so that I can use Excel to update erwin Data Modeler and then get those updates and put them back into spreadsheets. The only thing I wish is that their API documentation was a little bit clearer and that it had better examples of successful code. To me, examples are worth a hundred pages of reference documentation. Just give me an example of how you use it, and that really helps. I know that's a nitpicking thing, but I wish their API documentation had a lot more examples of code that actually worked to do the things that they're talking about. As far as erwin Data Modeler itself goes, when we have a lot of tables, I have some erwin Data Modeler files that have thousands of tables in them, up to 3,000 or 4,000 tables. When erwin Data Modeler files start getting that big, it takes a really long time, I'd say a minute or more, to open the file. Whenever I'm working in it, sometimes there are operations that also take a long time, so as erwin Data Modeler files get larger, the response time really slows down. An irritation is that every now and then, when I'm working and usually when I have multiple erwin Data Modeler files open at the same time, I get a glitch where a lot of the text fields get solid black, the first eight characters of column names might be blacked out with a rectangle. All I have to do is close erwin Data Modeler, shut it down, and bring it back up, and then everything is fine. It doesn't happen all the time, only occasionally, maybe once or twice a week, and those are the only two things I can say. The previous version of erwin Data Modeler used to crash unaccountably, but this one hasn't ever crashed on me, so it's been a lot more stable than the previous version that we had.
NitinSharma - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Network Specialist at a computer software company with 51-200 employees
Created detailed rack and network diagrams that streamline documentation and collaboration
For creating diagrams, I definitely use Visio for HLD, LLD, and traffic flow diagrams. Apart from Visio, I use Jira only if the customer specifically requests it; otherwise, I do not use an in-house version of Jira in my organization. One of the good features of using the Microsoft umbrella product is that if I create a big diagram and then work on the HLD or LLD in Word, I can select everything from Visio and paste it as an image without needing to resize it, which streamlines the process of creating documentation for customers. The main benefits Visio provides me include simplifying processes, saving time on manual work with diagram creation, and delivering a clean architecture, whether it is network architecture or application flow. I have created diagrams for AWS, Azure, GCP, and on-premises data centers, including rack elevation diagrams and organization charts. Modifications can be made easily and reflected immediately, and I can create PNG images to share with the executive team.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
17%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Government
8%
Computer Software Company
6%
Financial Services Firm
15%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Government
8%
Computer Software Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business14
Midsize Enterprise3
Large Enterprise33
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business36
Midsize Enterprise19
Large Enterprise61
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for erwin Data Modeler by Quest?
Regarding pricing, I am unsure what the exact price is for erwin Data Modeler, but I believe it is not useful for an individual. It is more targeted toward an enterprise level since organizations l...
What needs improvement with erwin Data Modeler by Quest?
For the review, I would assign an eight because it has its own limitations. It has a very steep learning curve, limited support for NoSQL or streaming systems, and potentially a high licensing cost...
What is your primary use case for erwin Data Modeler by Quest?
I used erwin Data Modeler for approximately two to three years on a project. I used erwin Data Modeler for multi-level data modeling, conducting conceptual, logical, and physical data modeling with...
How easy is it to migrate process flow charts (modeled using tools like Visio) into Bizagi?
I have been using Bizagi with a major project for a state government agency for about four years now. It is pretty straightforward to load in files that are BPMN 2.0 compliant. The option to load V...
What do you like most about Visio?
The diagrams Visio creates are quite impressive in the sense that we can cooperate with more colleagues in one task and see the flow of the process.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Visio?
One of the main problems with Visio is its licensing options and associated issues, which lead to discussions about the price with a Microsoft representative. If asked to rate the price, I would gi...
 

Also Known As

erwin DM
Microsoft Visio
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

 Premera, America Honda Motors, Aetna, Kaiser Permanente, Dental Dental Cali, Cigna, Staples
Thomas College, Hamburg Port Authority, Portigon AG, Conseil G_n_ral du d_partement des Hautes-Alpes, AAA Auto a. s., Commonwealth Financial Network, ICA, Abu Dhabi National Energy Company
Find out what your peers are saying about Visio vs. erwin Data Modeler and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.
879,422 professionals have used our research since 2012.