

Visio and Erwin Data Modeler are widely utilized tools in the realm of diagramming and data modeling, respectively. Visio sets itself apart with seamless integration within the Microsoft ecosystem, making it a favorable choice for businesses heavily invested in Microsoft products, while Erwin Data Modeler dominates in complex data modeling tasks due to its robust capabilities in reverse engineering and data model management.
Features:Visio offers integration with Microsoft applications, advanced process mapping, and a broad template and shape library, enhancing user productivity and supporting business needs efficiently. Erwin Data Modeler provides reverse engineering, bulk editing capabilities, and facilitates the creation of logical and physical data models, essential for complex data environments.
Room for Improvement:Visio could improve by offering better external data integration, enhanced pen input support for Microsoft Surfaces, and more advanced layer management. Erwin Data Modeler requires improvements in the Complete Compare feature, better performance in client and repository (Mart), and improved support for modern data platforms such as big data systems.
Ease of Deployment and Customer Service:Visio offers flexible deployment options across various cloud environments, though most users opt for on-premises setups and manage issues internally with minimal reliance on Microsoft support. Erwin Data Modeler is mainly deployed on-premises, with technical support occasionally lacking in effectiveness and timeliness.
Pricing and ROI:Visio’s licensing is cost-effective for organizations already using Microsoft 365, though potentially high for those not leveraging advanced features, with ROI manifesting through time savings in documentation and collaboration over an extended period. Erwin Data Modeler’s higher pricing presents an obstacle for smaller enterprises, but its comprehensive features justify the cost for data-centric tasks, delivering ROI through accurate data management and modeling.
It replaces manual charting in Visio with a structured tool, providing significant return on investment.
The quality and speed of their support are excellent; everyone is very helpful, and they can solve problems quickly.
Quest is committed to keeping the product robust.
Erwin Data Modeler requirements function at a standard level.
While I like Microsoft products in general, the main issue is with the licensing options and the problems associated with them.
The cost to deploy this 170-page solution was too high and the needed time was months. It was almost not an answer.
I would rate their support a nine or even 9.5, recognizing that their support system is robust and cooperative.
I would rate it probably a nine, making it a leader in data modeling.
erwin Data Modeler had a very good standardization infrastructure and supported a controlled multi-user environment with check-ins and check-outs.
Regarding scalability, erwin Data Modeler is performing well; from a few tables to 100 tables, it is working effectively so far.
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.
New versions often introduce enhanced features but may cause model crashes due to memory exhaustion.
Sometimes when I want to open the attribute editor, it stops working and the whole application freezes.
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.
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.
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.
Visio should implement more complex tools or graphics to facilitate processing and use flexible templates.
Licensing cost is one of the major points for improvement since it is quite high for personal use.
The visual icons and shapes for different vendors like Cisco network could be improved.
It is more targeted toward an enterprise level since organizations looking to store business information and relationship values may consider the pricing.
If asked to rate the price, I would give it around nine points out of ten, indicating it is somewhat expensive.
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.
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.
One of the best aspects of the tool is its reverse engineering capability.
When you use this template, you find directly the related buttons. It saves time and effort.
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.
Visio allows me to create detailed diagrams that provide value to customers by giving them a clear view of their network and devices.
| Product | Market Share (%) |
|---|---|
| Visio | 11.3% |
| erwin Data Modeler | 2.5% |
| Other | 86.2% |


| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 14 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 3 |
| Large Enterprise | 33 |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 36 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 19 |
| Large Enterprise | 61 |
Erwin Data Modeler provides an effective approach to visualizing and managing data models. It assists in creating, reversing, and synchronizing data models with ease, supporting logical and physical transitions while enhancing understanding across teams.
Erwin Data Modeler is a comprehensive tool designed for professional database management. It offers capabilities to organize and enforce standards, automating script generation with robust reverse engineering and DDL output. Users can manage complex data environments, capitalize on integration with data intelligence, and maintain large-scale databases smoothly. Despite its strengths, improvements in multi-language support, database integration, and reporting features are needed. Users benefit from extensive support for conceptual, logical, and physical database modeling, enhancing architectural design and data governance for platforms like SQL Server, Oracle, and Teradata.
What are the key features of Erwin Data Modeler?Erwin Data Modeler finds application in industries focused on robust data management, implementing it for enterprise data warehouses, business domain models, and operational systems. It supports architectural design and governance, aligning with business applications demanding precise data representation and visualization.
Visio is an innovative collaborative solution that enables users to quickly visualize data-connected business process flows with a host of integrated intuitive features that bring the power of Microsoft 365 to Visio. Visio allows users to easily create professional diagrams, graphs, and other visual data, easily anywhere, anytime, and with anyone. Users are able to confidently and easily transform data into creative powerful visuals. Visio provides dozens of easy-to-use templates along with thousands of customizable colorful shapes that bring a user's best ideas to life. Visio is available for all Microsoft 365 commercial users and is available on desktop and Web applications.
Visio Features
Visio can easily create visual data for today’s business needs. Some of its most useful visual data include:
Reviews from Real Users
“Visio has improved my workflow by making it easy to create charts, diagrams, and essential illustrations to use in my client reports and proposals. It has saved me a lot of time I would otherwise spend creating visuals for clients manually.” - Michael B., Principal Consultant at Lexington Consulting
“I use it for diagramming networks, racks, data centers, data flow applications, etc. It is a useful tool to map data flows, network objects, and computer science technology and to show to clients. It does what I need it to do. It's a tool I've used the longest, so I know it the best, and that's probably the claim to fame.” - Greg S., Director of Solution Architecture at Winslow Technology Group
“We use Visio for architecture modeling. We also use it to facilitate communication with other people. The feature I like most about Visio is that it acts as a facilitator of communication, as it displays information in a way that's easier to understand.” - Guy M., IT/Business Architect at a financial services firm
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