Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users

IDERA ER/Studio vs erwin Data Modeler comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 19, 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
5.1
erwin Data Modeler enhances efficiency, accuracy, and customization in data management, boosting productivity and reducing manual effort.
Sentiment score
5.8
Users appreciate IDERA ER/Studio for ease, graphical presentation, and efficiency, despite not fully utilizing its capabilities.
It replaces manual charting in Visio with a structured tool, providing significant return on investment.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
8.5
Erwin Data Modeler's support is praised for responsiveness and expertise, despite occasional response time and communication issues.
Sentiment score
7.1
IDERA ER/Studio's customer support is praised for responsiveness and professionalism, despite occasional delays, especially for East Coast users.
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.
There is plenty of documentation available online for assistance, making it straightforward to address any issues.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.3
Erwin Data Modeler is scalable, supports multiple users and platforms, but may slow with massive models; excels in enterprise architectures.
Sentiment score
7.4
Most users find it scalable; performance improves in new versions, especially using cloud environments for large data models.
I would rate it probably a nine, making it a leader in data modeling.
Regarding scalability, erwin Data Modeler is performing well; from a few tables to 100 tables, it is working effectively so far.
It scales well to teams of one hundred plus people.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
5.6
Erwin Data Modeler is stable and mature, with occasional performance issues, but users value its consistent improvements.
Sentiment score
7.8
IDERA ER/Studio is generally stable, though occasional issues exist with older versions, complex models, and server performance.
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.
Erwin is a very stable product.
 

Room For Improvement

Erwin Data Modeler needs improvements in usability, multi-language support, integration, automation, and compatibility with evolving big-data platforms.
IDERA ER/Studio needs deployment, licensing, documentation, performance, and feature enhancements for better user experience and functionality.
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.
Both Erwin and ER/Studio do not have AI or machine learning features for automation.
 

Setup Cost

Erwin Data Modeler is seen as costly due to its features and flexibility, challenging affordability in lower-budget regions.
IDERA ER/Studio is costly and complex to license, but many find its features offer valuable returns.
In terms of pricing, ER/Studio is slightly more expensive compared to Erwin, by about five to ten percent.
The setup cost may have been around $1500 to $2000.
 

Valuable Features

erwin Data Modeler simplifies database management with features like visual modeling, DDL generation, version control, and collaborative capabilities.
IDERA ER/Studio enables comprehensive data modeling, collaboration, and automation with user-friendly interfaces and integration with versioning tools.
Currently in the market, there is no competitor to erwin Data Modeler; everything is very powerful, such as performing reverse engineering from an existing database and deploying that on Databricks or Snowflake.
Transitioning from a logical to a physical environment with just a switch is key.
When we built an application, it facilitated the development process by providing the skeleton of the application and the foundation for functions.
It has strong versioning support and can even integrate with third-party versioning tools like GitHub.
 

Categories and Ranking

erwin Data Modeler
Ranking in Enterprise Architecture Management
3rd
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
40
Ranking in other categories
Business Process Design (9th), Data Governance (14th)
IDERA ER/Studio
Ranking in Enterprise Architecture Management
7th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
38
Ranking in other categories
Database Development and Management (8th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Enterprise Architecture Management category, the mindshare of erwin Data Modeler is 8.8%, down from 10.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IDERA ER/Studio is 3.7%, down from 4.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Enterprise Architecture Management Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
erwin Data Modeler8.8%
IDERA ER/Studio3.7%
Other87.5%
Enterprise Architecture Management
 

Featured Reviews

JorgeSanz - PeerSpot reviewer
Streamline data modeling and automate network changes for increased efficiency
The initial setup depends on the tool if you are using the data model environment. Stopping the server could be complex and require strong expertise. If you have everything set up and configured, Erwin is straightforward. You can deploy it in a few hours. In our case, it took a couple of months to address internal conditions, assign machines, and set up everything for the services. I rate the initial setup a six out of ten, where one is difficult and ten is easy.
Aaron Cutshall - PeerSpot reviewer
Used for data modeling and has a scripting language to write your own scripts
The solution has streamlined our data modeling processes quite a bit. It's a central focus in our data modeling and data cataloging efforts. The tool's reverse engineering capability to bring in existing database structures and create models from them has benefitted our data architecture needs. With the tool's data dictionary capability, we're able to maintain consistency in our models, name use, and actual data domains. The solution's reverse engineering helps with understanding legacy databases. In fact, I've been asked to reverse-engineer several more legacy databases so that we can have them modeled and cataloged. The solution is deployed on the cloud server, but it’s only within our network. The solution has a lot of capabilities. I like the fact that it has a scripting language that allows you to automate and write your own scripts. I think that's been a big bonus for us. I highly recommend the solution because of its capability for logical models, where you can put your business definitions and logic. While less expensive, some other tools can't do that. Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Enterprise Architecture Management solutions are best for your needs.
868,759 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
18%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Government
8%
Computer Software Company
7%
Financial Services Firm
13%
Energy/Utilities Company
11%
Computer Software Company
9%
Government
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business14
Midsize Enterprise3
Large Enterprise29
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business4
Midsize Enterprise11
Large Enterprise25
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about erwin Data Modeler by Quest?
Forward engineering, DDL generation, reverse engineering, and reporting are the most valuable features of the solution.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for erwin Data Modeler by Quest?
I do not recall the pricing from about a year and a half ago, but it seems reasonable.
What needs improvement with erwin Data Modeler by Quest?
erwin Data Modeler could improve its UI as it still feels old school and not very modern. There are many features, and I would expect good documentation detailing each feature, including when and h...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IDERA ER Studio?
In terms of pricing, ER/Studio is slightly more expensive compared to Erwin, by about five to ten percent.
What is your primary use case for IDERA ER Studio?
I have been working with data modeling tools. Personally, I have been working with Erwin for many years now. ER/Studio is something I am currently trying to evaluate for acquiring it for our organi...
What advice do you have for others considering IDERA ER Studio?
I would strongly recommend ER/Studio for large teams. Erwin is a very stable product, but for smaller teams, it's okay. If I had to rate ER/Studio, I would give it nine out of ten because the absen...
 

Also Known As

erwin DM
IDERA ER Studio, ER/Studio, ER/Studio Enterprise Team Edition
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

 Premera, America Honda Motors, Aetna, Kaiser Permanente, Dental Dental Cali, Cigna, Staples
Newmont Mining, Entrust, Accolade, TalkTalk, Catalina, Protective Life, NTT Data, dir systèmes, Microsoft; American Express, Astellas Pharma, AstraZeneca, Coriant, Fedex, GlaxoSmithKline, PepsiCo, Prudential, Wells Fargo
Find out what your peers are saying about IDERA ER/Studio vs. erwin Data Modeler and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.
868,759 professionals have used our research since 2012.