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Visual Paradigm 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
6.5
Visual Paradigm improves efficiency and documentation, offering good ROI despite challenging free assessment, with benefits varying by usage duration.
It replaces manual charting in Visio with a structured tool, providing significant return on investment.
The product did what it was supposed to do for the documentation development I was engaged in.
 

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
7.8
Visual Paradigm excels with responsive technical support, helpful community resources, and ease of use, despite limited regional support.
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.
The tool was easy enough to use.
We didn't use customer service extensively, but our questions were answered when needed.
 

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
7.7
Visual Paradigm is seen as scalable for enterprise use, though opinions vary, with some noting challenges and a steep learning curve.
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.
 

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
8.3
Visual Paradigm is stable with minor hardware needs, achieving high satisfaction and occasional specific bug issues reported by users.
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.
 

Room For Improvement

Erwin Data Modeler needs improvements in usability, multi-language support, integration, automation, and compatibility with evolving big-data platforms.
Visual Paradigm needs enhancements in integration, export features, UI design, performance, and pricing to meet user demands effectively.
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.
The product can always get better as the industry changes.
 

Setup Cost

Erwin Data Modeler is seen as costly due to its features and flexibility, challenging affordability in lower-budget regions.
Visual Paradigm provides flexible pricing from $6 to $197, offering affordable options for both community and enterprise users.
The free version of Visual Paradigm does not incur any setup costs and offers a set of usable features.
I purchased Visual Paradigm on my own, and it was competitively priced.
 

Valuable Features

erwin Data Modeler simplifies database management with features like visual modeling, DDL generation, version control, and collaborative capabilities.
Visual Paradigm integrates diverse diagrams, supports enterprise architecture, and is favored for its intuitive interface and adaptability.
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.
It is user-friendly, and as you become more familiar with its deep features, you might consider upgrading to the paid version for more complex projects.
In other drawing programs, if I moved a box, I had to move the arrow, but Visual Paradigm handled those tasks automatically.
 

Categories and Ranking

erwin Data Modeler
Ranking in Business Process Design
9th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
40
Ranking in other categories
Enterprise Architecture Management (3rd), Data Governance (14th)
Visual Paradigm
Ranking in Business Process Design
8th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.6
Number of Reviews
27
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Business Process Design category, the mindshare of erwin Data Modeler is 2.0%, down from 2.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Visual Paradigm is 5.1%, down from 6.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Business Process Design Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Visual Paradigm5.1%
erwin Data Modeler2.0%
Other92.9%
Business Process Design
 

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.
Angie Ibrahim Eissa - PeerSpot reviewer
A software application designed for software development teams to model business information systems and manage development processes
Setting up Visual Paradigm is easy. There's hardly any configuration needed, unlike some other tools. You just choose your method and diagram type, and you're good to go. As for improvements, integrating project management features with diagrams could be better. Viewing outputs could also be smoother, especially when working with multiple files.Deployment is quick and painless. It practically takes no time at all to set up. And because I also teach at the university, I use Visual Paradigm for my classes and case studies. It's easy to switch between products, and my students have no trouble using it on their own.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
18%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Government
8%
Computer Software Company
7%
Educational Organization
10%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Computer Software Company
9%
 

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 Business15
Midsize Enterprise5
Large Enterprise7
 

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 do you like most about Visual Paradigm?
The solution is the best application for data modeling. It helps to architect business processes. Its best features are pricing and functionality.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Visual Paradigm?
I purchased Visual Paradigm on my own, and it was competitively priced, so I was fine with the pricing.
What needs improvement with Visual Paradigm?
The product can always get better as the industry changes, however, I didn't necessarily feel it was lacking for what I did with it.
 

Also Known As

erwin DM
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

 Premera, America Honda Motors, Aetna, Kaiser Permanente, Dental Dental Cali, Cigna, Staples
Adobe, Apple, at&t, Caterpillar, Intel, NASA, Nokia, Toyota
Find out what your peers are saying about Visual Paradigm vs. erwin Data Modeler and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.
868,759 professionals have used our research since 2012.