Helix ALM vs IBM DOORS comparison

Perforce and IBM are both solutions in the Application Requirements Management category. Perforce is ranked #7, while IBM is ranked #1 with an average rating of 7.4. Perforce holds a 3.2% mindshare in ARM, compared to IBM’s 33.2% mindshare. Additionally, 60% of Perforce users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 88% of IBM users who would recommend it.

Helix ALM

Read 7 Helix ALM reviews

940 Views
703 Comparison Views

60% willing to recommend

IBM DOORS

Read 55 IBM DOORS reviews

7,364 Views
5,089 Comparison Views

88% willing to recommend

Helix ALM

IBM DOORS

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Apr 6, 2025

IBM DOORS and Helix ALM are competing in requirements management and application lifecycle management. Helix ALM holds an advantage due to its streamlined integration and superior customization features.

Features: IBM DOORS is strong in complex requirements management, traceability, and reporting. It allows for extensive customization through its DXL scripting. Helix ALM offers dynamic collaboration tools, seamless integration across teams, and agile functionality.

Room for Improvement: IBM DOORS could enhance its user interface and simplify customization for non-technical users. It also needs better cloud-based solutions and simplified large-scale deployment processes. Helix ALM can improve in handling large data volumes, enhance its reporting features, and reduce total cost of ownership.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: IBM DOORS involves comprehensive setup focused on large enterprises, whereas Helix ALM is appreciated for cloud deployment options and quick onboarding. Both provide strong support, but Helix ALM is noted for more responsive customer service.

Pricing and ROI: IBM DOORS requires higher initial investments, aimed at long-term ROI through detailed solutions. Helix ALM's flexible pricing and better short-term ROI make it an attractive choice for varied organizations. Despite IBM DOORS's ROI in large deployments, Helix ALM's cost-effectiveness is advantageous.

To learn more, read our detailed Helix ALM vs. IBM DOORS Report (Updated: April 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Helix ALM vs. IBM DOORS

April 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

Helix ALM

Ranking in Application Requirements Management

7th

Average Rating

6.4

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) Suites (19th), Test Management Tools (15th)

IBM DOORS

Ranking in Application Requirements Management

1st

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the Application Requirements Management category, the mindshare of Helix ALM is 3.2%, down from 5.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IBM DOORS is 33.2%, down from 34.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Application Requirements Management

Featured Reviews

Harold Pogue

Global IT Director of Digital Platforms. Digital and Connected Commerce at a healthcare company with 10,001+ employees

Helix ALM is insanely configurable, with great traceability, and flexibility

The most valuable features of Helix ALM are traceability and flexibility. One thing that distinguishes Helix ALM from other solutions is that it is a hybrid cloud model. Helix ALM is not a full cloud implementation like Valerian, Jira Jama, or Atlassian, where we just go through a browser onto the cloud. In the case of Helix, we have code that goes on our computer and then that communicates to the cloud. We have the backup and distribution capability of the cloud, but we have code executing on our machine, and we don't need to worry much about speed and internet lag problems.

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SHRINIVAS ALAGERI

Architect at itcinfotech

Offers a well-refined ASPICE template and satisfying requirement management features

IBM DOORS effectively synchronizes with Polarion. But suppose when Polarion is running on Linux and you want to integrate with IBM DOORS on Windows, that is when compatibility issues arise. For the aforementioned issue we often receive advise in our company to migrate Polarion to Windows before integration. IBM DOORS is a heavy-duty application compared to competitors such as PTC Integrity. Exporting an IBM DOORS module is highly time-consuming for its bulkiness. PTC Integrity is a lighter solution that allows the development of a gateway template. It's crucial to consider the use cases and the other vendors that need to be integrated before using IBM DOORS. Our company is a PTC competence center, so most of our customers are from PTC. The customer integrations our company deals with include modeling tools such as Simulink, MATLAB, and Integrity Modeler to synchronize documents. The digital threat maintenance between IOD and Windchill is also a crucial part of our organization's operations. The solution should be more compatible with thin clients, there should be focus on web-based clients who can be more effective in IBM DOORS. At our company, we don't want every customer to use the thick client format with the solution. I would like to witness the seamless integration of IBM DOORS with Windchill in the future version. The integrations in IBM DOORS should be web-based, I don't prefer to use multiple plug-ins. For example, I want to integrate IBM DOORS with MATLAB, Simulink and Jenkins effortlessly which is possible in Codebeamer. I want every feature of Codebeamer to be present in IBM DOORS in the future releases.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Helix ALM enables users to build, make efficient and effective decisions, and use least-cost methods for maximum benefit, as fast as possible. They allow you to see and visualize your configuration."

"The tool offers high stability."

"The most valuable features of Helix ALM are traceability and flexibility."

"The solution is stable."

"The most valuable feature of this solution is traceability. We can track every requirement, including what the stakeholder must do and component-level requirements."

"The next-generation features are good."

"The most valuable feature is the management verification and login."

"It is a mature product that is stable."

"Very customizable and can be as powerful as you want it to be."

"It is a stable solution."

"The shell scripting is the solution's most valuable aspect."

More IBM DOORS pros

Cons

"It would be great to see Perforce's strategy is for implementing intelligence into the process via AI or ML. It's not clearly defined, at least not to my knowledge."

"The accountability and the equivalent to using, acting, editing, working with Word, and also importing and exporting from Word needs improvement."

"Helix ALM should be able to integrate with other systems better. Helix ALM should also have an easier user interface, and the solution needs to have drag-and-drop tools included in it."

"Rational DOORS' most valuable feature is that you can write any kind of requirement you want."

"There are problems with communicating between DOORS and Microsoft Office."

"The problem is that because the GUI is so bad, you either have to spend a lot of money customizing the interface yourself, or a lot of money on training."

"Not all Rational Team Concert operations are available from the web client. Certain operations, like creating streams or components, still require using the desktop application. They're not accessible through the web interface. And in my opinion, this limitation should be removed."

"They need to provide users with information on what options would be best for their setup."

"It would be helpful if Microsoft provided a more user-friendly interface for updating and querying updates. Additionally, if there was a way for users to notify developers of any changes in requirements, it would allow for faster and more efficient updates to the solution's architecture. This could be in the form of a notification system that alerts developers of any changes that need to be made. Additionally, the solution is document-driven and it should be more digital."

"Complexity, performance, openness are the three areas that can be improved. The IBM architecture and specifically Jazz looks more complex. There are a lot of servers. It's quite complicated. The search capabilities lack in IBM Rational DOORS Classic for customers who have a database with a requirement of more than 25,000 records. For example, you can search easily for a module, but it's really difficult to look for keywords through the whole database because all the modules are separated into small components, which makes the search quite complex. This is something that's really annoying because when we want to make an impact analysis, we would like to analyze the product globally. It's quite difficult to manage. The fact that you can interact externally with data makes it complex. The approach is complex and doesn't work as expected. For example, when I tried to experiment with exporting some records, the tool crashed, but I couldn't find out the root cause, that is, whether it happened because of Rational Windows or lack of memory. It was just crashing. Logs weren't very clear. IBM can try to use more recent technology for different aspects and make it easy. They can also provide free integration from DOORS Classic to DOORS. Currently, all the customization in Excel is lost, which makes it very complex. It would be a feature to make new versions compatible with features in the past versions."

"One thing that I would like to see is a lower-cost version of it that we could use for smaller projects. Sometimes, we do projects for commercial customers who would benefit from something like DOORS, but it's just so expensive. It's just a monster, so a lower-cost version would be the thing that we'd like to see."

More IBM DOORS cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I give the solution a nine out of ten for pricing."

"I rate the product price a nine on a one to ten scale, where one is low price and ten is high price."

"I don't personally know what the numbers are. I just know that one of the reasons we've limited it to three seats is a function of cost."

"I am not sure why it is so expensive, but one license will cost approximately $15,000 in US dollars."

"IBM DOORS is available at a reasonable price"

"We have to pay for a license. I think it's a one-time payment as my company hasn't notified me about more charges. I don't think it's expensive for large corporations, but it will be costly for an average person."

"IBM is a bit too expensive in terms of pricing. Customers are paying a lot for the license, and the price is quite high for this kind of environment. It is quite high as compared to what we can get today with other solutions."

"IBM Rational DOORS is highly expensive."

"I would rate the pricing a seven out of ten, with one being very affordable and ten being quite expensive."

"The licensing cost is too high."

More IBM DOORS pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Healthcare Company

17%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Computer Software Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

27%

Computer Software Company

Aerospace/Defense Firm

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Helix ALM?

The tool offers high stability.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Helix ALM?

I rate the product price a nine on a one to ten scale, where one is low price and ten is high price.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Helix ALM?

Helix ALM should be able to integrate with other systems better. Helix ALM should also have an easier user interface, and the solution needs to have drag-and-drop tools included in it.

See all answers

What do you like most about IBM Rational DOORS?

The traceability matrix in DOORS improved our project outcomes. It helps ensure coverage of requirements at different levels, from user requirements to software requirements to test requirements.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IBM Rational DOORS?

Over the years, the first version cost something around 5800 euros.

See all answers

What needs improvement with IBM Rational DOORS?

Compared to today, DOORS' competitors also excel in this discipline. Yet the price is too high. It's often not as generic as it used to be. IBM promised to find a way for a generic format that allo...

See all answers

Comparisons

Jira vs Helix ALM

Compared 19% of the time

Polarion Requirements vs Helix ALM

Compared 11% of the time

Tricentis qTest vs Helix ALM

Compared 11% of the time

IBM DOORS Next vs Helix ALM

Compared 9% of the time

Jama Connect vs Helix ALM

Compared 6% of the time

More Helix ALM Competitors

Jira vs IBM DOORS

Compared 25% of the time

Polarion Requirements vs IBM DOORS

Compared 24% of the time

Jama Connect vs IBM DOORS

Compared 23% of the time

IBM DOORS Next vs IBM DOORS

Compared 10% of the time

3SL Cradle vs IBM DOORS

Compared 2% of the time

More IBM DOORS Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Helix ALM

April 2025

Download Helix ALM product report

Buyer's Guide

IBM DOORS

May 2025

Download IBM DOORS product report

Also Known As

TestTrack

Rational DOORS

Overview

Helix ALM is a comprehensive Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) software platform offered by Perforce. It provides organizations with tools and features to manage the entire lifecycle of software development and product engineering. Helix ALM combines requirements management, test management, issue tracking, and version control into a unified solution, enabling teams to collaborate effectively and ensure the delivery of high-quality software products.

Helix ALM Features:

Requirements Management: Helix ALM allows for capturing, organizing, and managing requirements, ensuring clarity, traceability, and alignment with stakeholders.
Test Management: The platform provides tools for creating, executing, and tracking tests, enabling comprehensive test coverage and quality assurance.
Issue and Defect Tracking: Helix ALM offers robust issue and defect tracking capabilities, allowing teams to log, track, and resolve issues throughout the software development lifecycle.
Version Control Integration: It integrates with version control systems, such as Helix Core, enabling teams to manage source code, track changes, and maintain version history.
Traceability and Impact Analysis: Helix ALM establishes relationships between requirements, tests, defects, and code changes, facilitating traceability and impact analysis to understand the impact of changes and make informed decisions.
Collaboration and Workflow Management: The platform supports collaboration among team members, streamlines workflows, and provides notifications and approvals to ensure efficient progress and timely delivery.
Reporting and Analytics: Helix ALM offers reporting and analytics capabilities to gain insights into project status, quality metrics, and overall performance, aiding in decision-making and process improvement.

Helix ALM Benefits:

Streamlined Development Process: Helix ALM provides a centralized platform that streamlines the software development process, promoting efficient collaboration and coordination among team members.
Improved Collaboration and Communication: The platform facilitates effective collaboration and communication among cross-functional teams, reducing miscommunication and fostering better teamwork.
Enhanced Requirement Management: Helix ALM helps ensure clear, traceable, and well-managed requirements, leading to better understanding and fulfillment of customer needs.
Comprehensive Test Management: With Helix ALM, teams can create, execute, and track tests, ensuring comprehensive test coverage, early defect detection, and improved product quality.
Effective Issue and Defect Tracking: Helix ALM's issue and defect tracking features enable teams to log, track, and resolve issues throughout the development process, ensuring timely issue resolution and reducing the risk of defects in the final product.
Regulatory Compliance Support: Helix ALM provides features to support compliance with industry regulations and standards, offering documentation, audit trails, and version control to meet regulatory requirements.
Increased Visibility and Control: Helix ALM offers transparency and visibility into project status, metrics, and performance, empowering teams with actionable insights to make informed decisions and manage projects effectively.
Scalability and Customization: Helix ALM is a flexible solution that can be tailored to fit the specific needs of different organizations and projects. It scales to accommodate growing teams and supports customization to align with unique processes and workflows.

Reviews from Real Users

Harold Pogue, Global IT Director of Digital Platforms, says that, “The initial setup is complexly straightforward. The vendor offers support where they come and set up the solution for a fee”, and also adds, "The most valuable features of Helix ALM are traceability and flexibility.

Perforce

IBM Engineering Requirements Management DOORS (DOORS) is a Requirements Management (RM) software designed to help organizations manage engineering project requirements throughout the development lifecycle. It provides a central location for capturing, defining, and organizing project requirements, facilitating communication and collaboration among stakeholders like engineers, system designers, and customers. Key features include requirements traceability, version control, and impact analysis, ensuring effective implementation and testing. DOORS improves efficiency, enhances communication, reduces risks, and supports better decision-making through clear visibility into requirements. Compared to its newer, web-based counterpart DOORS Next, the mature DOORS 9 offers a wider range of features with a traditional user interface but lacks web-based functionality and modern integration with IBM Engineering Lifecycle Management (ELM) tools.

IBM

Sample Customers

Invision, Softing, CACI, Hunter Industries, ITSO, Itron, EEC, Database Consultants Australia, VirtualScopics, March Networks, WorkForce

Infosys, Chevrolet Volt

Buyer's Guide

Helix ALM vs. IBM DOORS

April 2025

Free Report: Helix ALM vs. IBM DOORS

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