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

IBM Blueworks Live vs Visio comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 3, 2024

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
8.5
IBM Blueworks Live enhances efficiency and reduces costs with automation, offering quick returns and significant time savings annually.
Sentiment score
1.5
Visio boosts efficiency, ensuring consistent documentation and faster project timelines, offering substantial time savings and improved document quality.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
9.0
IBM Blueworks Live's customer service is praised for responsiveness and helpfulness, with effective technical support and satisfactory service levels.
Sentiment score
5.5
Most users find Visio documentation sufficient, but experiences vary; some use internal IT or Microsoft’s enterprise support.
Support deserves a rating of nine out of ten.
We neglected the document from Microsoft and started deep diving and finally found the solution ourselves.
While I like Microsoft products in general, the main issue is with the licensing options and the problems associated with them.
We generally resolve issues internally within our IT department rather than contacting Microsoft's technical support.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.6
IBM Blueworks Live is scalable, effective for enterprises, though some note minor performance issues and potential cost considerations.
Sentiment score
7.1
Visio's scalability differs, easy integration with Microsoft but struggles with enterprise-level needs and version compatibility challenges.
IBM Blueworks Live is easily scalable, but it can be expensive to scale and there may be some limitations.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.9
IBM Blueworks Live is praised for reliability and stability, despite minor latency and cloud security concerns.
Sentiment score
8.3
Visio is generally stable with improved performance, though complex usage and external factors can occasionally affect stability.
For the on-premise version, there aren't speed challenges, but sometimes the server goes down, preventing work.
 

Room For Improvement

IBM Blueworks Live struggles with limited functionality and integration, lacking robust process execution, customization, and reporting capabilities.
Visio needs enhancements in template creation, integration, automation, usability, 3D modeling, and export functionality, especially XPDL export.
Normal business users or consultants cannot perform the installation as it requires extensive technical knowledge.
Visio should implement more complex tools or graphics to facilitate processing and use flexible templates.
I think people don't use Visio too much, but if the price becomes lower, it would be used widely.
The visual icons and shapes for different vendors like Cisco network could be improved.
 

Setup Cost

IBM Blueworks Live provides flexible, competitive pricing and ease of use, ideal for enterprises with varied licensing needs.
Visio prices vary by plan; professional versions cost more, but discounts and bundles offer savings for many users.
If asked to rate the price, I would give it around nine points out of ten, indicating it is somewhat expensive.
 

Valuable Features

IBM Blueworks Live simplifies process mapping with user-friendly interface, real-time collaboration, and integration, enhancing efficiency and accessibility.
Visio integrates seamlessly with Microsoft Office, offering templates, shapes, easy use, and boosts productivity by embedding diagrams in documents.
IBM Blueworks Live provides clear ROI as it saves both time and money.
When you use this template, you find directly the related buttons. It saves time and effort.
Visio was quite useful in Word and PowerPoint, which I miss in draw.io.
Visio allows me to create detailed diagrams that provide value to customers by giving them a clear view of their network and devices.
 

Categories and Ranking

IBM Blueworks Live
Ranking in Business Process Design
15th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.8
Number of Reviews
21
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Visio
Ranking in Business Process Design
2nd
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
108
Ranking in other categories
Mind Mapping Software (1st)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2025, in the Business Process Design category, the mindshare of IBM Blueworks Live is 3.4%, up from 3.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Visio is 11.7%, down from 12.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Business Process Design Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Visio11.7%
IBM Blueworks Live3.4%
Other84.9%
Business Process Design
 

Featured Reviews

Nupur Wadhwa - PeerSpot reviewer
Enables efficient process mapping but requires improvement in maintaining server stability
The pricing of the solution can be quite expensive when compared to competitors, though IBM Blueworks Live stands out from a technical standpoint. IBM Blueworks Live provides clear ROI as it saves both time and money. I have successfully imported Visio flowcharts into both IBM Blueworks Live and ARIS. Both tools handled the imports successfully, though some manual intervention was required because Visio is quite a basic tool. Importing flowcharts into advanced tools such as ARIS and IBM Blueworks Live requires some manual effort. The primary advantage is the ease of use. I have not encountered any features in other tools that I couldn't find in ARIS. This is a major factor because I don't have to switch between tools to find specific features. Using ARIS for the past three years has built confidence and trust in the tool.
Osama Nabih - PeerSpot reviewer
Has helped me communicate business processes clearly and improve documentation efficiency
The customer service experience rates a seven. It's very difficult to find the right person. When you have an issue and open a ticket, sometimes the wrong persons answer and don't know the solution. They shift you from one person to another and sometimes it takes weeks to find a solution for a problem. It happened with me more than one time. Sometimes the answer is misleading. For example, we had an issue in Enterprise Group in KSA, and we raised a ticket with Microsoft. They sent us a document of 170 pages with possible root causes and solutions. The cost to deploy this 170-page solution was too high and the needed time was months. It was almost not an answer. If they don't give me a specific reason, they haven't replied to my question. We neglected the document from Microsoft and started deep diving and finally found the solution ourselves.
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Business Process Design solutions are best for your needs.
867,349 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
18%
Computer Software Company
10%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Insurance Company
7%
Financial Services Firm
15%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Government
9%
Computer Software Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business5
Midsize Enterprise1
Large Enterprise17
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business35
Midsize Enterprise19
Large Enterprise61
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about IBM Blueworks Live?
The solution is easy to operate. Also, there is an automatic mode to make the business flow. You don't have to put any lines or arrows in a decision point in IBM Blueworks Live; it's very automatic.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IBM Blueworks Live?
The solution costs around 600-700 dollars/year, which is quite affordable.
What needs improvement with IBM Blueworks Live?
Sometimes, the tool is automatic, which can complicate it, but once you're accustomed to manipulating it, you can use it very effectively.
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...
 

Comparisons

 

Also Known As

IBM Lombardi Blueprint
Microsoft Visio
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Cloudsoft Corp. Ltd., Bayer, S¾SS, Essex County Council
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 IBM Blueworks Live vs. Visio and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.
867,349 professionals have used our research since 2012.