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IBM Blueworks Live vs Visual Paradigm 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
6.5
Visual Paradigm improves efficiency and documentation, offering good ROI despite challenging free assessment, with benefits varying by usage duration.
The product did what it was supposed to do for the documentation development I was engaged in.
 

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
7.8
Visual Paradigm excels with responsive technical support, helpful community resources, and ease of use, despite limited regional support.
Support deserves a rating of nine out of ten.
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
7.6
IBM Blueworks Live is scalable, effective for enterprises, though some note minor performance issues and potential cost considerations.
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.
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
Visual Paradigm is stable with minor hardware needs, achieving high satisfaction and occasional specific bug issues reported by users.
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.
Visual Paradigm needs enhancements in integration, export features, UI design, performance, and pricing to meet user demands effectively.
Normal business users or consultants cannot perform the installation as it requires extensive technical knowledge.
The product can always get better as the industry changes.
 

Setup Cost

IBM Blueworks Live provides flexible, competitive pricing and ease of use, ideal for enterprises with varied licensing needs.
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

IBM Blueworks Live simplifies process mapping with user-friendly interface, real-time collaboration, and integration, enhancing efficiency and accessibility.
Visual Paradigm integrates diverse diagrams, supports enterprise architecture, and is favored for its intuitive interface and adaptability.
IBM Blueworks Live provides clear ROI as it saves both time and money.
In other drawing programs, if I moved a box, I had to move the arrow, but Visual Paradigm handled those tasks automatically.
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.
 

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
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 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 Visual Paradigm is 5.3%, down from 6.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Business Process Design Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Visual Paradigm5.3%
IBM Blueworks Live3.4%
Other91.3%
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.
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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Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Business Process Design solutions are best for your needs.
866,778 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%
Educational Organization
12%
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 Business5
Midsize Enterprise1
Large Enterprise17
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business15
Midsize Enterprise5
Large Enterprise7
 

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.
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

IBM Lombardi Blueprint
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Cloudsoft Corp. Ltd., Bayer, S¾SS, Essex County Council
Adobe, Apple, at&t, Caterpillar, Intel, NASA, Nokia, Toyota
Find out what your peers are saying about IBM Blueworks Live vs. Visual Paradigm and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.
866,778 professionals have used our research since 2012.