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IBM Case Foundation vs Pega Platform comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jul 27, 2025

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

IBM Case Foundation
Ranking in Business Process Management (BPM)
32nd
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.2
Number of Reviews
14
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Pega Platform
Ranking in Business Process Management (BPM)
6th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
83
Ranking in other categories
Business Rules Management (1st), Process Automation (4th), Rapid Application Development Software (11th), Low-Code Development Platforms (7th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2025, in the Business Process Management (BPM) category, the mindshare of IBM Case Foundation is 0.5%, up from 0.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Pega Platform is 5.6%, down from 6.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Business Process Management (BPM)
 

Featured Reviews

Nouman Nawaz - PeerSpot reviewer
Mature product in terms of security and stable product
The architecture is a bit difficult, but in BAW, they introduced the Business Automation Workflow. It's a bit easier compared to Case Manager. Currently, we use Case Manager, so it's a bit difficult to upgrade and handle, but BAW is comparatively much better and easier to handle. The limitation is only for customization because IBM doesn't support it. In some scenarios, if you want some business processes to be customized, we have already spoken two or three times with IBM representatives that we have to customize some of the features in this business process. They would say that if you want to do this automation at your own end, then okay, fine, go ahead, but we are not supporting all this customization. The only thing is the customization because it's a complete standard application.
reviewer4848291 - PeerSpot reviewer
Pega is a low-code platform that enables organizations to build, automate, and optimize business processes and customer experiences through AI-powered decisioning and workflow automation.
Here are the key areas where Pega Platform could be improved: 1. User Interface (UI) & User Experience (UX) Customization Limitations: The UI layer is tightly coupled with the platform, limiting flexibility for custom front-end development. Constellation Architecture: While it improves consistency, it restricts advanced UI customizations compared to older section-based designs. Learning Curve: Non-technical users find the UI unintuitive despite the low-code promise. 2. Integration & Extensibility Limited Out-of-the-Box Integrations: Users report challenges integrating with non-relational databases and legacy systems. Robotics Integration: Pega RPA (formerly OpenSpan) is not seamlessly integrated with BPM, creating silos in automation. 3. AI & Decisioning AI Capabilities Need Maturity: Users expect more advanced, native AI features without relying on external tools. CDH & Decision Hub: While powerful, these components require deep expertise to configure effectively. 4. Cost & Licensing High Licensing Costs: Pega is often seen as expensive, especially for small and mid-sized enterprises. Lack of Flexible Pricing Models: Calls for subscription-based or usage-based pricing to improve accessibility. 5. Performance & Scalability Scalability Concerns: Some users report performance degradation with large user bases or complex workflows. Upgrade Complexity: Platform upgrades can be time-consuming and disruptive if not planned well. 6. Documentation & Community Support Insufficient Learning Resources: Especially for advanced features, documentation is limited and community support is not as strong as competitors. Talent Availability: Finding skilled Pega professionals remains a challenge in many regions. 7. Low-Code/No-Code Experience Not Fully No-Code: Despite branding, some tasks still require technical intervention, and the drag-and-drop interface can be restrictive 2. Conflict Management: Simultaneous development by multiple users can lead to rule conflicts.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The most valuable features are those involving decision making, analysis, and anything related to event documents because those processes are related to content as well."
"The content management is great."
"The most valuable feature is its stability, which is why we are using it."
"A valuable feature includes seamless integration with the document management system, along with robust capabilities in analytics and reporting."
"The solution is scalable."
"Flexible and the ability to divide search screens, and to search for documents. The ECM feature inside the system is great."
"It is easy to set up workflows that notify the user depending on certain events."
"It provides us the capability of producing b​​usiness processes for documents that are launched immediately when a document comes into the repository."
"What I found most valuable in PegaRULES is that it allows you to quickly make changes to an existing application. It's pretty easy to do any modification in the tool, which you cannot do in legacy solutions. For example, it takes a lot of time to do it in Java or in .NET. I have worked with both legacy technologies in the past, so that I can tell the difference."
"The technical support from Pega is very low, rating a one or two out of ten."
"The solution's case management is its most valuable aspect."
"The latest releases of PegaRULES are scalable, advanced, and can be easily integrated into your environment."
"The most valuable feature of Pega BPM is its architecture."
"The technical support of Pega BPM is very good."
"The most valuable feature is the ease of deployment."
"The most valuable features of the solution are case management, routing, and low-code environment."
 

Cons

"The cloud version could use more stability."
"Once a workflow is launched then it stays static forever, which is a problem because if there is a change in the business then you cannot change the workflow."
"There are some features that could be enhanced like the document viewer"
"The service as it currently stands is out-of-date and lacks flexibility."
"90% of the feedback we receive states that the UI is not very user-friendly."
"We are now using microservices but there are some areas where the coordination with FileNet is problematic."
"The interface needs to be more user-friendly."
"​The place of improvement is merging or combining all of the workflow functionality into one seamless tool. Now, there are multiple installations that are different. Case Foundation, before you can put Case Manager and you've got IBM BPM, and the roadmap is there to merge them altogether. But that's the struggle at the moment, it's having multiple installations and disparate workflow applications.​"
"The local development approach is good in Pega, however, cost-wise, it's getting expensive. That needs to be addressed."
"I believe they simplify the application development. It is still complex. The learning is not easy, it takes time compared to other products on the market."
"The technical support is very low, rated at a one or two out of ten."
"The cost of licensing could be improved."
"It's called a local platform but on the other hand, it needs a lot of experience. It's not all that easy to click and plug and play. If you really want to use all the features out of this platform, you definitely need a lot of experience and a lot of training to get there."
"The pricing model needs to be improved. Right now, it's too expensive."
"It should have integration with non-relational databases. A lot of databases are non-relational, and as a company, we are planning to move to NoSQL or open-source databases. It would be good if we are able to install and use Pega on a NoSQL database. They can also try to tailor or organize the company a bit differently and go more towards the microservice concept. I would like Pega to develop machine learning and intelligent AI algorithms. They have a good foundation in terms of the model and the stuff that we are using for some customers, and it will be good to onboard as many machine learning algorithms as possible."
"Pega BPM could improve the UI, it is poorly designed to have a good UX experience."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Pricing is in the mid-range, it is not cheap, but it's not expensive."
"IBM Case Foundation is a little expensive."
"The price falls in the middle range—not overly expensive but not extremely affordable either."
"This is not an expensive solution and we are using the standard license."
"The price of PegaRULES is more expensive than other solutions on the market."
"May be somewhat more expensive than other solutions initially, but should have enhanced return on investment."
"There are multiple Pega licensing models, including outcome- and revenue-based licensing models"
"The price of Pega BPM falls on the higher side of the spectrum if I were to compare it with other solutions in the market."
"In terms of the price, if I were to compare Pega to other tools, it would be more expensive, but it would also provide you with the same features."
"The costing model for Pega BPM is different. One is a license that you can pay yearly. Another licensing model for Pega BPM is based on the number of cases you create in production in a year. Costing based on use cases is also available for Pega BPM. I don't have information on its exact pricing or costs, though."
"Users have to pay a yearly license cost for Pega BPM, which is expensive."
"PegaRULES is a good product, but its pricing is a bit on the premium side, especially for professionals."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
No data available
Financial Services Firm
26%
Computer Software Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Government
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about IBM Case Foundation?
A valuable feature includes seamless integration with the document management system, along with robust capabilities in analytics and reporting.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IBM Case Foundation?
The tool is expensive for my customers; it is very expensive, more than other solutions. Some customers say it is more expensive. The license cost for Cloud Pak is per user and increases with the n...
What needs improvement with IBM Case Foundation?
We face some challenges with IBM Case Foundation from our customers, particularly with administration and configuration. We face many issues and open tickets with IBM regarding that, especially som...
Is Pega BPM easy to work with and can beginners utilize this software?
You do need some preparation to be able to use all functions of Pega BPM. However, all users of this platform are in luck as it comes with good documentation and you can learn pretty much everythin...
Have you encountered any issues while using Pega BPM and were you assisted by the company?
My company has been using this tool for years and the only issue we have had, if you can call it that, was while setting it up. When we were setting it up initially, we had some drawbacks and could...
When you consider the features and benefits of Pega BPM, would you say this product is fairly priced?
Pega BPM can be considered overpriced for some; it all depends on the size of your company and the requirements of your customers. Sure, there are products out there that do the things that Pega B...
 

Also Known As

Case Foundation, FileNet Business Process Manager
Pega BPM, Pegasystems, SmartBPM, PegaRULES
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Suncorp Group Limited
The State of Maine, ANZ, Coca-Cola, Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA), ME, New South Wales, OptumRx, Texas Department of Transportation, UnitedHealthcare Medicare & Retirement
Find out what your peers are saying about IBM Case Foundation vs. Pega Platform and other solutions. Updated: July 2025.
865,484 professionals have used our research since 2012.