IBM Rational ClearCase vs Visual SourceSafe comparison

IBM and Microsoft are both solutions in the Software Configuration Management category. IBM is ranked #5 with an average rating of 6.0, while Microsoft is ranked #14. IBM holds a 7.7% mindshare in SCM, compared to Microsoft’s 0.2% mindshare. Additionally, 66% of IBM users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Microsoft users who would recommend it.

IBM Rational ClearCase

Read 6 IBM Rational ClearCase reviews

312 Views
98 Comparison Views

66% willing to recommend

Visual SourceSafe

Read 1 Visual SourceSafe review

83 Views
8 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

IBM Rational ClearCase

Visual SourceSafe

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between IBM Rational ClearCase and Visual SourceSafe based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about Broadcom, BMC, IBM and others in Software Configuration Management.

To learn more, read our detailed Software Configuration Management Report (Updated: June 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Software Configuration Management

June 2025

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Helped 859,957 peers since 2012

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 Rational ClearCase

Ranking in Software Configuration Management

5th

Average Rating

6.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Version Control (9th)

Visual SourceSafe

Ranking in Software Configuration Management

14th

Average Rating

7.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the Software Configuration Management category, the mindshare of IBM Rational ClearCase is 7.7%, up from 7.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Visual SourceSafe is 0.2%, down from 0.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Software Configuration Management

Featured Reviews

Daniel Antonio Jimenez Quintana

IT Systems Architect at Banco Ripley

Difficult to use, not efficient, but stable

We are using IBM Rational ClearCase in Peru at two large banks for a code repository. However, it is not meant to be used as a repository I have found it very difficult to understand many functionalities in IBM Rational ClearCase. We have had many problems and it is not user-friendly. I have…

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it_user134535

Software Developer at a marketing services firm with 11-50 employees

Provides for the setup of software development teams in a sandbox environment. I would like to see external backup for project source code files to the cloud.

We migrated most of the projects to Team Foundation Server (TFS). Visual SourceSafe could borrow some new features from TFS such as: * Improved protection of source code against file corruption due to software crashes, power outages, and computer viruses * External backup for project source code files to the cloud * Support for Git

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Manufacturing Company

24%

Computer Software Company

14%

Financial Services Firm

13%

Government

No data available

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about IBM Rational ClearCase?

The tool had features similar to Git for version control. It offered branching and merging capabilities, providing better control over code management. Integration was possible with other tools, in...

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

IBM Rational ClearCase, like any other IBM tool, is expensive.

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What needs improvement with IBM Rational ClearCase?

The solution's UI is slow compared to other tools. It is an old tool.

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Comparisons

Git vs IBM Rational ClearCase

Compared 43% of the time

IBM Rational ClearQuest vs IBM Rational ClearCase

Compared 23% of the time

Bitbucket vs IBM Rational ClearCase

Compared 16% of the time

Apache Subversion vs IBM Rational ClearCase

Compared 6% of the time

GitHub vs IBM Rational ClearCase

Compared 6% of the time

More IBM Rational ClearCase Competitors

No data available

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Software Configuration Management

June 2025

Download IBM Rational ClearCase product report

Buyer's Guide

Software Configuration Management

June 2025

Download Visual SourceSafe product report

Also Known As

Rational ClearCase

No data available

Overview

IBM Rational ClearCase is an enterprise-grade configuration management system that provides controlled access to software assets, including requirements, design documents, models, test plans and test results. It be can be integrated with other IBM solutions, including IBM Rational Team Concert, IBM Rational ClearQuest, IBM Rational Asset Manager and IBM Rational Application Developer for WebSphere Software.

IBM

Microsoft Visual SourceSafe, a file-level version control system that delivers restore point and team coordination capabilities.

Microsoft

Sample Customers

Atos SE, FEI, STM

XP Investimentos, Weichert Lead Network, Arelik, ACS

Buyer's Guide

Software Configuration Management

June 2025

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Find out what your peers are saying about Broadcom, BMC, IBM and others in Software Configuration Management. Updated: June 2025.

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859,957 professionals have used our research since 2012.

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We monitor all Software Configuration Management reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.