IBM Rational ClearCase vs Visual Studio Team System comparison

IBM and Microsoft are both solutions in the Software Configuration Management category. IBM is ranked #6 with an average rating of 6.0, while Microsoft is ranked #4 with an average rating of 8.5. IBM holds a 8.1% mindshare in SCM, compared to Microsoft’s 1.5% 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

837 Views
318 Comparison Views

66% willing to recommend

Visual Studio Team System

Read 14 Visual Studio Team System reviews

166 Views
163 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

IBM Rational ClearCase

Visual Studio Team System

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive Summary

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

Find out in this report how the two Software Configuration Management solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.

To learn more, read our detailed IBM Rational ClearCase vs. Visual Studio Team System Report (Updated: July 2025).

Buyer's Guide

IBM Rational ClearCase vs. Visual Studio Team System

July 2025

Download the complete report

Helped 865,384 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

6th

Average Rating

6.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Version Control (9th)

Visual Studio Team System

Ranking in Software Configuration Management

4th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

7.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2025, in the Software Configuration Management category, the mindshare of IBM Rational ClearCase is 8.1%, up from 7.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Visual Studio Team System is 1.5%, down from 1.9% 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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Mustapha Sedki Ben Romdhane

Sourcing Purchasing Manager at Nexans autoelectric GmbH

A scalable and efficient solution that can be used to perform tasks involved in developing information systems

We can use the tool to perform limited tasks in developing information systems The product is efficient. It is an accepted tool globally. The product must improve its stability. It must do more innovations. It could be made more efficient to provide the best responses. It will help us with…

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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

"IBM Rational ClearCase is a stable solution. I have not had any difficulty with reliability."

"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, including some change management tools. The overall process was normal."

"ClearCase integrates well with other engineering tools and frameworks such as the Eclipse environment."

"Stability-wise, I rate the solution a nine out of ten...Every month there is an increase in the number of users. It is a scalable solution."

"IntelliSense and CodeLens are helpful because they can show you details about your function, such as how many times it is called from other places within the code."

"The solution has a good framework that is user friendly and scalable."

"I am not familiar with any issues with respect to stability, and I have never seen Team System crash."

"Microsoft makes great products. They are quite robust."

"The most valuable feature is the code management, where there is sharing of code for developers and it is distributed within the organization."

"The product is efficient."

"The solution’s fast performance is its most valuable feature."

More Visual Studio Team System pros

Cons

"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."

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

"The protection needs to be improved."

"I would say compared to some more modern tools which are made to work offline, with this solution you have to be connected all of the time and with a central server. In our case, it's not a big problem because we all work on-premises, but it can be an issue if you have teams in different locations."

"When you go into the front-end, the web portal, if, for example, you pick up an issue, it would be ideal if the branch was automatically created in the repository. Right now, this isn't the case."

"Accessibility switches available on the desktop should also be available on mobile devices for coding or developing on the go."

"The tool's subscriptions are expensive for medium and small businesses. It works fine on Windows. However, it is not stable on other platforms."

"The overall customer support needs to improve."

"The stability of the product could be better."

"I would like to see the inclusion of more programming languages, especially better support for Java."

"The technical support could be better."

More Visual Studio Team System cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

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

"This is a very expensive product."

"The tool's licensing costs are yearly."

"It is an open-source product from Microsoft."

"The price could be better."

"You can choose pricing from a variety of options. I would rate the product's pricing a six out of ten."

"There is no fee for the solution's community version."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Manufacturing Company

26%

Computer Software Company

12%

Financial Services Firm

10%

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...

See all answers

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

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

See all answers

What needs improvement with IBM Rational ClearCase?

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

See all answers

What do you like most about Visual Studio Team System?

The product is efficient.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Visual Studio Team System?

The product must improve its stability. It must do more innovations. It could be made more efficient to provide the best responses. It will help us with internal and external processes.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Visual Studio Team System?

We can use the tool to perform limited tasks in developing information systems.

See all answers

Comparisons

Git vs IBM Rational ClearCase

Compared 40% of the time

IBM Rational ClearQuest vs IBM Rational ClearCase

Compared 20% of the time

Bitbucket vs IBM Rational ClearCase

Compared 13% of the time

Apache Subversion vs IBM Rational ClearCase

Compared 7% of the time

GitHub vs IBM Rational ClearCase

Compared 7% of the time

More IBM Rational ClearCase Competitors

Helix Core vs Visual Studio Team System

Compared 61% of the time

IBM Rational ClearQuest vs Visual Studio Team System

Compared 39% of the time

More Visual Studio Team System Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Software Configuration Management

August 2025

Download IBM Rational ClearCase product report

Buyer's Guide

Visual Studio Team System

July 2025

Download Visual Studio Team System 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 Studio Team System is a platform for productive, integrated, and extensible software development life-cycle tools that helps software teams by improving communication and collaboration throughout the software development process.

Microsoft

Sample Customers

Atos SE, FEI, STM

Bluegarden A/S, Tracasa, Rabobank Group, Borusan Otomotiv, Arelik, Alfa Bank

Buyer's Guide

IBM Rational ClearCase vs. Visual Studio Team System

July 2025

Free Report: IBM Rational ClearCase vs. Visual Studio Team System

Find out what your peers are saying about IBM Rational ClearCase vs. Visual Studio Team System and other solutions. Updated: July 2025.

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865,384 professionals have used our research since 2012.

See our IBM Rational ClearCase vs. Visual Studio Team System report.

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