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IBM Rational ClearQuest vs Visual Studio Team System comparison

IBM and Microsoft are both solutions in the Software Configuration Management category. IBM is ranked #8, while Microsoft is ranked #4 with an average rating of 8.5. IBM holds a 5.1% mindshare in SCM, compared to Microsoft’s 2.1% mindshare. Additionally, 80% of IBM users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Microsoft users who would recommend it.
IBM Rational ClearQuest
Read 4 IBM Rational ClearQuest reviews
  • 246 Views
  • 144 Comparison Views
80% willing to recommend
Visual Studio Team System
Read 14 Visual Studio Team System reviews
  • 154 Views
  • 42 Comparison Views
100% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive Summary
We performed a comparison between IBM Rational ClearQuest 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.

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To learn more, read our detailed IBM Rational ClearQuest vs. Visual Studio Team System Report (Updated: June 2025).
Buyer's Guide
IBM Rational ClearQuest vs. Visual Studio Team System
June 2025
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Helped 857,028 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 ClearQuest
Ranking in Software Configuration Management
8th
Average Rating
7.2
Number of Reviews
4
Ranking in other categories
Defect Tracking (2nd)
Visual Studio Team System
Ranking in Software Configuration Management
4th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.7
Number of Reviews
14
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2025, in the Software Configuration Management category, the mindshare of IBM Rational ClearQuest is 5.1%, up from 4.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Visual Studio Team System is 2.1%, up from 1.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Software Configuration Management
 

Featured Reviews

it_user808977 - PeerSpot reviewer
It can be adapted to any process flow
ClearQuest is a Defect Tracking system with a highly adaptable state machine together with an easy to use API, which can do all of the functions available in the GUI. This simplifies integration and automation of many steps is why the organization still uses a much older version, as there are no…
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Mustapha Sedki Ben Romdhane - PeerSpot reviewer
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…
Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The combination of a highly flexible state machine together with a platform independent API enables possibilities to automate many steps that in many systems are manual."
"It can be adapted to any process flow and easily be integrated with other in-house tools using the ClearQuest API."
"The solution is pretty stable."
"The solution has a good framework that is user friendly and scalable."
"Visual Studio Team System is the most powerful IDE available in the market."
"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 is very stable."
"The solution is scalable, stable and has allowed us to upgrade our frameworks."
"The product helps with version control. I can build, develop, test and deploy applications from a single platform."
"The most valuable feature is the code management, where there is sharing of code for developers and it is distributed within the organization."
More Visual Studio Team System pros
 

Cons

"Lack of a modern web interface compared to other systems might discourage customers."
"I would like to see the inclusion of more programming languages, especially better support for Java."
"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."
"I have seen customizations with Team System that allowed it to integrate into other ticketing systems like Jira, which would be a really nice feature to see."
"The overall customer support needs to improve."
"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 technical support could be better."
"Accessibility switches available on the desktop should also be available on mobile devices for coding or developing on the go."
"The stability of the product could be better."
More Visual Studio Team System cons
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available
"You can choose pricing from a variety of options. I would rate the product's pricing a six out of ten."
"The tool's licensing costs are yearly."
"The price could be better."
"There is no fee for the solution's community version."
"It is an open-source product from Microsoft."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
29%
Government
12%
Computer Software Company
10%
Energy/Utilities Company
6%
No data available
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

Ask a question
Earn 20 points
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

Jira vs IBM Rational ClearQuest Logo
Jira vs IBM Rational ClearQuest
Compared 68% of the time
IBM Rational ClearCase vs IBM Rational ClearQuest Logo
IBM Rational ClearCase vs IBM Rational ClearQuest
Compared 32% of the time
More IBM Rational ClearQuest Competitors
No data available
 

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
IBM Rational ClearQuest vs. Panaya Test Dynamix
June 2025
IBM Rational ClearQuest reportDownload IBM Rational ClearQuest product report
Buyer's Guide
Visual Studio Team System
May 2025
Visual Studio Team System reportDownload Visual Studio Team System product report
 

Also Known As

Rational ClearQuest
No data available
 

Overview

IBM Rational ClearQuest is a fully customizable database workflow application development and production system. It provides flexible change and defect tracking, customizable processes, near real-time reporting and lifecycle traceability for better visibility and control of the software development lifecycle. IBM Rational ClearQuest provides scalable, multiplatform support to any size organization so you can continue to customize processes as your development needs evolve.

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, STM, Regence BlueCross BlueShield
Bluegarden A/S, Tracasa, Rabobank Group, Borusan Otomotiv, Arelik, Alfa Bank
Buyer's Guide
IBM Rational ClearQuest vs. Visual Studio Team System
June 2025
Free Report: IBM Rational ClearQuest vs. Visual Studio Team System
Find out what your peers are saying about IBM Rational ClearQuest vs. Visual Studio Team System and other solutions. Updated: June 2025.
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857,028 professionals have used our research since 2012.
See our IBM Rational ClearQuest vs. Visual Studio Team System report.
See our list of best Software Configuration Management vendors.

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.