IBM DOORS vs Jama Connect comparison

IBM and Jama are both solutions in the Application Requirements Management category. IBM is ranked #2 with an average rating of 7.1, while Jama is ranked #4 with an average rating of 7.9. IBM holds a 32.5% mindshare in ARM, compared to Jama’s 16.1% mindshare. Additionally, 88% of IBM users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 93% of Jama users who would recommend it.

IBM DOORS

Read 55 IBM DOORS reviews

6,772 Views
2,309 Comparison Views

88% willing to recommend

Jama Connect

Read 16 Jama Connect reviews

2,577 Views
1,494 Comparison Views

93% willing to recommend

IBM DOORS

Jama Connect

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Apr 6, 2025

IBM DOORS and Jama Connect are two prominent solutions in the requirements management category. Jama Connect appears to have the upper hand due to its user-friendly interface, agile methodology support, and flexible deployment options.

Features: IBM DOORS provides robust traceability, impact analysis, and a customizable scripting language called DXL. It is highly adaptable, allowing integration with numerous engineering tools and comprehensive reporting capabilities. Jama Connect is distinguished by its ease of use, support for agile methodologies, and integration of test cases, alongside offering visibility metrics and seamless relationship mapping.

Room for Improvement: IBM DOORS faces integration challenges due to its proprietary database engine, has a steep learning curve, and sluggish performance with distributed teams. Extensive training is required for DXL customizations and the GUI and export functions need enhancement. Jama Connect could improve collaboration features and review workflow integration, and support for more integrations. Its license costs may limit wider adoption.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: IBM DOORS is generally deployed on-premises, making it better suited for localized installations. Jama Connect offers both public and private cloud deployment options, providing more flexibility. IBM's customer service has seen improvement but can be slow, while Jama Connect's customer service is well-regarded for its responsiveness.

Pricing and ROI: IBM DOORS is highly expensive, with costs related to licensing, schema design, and support, thus more suited for larger firms. It delivers significant ROI in large-scale environments. Jama Connect is less expensive than IBM DOORS and appeals more to smaller companies due to its competitive pricing relative to features offered. Both solutions offer substantial ROI where efficient requirements management is essential, although IBM DOORS excels in larger, intricate setups.

To learn more, read our detailed IBM DOORS vs. Jama Connect Report (Updated: June 2025).

Buyer's Guide

IBM DOORS vs. Jama Connect

June 2025

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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 DOORS

Ranking in Application Requirements Management

2nd

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Jama Connect

Ranking in Application Requirements Management

4th

Average Rating

7.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) Suites (11th)

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the Application Requirements Management category, the mindshare of IBM DOORS is 32.5%, down from 35.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Jama Connect is 16.1%, up from 12.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Application Requirements Management

Featured Reviews

SHRINIVAS ALAGERI

Architect at itcinfotech

Offers a well-refined ASPICE template and satisfying requirement management features

IBM DOORS effectively synchronizes with Polarion. But suppose when Polarion is running on Linux and you want to integrate with IBM DOORS on Windows, that is when compatibility issues arise. For the aforementioned issue we often receive advise in our company to migrate Polarion to Windows before integration. IBM DOORS is a heavy-duty application compared to competitors such as PTC Integrity. Exporting an IBM DOORS module is highly time-consuming for its bulkiness. PTC Integrity is a lighter solution that allows the development of a gateway template. It's crucial to consider the use cases and the other vendors that need to be integrated before using IBM DOORS. Our company is a PTC competence center, so most of our customers are from PTC. The customer integrations our company deals with include modeling tools such as Simulink, MATLAB, and Integrity Modeler to synchronize documents. The digital threat maintenance between IOD and Windchill is also a crucial part of our organization's operations. The solution should be more compatible with thin clients, there should be focus on web-based clients who can be more effective in IBM DOORS. At our company, we don't want every customer to use the thick client format with the solution. I would like to witness the seamless integration of IBM DOORS with Windchill in the future version. The integrations in IBM DOORS should be web-based, I don't prefer to use multiple plug-ins. For example, I want to integrate IBM DOORS with MATLAB, Simulink and Jenkins effortlessly which is possible in Codebeamer. I want every feature of Codebeamer to be present in IBM DOORS in the future releases.

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Lasse Mikkonen

Principal Consultant at Contribyte

Traceability has improved documentation for auditors and regulators

The collaboration feature in Jama Connect could be improved because it is only used by a limited number of people within an organization due to license costs. For broader collaboration that includes departments like marketing and engineering, many still rely on tools like Slack ( /products/slack-reviews ) or Confluence ( /products/atlassian-confluence-reviews ). Additionally, there are areas where usability and configurability could be enhanced.

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

"It helps to manage requirements efficiently, which significantly improves the way requirements are managed."

"When you install DOORS locally, you have the flexibility to do what you want with the solution. You can add functionality and do many things that you can't do with other tools or do well enough to satisfy your users' requirements."

"Rational DOORS' most valuable feature is that you can write any kind of requirement you want."

"The most valuable feature of IBM Rational DOORS is the full requirements development and testing."

"Makes good work of prioritizing and planning product delivery."

"It is very customizable and easy to scale."

"Very customizable and can be as powerful as you want it to be."

"The most valuable feature is the management verification and login."

More IBM DOORS pros

"The most valuable feature is the single identity provider capability, which simplifies the integration with various platforms, like Google App Store and Microsoft Azure, for providing user access."

"It is good at requirements management and test management."

"Traceability is a key differentiator for Jama Connect, especially compared to Jira."

"The most valuable feature is the user-friendly interface."

"You can get full traceability with any other system. It also includes a test module, and you build the traceability matrix incrementally throughout the development process."

"I like Jama Connect because it's easy to use and understand. The widgets are great, and linking is straightforward. The solution is not complex compared to its competitors."

"Provides suitable tools for managing regulatory requirements."

"In Jama Connect, users have the capability to view and manage all test cases directly within the platform and execute them. The entire product specification, spanning various domains such as electrical, mechanical, software, and testing, is consolidated within Jama Connect."

More Jama Connect pros

Cons

"The customer must also have the tool to import the changes and accept them as a part of the review."

"It would be nice if it could be scaled-down so that it could be installed and implemented without much learning or training."

"Not all Rational Team Concert operations are available from the web client. Certain operations, like creating streams or components, still require using the desktop application. They're not accessible through the web interface. And in my opinion, this limitation should be removed."

"It would be helpful if Microsoft provided a more user-friendly interface for updating and querying updates. Additionally, if there was a way for users to notify developers of any changes in requirements, it would allow for faster and more efficient updates to the solution's architecture. This could be in the form of a notification system that alerts developers of any changes that need to be made. Additionally, the solution is document-driven and it should be more digital."

"The web application DOORS Web Access doesn't have the same functionality as the standard client, so it's not a real substitute. For example, web Access only provides writing requirements, but you can't do much more with it."

"It's difficult to set the code on the solution."

"I think there is probably room to improve by offering free training."

"The user interface for the Change Proposal System could be improved."

More IBM DOORS cons

"The solution is very software-centric, and its validation piece is not time-efficient at all."

"The initial setup could be better, it's complicated."

"The user interface could be modernized and the product lacks project management functionalities."

"There are some security concerns with Jama Connect, including two-factor enablement."

"I believe one of the weak points is the reporting side. You must export inter-readable reports from Jama if you do not use the system as a repository for your design history file. Jama is great if you keep it in Jama, but reporting out requires some customization to get it right."

"There are a few areas where Jama Connect can improve. One suggestion is to enhance the built-in feature of profile generation."

"There are delays sometimes from the Jama Connect team in resolving issues."

"t is rather slow, so the speed of the process and consuming information should be improved. It doesn't have a nice way of viewing information. We would like to see better interfaces for consuming information."

More Jama Connect cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I don't personally know what the numbers are. I just know that one of the reasons we've limited it to three seats is a function of cost."

"Pricing can vary depending on the size of the organization and how contracts are negotiated."

"IBM is a bit too expensive in terms of pricing. Customers are paying a lot for the license, and the price is quite high for this kind of environment. It is quite high as compared to what we can get today with other solutions."

"IBM Rational DOORS is highly expensive."

"I am not sure why it is so expensive, but one license will cost approximately $15,000 in US dollars."

"We have to pay for a license. I think it's a one-time payment as my company hasn't notified me about more charges. I don't think it's expensive for large corporations, but it will be costly for an average person."

"The licensing cost is too high."

"The licensing costs for the product are quite high."

More IBM DOORS pricing and cost advice

"The cost seems very competitive with other offerings."

"Jama Connect is a little pricy."

"If you want to have creative licenses, pricing may be an issue with the licenses, as it can become quite expensive over time to serve many people."

"To have a single source for all the requirements and all the change requests our company gets is the most valuable feature. It has also helped us to keep track of reviews."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Manufacturing Company

26%

Computer Software Company

Aerospace/Defense Firm

Government

Manufacturing Company

27%

Healthcare Company

Aerospace/Defense Firm

Computer Software Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about IBM Rational DOORS?

The traceability matrix in DOORS improved our project outcomes. It helps ensure coverage of requirements at different levels, from user requirements to software requirements to test requirements.

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

Over the years, the first version cost something around 5800 euros.

See all answers

What needs improvement with IBM Rational DOORS?

Compared to today, DOORS' competitors also excel in this discipline. Yet the price is too high. It's often not as generic as it used to be. IBM promised to find a way for a generic format that allo...

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What do you like most about Jama Connect?

I like Jama Connect because it's easy to use and understand. The widgets are great, and linking is straightforward. The solution is not complex compared to its competitors.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Jama Connect?

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Jama Connect?

I primarily work with Jama Connect ( /products/jama-connect-reviews ) for requirements management.

See all answers

Comparisons

Polarion Requirements vs IBM DOORS

Compared 24% of the time

Jira vs IBM DOORS

Compared 24% of the time

IBM DOORS Next vs IBM DOORS

Compared 11% of the time

OpenText Dimensions RM vs IBM DOORS

Compared 5% of the time

PTC Integrity Requirements Connector vs IBM DOORS

Compared 5% of the time

More IBM DOORS Competitors

Jira vs Jama Connect

Compared 14% of the time

Polarion Requirements vs Jama Connect

Compared 13% of the time

IBM DOORS Next vs Jama Connect

Compared 9% of the time

Polarion ALM vs Jama Connect

Compared 7% of the time

Microsoft Azure DevOps vs Jama Connect

Compared 6% of the time

More Jama Connect Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

IBM DOORS

June 2025

Download IBM DOORS product report

Buyer's Guide

Jama Connect

June 2025

Download Jama Connect product report

Also Known As

Rational DOORS

No data available

Overview

IBM Engineering Requirements Management DOORS (DOORS) is a Requirements Management (RM) software designed to help organizations manage engineering project requirements throughout the development lifecycle. It provides a central location for capturing, defining, and organizing project requirements, facilitating communication and collaboration among stakeholders like engineers, system designers, and customers. Key features include requirements traceability, version control, and impact analysis, ensuring effective implementation and testing. DOORS improves efficiency, enhances communication, reduces risks, and supports better decision-making through clear visibility into requirements. Compared to its newer, web-based counterpart DOORS Next, the mature DOORS 9 offers a wider range of features with a traditional user interface but lacks web-based functionality and modern integration with IBM Engineering Lifecycle Management (ELM) tools.

IBM

Jama Connect is a software platform designed for requirements management, risk management, and testing in product development processes. It allows teams to collaboratively define, track, and manage requirements throughout the entire product lifecycle. Jama Connect enables organizations to improve communication, increase efficiency, and ensure compliance with industry standards and regulations.

Jama Connect Features:

Requirements Management: Jama Connect allows you to capture, organize, and trace requirements, ensuring alignment across teams and stakeholders.
Collaboration and Communication: The platform facilitates collaboration and communication among team members, enabling real-time feedback, discussions, and decision-making.
Test Management: Jama Connect supports test case management, test execution tracking, and defect management, helping ensure comprehensive testing and quality assurance.
Risk Management: You can identify, assess, and mitigate risks using Jama Connect's risk management capabilities, promoting proactive risk management throughout the product development lifecycle.
Traceability and Impact Analysis: The platform provides traceability matrices and impact analysis tools, allowing you to understand the relationships between requirements, tests, and other artifacts.
Compliance and Audit Support: Jama Connect helps organizations maintain compliance with industry standards and regulations by providing audit trails, documentation, and version control.

Jama Connect Benefits:

Improved Requirement Collaboration: Jama Connect enhances collaboration among stakeholders, including product managers, engineers, testers, and customers, leading to better alignment and understanding of requirements.
Enhanced Efficiency: The platform streamlines and automates various aspects of requirements management, reducing manual effort and improving efficiency in the product development process.
Increased Product Quality: By ensuring clear and traceable requirements, facilitating comprehensive testing, and proactive risk management, Jama Connect helps improve product quality and reliability.
Accelerated Time-to-Market: Efficient requirements management and streamlined collaboration enable faster development cycles and reduced time-to-market for products and solutions.
Regulatory Compliance: Jama Connect's features and capabilities support compliance with industry standards and regulations, helping organizations meet regulatory requirements.
Greater Visibility and Transparency: The platform provides real-time visibility into project progress, status, and potential issues, fostering transparency and enabling informed decision-making.

Reviews from Real Users

Project Management Director, Technology at a real estate company, says that "Jama Connect is a good tool for the entire software development cycle."

Lasse Mikkonen, Principal Consultant at Contribyte, states that Jama Connect “Offers great templates and predefined settings and it has a very good inbuilt test management module”.

Senior Program Manager Software at a manufacturing company, comments on Jama support, “I think the collaboration with Jama is pretty good, and they listen to us and do a lot of customizations for us to make it work better. Hopefully, it would have been the same with any other company. However, Jama provides essentially 24-hour support.”

Jama

Sample Customers

Infosys, Chevrolet Volt

Deloitte, SpaceX, Omnigon, Delft University

Buyer's Guide

IBM DOORS vs. Jama Connect

June 2025

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