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RSA Archer vs SAP BusinessObjects GRC comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Feb 4, 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

RSA Archer
Ranking in GRC
1st
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
42
Ranking in other categories
IT Governance (1st), IT Vendor Risk Management (4th)
SAP BusinessObjects GRC
Ranking in GRC
13th
Average Rating
7.4
Reviews Sentiment
4.2
Number of Reviews
7
Ranking in other categories
Continuous Controls Monitoring (2nd)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2025, in the GRC category, the mindshare of RSA Archer is 10.2%, down from 15.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SAP BusinessObjects GRC is 1.5%, down from 2.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
GRC Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
RSA Archer10.2%
SAP BusinessObjects GRC1.5%
Other88.3%
GRC
 

Featured Reviews

IMRAN ALMARZOOQI - PeerSpot reviewer
Automates compliance management effectively but needs improved interface and dashboards
The tool basically automates whatever processes you already have, so I cannot specify improvements in that regard. However, my main issue with Archer is the graphics. The graphics have always been lacking. I always need to depend on another tool to read information from Archer to have better dashboards. It is like using Linux, and it has a Linux mindset and interface. I want to use Archer for top management and CEOs, but it looks too technical, and the dashboards are not really friendly. They are bulky, like opening an old Nintendo system from nineteen-ninety. The management agrees that Archer lacks in terms of presentation and dashboarding. It is complex, not user-friendly, and bulky. The interface just looks old.
Vishal Guthula - PeerSpot reviewer
Experienced security and easy understanding with advanced customization enhances efficiency
Regarding automation, they could enhance features for checking real-time data when someone attempts to access data without proper permissions. Currently, we do not receive immediate alerts; we only discover issues after something goes wrong. Having prevention alerts immediately when someone triggers unauthorized actions would allow us to address these situations proactively.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Integration is another great aspect of RSA Archer. From the beginning, integration has been a central focus for RSA, and Archer has always integrated well with most tools on the market today."
"Flexible record permissions and data import features."
"RSA Archer has reduced the time and effort required for meetings."
"Easy to implement with a high level of automation."
"First of all, its access control feature where it provides application level access, solution level access, and even recall access, as well."
"The most valuable part of the product is the ease-of-use and the opportunity to create custom security applications easily."
"From my perspective, because I've always done it as a consultant, I do like the way it is configured. They've gone into changing the application builder interface, so it is even easier. When you're working with users, it is really easy to show them how to do things quickly and how to configure, change, and design stuff quickly."
"The tool has stability, and it allows me to automate whatever process I have."
"We have enterprise clients for the product."
"Initial setup was straightforward. It took maybe one week."
"The stability of SAP BusinessObjects GRC is acceptable."
"The tool helps create reports for projects, including the creation of any ad-hoc reports"
"The best features are the scalability and flexibility to implement applications on top of the BW."
"The customization options in the dashboards inside SAP BusinessObjects GRC are highly valuable, and the real-time monitoring feature performs effectively, allowing teams to maintain data security by restricting domain visibility."
"It is wonderful from the control perspective. The GRC tools help you in knowing what are the risk controls, how to mitigate risks, and how to ensure that there are no conflicts between the roles. From the user perspective, you get to know what are the permission risks and access risks. You get a lot of useful information."
 

Cons

"Some areas are not truly automated but are only scheduled."
"Archer could be improved by having more customization. I'm not sure if the backend processes have API calls and those kinds of seamless integrations, but from the front, some of the solutions are very out-of-the-box. It's not customizable, so that could be a little problematic since you have to use their features. In terms of the backend structure, I'm not too sure because I'm not a developer—I was an end user and product owner of Archer—and I don't quite know the backend and developmental features. But since it's an out-of-the-box solution, sometimes customization was challenging and support was a little problematic because we had to reach out to them all the time."
"Performance could be improved."
"There should be built-in integration mechanisms, for example, for organizations switching from platforms like ServiceNow to Archer, instead of custom integrations for each client."
"There are certain restrictions on API integrations, and it is not simple or straightforward."
"The solution can be a little slow due to the Silverlight feature."
"The design and advanced workflow need to be improved."
"There should be a way to export and get data from the system in PDF or PowerPoint presentation format. This would be a great addition."
"Technical support could be better and faster."
"BusinessObjects is very dated. It is not that user-friendly. It should be made more user-friendly. In addition, if they could make predictive analytics an embedded part of it where people get to know what is there to offer, it would be great."
"We cannot actively log in to the system. It should also improve support."
"An additional feature I would like to see is the option to add wait time and integrate sources in wait time."
"I am working on features that are not functioning as expected, which creates significant difficulties in management."
"Currently, we do not receive immediate alerts; we only discover issues after something goes wrong."
"I think the old system is better than the new one. From an improvement perspective, the tool needs to ensure that the new technologies it offers are better than the old ones."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"RSA Archer's price is justifiable and not as expensive, compared to ServiceNow. I have heard that the licensing for ServiceNow is much more expensive. I'm unaware whether there are any additional costs after licensing fees."
"The license is costly for the solution, but the remaining set up and maintenance is quite cheaper."
"I am not 100% familiar with that, especially with their new model. I just know that the way they've licensed per user to scale is good."
"The initial purchase is cheap. You pay a nominal price to start then renew the license annually. You also must buy a license for each module. I'm not too fond of that aspect of the licensing model. You buy the elephant and then spend more money to feed the elephant."
"The pricing is okay. The licensing costs are very reasonable; it is very affordable to us."
"The solution’s pricing is moderate."
"I am not sure about other companies, but it's quite expensive."
"Fairly highly-priced, especially for smaller companies."
"There is a yearly licensing cost. I would rate their pricing 4 out of 5."
"SAP BusinessObjects GRC is expensive."
"The product's licensing costs involve a one-time purchase. The tool also allows others to make annual payments towards the licensing charges of the product."
"The license is costly."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
21%
Insurance Company
13%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Computer Software Company
6%
Manufacturing Company
15%
Computer Software Company
12%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Insurance Company
10%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business9
Midsize Enterprise6
Large Enterprise25
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business1
Large Enterprise6
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about RSA Archer?
It has various valuable features. For example, showing us if a control aligns with specific standards or frameworks helps us understand it better and verify its compliance.
What needs improvement with RSA Archer?
While it provides benefits in terms of security, the pricing is a bit higher than customers typically expect. It would be helpful if RSA Archer had the capability for two-way integration because, i...
What is your primary use case for RSA Archer?
Regarding the compliance, risk, and governance tools, I am comfortable discussing the tools in the GRC category. The specific module from ServiceNow is the ServiceNow Compliance, Risk, and Governan...
What do you like most about SAP BusinessObjects GRC?
The tool helps create reports for projects, including the creation of any ad-hoc reports
What needs improvement with SAP BusinessObjects GRC?
Regarding automation, they could enhance features for checking real-time data when someone attempts to access data without proper permissions. Currently, we do not receive immediate alerts; we only...
What is your primary use case for SAP BusinessObjects GRC?
I work with SAP, and currently I am working with other domains such as Power BI, Microsoft, and in the AI sector. When working with Microsoft, I utilize solutions such as Intune, Configuration Mana...
 

Also Known As

Archer
BusinessObjects GRC
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

T-Systems, Bridge Point, Equifax, First Data, Global Imaging Company, Manulife Financial
INEOS Melamines GmbH, Banco Galicia
Find out what your peers are saying about RSA Archer vs. SAP BusinessObjects GRC and other solutions. Updated: November 2025.
872,922 professionals have used our research since 2012.