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Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect vs Visual Paradigm comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Apr 20, 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

Sparx Systems Enterprise Ar...
Ranking in Business Process Design
4th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
99
Ranking in other categories
Enterprise Architecture Management (2nd)
Visual Paradigm
Ranking in Business Process Design
8th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.6
Number of Reviews
27
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the Business Process Design category, the mindshare of Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect is 10.5%, down from 12.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Visual Paradigm is 5.8%, down from 6.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Business Process Design
 

Featured Reviews

Milan Sterba - PeerSpot reviewer
Efficient documentation generation through organized model structure with a good price-performance ratio
Whenever I begin a new project with Sparx, I have to spend time training people on how to use it since it is not straightforward. Although it's a powerful product with plenty of features, it's not easy for even experienced users to find their way without guidance. This is not the most user-friendly solution.
Angie Ibrahim Eissa - PeerSpot reviewer
A software application designed for software development teams to model business information systems and manage development processes
Setting up Visual Paradigm is easy. There's hardly any configuration needed, unlike some other tools. You just choose your method and diagram type, and you're good to go. As for improvements, integrating project management features with diagrams could be better. Viewing outputs could also be smoother, especially when working with multiple files.Deployment is quick and painless. It practically takes no time at all to set up. And because I also teach at the university, I use Visual Paradigm for my classes and case studies. It's easy to switch between products, and my students have no trouble using it on their own.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Provides a single repository for all architecture work."
"The most valuable features are the flexibility and adaptability of Sparx Enterprise Architect."
"The stability has been good and satisfactory. I would rate the stability a ten out of ten."
"It's a very practical solution. You don't need to do an advanced course to start using this tool."
"Ability to keep inventory of reusable blocks, and use in different diagrams with views of various templates."
"The most valuable feature of Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect is the value streams."
"Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect was easy to set up and it took just twenty minutes."
"The most valuable feature is the integrated data model, so if I change the name of an item, all models using that object are automatically updated."
"I find it very user-friendly for my purposes, which is creating business process models that I can publish as HTML pages. It has worked flawlessly for my project, and my clients are able to utilize it as an internal web portal for their process documentation and other needs."
"What I like best about Visual Paradigm is its simple GUI, especially since I'm a new user. In my two years of experience with this tool, I didn't find it complex because I was able to learn how to use it via YouTube videos. Visual Paradigm is enough for me. I also find the bridging feature in the tool valuable."
"Visual Paradigm is simple and easy to use."
"The solution is the best application for data modeling. It helps to architect business processes. Its best features are pricing and functionality."
"What I found most valuable in Visual Paradigm is diagramming. I had a great user experience as diagramming in the tool is easy and convenient, even for complex diagrams or models. Visual Paradigm is the perfect tool for me, and I prefer it over Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect. Visual Paradigm is better for collaboration if you consider, for example, versioning, so this is another valuable tool feature that's simple and embedded in the solution. In Visual Paradigm, it's also easy to set up the project with team members and collaborate, and it's also a pro of the tool."
"Stable design software with multiple functions and features. It's simple to install and easy to use."
"It is easy-to-use and it helps understand its data modeling structure through the intuitive user interface."
"Using the Component Diagram, Visual Paradigm helps with design and control, reusing components."
 

Cons

"The solution's interface could be more straightforward."
"Its usability needs to be improved. For non-technical users, it is a little difficult to understand how Enterprise Architect works. Users who are not engineers find it difficult to understand how this tool works. This is something they need to work on. They can develop a BPM model to simulate processes."
"Whenever I begin a new project with Sparx, I have to spend time training people on how to use it since it is not straightforward."
"It took me a while to figure out how to use the report generation features effectively. So, it would be really nice if they had a way to make that a little bit more interactive and a little bit more straightforward."
"The templates for documentation should be enhanced to include complex documents such as template RFP, or Non functional requirements template."
"More challenging than other tools to maintain documents and document versions for an architecture board review."
"I would like the system to more "intellectually" build a scheme, place icons, and connect lines on the schemes."
"The modeling tool is targeted toward a sophisticated user."
"The user interface is not easy to navigate, so it should be made easier."
"It's still early for me to comment since I've only been using it for two months, but the responsiveness when diagramming needs to be improved."
"Visual Paradigm can improve by having better process mining tools and model integration."
"The solution's technical support can be improved and accessible for our company location since Visual Paradigm follows a remote support model with some challenges."
"The product can always get better as the industry changes."
"I would like to see the ability to easily export to groupware, such as Atlassian Confluence."
"Visual Paradigm is heavier and has more complexity than one of its competitors, e.g. Lucidchart. It could have been better if it was more simplified."
"The solution is not user-friendly. It uses a lot of memory and CPU. You have to have a good computer to use it."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"This product has a paid license, with a yearly subscription option."
"We paid 1200 euros as a once-off cost. All add ons and integrations come at an additional cost."
"Pricing and licensing is very attractive, simple, and straightforward."
"In terms of cost, Sparx EA is probably one of the cheapest tools I have ever used."
"The licence has a costly upfront fee which gets you access. You have to pay an annual maintenance fee, which is less."
"The pricing for ultimate version is steeply high."
"It is very economical and low cost. You have to pay for a one-time license, and it is active forever."
"We have an annual license, and it's very affordable."
"This is an open-sourced solution, it is free to use."
"Visual Paradigm's pricing is not expensive."
"Visual Paradigm has two models available. One of them is the educational edition, and another is the business edition. For my personal usage, I use the educational version mostly. In a project, my customers have to purchase a license."
"The pricing of Visual Paradigm is very appropriate and affordable. There are no hidden costs involved."
"This product is fairly cheap, but if you want more complex features, e.g. integration with other products, it does require an additional cost."
"Over the years I've seen an increase in price, and it makes it difficult for a single person company, like me, to decide whether to extend the license."
"In terms of pricing, I find Visual Paradigm's subscription services reasonable, especially for the modern and standard editions. However, the premium products can be a bit pricey, especially considering our location in the Middle East. Currently, paying around a hundred dollars per user translates to almost six hundred Egyptian pounds, which can add up. For enterprise licensing, I think the perpetual license option could be more affordable. If it were cheaper, say around five hundred dollars, I would have invested in multiple perpetual licenses long ago. Sometimes, to manage costs, we share accounts among team members or switch access on and off for certain members who aren't actively working on projects. As for additional costs, there are charges for cloud services, which I'm considering because I've already exceeded the free capacity."
"You can use Paradigm on a subscription basis and you can choose from different tiers of subscription."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
14%
Government
11%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Computer Software Company
10%
Educational Organization
12%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Computer Software Company
10%
Manufacturing Company
9%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect?
The stability has been good and satisfactory. I would rate the stability a ten out of ten.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect?
One of the reasons many public sector institutions in the Czech Republic use it is that it provides a very good price-performance ratio. While it might be cumbersome to learn, it still delivers exc...
What needs improvement with Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect?
Whenever I begin a new project with Sparx, I have to spend time training people on how to use it since it is not straightforward. Although it's a powerful product with plenty of features, it's not ...
What do you like most about Visual Paradigm?
The solution is the best application for data modeling. It helps to architect business processes. Its best features are pricing and functionality.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Visual Paradigm?
I purchased Visual Paradigm on my own, and it was competitively priced, so I was fine with the pricing.
What needs improvement with Visual Paradigm?
The product can always get better as the industry changes, however, I didn't necessarily feel it was lacking for what I did with it.
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

OmniLink
Adobe, Apple, at&t, Caterpillar, Intel, NASA, Nokia, Toyota
Find out what your peers are saying about Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect vs. Visual Paradigm and other solutions. Updated: July 2025.
862,514 professionals have used our research since 2012.