Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect vs Visual Paradigm comparison

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect and Visual Paradigm based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out in this report how the two Business Process Design solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.
To learn more, read our detailed Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect vs. Visual Paradigm Report (Updated: September 2023).
735,432 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Featured Review
Quotes From Members
We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use.
Here are some excerpts of what they said:
Pros
"It is an EA tool that is approved by Open Group. It is in the tool register of Open Group.""Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect was easy to set up and it took just twenty minutes.""I like Sparx's BPM features and the way it lets you create the diagram.""Sparx has got a range of modeling features, and I am comfortable with all its offering. I've used a lot of tools over the phone. I found EA Spark, probably the most feature rich product all in all compared to other products. The solution is very cost-effective and that is its best feature. It's a very good delivery architecture tool, which also has enterprise architecture capabilities, and it's got full life cycle processes and software development. So for me, it's a pretty comprehensive tool""We could capture the process models around 24 countries with all their local variations.""Scalable solution for modeling, project sharing, and collaboration. Support for it is good.""The installation was very easy.""We have found the stability to be very reliable."

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"It is a scalable solution since it can be used at an individual level as well as for enterprise-sized businesses.""It is easy and intuitive to use, not excessively rigid, and quite flexible.""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.""Some of the most valuable features of this process modeling tool are process simulation and process animation.""The most valuable feature of the Visual Paradigm that I use is process modeling. Additionally, the solution has a complete set of features.""The Visual Paradigm business process forms for designing we good. There was not a lot of configuration for the process diagram.""The initial setup is extremely straightforward.""The most valuable feature of Visual Paradigm is the ability to design form flows, add libraries, create organizational charts, and connect them all together."

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Cons
"When collaborating with other people, it needs to be more user-friendly.""The solution's interface could be more straightforward.""When the model is large, it is a bit slow to render.""One room for improvement in Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect is that it's not very friendly. Another room for improvement in the tool is that it doesn't enable you to import the metadata from a database very easily, so reverse engineering of a database was very difficult. Its database modeling and entity-relationship modeling functions need improvement.""Their technical support is not good in India. I wrote to them because I had a question, but I never got an answer. So, I just left it behind.""I have found the solution is lacking options. The general usability needs improvement and more compliance to CML definitions.""When many users are accessing the system at the same time, Sparx slows down. It can't easily support a large team.""The stability and performance of Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect could still be improved. Setup for it is also slightly complicated and could be improved."

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"I was looking to generate code from the diagrams, but it was not totally clear how to do it.""For me, what needs improvement in Visual Paradigm is the limited features included in the $99 license, which is the cheapest option. If more features could be included in the cheapest licensing package, Visual Paradigm would be better, especially for businesses that have a limited budget for buying software.""The user interface is not easy to navigate, so it should be made easier.""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.""Visual Paradigm can improve by having better process mining tools and model integration.""In terms of room for improvement in Visual Paradigm, I tried looking for one. I'm pleased with the tool, but it would be great if you could integrate Visual Paradigm with more tools. For example, when moving from Visual Paradigm to another tool, such as Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect, the process could be improved a bit. Still, I wonder if it's not limited by the standards Visual Paradigm follows, such as XMI files. It could be connected to limitations related to the standards rather than a tool limitation. When you move projects from Visual Paradigm into Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect via XMI files, you lose all your notes from the elements, so this is an area for improvement in Visual Paradigm. TOGAF support is an additional feature I'd like to see in the next release of Visual Paradigm. I'd also like the tool to have ArchiMate support. If both TOGAF and ArchiMate could be supported in Visual Paradigm and made part of a lower level of licensing or cheaper licensing models, that would be best for me.""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.""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."

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Pricing and Cost Advice
  • "It is very economical and low cost. You have to pay for a one-time license, and it is active forever."
  • "The license I use is on-premise. We haven't gone to the cloud where we have to pay monthly or something like that. Sparx is cheaper than most similar tools."
  • "We paid 1200 euros as a once-off cost. All add ons and integrations come at an additional cost."
  • "Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect is priced well. The price we pay is approximately $20 per month. Other solutions I have found to be much more expensive."
  • "We had a yearly license."
  • "This product has a paid license, with a yearly subscription option."
  • "There is no license required for this solution."
  • "It's affordable. The only additional cost that we haven't yet figured out is the floating license. If you buy a floating license, you have to have a license management server, which comes at an additional cost that's not discussed. So, we haven't yet used the floating license. That’s because I haven't had a chance to figure that out."
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  • "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."
  • "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."
  • "Visual Paradigm costs $99 per license. I chose the cheapest option from the pricing list."
  • "Pricing for Visual Paradigm is a four out of five for me. I'm happy with its pricing."
  • "Compared to other solutions such as IBM Rational which is expensive, This solution is priced low."
  • "This is an open-sourced solution, it is free to use."
  • "I rate the pricing a three on a scale of one to ten, where one is cheap, and ten is expensive."
  • More Visual Paradigm Pricing and Cost Advice →

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    Questions from the Community
    Top Answer:In my opinion, there is no real difference between the three tools. All three are software that help organizations model and document their business processes. However, there are some key differences… more »
    Top Answer:Sparx has got a range of modeling features, and I am comfortable with all its offering. I've used a lot of tools over the phone. I found EA Spark, probably the most feature rich product all in all… more »
    Top Answer:Enterprise licensing is competitive. What would be helpful if they load the pricing for consultants, you know, people who are consultants for clients. So the license is fine for end-user… more »
    Top Answer:It is easy and intuitive to use, not excessively rigid, and quite flexible.
    Top Answer:I think that the pricing model is good. If you're only using simple things, it costs as little as $10 a month. If you're doing very sophisticated, enterprise-level things on it, then it scales up… more »
    Top Answer:I don't think there are a lot of things to improve when it comes to Visual Paradigm. The only thing I would mention is that it is quite heavy on resources. So it seems to run my computer hard.
    Ranking
    3rd
    Views
    13,398
    Comparisons
    9,966
    Reviews
    17
    Average Words per Review
    475
    Rating
    7.1
    7th
    Views
    7,154
    Comparisons
    4,523
    Reviews
    11
    Average Words per Review
    422
    Rating
    8.1
    Comparisons
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    Sparx Systems
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    Visual Paradigm
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    Overview

    Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect is an enterprise solution that helps streamline, accelerate, and integrate software, system, and business development. With this intuitive modeling and design solution, enterprises can stay in control of their workplaces, enable collaboration, support their teams and colleagues, and manage complex projects. Software architects, business analysts, project managers, developers, support staff, and testers can unite under a single repository. Through numerous view points and potential sub-systems, users are offered a unified view in a complex environment.

    With Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect, users are also offered a shared model option which can be accessed quickly and securely by in-office and remote team members through the Enterprise Architect’s Pro Cloud Server. Building a coherent, verifiable model can be done by connecting and integrating a variety of behavioral and structural information in visual form. As a result, Enterprise Architect offers high performance, flexibility, and the ability to model, manage, and trace every stage of the business development and modeling process.

    Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect Features

    Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect assists in creating a unified and accessible vision in business development by offering a flexible platform with a unique set of rich features. These features include:

    • Test and debug - Streamline software development and visualize software with the simulation process. Users can test and confirm correct behavior, set and oversee test points, and debug and examine software.
    • Track tasks - Track, prioritize, and assign individual and group tasks to assist in the model’s development. Users can visually monitor their progress through the Gantt chart.
    • Open standards - Users can visualize and analyze running software with integrated custom tools. They can also run advanced simulations, team-based repositories, testing tools, and version control. In addition, the solution supports enterprise architecture frameworks such as UPDM and TOGAF.
    • Simulation - Create and debug embedded solutions by simulating behaviors and state models. Users can specify events, triggers, constraints, and more. Users can also specify extensive and complex structural systems and create custom domain-specific solutions.

    Reviews from Real Users

    Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect merges high-end tools, online availability, a dedication to open standards, and accessible pricing so enterprises can stay in control of their workplaces, whether remote or in-office. Users particularly like the architectural frameworks and the scalability.

    Marc L., a principal architecture enterprise solution adviser at Cronomagic Canada, notes, "The product offers very good support for all mainstream modeling notations and architectural frameworks."

    An enterprise architect at a manufacturing company writes, "Scalable solution for modeling, project sharing, and collaboration. Support for it is good."

    Visual Paradigm is a UML tool. The tool is designed for a wide range of users including software engineers, system analysts, business analysts and system architects, or for anyone who is interested in reliably building large-scale software systems using an object-oriented approach. In addition, Visual Paradigm supports the latest standards of UML notation.
    Offer
    Learn more about Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect
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    Sample Customers
    OmniLink
    Adobe, Apple, at&t, Caterpillar, Intel, NASA, Nokia, Toyota
    Top Industries
    REVIEWERS
    Government17%
    Energy/Utilities Company9%
    Manufacturing Company9%
    Financial Services Firm9%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Educational Organization13%
    Government11%
    Financial Services Firm11%
    Computer Software Company10%
    REVIEWERS
    Computer Software Company33%
    Financial Services Firm25%
    Aerospace/Defense Firm8%
    Government8%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company12%
    Educational Organization10%
    Financial Services Firm10%
    Government9%
    Company Size
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business34%
    Midsize Enterprise17%
    Large Enterprise49%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business16%
    Midsize Enterprise21%
    Large Enterprise64%
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business67%
    Midsize Enterprise10%
    Large Enterprise24%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business21%
    Midsize Enterprise15%
    Large Enterprise64%
    Buyer's Guide
    Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect vs. Visual Paradigm
    September 2023
    Find out what your peers are saying about Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect vs. Visual Paradigm and other solutions. Updated: September 2023.
    735,432 professionals have used our research since 2012.

    Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect is ranked 3rd in Business Process Design with 15 reviews while Visual Paradigm is ranked 7th in Business Process Design with 11 reviews. Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect is rated 7.0, while Visual Paradigm is rated 8.2. The top reviewer of Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect writes "Easy to set up and had no issues with stability, but it's not a very friendly tool, and its database modeling and entity-relationship modeling functions need improvement". On the other hand, the top reviewer of Visual Paradigm writes "Complete feature sets, plenty of models, and useful document engine". Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect is most compared with Visio, No Magic MagicDraw, Lucidchart, LeanIX and ARIS BPA, whereas Visual Paradigm is most compared with Visio, Lucidchart, No Magic MagicDraw, Bizagi and ARIS BPA. See our Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect vs. Visual Paradigm report.

    See our list of best Business Process Design vendors.

    We monitor all Business Process Design 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.