Polarion ALM Reviews

Name: Polarion ALM
Brand: Siemens
Rating: 3.9 (21 reviews)

3.9 out of 5

21 reviews
86% willing to recommend

182 followers

What is Polarion ALM?

The world’s first 100% browser-based ALM enterprise solution, which enables seamless collaboration across disparate teams, multi-directionally linked work items, full traceability, accelerated productivity and automated proof of compliance.

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Polarion ALM is the #7 ranked solution in top Application Lifecycle Management Suites and top Enterprise Agile Planning Tools. PeerSpot users give Polarion ALM an average rating of 7.8 out of 10. Polarion ALM is most commonly compared to Microsoft Azure DevOps: Polarion ALM vs Microsoft Azure DevOps. Polarion ALM is popular among the large enterprise segment, accounting for 66% of users researching this solution on PeerSpot. The top industry researching this solution are professionals from a manufacturing company, accounting for 25% of all views.

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Featured Polarion ALM reviews

Dina Bindi

Information and Communication technology at CNH Industrial

It's extremely flexible. Configuring items is straightforward and doesn't require involving the supplier each time. We find the requirement management, test management, documentation, and dashboards very effective. However, we don't use DevOps-related features, such as integration with tools like SVN or Git, because we use Azure DevOps. The aspects related to requirements, testing, changes, tasks, and agile methodology are excellent, which is why we've been using it for a long time.

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Harold Pogue

Global IT Director of Digital Platforms. Digital and Connected Commerce at a healthcare company with 10,001+ employees

The solution's editing capabilities need improvement. I would like the traceability and the generation of trace matrices beefed up. Felix ALM had a very flexible and powerful trace matrix capability, that Polarion ALM doesn't have. Currently, we have a person that writes scripting to do trace matrices across requirements tests, and different versions. The solution has a real problem when we have two or more people working on the same document with different WIs. in Polarion ALM, we have no way of knowing if someone else is using the same document until we try to exit because a notification pops up indicating someone else is working on the document. If we exit, we potentially will override their work and will have to go into the history to reconsolidate the document." The solution only indicates that someone else is also accessing the document once we have completed our work and it does not provide any information about who it is which makes things even more complicated when trying to consolidate the document.

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Shaik Abdullah

Field Application Engineer at FTD INFOCOM

Integration requires a lot of effort. You typically need to work with an implementation partner to get it done. Most connectors available for Polarion ALM are paid. Unlike other vendors offering several standard connectors for free, integrating third-party software with Polarion ALM involves discussing and coordinating with the third-party software providers, which requires effort. Most of our customers use multiple third-party software, and integrating them with Polarion ALM can be difficult. Even if we configure it for project use, integrating all this software plays a major role. It’s challenging to convince clients to use Polarion ALM because it requires a lot of effort and manual work to sync data from other third-party software.

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Polarion ALM mindshare

Product category:

As of March 2025, the mindshare of Polarion ALM in the Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) Suites category stands at 7.8%, up from 5.3% compared to the previous year, according to calculations based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) Suites

PeerAnalyst reports based on Polarion ALM reviews

Type	Title	Date
Category	Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) Suites	Mar 31, 2025	Download
Product	Reviews, tips, and advice from real users	Mar 31, 2025	Download
Comparison	Polarion ALM vs Jira	Mar 31, 2025	Download
Comparison	Polarion ALM vs Microsoft Azure DevOps	Mar 31, 2025	Download
Comparison	Polarion ALM vs Nutanix Cloud Manager (NCM)	Mar 31, 2025	Download

Title	Rating	Mindshare	Recommending
Microsoft Azure DevOps	4.1	18.2%	95%	132 interviews Add to research
Jira	4.1	22.2%	91%	274 interviews Add to research

Valuable Features

Polarion ALM's strength lies in its traceability, requirements management, and document control capabilities. Users value its integration, flexibility, and ability to manage workflows. With comprehensive features like planning, testing, and risk management, it supports various development needs efficiently. Its all-in-one structure and impressive stability further enhance its reliability. The customizable dashboards and easy configuration are frequently highlighted features. User experience is enhanced by its organized documentation and robust management, especially appreciated in medical and agile contexts.

"Polarion ALM delivers both document views and table views simultaneously and organizes configurations according to norms and standards."
"It's extremely flexible. Configuring items is straightforward and doesn't require involving the supplier each time. We find the requirement management, test management, documentation, and dashboards very effective."
"The software is stable."

Room for Improvement

Polarion ALM's interface is complex, affecting user experience. Loading times are slow with many work items. Import functions, JIRA synchronization, and integration with Linux or Mac need enhancement. The graphical interface requires scripting. Planning is basic, with problematic external repository integration. Collaboration features, like document editing, need improvement. The pricing model is costly for smaller enterprises. The dashboard and reporting functions are complex. Users suggest AI incorporation and better REST API integration.

"The system’s technology is not the most current, leading to missing features that are common in web-based applications."
"I also recently suggested that CMS consider incorporating generative artificial intelligence into the system."
"Nowadays, the dashboard is too complex to be created."

Pricing

Enterprise buyers evaluating Polarion ALM report that its pricing structure can be high, particularly affecting smaller organizations. While licensing and setup costs present a premium challenge compared to other solutions, some users highlight a balance between price and performance, depending on the functionality required. Licensing is typically annual, with additional expenses for maintenance and support. Multi-year subscriptions may offer better rates, though the overall pricing remains a significant consideration for potential adopters.

"It is an expensive product."
"You have to pay around 50-60 euros per user."
"Software for medical devices is always expensive."

Popular Use Cases

Polarion ALM is primarily used for requirement engineering, lifecycle management, and documentation. Various industries, including automotive and medical device development, utilize it for DevOps, task planning, validation, test case management, and traceability. It integrates with SVN and GitLab. Users manage tasks, anomalies, and design documents, tailoring configurations for project needs. Organizations maintain data privacy while coordinating across multiple projects, supporting development from conception to testing.

Service and Support

Customer service and support for Polarion ALM are viewed as mixed. Some users find the technical support responsive and knowledgeable, while others find it inconsistent. Hidden features like code snippets are available upon request. Users mention a complexity in contacting support and a variation in resolution speed. Siemens' acquisition affected the efficiency compared to when Polarion ALM operated independently, though users still appreciate timely and knowledgeable support when it works effectively.

Deployment

Polarion ALM's initial setup is typically straightforward but varies in complexity based on installation scenarios. Smaller standalone installations tend to be easier, while more complex setups, like load balancing and customization, require additional time and expertise. Users mention that while the deployment can take a few hours to several months, there's a need for careful administration to prevent issues when updating. Team collaboration and training are often necessary to handle setups effectively.

Scalability

Opinions on Polarion ALM scalability vary. Some users find it highly scalable and configurable through the GUI and backend, while others highlight architectural limitations, requiring extra resources for deployment. Larger organizations appreciate its capability to scale up, though maintaining different configurations might demand more personnel. For certain users, performance and scaling are consistent issues despite attempts to enhance these areas, leading to mixed satisfaction levels regarding its adaptability for large projects.

Stability

Polarion ALM is generally stable with reliable performance. Challenges arise with extensive work items in LiveDocs impacting loading times, and certain features depend heavily on IT infrastructure. Users encounter sporadic responsiveness issues and the need for workarounds when baseline comparisons timeout. Despite these, many find it consistently stable, lacking significant bugs, and capable of managing large projects effectively. Users consider it trustworthy, though some technological updates might be necessary to maintain competitiveness.

These insights are based on the in-depth reviews provided by peers to help you make a better buying decision.

Download our Polarion ALM Buyer's Guide for additional reliable information.