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ACL Analytics vs RSA Archer comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

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

ACL Analytics
Ranking in GRC
6th
Average Rating
9.6
Number of Reviews
6
Ranking in other categories
Continuous Controls Monitoring (1st)
RSA Archer
Ranking in GRC
1st
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
41
Ranking in other categories
IT Governance (1st), IT Vendor Risk Management (2nd)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2025, in the GRC category, the mindshare of ACL Analytics is 3.4%, down from 5.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of RSA Archer is 16.6%, down from 18.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
GRC
 

Featured Reviews

Sohail Ahmed - PeerSpot reviewer
Helps to save time and useful for data analytics
The tool's pricing is quite high. When I purchased the software, I constantly contacted the representatives. I requested a single license, but they informed me that only packages of three licenses were available. This made it very difficult for us to manage the cost, especially given the economic challenges in our country. The price of $5,000 is high, and transferring money from one country to another, particularly in dollars, is challenging due to high exchange rates. Although we managed to purchase it then, the lack of a single license option and the high cost were issues. I had trouble getting my issue across when I posted a problem with screenshots on the forum. The support team initially didn't seem to understand my problem and replied with general questions. I had to send more emails to explain it better. I think their support could be better. We expect support people to know the software well and understand our issues.
IMRAN ALMARZOOQI - PeerSpot reviewer
A rich feature set helps save time and effort, making us more efficient and saving us money
The dashboarding in this solution needs to be improved, specifically the graphics. I am trying to find other solutions because I want to create management dashboards. This product has its own built-in design capabilities and how to present things, but it doesn't have a bullet chart. The bullet chart is the best graph for my purposes, and it should be available for inclusion in the dashboards. We are doing audits and risk management, and there are timelines related to when things are due. All of that can be very easily seen in a bullet chart graph, but what is available now are pie charts, bar charts, and the simple information that is not as meaningful. The reporting features are very basic, PowerPoint-like capabilities, that should be improved. They should be more like the features available in Power BI, or Tableau. As a workaround, I tried dumping the information from Archer into these two solutions, but it would be much better to have the functionality built-in. When it comes to searching, the filtering process is not very intuitive. If I want to filter then I have to use too many buttons to get to what I'm trying to search for. If they can simplify the researching process then that would be good.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"We apply different methods, such as sampling, data manipulation, and sorting. I'm fond of the scripting feature, which automates routine tasks and saves time. It also offers data insights."
"It improved my organization using ​an automated audit revision with scripts."
"The most valuable feature of ACL Analytics is its powerful data control capabilities."
"The tool's most valuable feature is its ability to import files from other software packages. Its reporting and visualization capabilities have made our reporting easier. Importing results into spreadsheets or other documents for incorporation into reports is particularly helpful."
"It is very flexible and has hundreds of functions."
"I like the fact that in the duplicate section, I can find matches, and I can find situations where certain cells or certain cell points match, but there's a difference as well between two different records."
"Initial setup is straightforward."
"The most valuable features are the advanced workflow and the dashboards. This tool can present data wonderfully to management, and it is easy for them to manage the risk plans."
"I have found all the features to be valuable, including those involving reporting, the dashboard, notifications, email modules, the database and data input."
"Archer has simplified our security audits. It's made it easier to raise and trigger questionnaires to customers."
"The solution has helped our organization manage our internal and external activities."
"I like how Archer requires very little programming ability. A person with minimum coding experience can configure the necessary fields in Archer. It's more of a drag-and-drop solution."
"The solution has improved my organization by having everything combined to a single platform."
"The most valuable features of RSA Archer are the asset management, risk management, and vendor management."
"RSA Archer is a good tool and I have found performing the application, ISMS, and TPRM assessments beneficial."
 

Cons

"The ease of use could be better."
"The tool's pricing is quite high. When I purchased the software, I constantly contacted the representatives. I requested a single license, but they informed me that only packages of three licenses were available. This made it very difficult for us to manage the cost, especially given the economic challenges in our country."
"The product's pricing has increased over the years."
"​Reporting and presentation of information directly to solutions, such as PowerPoint.​"
"It would be beneficial if the software could improve its capabilities when extracting data from databases, particularly for those who may not be familiar with SQL queries."
"It would be useful for customers if COBIT 2019 could be translated into different languages."
"Initially, technical support is a little weak, and I would rate it six out of ten. The issue with initial support is that new engineers are often not as experienced."
"Solution could use more inbuilt applications."
"The solution as a whole could be simplified."
"Recently, we made a suggestion for cross references, like for one application to another. There were limitations there, so we're hoping that will be included in the next upgrade."
"The ticket handling process could be improved."
"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."
"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."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The pricing for me as an individual seems a lot. For our organization, the price is okay. It's about $6,000 a year. I don't know of any additional costs."
"The price of $5,000 is high, and transferring money from one country to another, particularly in dollars, is challenging due to high exchange rates. Although we managed to purchase it then, the lack of a single license option and the high cost were issues."
"The license is costly for the solution, but the remaining set up and maintenance is quite cheaper."
"The price of the solution is very affordable."
"As I am a developer and responsible for providing production support, I do not have personal knowledge of the pricing. However, my colleagues claim that it is very expensive in comparison with other tools."
"The pricing is okay. The licensing costs are very reasonable; it is very affordable to us."
"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 solution's price should be reduced. You only have to pay the license and there are no additional fees."
"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."
"It is not expensive. It is reasonable. We only pay for the licensing."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
14%
Government
13%
Computer Software Company
11%
Insurance Company
7%
Educational Organization
55%
Financial Services Firm
12%
Computer Software Company
5%
Government
3%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about ACL Analytics?
The tool's most valuable feature is its ability to import files from other software packages. Its reporting and visualization capabilities have made our reporting easier. Importing results into spr...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for ACL Analytics?
The licensing cost for ACL Analytics is around $6,000, which includes both SCA and hybrid functionalities. There are no extra fees.
What needs improvement with ACL Analytics?
The tool's pricing is quite high. When I purchased the software, I constantly contacted the representatives. I requested a single license, but they informed me that only packages of three licenses ...
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?
The user interface needs work. There are many small text boxes, like credit card size's boxes, where we need to input a lot of text. You can't see what you're typing beyond the tiny window, so you ...
What is your primary use case for RSA Archer?
We primarily use the system control module and specific IT control models for ongoing risk assessment activities. We use it on a day-to-day basis.
 

Also Known As

ACL
Archer
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Essar Group, Dean Foods, Lafarge North America, Austrian Ministry of Finance
T-Systems, Bridge Point, Equifax, First Data, Global Imaging Company, Manulife Financial
Find out what your peers are saying about ACL Analytics vs. RSA Archer and other solutions. Updated: January 2025.
832,138 professionals have used our research since 2012.