ARIS Architect and Designer vs erwin Data Modeler comparison

Software AG and Quest Software are both solutions in the Business Process Design category. Software AG is ranked #11 with an average rating of 8.7, while Quest Software is ranked #8 with an average rating of 8.4. Software AG holds a 1.1% mindshare in BPD, compared to Quest Software’s 2.5% mindshare. Additionally, 83% of Software AG users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 95% of Quest Software users who would recommend it.

ARIS Architect and Designer

Read 11 ARIS Architect and Designer reviews

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748 Comparison Views

83% willing to recommend

erwin Data Modeler

Read 45 erwin Data Modeler reviews

5,210 Views
1,563 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

ARIS Architect and Designer

erwin Data Modeler

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 23, 2025

Erwin Data Modeler and ARIS Architect and Designer are both influential in the data management and enterprise process management sector. While Erwin stands out with its data-centric features, ARIS shines in enterprise process visualization.

Features: Erwin Data Modeler is noted for its advanced capabilities in bulk editing, forward and reverse engineering, and visualization that assists in understanding and collaboration. It automates reporting and supports various integrations. ARIS Architect and Designer offers superior enterprise architecture management, advanced process visualization, and has the ability to establish in-depth process alignments with high customizability, enhancing its integration capabilities.

Room for Improvement: Erwin struggles with usability issues and a complex interface, along with limited compatibility with new big data platforms. Improving the Complete Compare usability and simplifying navigation could improve the user experience. ARIS could lower licensing costs and improve cloud functionality, as the separation of collaboration tools into a separate, costly product is a barrier for some users. Enhancements in simulation and usability would boost its market appeal.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Both Erwin and ARIS primarily operate on-premises. Erwin is known for its proactive customer support, despite some inconsistency in response times, and has gaps in JSON and big data platform support. ARIS’s support is satisfactory but has room for improvement in handling technical issues, especially when it comes to accessing more advanced cloud-based features.

Pricing and ROI: Erwin’s concurrent and per-seat licensing options are often seen as pricey, especially for smaller organizations, posing challenges in license management. It delivers ROI through time savings and enhanced data governance. Similarly, ARIS faces challenges with complex licensing and high costs, potentially deterring new users. However, its value in enterprise process management supports its cost for larger implementations. Both products deliver ROI but could improve accessibility by reevaluating pricing strategies.

To learn more, read our detailed ARIS Architect and Designer vs. erwin Data Modeler Report (Updated: December 2025).

Buyer's Guide

ARIS Architect and Designer vs. erwin Data Modeler

December 2025

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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

ARIS Architect and Designer

Ranking in Business Process Design

11th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

erwin Data Modeler

Ranking in Business Process Design

8th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

5.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Enterprise Architecture Management (2nd), Data Governance (15th)

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Business Process Design category, the mindshare of ARIS Architect and Designer is 1.1%, up from 0.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of erwin Data Modeler is 2.5%, up from 2.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Business Process Design Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
erwin Data Modeler	2.5%
ARIS Architect and Designer	1.1%
Other	96.4%

Business Process Design

Featured Reviews

BeenishMustafa

Consultant at KAFD DMC

Has raised concerns about pricing while expressing satisfaction with its contribution to optimizing internal processes

Considering the integration capability of the product, it contributes to data-driven decision-making in our case. We see some impact of reporting tools on performance tracking or strategic planning. We do different kinds of analysis in regard to due integration controls, risk, and how we can strengthen the processes and the activities. We use it for various purposes. Regarding the process visualization framework, it helps to improve communication and collaboration in the company in a positive way. Architect is managing all the library management and with regards to the filter management. It's always a positive side that if you want to use anything further, we know that we can reach out to the Architect to add those objects and those attributes. It's really good.

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reviewer2795649

Senior Data Architect at a computer software company with 1,001-5,000 employees

Data modeling has enabled end-to-end designs and has improved collaboration between teams

Areas of erwin Data Modeler that I think could be improved or enhanced include a few things. I have not worked in erwin for the past four to five years, but based on my 20 years of career experience, I worked with erwin one or two years on an earlier project and currently am working with it again. Based on my overall 20 years of career experience, I have worked with erwin modeling for four to five years. I am not a master of the tool, but I cannot identify significant flaws. The price should be reduced. That could be one area of improvement. Additionally, the licensing system could be enhanced. In our current project, there are five licenses within the business. If anyone is moving to erwin, the other person cannot enter the erwin solution. There should be a message indicating that five persons are involved in erwin, and you cannot use it at that time. However, that is a minor issue.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"One of the most valuable features is how user-friendly ARIS is, compared to other BPM tools. This tool has very diverse types of assets available. ARIS also has a lot of customizable options, different model types, object types, a number of attributes, and a lot of customization is possible. In comparison, Signavio is very limited in terms of model types and object types. So these customizations ARIS offers are really valuable to any client who wants to create a BPM repository."

"The support team is very responsive."

"Considering the integration capability of the product, it contributes to data-driven decision-making in our case."

"Its user interface is highly regarded, especially when compared with Visual Paradigm."

"It's really fast. It's much faster compared to Enterprise Architect."

"The most important feature is ARIS's ability to turn a process design into data to analyze anything you want. For example, we have some analysis reports in ARIS that can guide us when we want to change a system. It shows us how this change will affect all of the organization's processes."

"Considering the integration capability of the product, it contributes to data-driven decision-making in our case."

More ARIS Architect and Designer pros

"One of the best aspects of the tool is its reverse engineering capability."

"It supports a wide variety of databases, including the latest ones. We have chosen to go for a cloud-based database, and it supports that, which is very useful."

"This tool is beneficial to any organization as it is foundational; there is no better way than this, and it is a must-have for every organization, whether large or small."

"Drag-and-drop data modeling and reverse engineering out of databases are the most valuable features of erwin Data Modeler by Quest."

"The ability to collaborate between different members across the organization is the most valuable feature. It gives us the ability to work on the same model, regardless of where we are physically."

"It's a safeguard for me because I'm always concerned that somebody is free handing it and will forget a key coming from the parent. The migrating keys are a great feature. Identifying relationships, non-identifying relationships, and being visually right there to understand the differences are great features. erwin is key to being able to visually understand whatever the customer is requesting. They'll give you words on a paper, but once they can actually view it as a picture, it really comes to life. The data comes to life to where they understand exactly what they're asking for."

"The most valuable feature is the physical or visual representation of the database, showing the tables, the columns, the foreign keys, and the ability to generate DDL, so you can physically implement databases."

"The solution is good for organizing the data and the scripting part is very powerful. It's easy to create technical scripts for models."

More erwin Data Modeler pros

Cons

"Currently, we don't have any metrics to measure the success of ARIS Architect and Designer."

"We face problems when the product's capacity is increased."

"Currently, we don't have any metrics to measure the success of ARIS Architect and Designer."

"The customer service of ARIS Architect and Designer was disappointing. It took forty days to conclude that partial data restoration was not possible, and it was suggested that the data might have been accidentally deleted, despite evidence to the contrary."

"Sometimes we feel that the designer needs more usability. I understand that the web module or the cloud version is much more user-friendly and easier to work on compared to the client that we download."

"Currently, we don't have any metrics to measure the success of ARIS Architect and Designer."

"Currently, we don't have any metrics to measure the success of ARIS Architect and Designer. We would appreciate it if you could share anything with us that we can do to find out the impact."

"Even with a formal modeling language, users can still draw freely and make a bit of a mess in your repository. It should also improve usability."

More ARIS Architect and Designer cons

"I'd really like to see the PDF function become available. It would make my life much easier than what it is at the moment because whenever I need to collaborate with people that do not have erwin, I have to go through the wonkiness of going to Word and then save it from Word into PDF. There's a lot of differences between erwin 4.4 and 2020."

"I would like to see more support for working with the big-data world. There are so many new databases evolving and it's very hard for them to keep up with all of the new technologies. It would be good if they were able to dynamically support big-data platforms, other than Hive and Teradata."

"I would like to see improved reporting and, potentially, dashboards built on top of that. Right now, it's a little manual. More automated reporting and dashboard views would help because currently you have to push things out to a spreadsheet, or to HTML, and there aren't many other options that I know of. I would like to be able to produce graphs and additional things right in the tool, instead of having to export the data somewhere else."

"The solution's reporting side needs to be improved."

"The only real complaint I have is the time it takes to do a database comparison on a large model. If they could speed that up, that would be the only thing I can think of that needs improvement."

"I love the product. I love the ability to get into the code, make it automated, and make it do what I want. I would like to see them put some kind of governance over the ability to make changes to the mart tables with the API, so that instead of just using the modeler's rights to a table -- it has a separate set of rights for API access. That would give us the ability to put governance around API applications. Right now a person with erwin and Excel/VBA has the ability to make changes to models with the API if they also have rights to make changes to the model from erwin. It's a risk."

"The interface must be improved."

"erwin generally fails to successfully reverse engineer our Oracle Databases into erwin data models. The way that they are engineered on our side, the syntax is correct from an Oracle perspective, but it seems to be very difficult for erwin to interpret. What I end up doing is using Oracle Data Modeler to reverse engineer into the Oracle data model, then forward engineer the DDL into an Oracle syntax, and importing that DDL into erwin in order to successfully bring in most of the information from our physical data models. That is a bit of a challenge."

More erwin Data Modeler cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The licenses are very costly. I've seen many people who are hesitant or not able to use ARIS Suite just because of the license cost. Even though they like all the functionalities and understand the value of everything ARIS provides, they aren't able to implement it."

"The product is expensive."

"Many customers find the licensing configuration confusing. There are many different sub-details in the licensing, making it very difficult for us to understand what we are buying and what we are using with what."

"The tool is a little bit expensive."

"The price should be lower in order to be on the same level as its competitors."

"I don't specifically know what we're paying now. About three years ago, in another organization, I have this memory of 6,000 AUD a seat or something like that, but I am not sure. In the mid-2000s, it was something like 1,200 AUD a seat. I get the impression that there was a price jump when it was spun off from CA as a separate company, which is understandable, but it could sometimes be a barrier in some organizations picking it up. I haven't talked to erwin people yet, but I'm going to suggest to them that they could perhaps think of having an entry-level product that is priced a bit lower, and then, you can buy the extra suite."

"There is either a one-year or three-year license. It is not a pay-as-you-go license like a SaaS solution. It’s more of a traditional licensing. They are a little bit on the pricier side."

"erwin Data Modeler by Quest is an expensive solution."

"I wish it wasn't so expensive. I would love to personally buy a copy of my own and have it at home, because the next job that I'm looking at is probably project management and I might not have access to the tool. I would like to keep my ability to use the tool. Therefore, they should probably have a pricing for people like me who want to just use the solution as an independent consultant, trying to get started. $3,000 is a big hit."

"We've continued to use the product for many years and compared it with others on the market. The pricing is reasonable considering what the solution offers and what we pay. There are cheaper tools, but they may not be as robust and easy to use, so it's worth the money."

"There are two license options and the pricing is reasonable."

"The pricing of the solution is cheap. I rate the pricing a five out of ten."

More erwin Data Modeler pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

14%

Computer Software Company

12%

Government

10%

Insurance Company

Financial Services Firm

18%

Government

Manufacturing Company

Performing Arts

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	4
Midsize Enterprise	5
Large Enterprise	3

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	14
Midsize Enterprise	3
Large Enterprise	34

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about ARIS Architect and Designer?

The support team is very responsive.

See all answers

What needs improvement with ARIS Architect and Designer?

Currently, we don't have any metrics to measure the success of ARIS Architect and Designer. We would appreciate it if you could share anything with us that we can do to find out the impact.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for ARIS Architect and Designer?

We spoke with you about ARIS Architect and Designer. We already have two architect licenses, I think three architect licenses, and we have, I think, six or seven designer licenses. Architect is bas...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for erwin Data Modeler by Quest?

Regarding pricing, I am unsure what the exact price is for erwin Data Modeler, but I believe it is not useful for an individual. It is more targeted toward an enterprise level since organizations l...

See all answers

What needs improvement with erwin Data Modeler by Quest?

I write code and I write code accessing erwin Data Modeler's API, the Application Programming Interface, so that I can use Excel to update erwin Data Modeler and then get those updates and put them...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for erwin Data Modeler by Quest?

I work for CVS with a pretty big database as a data modeler on the PBMs, the Caremark PBM side, which is the Pharmacy Benefits Manager. There's a retail side too for all the stores, but our data wa...

See all answers

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Compared 10% of the time

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Compared 7% of the time

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Compared 6% of the time

Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect vs erwin Data Modeler

Compared 4% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

ARIS Architect and Designer

January 2026

Download ARIS Architect and Designer product report

Buyer's Guide

erwin Data Modeler

January 2026

Download erwin Data Modeler product report

Also Known As

ARIS Architect & Designer, ARIS Architect, ARIS Designer

erwin DM

Overview

ARIS is the market-leading solution for professional business process management and modeling. Whether you want to document the "as-is" state of your operations for quality or certification reasons or design the "to-be" in terms of continuous improvement in your transformation program, ARIS is the best choice for establishing a single source of truth regarding all process excellence topics in your organization. It is for any organization looking to digitally transform their business, increase operational excellence and customer experience and ensure compliance in execution. ARIS helps you to make the most out of your processes with Process Mining, Risk & Compliance Management, RPA and much more.

What makes the difference?

The most comprehensive platform for process excellence in the market
Easy to use
Covers business & IT architecture from all angles
Full flexibility and >100 diagram types
Customer-driven development based on best practices
Strong partner ecosystem

ARIS is the market-leading solution for any organization and ideally suited to digitally transform the organization, increase operational excellence and customer experience and ensure compliance in execution.

Software AG

Erwin Data Modeler provides an effective approach to visualizing and managing data models. It assists in creating, reversing, and synchronizing data models with ease, supporting logical and physical transitions while enhancing understanding across teams.

Erwin Data Modeler is a comprehensive tool designed for professional database management. It offers capabilities to organize and enforce standards, automating script generation with robust reverse engineering and DDL output. Users can manage complex data environments, capitalize on integration with data intelligence, and maintain large-scale databases smoothly. Despite its strengths, improvements in multi-language support, database integration, and reporting features are needed. Users benefit from extensive support for conceptual, logical, and physical database modeling, enhancing architectural design and data governance for platforms like SQL Server, Oracle, and Teradata.

What are the key features of Erwin Data Modeler?

Visual Representation: Facilitates clear visualization of data models, aiding comprehension.
Versioning and Editing: Enhance usability with versioning and bulk editing capabilities.
Reverse Engineering: Offers powerful tools for reverse engineering and DDL generation.
Integration: Aligns with data intelligence to streamline database management.
Naming Standards: Enforces consistency with automated script creation.

What benefits should users consider in Erwin Data Modeler reviews?

Collaboration: Promotes team understanding and collaboration through visual tools.
Automation: Reduces manual effort through automated processes and integration.
Scalability: Handles large database management efficiently, crucial for enterprise settings.
Data Governance: Facilitates effective data governance with structured modeling.

Erwin Data Modeler finds application in industries focused on robust data management, implementing it for enterprise data warehouses, business domain models, and operational systems. It supports architectural design and governance, aligning with business applications demanding precise data representation and visualization.

Quest Software

Sample Customers

Tesco, Weifu, Airbus, Siemens, Proximus, Alicorp, Sekerbank, Bancor, Philips,Sky, Emirates NBD, Dubai Municipality, Suva, U.S. Army, Australia Post, Westfalen Weser Energie - ARIS serves customers across all industries and of every size worldwide. Companies trust ARIS as the market leader for process excellence with more than 30 years of experience in the market, 10 million users worldwide, from 1 user companies to the Fortune 500.

Premera, America Honda Motors, Aetna, Kaiser Permanente, Dental Dental Cali, Cigna, Staples

Buyer's Guide

ARIS Architect and Designer vs. erwin Data Modeler

December 2025

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