Bonita vs Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect comparison

Bonitasoft and Sparx Systems are both solutions in the Business Process Design category. Bonitasoft is ranked #11 with an average rating of 8.2, while Sparx Systems is ranked #4 with an average rating of 7.3. Bonitasoft holds a 4.4% mindshare in BPD, compared to Sparx Systems’s 11.6% mindshare. Additionally, 96% of Bonitasoft users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 87% of Sparx Systems users who would recommend it.

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 3, 2024

Bonita and Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect compete in the business process management and system modeling sectors. Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect seems to have the upper hand due to its extensive features, despite Bonita being cost-effective and supportive.

Features: Bonita provides process modeling, application deployment, and real-time monitoring. Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect offers comprehensive modeling tools, version control, and multi-user environments, giving it an edge in advanced modeling features.

Room for Improvement: Bonita could improve in its UI flexibility and deeper integration capabilities. Enhanced error handling and expanded mobile portal capabilities would also benefit Bonita users. Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect might focus on simplifying its configuration and improving customer support responsiveness. A streamlined cloud-based deployment option would also enhance its offering.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Bonita provides both cloud-based and on-premises deployment models supported by responsive customer service. Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect offers flexible on-premises installations but has mixed feedback regarding its customer service experiences. Bonita's deployment versatility and support are favorable, while Sparx is noted for its technical flexibility in deployment.

Pricing and ROI: Bonita attracts budget-conscious businesses with lower initial costs and favorable ROI. Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect requires a higher initial investment but provides significant long-term value due to its advanced functionalities. While Bonita's pricing appeals to budgeting concerns, Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect's ROI is justified by its rich features.

To learn more, read our detailed Bonita vs. Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect Report (Updated: December 2024).

Buyer's Guide

Bonita vs. Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect

December 2024

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Categories and Ranking

IBM Blueworks Live

Mindshare comparison

As of December 2024, in the Business Process Design category, the mindshare of IBM Blueworks Live is 3.5%, up from 3.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Bonita is 4.4%, up from 3.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect is 11.6%, down from 12.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Business Process Design

Featured Reviews

AjarMathur

Global Innovation Director at Ernst & Young

An easily scalable and affordable solution that enables users to document and digitize processes with ease

IBM Blueworks is BPMN 2.0 compliant, but it does not adapt to the overarching BPMN 2.0 concepts. There is only one kind of BPMN 2.0 diagram. It is a process diagram. It doesn't have the concept of separate tools, which other products offer. If I had to do a hardcore BPMN 2.0 modeling, the product would have its own reservations. There were features we could not explore from a BPMN 2.0 perspective. Most of the time, people who are shifting from Microsoft Office tools to a digitized way of working still want the reporting capabilities to be strong. Some tools, like ARIS or Signavio, offer customized solutions from the reporting perspective. If I have documented my whole finance process and want to fetch out a complete SOP report in a very customized manner, IBM Blueworks cannot provide it. We have to rely on some other services. So that's one area in which we always struggled, how to really customize the reporting aspects. I understand that we need to keep the tool a little more asset-light. It's very difficult to keep adding many options, but at least a few BPMN 2.0 options were needed. We have been suggesting to IBM that we should have some way of customizing the reporting. At least we should get a custom way of reporting it into different formats like Excel or putting up a logo for one of the clients so that their SAP can be printed that way.

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Mohamed Guermazi

Technical Director / Project Manager at I-way

The user interface is easy to use, and the product performs well, but the dashboard and the monitoring features are limited

We use the product to design workflows. We model and install them on the server. We use the Community edition The modeling features are easy. The performance of the tool is good. The user interface is easy to use. I have used the product for complex processes and sub-processes successfully. The…

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Milan Sterba

Senior Enterprise Architect at Deepview S.r.o.

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.

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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

"IBM Blueworks Live is cloud-based and provides easy access to all your processes in one place."

"The business process discovery is excellent. The diagram or blueprinting functionality of the solution are very good. It's quite easy. You can link the sub-processes and get a big overview of the whole process then."

"The solution is easy to operate. Also, there is an automatic mode to make the business flow. You don't have to put any lines or arrows in a decision point in IBM Blueworks Live; it's very automatic."

"The licenses are transferrable between different users."

"Valuable features include real-time modeling and design work, the ability to perform workshops with clients in real-time with the tool, and getting instant output."

"The solution is stable. All the refreshes run very well."

"In terms of the collaboration features, from the point of discovery, it was useful to go to load up the policies and the rule sets that the client had. And in terms of exploring options and being able to model a variety of different processes, that was incredibly useful as well."

"The stability is pretty good. It is highly available, which is key. You don't lose your work and can autosave."

More IBM Blueworks Live pros

"Flexible and drag-and-drop type of UI is very valuable. The integrations are also very good. You can build workflows very quickly, which is my favorite activity. By using the GUI, you can build the entire mechanism, notifications, and all this kind of stuff."

"Bonita is simple and lightweight and is flexible to integrate with third-party systems. The UI is now flexible, whereas it was previously rigid. Any technology can be used as a frontend, including ReactJS, Angular, and others."

"The user interface is better than all of the open-source BPMs that I have tried."

"Process automation with Bonita BPM is really easy."

"Bonita is user-friendly."

"The solution is stable. Even the older versions are stable."

"The user interface is easy to use."

"I find process management and user interface designing the most valuable features."

More Bonita pros

"It's a stable and scalable solution. I like that it's similar to Rational Rose."

"Large variety of profiles and frameworks available out-of-the-box without the need for customization."

"Scalable solution for modeling, project sharing, and collaboration. Support for it is good."

"The product offers very good support for all mainstream modeling notations and architectural frameworks."

"A feature I like most about Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect is its ease of use."

"We can easily use it with our new customers."

"The advantages of Enterprise are that it's cheaper and much more practical than MagicDraw."

"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"

More Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect pros

Cons

"I can't insert any images. For example, within the process map, if I want to put it in the box or rectangle, or circle. If I have to use one image or icon, that's not possible."

"We'd also like to see it be Six Sigma or Lean compatible, a lot of people have asked about that."

"The user interface is quite easy at first but process analysts soon run into roadblocks of limited functionality, which is disappointing."

"In the Blue Works Live software boxes and lines are automatically placed by the programme and can't be easily manipulated."

"The APIs are great, except the normal business user doesn't know how to create APIs. So it's hard because IBM comes to us as the business users and tell us to create reporting with APIs, except we don't know that, so we have to turn around and flip it to our IT people."

"We would like the ability to add additional custom colors. We would like to color additional items to add notes to the blueprint."

"It is BPMN-compliant but the tool needs to be more involved to get into a completely 2.0 oriented tool. It has a few things but it's not the complete BPMN model."

"The ability to create a very structured rule. With the capability that we have right now, Blueworks Live is more process focused. We should be able to enhance it to include a lot more of decisions as well."

More IBM Blueworks Live cons

"We are struggling a bit with integrations."

"I should be able to park the tasks that are within a process in a kind of container, and dynamically, a super admin should be able to connect these processes. This kind of feature might be helpful."

"There could be an improvement in IoT connectivity."

"There is a considerable learning curve."

"The dashboard has limited features."

"I would like to improve the product's load balancing."

"I have run into a lot of problems because there is not enough documentation."

"There is a need for more components in the library and additional customization options for these components."

More Bonita cons

"What should be improved are the integration capabilities of the solution with Bizagi."

"It can be improved in the area of shared documentation. The idea is that the architecture tool can call back to an enterprise asset, pull that information, and link that as a sub-artifact."

"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."

"It could be more user-friendly. The tools could be more simple to use. It's a very complex solution. Because I am a business analyst, I use these tools to manage requirements, and I make models in UML, BPMN, and ArchiMate, and it's complex. In the next release, I would like to see more integrations."

"Because its easy to create diagrams one needs to be vigilant on the housekeeping of orphaned fragments - I have written my own scripts to do this, maybe they are available now."

"Even if there are web-based tools in the Enterprise Architecture tool ecosystem (like Prolaborate), the main modeling application is still a fat client application."

"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."

"The areas of improvement should be focused on utility service such as producing better graphics, perhaps having a wider image library set and producing better models for working directly with customers."

More Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Based on the licenses purchased, from a footprint perspective, you can have as many people as you want. You have multiple different categories of licenses to keep the cost low."

"We are seeing ROI from this solution. The solution has saved us time."

"There are editor licenses that are around 50 euros per month, and contributor licenses that are around 30 euros per month."

"The solution is not very expensive."

"Price wise, IBM Blueworks Live is in the middle range, and I would give it a five out of ten."

"The solution is very, very cost-effective."

"They have a free subscription model that gives a lot of power to the users."

"Making it less expensive would be good."

"Licensing cost for the Enterprise edition comes out to be around 40,000 a year. There is also a Community edition, which is free. Some customers can go for the Community edition, but some of them require the Enterprise edition. Big companies go for the Enterprise edition, which comes with a lot of additional features such as a mobile app."

"have installed the image of Bonita BPM on Amazon AWS and there is just one option to use and pay for."

"The price is fair for what we are using the solution for."

"We are using the Community Version, which can be used free of charge."

"The Community Edition comes free of charge."

"The product is not cheaper, not costlier; it is reasonable. Bonita’s license is very flexible, with options to meet the needs of different customers and clients. Previously, it was less flexible, but now, many different licensing options are available."

"The Enterprise edition is very expensive."

"Price to service ratio with Bonita BPM is good."

More Bonita pricing and cost advice

"I think our license costs roughly $1,000 a year, but I could be wrong."

"Licenses are pretty low cost compared to, for example, ARIS."

"We had a yearly license."

"The license for Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect is paid yearly, but I don't handle that area. It's good for its price, so I'm rating it a five out of five, but I'm not using it much. I also don't have information regarding additional costs apart from the standard licensing fees."

"I rate the solution's pricing a five out of ten."

"The licence has a costly upfront fee which gets you access. You have to pay an annual maintenance fee, which is less."

"There is a license for this solution. When comparing this solution to others it is priced well."

"We paid 1200 euros as a once-off cost. All add ons and integrations come at an additional cost."

More Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

19%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Computer Software Company

10%

Government

Computer Software Company

17%

Financial Services Firm

13%

Educational Organization

Manufacturing Company

Educational Organization

17%

Government

11%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Computer Software Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about IBM Blueworks Live?

The solution is easy to operate. Also, there is an automatic mode to make the business flow. You don't have to put an...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IBM Blueworks Live?

The solution costs around 600-700 dollars/year, which is quite affordable.

See all answers

What needs improvement with IBM Blueworks Live?

Sometimes, the tool is automatic, which can complicate it, but once you're accustomed to manipulating it, you can use...

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How does Bonita compare with Camunda Platform?

One of the things we like best about Bonita is that you can create without coding - it is a low-code platform. With B...

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What do you like most about Bonita?

The user interface is easy to use.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Bonita?

The Enterprise edition is very expensive.

See all answers

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.

See all answers

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...

See all answers

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 stra...

See all answers

Comparisons

Visio vs IBM Blueworks Live

Compared 37% of the time

SAP Signavio Process Manager vs IBM Blueworks Live

Compared 17% of the time

Lucidchart vs IBM Blueworks Live

Compared 15% of the time

ARIS Cloud vs IBM Blueworks Live

Compared 9% of the time

Bizagi vs IBM Blueworks Live

Compared 3% of the time

More IBM Blueworks Live Competitors

Camunda vs Bonita

Compared 56% of the time

Bizagi vs Bonita

Compared 18% of the time

Flowable vs Bonita

Compared 5% of the time

IBM BPM vs Bonita

Compared 3% of the time

ProcessMaker vs Bonita

Compared 3% of the time

More Bonita Competitors

Visual Paradigm vs Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect

Compared 17% of the time

Visio vs Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect

Compared 12% of the time

No Magic MagicDraw vs Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect

Compared 10% of the time

Lucidchart vs Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect

Compared 9% of the time

LeanIX vs Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect

Compared 8% of the time

More Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

IBM Blueworks Live

December 2024

Download IBM Blueworks Live product report

Buyer's Guide

Bonita

December 2024

Download Bonita product report

Buyer's Guide

Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect

November 2024

Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect report

Download Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect product report

Also Known As

IBM Lombardi Blueprint

Bonita BPM

No data available

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IBM

Bonitasoft

Video not available

Sparx Systems

Overview

IBM Blueworks Live is a cloud-based business process modeling tool that helps you discover, map and document your processes. It is easy to use, allowing you to learn and perform business process modeling in minutes.

With Blueworks Live you can:

Simplify business process modeling
Quickly build business processes in a straightforward, cloud-based interface designed for both IT and business users.

Improve process efficiency and accuracy
A central process repository eliminates version control and consistency issues by providing users real-time access to process workflows.

Enhance cross-team collaboration
A shared team workspace engages all business process owners, encouraging cross-team participation and continuous process improvement.

Bonitasoft helps innovative companies worldwide deliver better digital user experiences for customers and employees. The extensible and open Bonita application platform unleashes the full potential of multidisciplinary development teams to create Living Apps: applications that allow continuous and incremental improvement, connecting tailored user interfaces with reliable back-office operations.

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."

Sample Customers

Cloudsoft Corp. Ltd., Bayer, S¾SS, Essex County Council

With more than 1000 customers in 75 countries, and its ecosystem of more than 120,000 members, Bonitasoft is the largest provider of open-source Business Process Management, Low-code and Digital Transformation software worldwide.

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Buyer's Guide

Bonita vs. Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect

December 2024

Free Report: Bonita vs. Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect

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