Visio and Erwin Data Modeler compete in the diagram and data modeling category. Visio appears to have the upper hand for general diagramming and process visualization due to its integration with Microsoft Office and cost-effectiveness, while Erwin is preferable for complex data modeling and enterprise-level database management.
Features: Visio provides extensive capabilities for diagramming, seamlessly integrating with Microsoft Office. It includes a robust shape library and various templates, supporting diverse use cases such as BPMN 2.0 validation, network diagrams, and flowcharts. Users benefit from its ease of use. Erwin Data Modeler focuses on database design and management, offering tools for reverse engineering and data model visualization. It excels in managing complex data structures and helping with enterprise data governance.
Room for Improvement: Visio could improve by enhancing pen input functionality and better supporting XPDL for process definition. It also needs modern integrations and better usability for complex diagrams. Erwin Data Modeler can enhance its user interface for better intuitiveness and expand its model versioning and comparison tools. Improving cloud capabilities and simplifying licensing could also benefit users.
Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Visio offers flexible deployment options across public, private cloud, and on-premises environments, but lacks real-time updates. It generally requires minimal technical support, though feedback indicates some gaps in Microsoft's support. Erwin is mostly limited to on-premises deployments, requiring detailed setup but provides enterprise-level support with the need for knowledgeable vendor assistance for complex issues.
Pricing and ROI: Visio offers competitive pricing with integration options in Office 365 and additional educational discounts, providing cost-effective solutions. Erwin Data Modeler is more expensive, reflecting its specialized focus, but delivers value for enterprise-level solutions. While both products save documentation and modeling time, Visio provides a more immediate ROI due to lower costs and simplicity.
It replaces manual charting in Visio with a structured tool, providing significant return on investment.
Quest is committed to keeping the product robust.
While I like Microsoft products in general, the main issue is with the licensing options and the problems associated with them.
I would rate it probably a nine, making it a leader in data modeling.
New versions often introduce enhanced features but may cause model crashes due to memory exhaustion.
Visio should implement more complex tools or graphics to facilitate processing and use flexible templates.
If asked to rate the price, I would give it around nine points out of ten, indicating it is somewhat expensive.
Transitioning from a logical to a physical environment with just a switch is key.
erwin pioneered data modeling, and erwin Data Modeler (erwin DM) remains trusted, award-winning software for data modeling and database design, automating complex and time-consuming tasks. Use it to discover and document any data from anywhere for consistency, clarity and artifact reuse across large-scale data integration, master data management, metadata management, Big Data, business intelligence and analytics initiatives – all while supporting data governance and intelligence efforts.
Visio is an innovative collaborative solution that enables users to quickly visualize data-connected business process flows with a host of integrated intuitive features that bring the power of Microsoft 365 to Visio. Visio allows users to easily create professional diagrams, graphs, and other visual data, easily anywhere, anytime, and with anyone. Users are able to confidently and easily transform data into creative powerful visuals. Visio provides dozens of easy-to-use templates along with thousands of customizable colorful shapes that bring a user's best ideas to life. Visio is available for all Microsoft 365 commercial users and is available on desktop and Web applications.
Visio Features
Visio can easily create visual data for today’s business needs. Some of its most useful visual data include:
Reviews from Real Users
“Visio has improved my workflow by making it easy to create charts, diagrams, and essential illustrations to use in my client reports and proposals. It has saved me a lot of time I would otherwise spend creating visuals for clients manually.” - Michael B., Principal Consultant at Lexington Consulting
“I use it for diagramming networks, racks, data centers, data flow applications, etc. It is a useful tool to map data flows, network objects, and computer science technology and to show to clients. It does what I need it to do. It's a tool I've used the longest, so I know it the best, and that's probably the claim to fame.” - Greg S., Director of Solution Architecture at Winslow Technology Group
“We use Visio for architecture modeling. We also use it to facilitate communication with other people. The feature I like most about Visio is that it acts as a facilitator of communication, as it displays information in a way that's easier to understand.” - Guy M., IT/Business Architect at a financial services firm
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