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IBM OpenPages vs RSA Archer comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Feb 4, 2025

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

IBM OpenPages
Ranking in GRC
7th
Ranking in IT Governance
2nd
Average Rating
7.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
7
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
RSA Archer
Ranking in GRC
1st
Ranking in IT Governance
1st
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
41
Ranking in other categories
IT Vendor Risk Management (2nd)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2025, in the GRC category, the mindshare of IBM OpenPages is 5.9%, up from 5.7% 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

Seetha Pullela - PeerSpot reviewer
Enhanced risk management with useful reports and easy to deploy
We have deployed the ORM module in our bank. We have our businesses listed in the application, and we identify risks. We manage multiple controls, assess historical controls, and monitor these controls using test source control monitoring and management. We have recently started using the Assurant…
IMRAN ALMARZOOQI - PeerSpot reviewer
Automates compliance management effectively but needs improved interface and dashboards
The tool basically automates whatever processes you already have, so I cannot specify improvements in that regard. However, my main issue with Archer is the graphics. The graphics have always been lacking. I always need to depend on another tool to read information from Archer to have better dashboards. It is like using Linux, and it has a Linux mindset and interface. I want to use Archer for top management and CEOs, but it looks too technical, and the dashboards are not really friendly. They are bulky, like opening an old Nintendo system from nineteen-ninety. The management agrees that Archer lacks in terms of presentation and dashboarding. It is complex, not user-friendly, and bulky. The interface just looks old.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The product’s interface is very intuitive."
"The most valuable features are the workflow engine, calculations, and security rules."
"The ability to keep a record of internal incidents in the company, and also the monitoring of Key Indicators."
"Everything about IBM OpenPages is valuable, particularly when compared to other solutions in the market like MetricStream, from which we switched due to its feasibility, user-friendliness, and performance."
"The content, reporting, and workflow features stand out as the most valuable aspects."
"The solution has improved my organization by having everything combined to a single platform."
"Makes auditing much more convenient."
"The most valuable features of RSA Archer are the asset management, risk management, and vendor management."
"Integration is another great aspect of RSA Archer. From the beginning, integration has been a central focus for RSA, and Archer has always integrated well with most tools on the market today."
"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."
"Risk management is one of the most impressive features of Archer, especially with the recent restructuring of the user interface."
"It is enterprise-wide accessible. So, it is very helpful for all the employees in our bank. They can log in and do their risk management activities. It has a few inbuilt modules that are helpful for doing risk management activities, such as issue management, risk identification, risk assessment, and policy exception management. It also has some inbuilt workflows inside these modules. They are also helpful."
"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."
 

Cons

"IBM OpenPages needs improvement in its UI. Currently, it is difficult to see the relationships (associations/parents) between all items unless you click on the item itself."
"Some self-relationships are not available in OpenPages' relationship model."
"The solution must allow customization in reporting."
"It would be useful to have more out-of-the-box functionality, especially triggers and calculations."
"I believe there's room for improvement in establishing connections with external information."
"The technology's a little outdated."
"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."
"The design and advanced workflow need to be improved."
"There should be built-in integration mechanisms, for example, for organizations switching from platforms like ServiceNow to Archer, instead of custom integrations for each client."
"An area for improvement would be the user interface. They could also offer more on-demand applications free of cost."
"Some of the error reporting isn't very clear. When you're looking for information on error codes, you got to do a lot of digging."
"The interface just looks old."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution is not cheap."
"Fairly highly-priced, especially for smaller companies."
"The solution is not at all a cheap product."
"At the higher end of the price scale, but provides better, more accessible functionality and customization than cheaper products."
"The price of the solution is very affordable."
"I am not sure about other companies, but it's quite expensive."
"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."
"RSA Archer's price is justifiable and not as expensive, compared to ServiceNow. I have heard that the licensing for ServiceNow is much more expensive. I'm unaware whether there are any additional costs after licensing 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."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
32%
Computer Software Company
8%
Manufacturing Company
6%
Government
6%
Educational Organization
55%
Financial Services Firm
12%
Computer Software Company
5%
Government
3%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about IBM OpenPages?
The product’s interface is very intuitive.
What needs improvement with IBM OpenPages?
It would be useful to have more out-of-the-box functionality, especially triggers and calculations. Additionally, more detailed documentation and video-oriented resources would be beneficial.
What is your primary use case for IBM OpenPages?
We have deployed the ORM module in our bank. We have our businesses listed in the application, and we identify risks. We manage multiple controls, assess historical controls, and monitor these cont...
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?
If the user needs to fill data, they need to go to one page and then to the next page if they can reduce the number of clicks to perform some activities and would like RSA to improve in this area. ...
What is your primary use case for RSA Archer?
I perform all of our information security management governance and risk -related activities through Archer. My organization manages all types of audits and Enterprise risk activities using Archer.
 

Also Known As

OpenPages
Archer
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Nationwide, Process Innovation AG, OSRAM Licht AG, Dep‹sito Central de Valores (DCV), Delta Lloyd Group, Unum
T-Systems, Bridge Point, Equifax, First Data, Global Imaging Company, Manulife Financial
Find out what your peers are saying about IBM OpenPages vs. RSA Archer and other solutions. Updated: January 2025.
838,713 professionals have used our research since 2012.