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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
3rd
Average Rating
7.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
9
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
6.7
Number of Reviews
42
Ranking in other categories
IT Vendor Risk Management (4th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2026, in the GRC category, the mindshare of IBM OpenPages is 2.8%, down from 5.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of RSA Archer is 5.6%, down from 16.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
GRC Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
RSA Archer5.6%
IBM OpenPages2.8%
Other91.6%
GRC
 

Featured Reviews

Gabriele  Meneguzzi - PeerSpot reviewer
GRC Practice Leader at Stratos Analytics
Have improved operational control and simplified internal workflows through a clear user interface
The most useful features in IBM OpenPages are the workflow features and front-end. The workflow feature in IBM OpenPages is very flexible, easy to configure, and can help design every kind of process, while the front-end is very useful, clear, simple, and dynamic. The benefit of a centralized platform in risk management, such as IBM OpenPages, is that it allows sharing information and guarantees a central framework of risk and control. The dashboards in IBM OpenPages help with monitoring processes for different users and profiles, and we use the dashboard extensively to show the state of different processes to control them. IBM OpenPages integrates effectively with other tools and existing infrastructure for my customers as we integrate other tools, using APIs to match different information, though some other tools may better support integration. IBM offers Connect, an add-on for integration, but we do not use it, relying solely on API. The reporting tools in IBM OpenPages have very strong potential because they are linked with Cognos IBM, a business intelligence tool, allowing for very good and complex reports, though creating these reports requires skills in business intelligence to get the most out of IBM OpenPages.
CJ
Information Security Specialist at Dubai Health Authority
Centralized management strengthens compliance with good look and feel
From my perspective as a customer and end user, Archer has an impressive look and feel, but the most adaptive feature is its ease of configuration which helps to enhance our process according to our maturity. It's more about our organization getting centralized with an integrated approach that focuses on risk governance and compliance. When can provide a detailed dashboards to management with the details of risks from top-down or bottom-up prioritizing actions based on its criticality or necessity. This allows us to show end users and management where the issues lie and effectively demonstrate accountability and visibility in compliance.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"IBM OpenPages saves time in my work as a developer."
"The most useful features in IBM OpenPages are the workflow features and front-end, as noted by Ian Francis, an IBM expert lab, with the workflow feature being very flexible, easy to configure, and able to help design every kind of process, while the front-end is very useful, clear, simple, and dynamic."
"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."
"Good in ORM and compliance, analytics, custom reporting, features for our board including risk management, and good support for Basel regulations."
"The content, reporting, and workflow features stand out as the most valuable aspects."
"IBM OpenPages provides time savings in recording risk management components."
"With OpenPages, the risks and controls are registered and monitored continuously."
"Makes auditing much more convenient."
"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."
"There is absolutely no doubt that it is a very good tool for audit management as a whole."
"Flexible record permissions and data import features."
"This solution helped us with the centralization of our governance data, so we could house all of our controls in one place. We could use that central repository of all our controls to build our risk management strategy and our policy and governance. So we could use controls as a central library and build policy, and then build risk management around it."
"Reporting is excellent for all types of aggregators, as well as for different types of integrators."
"The most valuable features of RSA Archer are the asset management, risk management, and vendor management."
"Archer seamlessly integrates data systems without requiring additional software."
 

Cons

"I believe there's room for improvement in establishing connections with external information."
"The reporting tools in IBM OpenPages have very strong potential because they are linked with Cognos IBM, a business intelligence tool, allowing for very good and complex reports, though creating these reports requires skills in business intelligence to get the most out of IBM OpenPages."
"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."
"Pricing! It's very expensive just for the licenses."
"It would be useful to have more out-of-the-box functionality, especially triggers and calculations."
"IBM OpenPages could improve by adding more conditions to workflows, as some existing conditions might not work and can produce errors."
"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."
"IBM needs to work on pricing for organizations with around 100 users, as the licensing model is not competitive enough for SMEs."
"If I were to rate RSA technical support on a scale from one to ten, I would give it about four, as there is definitely room for improvement, but support is available."
"There were so many problems that we had found. One time, the search index was not working."
"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."
"There are certain restrictions on API integrations, and it is not simple or straightforward."
"Solution could use more inbuilt applications."
"I would like to have the ability to build and maintain an inventory of personal data processing activities and assets utilizing a purpose-built taxonomy and data structure."
"The design and advanced workflow need to be improved."
"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."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available
"The price of RSA Archer is good. The price isn't too high considering it is a leading tool in the market."
"The solution is not at all a cheap product."
"The pricing is okay. The licensing costs are very reasonable; it is very affordable to us."
"The price of the solution is very affordable."
"The solution's price should be reduced. You only have to pay the license and there are no additional fees."
"The license is costly for the solution, but the remaining set up and maintenance is quite cheaper."
"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."
"At the higher end of the price scale, but provides better, more accessible functionality and customization than cheaper products."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
22%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Construction Company
7%
Comms Service Provider
6%
Financial Services Firm
19%
Insurance Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Government
5%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business9
Midsize Enterprise1
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business9
Midsize Enterprise6
Large Enterprise25
 

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with IBM OpenPages?
There is nothing in particular that needs improvement in IBM OpenPages, although reporting could be improved to make it easier to create reports.
What is your primary use case for IBM OpenPages?
My customers' main use cases for IBM OpenPages include ICT risk, operational risk management, and regulatory and compliance management.
What advice do you have for others considering IBM OpenPages?
For those planning to use IBM OpenPages, I recommend defining exactly what you want and understanding how IBM OpenPages can help you before starting to use it. I rate IBM OpenPages a nine out of ten.
What needs improvement with RSA Archer?
While it provides benefits in terms of security, the pricing is a bit higher than customers typically expect. It would be helpful if RSA Archer had the capability for two-way integration because, i...
What is your primary use case for RSA Archer?
Regarding the compliance, risk, and governance tools, I am comfortable discussing the tools in the GRC category. The specific module from ServiceNow is the ServiceNow Compliance, Risk, and Governan...
What advice do you have for others considering RSA Archer?
I have been in touch with about three companies who use RSA Archer actively in the compliance area. These companies use RSA Archer for nearly all purposes, including governance, internal risk, and ...
 

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: March 2026.
885,667 professionals have used our research since 2012.