Visual Paradigm vs iServer comparison

Orbus Software and Visual Paradigm are both solutions in the Business Process Design category. Orbus Software is ranked #14 with an average rating of 8.3, while Visual Paradigm is ranked #8 with an average rating of 8.3. Orbus Software holds a 1.5% mindshare in BPD, compared to Visual Paradigm’s 6.7% mindshare. Additionally, 85% of Orbus Software users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 88% of Visual Paradigm users who would recommend it.

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 3, 2024

iServer and Visual Paradigm are products competing in the enterprise architecture and business modeling domain. iServer excels in integration capabilities, whereas Visual Paradigm is known for its powerful modeling features.

Features: iServer integrates deeply with Microsoft technologies, allowing for streamlined operations within IT ecosystems. Its capabilities in enterprise architecture modeling and workflow management stand out. Visual Paradigm offers versatile modeling tools for UML, BPMN, and a wide range of design methodologies, providing extensive documentation and diagramming support. Its process simulation and animation features add significant value.

Room for Improvement: iServer could enhance user experience by offering more flexibility beyond Microsoft-centric environments and improving UI customization options. Support for non-Microsoft databases could also be beneficial. Visual Paradigm might improve by simplifying complex setup processes and offering more intuitive user guidance. Additionally, enhancing integration with other enterprise tools would broaden its appeal.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: iServer offers straightforward deployment, especially for enterprises heavily invested in Microsoft, with reliable customer service support. Visual Paradigm provides a flexible deployment model across different platforms and emphasizes proactive customer support, making it suitable for diverse environments.

Pricing and ROI: iServer generally involves a higher initial setup cost but is considered to deliver a strong ROI for organizations focused on Microsoft integration. Visual Paradigm tends to be more cost-effective, offering significant ROI through its versatility and support for multiple modeling needs across various methodologies.

To learn more, read our detailed Visual Paradigm vs. iServer Report (Updated: December 2024).

Buyer's Guide

Visual Paradigm vs. iServer

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 iServer is 1.5%, down from 2.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Visual Paradigm is 6.7%, up from 6.4% 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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Antonios Lazanakis

Senior IT Solution Architect at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees

Flexible, easy to use, and easy to import data

We use iServer to establish an enterprise architecture function in our organization iServer is a very flexible platform for defining your own enterprise architecture model. It is very easy to import data, and we also have good integration with Visual Drawing Tools and SharePoint. The solution is…

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DominicMackenzie

Senior data architect at a financial services firm with 51-200 employees

Very flexible and easy to use with a good pricing model

I have used erwin and Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect. The first time I used Visual Paradigm was when I was a university student. I didn't want to pay a lot of money and Visual Paradigm had a very good pricing model, so it meant that I could effectively pay for the level of sophistication that I was using at the time and dial it back down to a simpler version.

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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

"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."

"It's very easy, very quick to create a process map. It has templates. The look and feel is very nice. What we want to achieve out of the process map, we can achieve it using Blueworks."

"We are you using the product as a process mapping tool and as part of a larger process improvement project. We use it with IBM BPM and IBM ODM. We get an automated workflow solution for our customers, an improved workflow automation."

"For me, what I find to be the most valuable is its simplicity and the association with Microsoft Office."

"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."

"This solution is good at utilizing standards rules for connectivity."

"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

"There were lots of different requirements, and collaboration and review is one of the biggest things. There is also Office 360 integration, and there's flexibility to use it as a database as well."

"The initial setup is easy."

"Tech support is very responsive. They solved issues within a prompt response time."

"It has helped having data lineage in the business cluster, which is used as control artifacts."

"The most valuable feature is its reporting capability. It offers various packages for different types of reports, such as business and project management reporting packs."

"This flexibility is the most helpful part in the standard version."

"The solution has wide use within Microsoft products. The integration with Microsoft products, and, in particular, Microsoft Office, is great."

"Good and effective reporting features, which help in decision making."

More iServer pros

"What I found most valuable in Visual Paradigm is diagramming. I had a great user experience as diagramming in the tool is easy and convenient, even for complex diagrams or models. Visual Paradigm is the perfect tool for me, and I prefer it over Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect. Visual Paradigm is better for collaboration if you consider, for example, versioning, so this is another valuable tool feature that's simple and embedded in the solution. In Visual Paradigm, it's also easy to set up the project with team members and collaborate, and it's also a pro of the tool."

"The initial setup is straightforward."

"I like the structure. I can see the diagrams and everything I created."

"The Visual Paradigm business process forms for designing we good. There was not a lot of configuration for the process diagram."

"The pricing model is attractive."

"It is easy-to-use and it helps understand its data modeling structure through the intuitive user interface."

"Using the Component Diagram, Visual Paradigm helps with design and control, reusing components."

"Visual Paradigm is simple and easy to use."

More Visual Paradigm pros

Cons

"We haven't yet been able to dabble in case management with Blueworks Live, as it is not yet offered with the product."

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

"Some of the import functionality was a bit restrictive, in terms of loading data in from other data sources. Something as simple as Excel, loading data tables from Excel, wasn't great. And vice-versa. Some of the export and import functionality with something like Visio - which, I know it's a slightly different tool - but being able to work seamlessly with those other tool sets would've been quite useful. I know it was something that was in the pipeline to be looked at. So that would be useful."

"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."

"I wish Blueworks Live had simulations built in, but it doesn't. It also lacks a feature of reporting; ad hoc, drag and drop reporting. A lot of senior people are always asking for reports, and there's no reporting feature within IBM Blueworks."

"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."

"I would like to see integration with ERP systems. This would help us to simulate the process and see where the problems are. Though IBM Blueworks Live is a good tool for documenting, it is not good for simulating."

More IBM Blueworks Live cons

"It definitely needs help to improve the visual aspect of the solution."

"iServer should invest in enhancing the capabilities of the embedded drawing tool, draw.io."

"Enhancing integration options with ERP or ITSM-related solutions for triggering automated requests for process definitions, changes, and tracking them in the iServer."

"The product is more expensive than Spark."

"The modelling needs improvement, specifically forecasting capabilities and scenarios."

"I haven't used this solution long enough to know what areas could be improved."

"It runs relatively slowly."

"There can be some performance issues using the solution that should be improved. When you make modifications modify to files there are embedded data within that can take a while to process."

More iServer cons

"The user interface is not easy to navigate, so it should be made easier."

"The solution could be more compatible with other products in the future."

"The solution is not user-friendly. It uses a lot of memory and CPU. You have to have a good computer to use it."

"In terms of room for improvement in Visual Paradigm, I tried looking for one. I'm pleased with the tool, but it would be great if you could integrate Visual Paradigm with more tools. For example, when moving from Visual Paradigm to another tool, such as Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect, the process could be improved a bit. Still, I wonder if it's not limited by the standards Visual Paradigm follows, such as XMI files. It could be connected to limitations related to the standards rather than a tool limitation. When you move projects from Visual Paradigm into Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect via XMI files, you lose all your notes from the elements, so this is an area for improvement in Visual Paradigm. TOGAF support is an additional feature I'd like to see in the next release of Visual Paradigm. I'd also like the tool to have ArchiMate support. If both TOGAF and ArchiMate could be supported in Visual Paradigm and made part of a lower level of licensing or cheaper licensing models, that would be best for me."

"Visual Paradigm is heavier and has more complexity than one of its competitors, e.g. Lucidchart. It could have been better if it was more simplified."

"There is a certain inherent complexity when creating UML diagrams."

"From time to time, we experience some troubles when we work as teams."

"The product's versioning capability needs improvement."

More Visual Paradigm cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

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

"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."

"The solution is not very expensive."

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

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

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

"Making it less expensive would be good."

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

"Aim for the exact number of people who shall define/review approve and view the processes, as it will impact the cost."

"They offer annual subscriptions for developing countries, which are not affordable for small or medium businesses."

"The price of iServer is reasonable compared to other solutions."

"It's about 13K to set up and 9K for the license for three months. I think it's about 20K a year, but we haven't firmed up on pricing yet because the price depends on how long we commit to the solution."

"The product has a moderate pricing."

"The solution is cheaper than its competitors."

"I rate the pricing a three on a scale of one to ten, where one is cheap, and ten is expensive."

"Visual Paradigm's pricing is not expensive."

"I rate Visual Paradigm's pricing a five out of ten."

"You can use Paradigm on a subscription basis and you can choose from different tiers of subscription."

"In terms of pricing, I find Visual Paradigm's subscription services reasonable, especially for the modern and standard editions. However, the premium products can be a bit pricey, especially considering our location in the Middle East. Currently, paying around a hundred dollars per user translates to almost six hundred Egyptian pounds, which can add up. For enterprise licensing, I think the perpetual license option could be more affordable. If it were cheaper, say around five hundred dollars, I would have invested in multiple perpetual licenses long ago. Sometimes, to manage costs, we share accounts among team members or switch access on and off for certain members who aren't actively working on projects. As for additional costs, there are charges for cloud services, which I'm considering because I've already exceeded the free capacity."

"Visual Paradigm costs $99 per license. I chose the cheapest option from the pricing list."

"This is an open-sourced solution, it is free to use."

"Over the years I've seen an increase in price, and it makes it difficult for a single person company, like me, to decide whether to extend the license."

More Visual Paradigm pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

18%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Computer Software Company

10%

Government

Educational Organization

37%

Financial Services Firm

11%

Government

Computer Software Company

Educational Organization

11%

Computer Software Company

11%

Financial Services Firm

10%

University

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...

See all answers

What do you like most about iServer?

iServer has valuable features for workflow and document management.

See all answers

What needs improvement with iServer?

iServer should invest in enhancing the capabilities of the embedded drawing tool, draw.io. draw.io is a drawing tool ...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for iServer?

We use iServer to establish an enterprise architecture function in our organization.

See all answers

What do you like most about Visual Paradigm?

The solution is the best application for data modeling. It helps to architect business processes. Its best features a...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Visual Paradigm?

I mentioned using the free version. The free version of Visual Paradigm does not incur any setup costs and offers a s...

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What needs improvement with Visual Paradigm?

I didn't use it so deeply that I found areas that needed improvement or features that were missing. So far, its exist...

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 14% of the time

ARIS Cloud vs IBM Blueworks Live

Compared 9% of the time

Camunda vs IBM Blueworks Live

Compared 8% of the time

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LeanIX vs iServer

Compared 26% of the time

Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect vs iServer

Compared 14% of the time

OrbusInfinity vs iServer

Compared 14% of the time

ARIS BPA vs iServer

Compared 12% of the time

BiZZdesign HoriZZon vs iServer

Compared 9% of the time

More iServer Competitors

Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect vs Visual Paradigm

Compared 38% of the time

Visio vs Visual Paradigm

Compared 19% of the time

Lucidchart vs Visual Paradigm

Compared 15% of the time

Bizagi vs Visual Paradigm

Compared 8% of the time

No Magic MagicDraw vs Visual Paradigm

Compared 6% of the time

More Visual Paradigm Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

IBM Blueworks Live

December 2024

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Buyer's Guide

Enterprise Architecture Management

December 2024

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Buyer's Guide

Visual Paradigm

November 2024

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Also Known As

IBM Lombardi Blueprint

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IBM

Orbus Software

Video not available

Visual Paradigm

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.

iServer is a unified software platform and enterprise modeling environment that extends and enhances the familiar, market leading Microsoft Visio and Office products. Core capabilities provided by iServer include an enhanced Microsoft Visio diagramming interface, a powerful central repository for all enterprise architecture or business process models and documentation, and a range of tools for visualization, analysis and decision making.

Visual Paradigm is a UML tool. The tool is designed for a wide range of users including software engineers, system analysts, business analysts and system architects, or for anyone who is interested in reliably building large-scale software systems using an object-oriented approach. In addition, Visual Paradigm supports the latest standards of UML notation.

Sample Customers

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

Barclays, Cathay Pacific, Deloitte, British Gas, MasterCard

Adobe, Apple, at&t, Caterpillar, Intel, NASA, Nokia, Toyota

Buyer's Guide

Visual Paradigm vs. iServer

December 2024

Free Report: Visual Paradigm vs. iServer

Find out what your peers are saying about Visual Paradigm vs. iServer and other solutions. Updated: December 2024.

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