LeanIX vs SAP PowerDesigner comparison

SAP LeanIX and SAP are both solutions in the Enterprise Architecture Management category. SAP LeanIX is ranked #1 with an average rating of 7.9, while SAP is ranked #5 with an average rating of 7.3. SAP LeanIX holds a 13.4% mindshare in AM, compared to SAP’s 8.1% mindshare. Additionally, 95% of SAP LeanIX users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 85% of SAP users who would recommend it.

LeanIX

Read 23 LeanIX reviews

6,304 Views
4,917 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

SAP PowerDesigner

Read 38 SAP PowerDesigner reviews

3,627 Views
3,047 Comparison Views

85% willing to recommend

LeanIX

SAP PowerDesigner

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 3, 2024

SAP PowerDesigner and LeanIX are leading competitors in enterprise architecture management. While LeanIX leads in agility and flexibility, SAP PowerDesigner excels with its detailed data modeling capabilities preferred by data management professionals.

Features: SAP PowerDesigner offers extensive data modeling tools, robust data architecture capabilities, and a customizable repository, making it a comprehensive solution for complex data systems. LeanIX, on the other hand, provides a flexible, user-friendly platform with strong application portfolio management and intuitive fact sheets favored for IT landscape management.

Room for Improvement: SAP PowerDesigner could improve its user interface simplicity and facilitate easier onboarding for new users. Its complex setup process might also benefit from simplification to enhance user experience. Integration with modern cloud services is another area for development. LeanIX might enhance support for technical users, improve user training resources, and expand features to cover more intricate enterprise architecture requirements.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: LeanIX is praised for its agile deployment and fast user adoption due to its cloud-centric model and accessible customer service. SAP PowerDesigner requires a more involved setup but benefits from SAP's extensive customer support and training resources.

Pricing and ROI: SAP PowerDesigner involves a higher initial cost due to its comprehensive features, delivering ROI for enterprises with complex data architecture needs. LeanIX tends to be more cost-effective with faster ROI, making it attractive for businesses prioritizing rapid deployment and flexibility.

To learn more, read our detailed LeanIX vs. SAP PowerDesigner Report (Updated: September 2025).

Buyer's Guide

LeanIX vs. SAP PowerDesigner

September 2025

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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

LeanIX

Ranking in Enterprise Architecture Management

1st

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

SAP PowerDesigner

Ranking in Enterprise Architecture Management

5th

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Metadata Management (4th)

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2025, in the Enterprise Architecture Management category, the mindshare of LeanIX is 13.4%, down from 15.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SAP PowerDesigner is 8.1%, down from 8.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Enterprise Architecture Management Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
LeanIX	13.4%
SAP PowerDesigner	8.1%
Other	78.5%

Enterprise Architecture Management

Featured Reviews

Umit Sengul

Enterprise Architect at E.ON

A platform that facilitates efficient IT architecture management and integration, improving organizational coordination and decision-making

LeanIX is primarily used to create and manage architectural models, link capabilities, activities, and products and generate comprehensive reports. It serves as a central platform for overseeing the IT landscape within EON, a large organization, streamlining operations and enhancing governance…

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Kopparapu Venkatesh Prasad

Engineer at Tata Consultancy

Data modeling tool improves data management and decision-making efficiency

The lineage analysis helps my organization understand data dependencies at an enterprise level. As a SAP PowerDesigner developer, I monitor data across the organization, creating data models that reflect not just one data warehouse but comprehensive organizational information. If you have a small company, lineage helps track employee data across different areas such as finance and HR. Data governance prevents duplicate records, so when tracking employee details, SAP PowerDesigner highlights where data exists in various areas, helping ensure we only use the appropriate sources. This functionality allows us to assess the impact of data deletions effectively. I utilize the reverse engineering capabilities in SAP PowerDesigner. Reverse engineering is helpful, especially since I have colleagues new to SAP PowerDesigner. They often do not know which columns are available where. In SAP PowerDesigner, we can reverse engineer existing data from its source and identify errors in production. For instance, by using Ali's example, if an error arises, I can trace it back to the table and environment it originated from using the reverse engineering feature. The best features of SAP PowerDesigner, from my perspective, are its ability to keep the connectivity between the source database and the new system, data redundancy and availability, and impact analysis. The first feature acts as a bridge between systems. The second allows us to see what data is already available and what new data can be brought in. The third, impact analysis, helps determine how many tables will be affected if a specific table is deleted. This critical point allows us to capture how much data will be lost if any table is removed. Currently, these features shape my daily work. SAP PowerDesigner primarily benefits business management units by offering three types of data modeling structures: conceptual, logical, and physical models. The conceptual model communicates high-level insights to top executives, while logical and physical models address complex queries faced by developers in analytics. SAP PowerDesigner enhances the clarity of our data management significantly, as around 80% of data can be searched quickly and maintained in our SAP systems. The tool enables mapping from end to end, making my work faster and more efficient than using other ER data modeling solutions. The interface allows easy creation of data models and searching for existing data, ensuring I can complete my tasks significantly quicker. The importance of SAP PowerDesigner's collaboration capabilities lies in fostering a unified data management approach. It acts as a unified tool, preventing the duplication of existing data in analytical processes, thus saving both effort and storage costs, which is essential for effective data management. We utilize collaboration capabilities in SAP PowerDesigner with various source systems such as PG admin, Postgres, Oracle, and Snowflake. Recently, we have added Snowflake for cloud data modeling and POC work, streamlining the collaboration process across different systems.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"I like the tool’s integration and maps."

"The ability to import data and generate reports from it. That's where its power lies."

"One of the most valuable features of LeanIX is the Enterprise Architecture Management tool."

"My favorite feature of LeanIX is its ability to induct attribute-driven surveys."

"Among the most valuable features are the easy-to-use interface and the ability to get quick results... Many tools that I have seen are great for technical people and for giving technical and business information as well, but they're not as friendly and easy as LeanIX... It works well for both technical and business users. It provides a good combination, enabling you to quickly put valuable information in for both technical and non-technical people and derive results."

"LeanIX has good usability and stability. This SaaS is intuitive, easy to use, and comes with a nice reporting feature."

"The most valuable features include the reporting capabilities and the LeanIX Academy's educational resources."

"I like LeanIX's ease of use in general."

More LeanIX pros

"SAP PowerDesigner is fairly stable."

"The most valuable feature is the way you can extend it and customize it. With most modeling tools, you fit your modeling process to fit the tool. In PowerDesigner, you can make the tool fit the way you want to work."

"The most valuable feature of SAP PowerDesigner is the testing of the models, it has the best function. Reverse engineering is very helpful too."

"The most useful feature has been the detailed possibility to model almost anything regarding physical databases."

"By using SAP PowerDesigner, we are able to create a product that is always up to date, so the model always represents the implementation."

"In PowerDesigner, I primarily use BPM and modeling standards. I find it beneficial for process analysis, although I use data modeling to a lesser extent."

"I do a data-centric design, so for me, the data analysis and design tools are the most valuable features."

"The initial setup was very easy."

More SAP PowerDesigner pros

Cons

"Report generation could be more detailed. There are some shortcomings when creating reports. We can't create tag-based reports or go beyond basic technical reports."

"I think the tool's main issue might be direct integrations."

"They should improve the out of the box connectors that they provide. They should see if clients are really ready to adapt them."

"What would make LeanIX better is more variety in terms of reporting, and more flexibility with its data importing feature."

"Not a ten because you always have that gap between complexity and easy to use. And the more complex the tool becomes, the more difficult it is to get the usability."

"They're probably positioned pretty well. I hope that they would not focus that much on the business architecture, and they would focus more on the overall cloud strategy and how we can leverage multi-cloud and transition back and forth from other cloud providers. With a lot of current vendors, you get locked in with one cloud, and then you try to migrate to someone else, and it becomes very problematic. What they need to do is to look at the overall data strategy, and they probably need to amplify their data strategy, especially around multi-cloud."

"The solution’s API integration needs to improve. I would like to see a digital screen watch feature also in the solution."

"One of the challenges that I've found, even with working with Subway, was that being able to build that out into a detailed solution for a developer or for new process design was one of the challenges, just making that leap."

More LeanIX cons

"Regarding improvements, I suggest enhancing the connection between objects in process and data models. It's crucial to define the structure of objects, especially when dealing with standard frameworks like VMM. There should be better visualization of arrows between BPM and data modeling objects, specifying their structure and impact. For future versions, a feature similar to Bizagi, allowing users to see forms or SQL representations of objects, would be valuable for demonstrating and presenting project details to stakeholders."

"It would be helpful if there were glossary, catalog and governance tools. It would help make it a true end-to-end product."

"The focus is more on mainstream development environments, and I see a lack of focus on the open source world. I think SAP PowerDesigner probably interfaces better with SQL Server and Db2 but not with open source databases like PostgreSQL and MySQL."

"This product lacks artificial intelligence that should be very good in terms of automatically identifying the classification of elements."

"Technical support needs improvement."

"The solution itself does not need to be improved. However, they could add support for different languages."

"It also has a web portal feature, which is much more convenient for giving people access to look at entity-relationship diagrams, but that web portal is unstable and does not work. It freezes up all the time."

"The solution is very, very expensive. It would be ideal if it was a more affordable product."

More SAP PowerDesigner cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution's pricing is based on a licensing model that is competitive and in line with other products."

"The tool needs to include more flexible licensing options. We do not use the tool all the time. So pricing should be considered only when we use the tool."

"I would rate the pricing a one out of ten, where one is cheap, and ten is expensive."

"LeanIX uses application-based account licensing, where the cost is multiplied by the number of applications in the software implementation."

"As the tool is cloud-based, its cost is more affordable."

"It cost me $91,000 a year for 300 applications. For any enterprise, 300 applications are minimal, as many have well over 1,000 applications."

"The pricing is very good. We definitely get good value for the money."

"There is a sweet spot of where they need to be on pricing right now. They could go up a little bit in pricing, but it has to do with the cost savings, and it has to do with the practitioners using it. I use it where I get cost savings and I can justify it, but they probably have the ability to flex a 10% up channel on their sales on that. So, they could increase their settle price, not their offering price, when they sell. They can probably hold that up a little bit higher than it is because there are cost savings that we can drive from it."

"I bought the software outright and do not pay a licensing fee."

"The ROI has been 43%."

"The price of the solution is low."

"SAP PowerDesigner is cheaper than eriwin."

"PowerDesigner is not the cheapest solution on the market, so make sure that you are using it to its full potential."

"When you purchase the license for SAP PowerDesigner, you have to buy one year of support. The tool is worth the money."

"Regarding costs, SAP PowerDesigner is pricey, as I've heard from my team manager, which is why the company has been thinking of bringing another solution on board."

"I would like SAP to prove free licenses to professionals that are using the solution. The free version is limited."

More SAP PowerDesigner pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

12%

Manufacturing Company

12%

Computer Software Company

10%

Government

Financial Services Firm

26%

Government

10%

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	8
Midsize Enterprise	3
Large Enterprise	12

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	18
Midsize Enterprise	6
Large Enterprise	17

Questions from the Community

Any experience with Strategic Project Portfolio Management Solutions?

Hi @Cheryl Joseph Looking at the crossover between Project and Portfolio management with EA, then Planview could be a good choice. If looking at Portfolio Management from an EA perspective then Le...

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What do you like most about LeanIX?

The ability to import data and generate reports from it. That's where its power lies.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for LeanIX?

LeanIX pricing ranges from moderate to high. Our usage and costs depend on the number of applications, and as the number of applications grows, so does the cost. We have aligned our usage with appl...

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What do you like most about SAP PowerDesigner?

It allows us to have proper documentation in terms of the databases.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SAP PowerDesigner?

The pricing of SAP PowerDesigner is reasonable.

See all answers

What needs improvement with SAP PowerDesigner?

For collaboration, it's a two-sided coin. SAP PowerDesigner does pretty good at allowing you to compare models. If you have two or more people who work on the same data models, it has a capability ...

See all answers

Comparisons

ServiceNow vs LeanIX

Compared 21% of the time

Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect vs LeanIX

Compared 13% of the time

MEGA HOPEX vs LeanIX

Compared 8% of the time

iServer vs LeanIX

Compared 7% of the time

Ardoq vs LeanIX

Compared 6% of the time

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erwin Data Modeler vs SAP PowerDesigner

Compared 51% of the time

Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect vs SAP PowerDesigner

Compared 12% of the time

IDERA ER/Studio vs SAP PowerDesigner

Compared 4% of the time

SAP Information Steward vs SAP PowerDesigner

Compared 4% of the time

erwin Evolve vs SAP PowerDesigner

Compared 3% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

LeanIX

September 2025

Download LeanIX product report

Buyer's Guide

SAP PowerDesigner

August 2025

Download SAP PowerDesigner product report

Also Known As

No data available

Sybase PowerDesigner

Interactive Demo

SAP LeanIX

Demo not available

SAP

Overview

SAP LeanIX provides enterprise architecture solutions that modernize IT and transform businesses, integrating AI-enriched, SaaS tools to enhance architecture visualization and evolution.

Embracing a comprehensive approach, SAP LeanIX supports organizations globally with tools that foster IT landscape optimization and forward-looking architecture creation. It offers solutions for real-time IT overviews, risk management, and architectural planning. These capabilities ensure that enterprises have the flexibility and insights needed to maximize their business impact and align their IT strategies with their organizational goals. SAP LeanIX is recognized for its ease of use, flexible reporting, and the ability to seamlessly integrate various data sources.

What features define SAP LeanIX?

Flexible Reporting: Enables personalized data views.
Ease of Use: A user-friendly interface similar to social networks.
Integration Capabilities: Extensive out-of-the-box options.
Real-Time Feedback: Facilitates instant data integration.
Application Portfolio Management: Comprehensive IT analysis.
Seamless ServiceNow Integration: Smooth data flow integration.

What benefits and ROI can users expect from SAP LeanIX?

Data Management: Efficient data capture and tagging.
Cost Optimization: Streamlines operations cost-effectively.
Dashboard Presentation: Enhances strategic decision-making.
Business Alignment: Aligns technology with business strategies.
Educational Resources: Provides valuable learning materials.

SAP LeanIX is implemented across industries to enhance enterprise architecture, application portfolio management, and business capability mapping. Its use extends into cloud governance, data flow analysis, and integration architecture, allowing multiple organizations to improve operational visibility and strategic planning. It also enables cataloging systems and app rationalization while linking capabilities for improved lifecycle management.

SAP LeanIX

SAP PowerDesigner is a valuable solution for developing several different types of data models according to business process needs. Data models can be logical, conceptual, and physical, and can also include dimensional and relational models. PowerDesiger has the ability to integrate a designed business process model with the actual database design to ensure that all the data process steps are included in the logical model. PowerDesigner is able to use the physical model to create the actual database, and from there, design various physical iterations from a single logical model.

PowerDesigner can perform excellent reverse-engineering of existing databases to create a model diagram. The solution integrates well with many of today's most recognized database management systems (DBMS). Some of the solution’s featured outputs include custom or standard reports of every object in the design (relationships, field, and tables), design impact analysis, and entity-relationship (ER) designs.

PowerDesigner offers intuitive capabilities such as metadata management, link and sync, and data modeling. Users can instantly view architecture layers and essentials, access the robust metadata repository, and share findings with the user’s entire team.

SAP PowerDesigner Features

Document Creation: Easily share documents to cultivate an environment of communication and collaboration with all stakeholders in a project. Users can even include non-modelers. Users can provide private, secure access to metadata using hyperlinked Web reporting and multi-model documents, and even use wizard-created lists.
Result Analysis: The solution helps merge all model types with an intuitive automated link-and-sync process. Users can easily streamline communication and creative streams to improve the organization’s ability to experience transformation.
Intelligence Mapping: Users can develop thorough mapping protocols for data dictionary input. Users can record dependencies correctly with a simple drag-and-drop mapping editor and drag information from any supported source to target model pairs.

SAP PowerDesigner Benefits

Improve Overall Productivity: The solution enables enterprise architects and developers to share information through a trusted metadata repository that can handle all modeling types.
Simplify Workflows: PowerDesigner offers an easy-to-use wizard-driven protocol to streamline web-based reporting and documentation, making workloads easier for IT staff and other users.
Improve Communication: PowerDesigner’s intuitive link-and-sync technology will facilitate secure trusted networks between an organization's specific protocols, data models, and language.

Reviews from Real Users

“The most valuable feature of SAP PowerDesigner is the testing of the models, it has the best function. Reverse engineering is very helpful too. I use SAP PowerDesigner for data modeling and documentation. It interacts well with the other tools. Additionally, we use it for all of the business requirements, such as CDM and PDM.” - Saadat T., Emerging Cloud Solution Architect at a tech services company

“It's a great tool for documentation. A new data scientist can easily understand the data just by looking at it. Once you are managing your physical data with a logical data model, by looking at this data model, you can understand what it means, the business meaning of the elements which are maintained by the relational database.” - Michael R., DA

SAP

Sample Customers

Bosch Rexroth, NSW Department of Education, Yamaha Motor Corporation, Tetra Pak, Deutsche Bahn, Flynn, SKF AB, NTT Group, Travis Perkins, SEEK, Haworth, Asahi Beverages, MediaMarktSaturn, KAO USA, Ørsted, The Mark Anthony Group of Companies, AmTrust, Banco Itaú Unibanco, SHL Medical,...

Medtronic, Cirque du Soleil, Antarc, B&G Manufacturing, EarlySense, eBay, Ferrero, James Austin Company, Lenovo, Sagem, RAK Ceramics, Vodafone

Buyer's Guide

LeanIX vs. SAP PowerDesigner

September 2025

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