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SAP PowerDesigner pros and cons

Vendor: SAP
3.9 out of 5
Badge Leader

Pros & Cons summary

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Prominent pros & cons

PROS

SAP PowerDesigner offers tools to manage large and complex databases effectively.
It provides extensive customization and extension capabilities, allowing users to tailor it to their working styles.
PowerDesigner excels in reverse engineering and offers a fast and expansive comparison process.
The tool is known for its stable performance and ease of use in data modeling and documentation.
It enhances data management clarity by ensuring that around 80% of data is searchable and well-maintained.

CONS

SAP PowerDesigner should improve data governance and include features like glossary, catalog, and governance tools for a true end-to-end experience.
Pricing for small consultancies is high, and unlike competitors, SAP PowerDesigner does not offer special pricing options or promotions.
There are issues with checking models into the repository when working remotely, causing slowdowns and potential data corruption.
SAP PowerDesigner lacks support for effective integration with open-source databases like PostgreSQL and MySQL.
The web portal feature in SAP PowerDesigner is unstable, often freezing, making it inconvenient for accessing entity-relationship diagrams.
 

SAP PowerDesigner Pros review quotes

Kopparapu Venkatesh Prasad - PeerSpot reviewer
Aug 27, 2025
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.
Ajay Malik - PeerSpot reviewer
Jul 17, 2024
It's a stable system. It never crashes.
reviewer2751597 - PeerSpot reviewer
Aug 21, 2025
By using SAP PowerDesigner, we are able to create a product that is always up to date, so the model always represents the implementation.
Learn what your peers think about SAP PowerDesigner. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: August 2025.
867,676 professionals have used our research since 2012.
FA
Aug 2, 2020
Very good repository features.
MM
Dec 20, 2020
It's a great tool for documentation.
Deepak M Chakrasali - PeerSpot reviewer
Jan 1, 2023
Provides the flexibility to create logical and conceptual data models.
MN
Sep 22, 2020
It offers a lot of features in one solution. You would have to get multiple other products to bundle together all of the capabilities that you get in just this product.
it_user1344669 - PeerSpot reviewer
Jun 3, 2020
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.
reviewer1365882 - PeerSpot reviewer
Jun 30, 2020
I like the property sheet capability and the user-defined attributes that you can set up.
reviewer2339373 - PeerSpot reviewer
May 8, 2024
In terms of operational efficiency and cause savings or return on investment, I can say that with SAP PowerDesigner, our company saves a lot of time.
 

SAP PowerDesigner Cons review quotes

Kopparapu Venkatesh Prasad - PeerSpot reviewer
Aug 27, 2025
One issue is the cost, as it is a high-priced tool coming from SAP.
Ajay Malik - PeerSpot reviewer
Jul 17, 2024
Technical support needs improvement.
reviewer2751597 - PeerSpot reviewer
Aug 21, 2025
SAP PowerDesigner is not a product that's really actively developed anymore in the sense that the user interface is outdated.
Learn what your peers think about SAP PowerDesigner. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: August 2025.
867,676 professionals have used our research since 2012.
FA
Aug 2, 2020
UI could be improved by enabling simpler navigation.
MM
Dec 20, 2020
Connectivity can be improved because it's not very good.
Deepak M Chakrasali - PeerSpot reviewer
Jan 1, 2023
The user interface could be more user-friendly.
MN
Sep 22, 2020
The solution is very, very expensive. It would be ideal if it was a more affordable product.
it_user1344669 - PeerSpot reviewer
Jun 3, 2020
Pricing for small consultancies needs improvement. They sustain prices to competing tools. The competing tools tend to do special offers. PowerDesigner SAP doesn't pay much attention to the pricing of it and there are no special offers.
reviewer1365882 - PeerSpot reviewer
Jun 30, 2020
Checking-in models to the repository, especially when working remotely, is a slow process than can sometimes have problems with models being corrupted.
reviewer2339373 - PeerSpot reviewer
May 8, 2024
The tool lags in the area of customer service.