erwin Evolve Reviews

Name: erwin Evolve
Brand: Quest Software
Rating: 3.9 (19 reviews)

3.9 out of 5

19 reviews
81% willing to recommend

What is erwin Evolve?

erwin Evolve provides comprehensive graphical support for handling large data models. It offers features such as metadata access, version control, and model comparison, enhancing operational reports and system analytics through its collaborative web-driven design.

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erwin Evolve is the #12 ranked solution in top Enterprise Architecture Management solutions and #19 ranked solution in Business Process Design tools. PeerSpot users give erwin Evolve an average rating of 7.8 out of 10. erwin Evolve is most commonly compared to Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect: erwin Evolve vs Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect. erwin Evolve is popular among the large enterprise segment, accounting for 56% of users researching this solution on PeerSpot. The top industry researching this solution are professionals from a computer software company, accounting for 20% of all views.

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Featured erwin Evolve reviews

Asish Sahu

SPM at Infosys

Evolve's reverse engineering ability is quite useful Evolve is primarily focused on the entity's licenses diagrams, but it would be nice if erwin could integrate case development, so that it shows the ER diagram plus certain inputs on the use cases and how the data is used. That deviates somewhat…

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ScottLawson

Director IT Architecture at QAD

One of the most valuable features is the website that sits on top of the database. There's a database of objects and how they are related, and you can make views and diagrams and visual elements out of that information on the website. The website is the part that is called Evolve and we use the Evolve Designer and publish the website out to our employees. They can click around and navigate and search, etc. Evolve enables people to look at the processes in multiple ways. Unlike a documentation repository of processes, where nano-processes are written up in a textual form, this allows people to make use of the processes in ways that they hadn't been able to before. They can go to the tool and say, "For this process, what is the application that helps us run it?" Or they can ask the question in the opposite way, and say, "For this application, what processes are involved? Or what processes does this application help us do?" Then they can see all the various processes that are related to a particular application, or a particular department, or location, or project, etc. We use the client/server version because it's more powerful. That's what we started with as the web-only version was not robust enough for us. They keep telling us that they're going to rid of the client and make it totally on the web, but I haven't seen that happen yet. I have a group of architects who do this kind of work and they're very accomplished and intelligent. We've learned how to use the more complicated client/server version. It suits us because there's more power to it and we know it. We don't need an easy-to-use, dumbed-down version because it's not that hard, and because we've used it for a long time. We have a stable group, people who have been here for the whole time that we've had it. The client/server version is perfectly fine, because it has the web module that sits on top and publishes the information. If it didn't have that, that would be terrible, but for years now it has had the Evolve piece on top of it. That lets the whole organization browse through the information quite easily. Another tool that we use in the erwin suite is called Collector and it allows us to integrate our enterprise architecture repository with other repositories of information. For example, we have all of our employees' information in a cloud system called Workday, but we need to have employees' information in erwin so that we can relate employees to processes and employees to applications, for responsibility purposes. Every 24 hours, we use the Collector tool to synch all of the employee information into erwin, which is already then related to these other pieces. We don't have to maintain that information in erwin because it's maintained elsewhere. We do that not only with our employees, but with a bunch of process documents as well as with projects and equipment. So Collector really is an important tool in the suite, if you're going to manage a lot of objects. We have 15,000 objects in our database.

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Pam Rivera

Independent Consultant at a tech consulting company with 1-10 employees

If we could have gotten it to work, I think it would have really been useful. The software architects felt that what they did already linked to it because it had the data modeling portion. When they did their technical specs, they used Evolve to drive out their technical specs. They would give us their overall technology/technical specifications to then model the data, but we were very frustrated because of the way the data was presented. At a detailed level, the software architects would say how the data element should look, what characters it should have along with the naming convention, and how long it should be. We would definitely challenge them on that because we felt that this was our job to do. In some cases, they would throw everything in one table, and we would say, "No, that's not the way we're going to do this because we were doing things in third normal form for our operational databases." We reserve the right to change the design, so a lot of the software architects would have to say, "These are just for illustration only. The final data design will be done by the data architect," since that document was the one that the QA testers would use. There was always this problem with them having to update their spec when we made changes. We thought with erwin Evolve we could get something that was more robust from a data point of view.

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erwin Evolve mindshare

Product category:

As of August 2025, the mindshare of erwin Evolve in the Enterprise Architecture Management category stands at 2.6%, up from 2.5% compared to the previous year, according to calculations based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Enterprise Architecture Management

PeerResearch reports based on erwin Evolve reviews

Type	Title	Date
Category	Enterprise Architecture Management	Aug 20, 2025	Download
Product	Reviews, tips, and advice from real users	Aug 20, 2025	Download
Comparison	erwin Evolve vs LeanIX	Aug 20, 2025	Download
Comparison	erwin Evolve vs Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect	Aug 20, 2025	Download
Comparison	erwin Evolve vs MEGA HOPEX	Aug 20, 2025	Download

Title	Rating	Mindshare	Recommending
Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect	3.9	12.7%	87%	99 interviews Add to research
ARIS BPA	4.1	N/A	89%	68 interviews Add to research

Valuable Features

erwin Evolve offers robust graphical support for large data models, enhancing model management and layout stability. Its metadata access features include pre-built connectors and a sophisticated API. Users highlight impact analysis, collaboration, and web-based deployment capabilities. The reverse engineering functionality is valued alongside seamless integration with data modelers. Evolve's customizable and scalable architecture supports diverse stakeholders. Additionally, it provides flexible administrative controls and an intuitive, connected object-relationship view.

"We can efficiently deploy business models into the databases and generate SQL scripts."
"Evolve's reverse engineering ability is quite useful."
"Evolve is like a tank. You can do whatever you want with the solution, but you need to customize it. I think that it's not very aligned with the framework for enterprise architecture. MEGA is focused on these enterprise architectures, but it's only for that. With Evolve, you can do everything you want with professional services."

Room for Improvement

Erwin Evolve requires enhancements in supporting MPP and NoSQL databases, improving UML capabilities, and expanding integrations. Users find the interface and navigation cumbersome, and the security model confusing. Enhancing modeling tools, real-time calculations, and the user experience is desired. The need for clearer product information, consolidation of features, and seamless changes in development to production is noted. There's a demand for more intuitive styles, tracing changes, and better customization to reduce complexity.

"erwin Evolve by Quest could have additional features to manage the architecture of enterprises and businesses."
"Evolve is primarily focused on the entity's licenses diagrams, but it would be nice if erwin could integrate case development, so that it shows the ER diagram plus certain inputs on the use cases and how the data is used. That deviates somewhat from the overall scope, so maybe they could call it a different product."
"They need to develop Evolve's user experience. For example, MEGA has a useful client view that helps with impact analysis. MEGA provides information about the processes, services, infrastructure, and portfolio of applications in one central view. It lets you see the periphery and relationships among components. This view is impressive, and Evolve doesn't have it."

Pricing

erwin Evolve pricing varies with many opting for the Workgroup edition and Concurrent licensing to manage costs effectively. Companies benefit from shared licenses, allowing multiple users without simultaneous access. Estimated yearly costs range from $40,000 to $100,000, with initial setup fees reaching over $100,000. SaaS models report around €50,000 annually. Cost management strategies include minimizing "contributor" licenses. Some find the solution expensive, especially for the portal, despite its extensive functionality.

"I think erwin is quite expensive. I have difficulty selling the portal, in fact."
"The licensing enables you to differentiate between people who edit the content and the people who consume it. We are able to keep the licensing costs down by keeping the "contributor" licenses to a minimum, and we then just roll out the content in a read-only version for the rest of our users."
"Yearly, our cost is €100,000."

Popular Use Cases

Organizations primarily use erwin Evolve for data modeling in data warehousing, developing industry models, and supporting consulting businesses. They utilize it for enterprise architecture, cataloging processes, applications, and servers. IT functions include system interface analysis and integration with CMDB for asset management. erwin Evolve aids in business process modeling, strategic modeling, and IT infrastructure alignment. It is also employed in standardizing operating procedures across multiple company divisions through user-friendly information presentation.

Service and Support

Erwin Evolve's customer service receives praise for being outstanding, with impressive support from channel partners and experienced teams. Users appreciate the knowledgeable and responsive technical support, mentioning fast responses and efficient problem-solving. However, there are mentions of improved communication needed in forums and delays due to time zone differences. Technical support is frequently lauded for its willingness and dedication, though some early cloud users experience longer resolution times. Users commonly rate support highly and find the documentation helpful.

Deployment

Erwin Evolve's initial setup ranges from straightforward to complex, depending on configuration needs and organizational readiness. Some found deployment fast with user-friendly training, while others experienced complexities, especially with customizations and integrations. Professional services and consultants helped simplify the process for some teams. Deployment times varied from one day to several months, often influenced by the chosen strategy and stakeholder involvement. Maintenance typically required minimal resources once operational.

Scalability

Erwin Evolve handles large projects with ease and accommodates many users. Teams ranging from data architects to service managers efficiently utilize it. Previous performance issues have been resolved, improving stability. With features for various access levels, it supports extensive corporate use. Organizations experience no difficulties in deployment or scalability, leveraging its ability to manage multiple users in shared environments without concerns, ensuring smooth collaboration across diverse roles.

Stability

Erwin Evolve exhibits stability, with many users noting its consistent performance. Though there were initial challenges, updates have resolved most issues. Users appreciate its stability, with only occasional hiccups, like search engine resets, reported. Deployment and maintenance typically require minimal personnel, indicating ease of management. Some design suggestions remain, but stability has been achieved once operational intricacies were mastered. The release 9.64.02 is particularly praised for its stability in practice.

These insights are based on the in-depth reviews provided by peers to help you make a better buying decision.

Download our erwin Evolve Buyer's Guide for additional reliable information.

Review data by company size

By reviewers

By visitors reading reviews

Top industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

20%

Government

10%

Performing Arts

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

Insurance Company

Educational Organization

Legal Firm

Energy/Utilities Company

Real Estate/Law Firm

Comms Service Provider

Construction Company

Healthcare Company

Retailer

Media Company

Outsourcing Company

Non Profit

Computer Retailer

Pharma/Biotech Company

Recreational Facilities/Services Company

University

Recruiting/Hr Firm

Renewables & Environment Company

Hospitality Company

Aerospace/Defense Firm

Sports Company

Transportation Company

Wholesaler/Distributor

Logistics Company

Venture Capital & Private Equity Firm

Compare erwin Evolve with alternative products

Learn more about erwin Evolve

erwin Evolve facilitates reverse engineering and database integration, fostering collaboration and process exploration through its web interface. Customizable and easy to configure, it supports workflow configuration and architectural modeling. Users can utilize its capabilities for developing industry models, managing transformation programs, and presenting standard operating procedures. Despite its strengths, there are demands for improved integration, enhanced UML support, and a more modern user experience. Users also express challenges with legacy system updates and call for better connectors and collaborative features.

What are the key features of erwin Evolve?

Graphical Support for Large Data Models: Provides visualization capabilities for complex data structures.
Metadata Access via API: Allows integration and management of metadata across platforms.
Version Control and Model Comparison: Enhances tracking and analysis of model changes.
Collaborative Web Interface: Facilitates teamwork and process exploration remotely.
Architectural Modeling: Supports the design and configuration of enterprise architecture.

What are the benefits and ROI of using erwin Evolve?

Customization and Ease of Configuration: Reduces setup time and adapts to specific organizational workflows.
Enhanced Accessibility and Mobile Usability: Offers access to critical information on the go.
Operational Reports Creation: Generates insights and facilitates informed decision-making.
System Analytics Handling: Provides robust tools for analyzing system performance and integration.

Data-driven organizations in sectors like finance and healthcare implement erwin Evolve for data warehousing, enterprise architecture, and business process modeling. They leverage its capabilities for cataloging architectural elements, linking to CMDBs, analyzing system interfaces, and describing business processes. Utilization extends to IT solution registration, business capability planning, and strategic modeling, with frequent deployments on cloud platforms to support transformation initiatives.

erwin Evolve was previously known as erwin EA, erwin Business Process, erwin Enterprise Architecture.

erwin Evolve customers

AT&T, Bank of America, Chevron, Duke University, ESPN, Fidelity, GE, JP Morgan Chase, KPMG, McGraw Hill, NASA, Pfizer, Royal Bank of Scotland, Teradata, Union Pacific, Vodafone, Wells Fargo.