IBM InfoSphere Information Governance Catalog vs Quest Data Intelligence comparison

IBM and Quest Software are both solutions in the Metadata Management category. Additionally, 72% of IBM users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Quest Software users who would recommend it.

IBM InfoSphere Information ...

Read 9 IBM InfoSphere Information Governance Catalog reviews

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948 Comparison Views

72% willing to recommend

Quest Data Intelligence

Read 22 Quest Data Intelligence reviews

100% willing to recommend

IBM InfoSphere Information ...

Quest Data Intelligence

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jul 16, 2026

In the realm of data intelligence and information governance, erwin Data Intelligence and IBM InfoSphere Information Governance Catalog compete fiercely. While erwin is favored for automation and flexibility, IBM is preferred for handling complex data scenarios through superior integration.

Features: Erwin Data Intelligence includes smart data connectors, business glossaries, and data mapping capabilities. Automated reverse engineering and strong metadata management make it valuable for simplifying collaboration and standardizing data. IBM InfoSphere offers lineage and data analytics, interfacing with diverse sources, making it ideal for complex data management.

Room for Improvement: Erwin faces issues with its user interface, customization, and integration complexities. Its automation scripts need enhancement. IBM has a complex interface with limited connectors and scalability concerns. Simplifying user experience and expanding connector support would benefit IBM.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Erwin offers hybrid cloud deployment and generally responsive support, though some report slow responses. IBM is primarily on-premises, experiencing deployment and integration difficulties. Erwin is noted for outstanding support, whereas IBM is seen as adept but occasionally inflexible.

Pricing and ROI: Erwin is more cost-effective with reasonable feature-based pricing, offering strong ROI through process efficiency. However, it incurs costs for additional connectors and licenses. IBM is regarded as costly, with pricing based on record numbers leading to high expenses. Erwin is perceived to provide better value for money.

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June 2026

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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

IBM InfoSphere Information ...

Average Rating

7.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Metadata Management (8th)

Quest Data Intelligence

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

7.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Data Governance (19th), AI Governance (3rd)

Featured Reviews

Data Architect Insurance Co.

Data Architect at a insurance company with 10,001+ employees

Provides good catalog integration but requires too much coding

This is a complex solution and quite expensive. The technology has changed and I think IBM needs to be more flexible with their licensing model. We've been with them for over 10 years and they were unable to provide decent options for us. As the consumer, they weren't offering much flexibility and certainly not the support we were looking for given our long-standing relationship with them. There is also too much coding required compared with other solutions where you can do a lot directly in the environment and see how the policies apply.

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Jog Raj

Senior Consultant at a computer software company with 11-50 employees

Automated lineage and business glossaries have improved data understanding and collaboration

I am open to answering a few questions about erwin Data Intelligence and sharing my opinion about the product. Regarding the analytic part of the product, I find it very interesting that erwin Data Intelligence has its own inbuilt reporting toolset, with a new version coming out in January that will be AI-powered. This means you will be able to write analytical reports and questions based on the metadata and data lineage, making it more powerful than the current version, as AI will assist in creating those reports and performing analysis on the metadata. I find that the time taken to realize value from erwin Data Intelligence can be quite long. Creating a data catalog and developing data lineage takes significant time, and I expect that AI will help accelerate the process of creating data products by streamlining the steps involved. I can recommend erwin Data Intelligence to other users. I would rate this review as an eight out of ten overall.

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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

"What I liked about IBM InfoSphere Information Governance Catalog is that it seemed to have most of the options that you would want from a government catalog and the features of the product are very rich and comprehensive."

"The solution allows us to leverage a concept called Open IGC to create custom assets and data lineages that are not technologies typically supported by IBM via connectors."

"Working on the roles, actually, is the most valuable aspect."

"The valuable feature is that you can connect with multiple types of sources."

"It is easy to use."

"The ability to create special rules inside the solution using Portuguese is the most valuable feature."

"It helped us streamline and organize our data."

"The feature I found most valuable in IBM InfoSphere Information Governance Catalog is the lineage as it's very powerful and it provides data analytics in terms of where the data lives and where it goes. The interface is also clear, though it could still be sorted out, but the lineage is the most powerful thing in the solution."

More IBM InfoSphere Information Governance Catalog pros

"The data catalog feature is pretty good."

"This tool has taken us from having nothing to being very efficient."

"The interface is easy to use. I also like Erwin's automatic data classification and data quality checks."

"The biggest impact for us is that erwin generates DDL extremely quickly. We're able to pull in metadata, map it to a target, generate DDL to create the tables, and generate SSIS packages. Previously, especially going back 10 to 15 years ago, hundreds of hours had to be spent to manually perform these tasks. This solution completely automates it and gets it 90% done. We can then pass it off to a developer to create the items in SSIS."

"erwin has tremendous capabilities to map right from the business technologies to the endpoint, such as physical entities and physical attributes, from a lineage standpoint."

"By using the data catalog, we have definitely improved in terms of maturity as a data-driven decision-maker organization, and we are now getting to a level where everybody understands the data, understands how it is organized, and how they can use this data for different business decisions."

"We always know where our data is, and anybody can look that up, whether they're a business person who doesn't know anything about Informatica, or a developer who knows everything about creating data movement jobs in Informatica, but who does not understand the business terminology or the data that is being used in the tool."

"The possibility to write automation scripts is the biggest benefit for us. We have several products with metadata and metadata mapping capabilities. The big difference when we were choosing this product was the ability to run automation scripts against metadata and metadata mappings. Right now, we have a very high level of automation based on these automation scripts, so it's really the core feature for us."

More Quest Data Intelligence pros

Cons

"What I would tell IBM in terms of what needs to change or improve is that the product is too complicated. IBM purchased various components from different vendors over time and certainly in the UK, IBM did not have anybody that had the expertise to be able to get IBM InfoSphere Information Governance Catalog to run properly."

"What could be improved in IBM InfoSphere Information Governance Catalog is its query tool, including its terms, labels, and reports because the query tool isn't user-friendly. This would also be an additional feature or enhancement in the solution that would make it more attractive to users and would make IBM InfoSphere Information Governance Catalog a really good solution."

"A few years ago, I would have rated the solution an eight or nine. With competition in the market and other products available, IBM needs to focus on fixing existing issues and adding more customizable features that provide the end user with a better product."

"There were two failed installations and IBM could never actually get the product to work."

"A complex solution that requires a lot of coding."

"They need to improve asset management."

"The solution has performance issues when scaling up small sets of information such as assets and data lineage to the ITC."

"We are currently evaluating other products because we want to move more quickly than we can with InfoSphere and we're held back because of all the coding."

More IBM InfoSphere Information Governance Catalog cons

"The fact that I sometimes have to go in and out of different applications, even though it's all part of the whole erwin suite, perhaps means it could be architected a little bit better. I think they do have some ideas for improvements there."

"There may be some opportunities for improvement in terms of the user interface to make it a little bit more intuitive. They have made some good progress. Originally, when we started, we were on version 9 or 10. Over the last couple of releases, I've seen some improvements that they have made, but there might be a few other additional areas in UI where they can make some enhancements."

"The solution's Arabic language processing is limited. The results are limited when you use the interface in Arabic."

"If we are talking about the business side of the product, maybe the Data Literacy could be made a bit simpler. You have to put your hands on it, so there is room for improvement."

"One big improvement we would like to see would be the workflow integration of codeset mapping with the erwin source to target mapping. That's a bit clunky for us. The two often seem to be in conflict with one another. Codeset mappings that are used within the source to target mappings are difficult to manage because they get locked."

"Everything about Data Intelligence is complex. Though we've used the tool for five years, we're still only using about 30 to 40 percent of its capabilities. It would be helpful if we could customize and simplify the user interface because there are so many redundant things."

"The integration with various metadata sources, including erwin Data Modeler, isn't smooth in the current version. It took some experimentation to get things working. We hope this is improved in the newer version. The initial version we used felt awkward because Erwin implemented features from other companies into their offering."

"We chose to implement on an Oracle Database because we also had the erwin Data Modeler and Web Portal products in-house, which have been set up on Oracle Databases for many years. Sometimes the Oracle Database installation has caused some hiccups that wouldn't necessarily have been caused if we had used SQL Server."

More Quest Data Intelligence cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Licensing fees are paid on a yearly basis."

"Licensing for IBM InfoSphere Information Governance Catalog is per user."

"IBM InfoSphere Information Governance Catalog is expensive."

"In terms of pricing, I find IBM InfoSphere Information Governance Catalog excessive. It's at the top end of the price range in terms of what you get for your money. It's an expensive product, and contractually, IBM is difficult to deal with. I can't remember the exact cost of IBM InfoSphere Information Governance Catalog, but it could be in the region of three hundred thousand pounds."

"We operate on a yearly subscription and because it is an enterprise license we only have one. It is not dependent on the number of users."

"The price is too high."

"erwin was at a good price. The federal government wouldn't buy something if the pricing wasn't good."

"Erwin Data Catalog is very expensive."

"The price is reasonable, and a subscription is required."

"Smart Data Connectors have some costs, and then there are user-based licenses. We spend roughly $150,000 per year on the solution. It is a yearly subscription license that basically includes the cost for Smart Data Connectors and user-based licenses. We have around 30 data stewards who maintain definitions, and then we have five IT users who basically maintain the overall solution. It is not a SaaS kind of operation, and there is an infrastructure cost to host this solution, which is our regular AWS hosting cost."

"erwin's pricing was cheaper than its competitors."

"The price is reasonable and competitive. When you get into forward and reverse-engineering, the cost could go up. However, if you are a large organization, you would probably be able to access different packages. If, however, you don't need forward and reverse-engineering, then the price is relatively cheap."

More Quest Data Intelligence pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

25%

Manufacturing Company

13%

Government

University

Financial Services Firm

16%

Government

Manufacturing Company

Construction Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	3
Midsize Enterprise	2
Large Enterprise	6

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	3
Midsize Enterprise	4
Large Enterprise	16

Questions from the Community

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What needs improvement with erwin Data Intelligence by Quest?

In my opinion, the analytics part of erwin Data Intelligence is not satisfactory. The name 'Intelligence' is not related specifically to analytics; it is focused on data governance with no advanced...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for erwin Data Intelligence by Quest?

My main use case for erwin Data Intelligence is applying it and the DQ Labs in a financial institution.

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What advice do you have for others considering erwin Data Intelligence by Quest?

The integration of business glossaries has significantly helped improve collaboration in our organization. We define the business glossaries first during meetings with the business, and then we bul...

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Comparisons

Collibra Platform vs IBM InfoSphere Information Governance Catalog

Compared 20% of the time

erwin Data Literacy vs IBM InfoSphere Information Governance Catalog

Compared 17% of the time

Alation Data Catalog vs IBM InfoSphere Information Governance Catalog

Compared 17% of the time

IBM Watson Knowledge Catalog vs IBM InfoSphere Information Governance Catalog

Compared 16% of the time

IBM InfoSphere Information Server vs IBM InfoSphere Information Governance Catalog

Compared 10% of the time

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Collibra Platform vs Quest Data Intelligence

Compared 20% of the time

Alation Data Catalog vs Quest Data Intelligence

Compared 10% of the time

Informatica Intelligent Data Management Cloud (IDMC) vs Quest Data Intelligence

Compared 9% of the time

Microsoft Purview Data Governance vs Quest Data Intelligence

Compared 7% of the time

Securiti vs Quest Data Intelligence

Compared 2% of the time

More Quest Data Intelligence Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

IBM InfoSphere Information Governance Catalog

July 2026

IBM InfoSphere Information Governance Catalog report

Download IBM InfoSphere Information Governance Catalog product report

Buyer's Guide

Quest Data Intelligence

July 2026

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Also Known As

IBM Information Governance Catalog

erwin DG, erwin Data Governance, erwin Data Catalog

Overview

IBM InfoSphere Information Governance Catalog delivers a user-friendly, automated, and scalable data governance solution that enhances data management through features like role management, metadata asset management, and data lineage capabilities.

IBM InfoSphere Information Governance Catalog revolutionizes data management by offering comprehensive features designed to simplify and enhance data governance. While it integrates seamlessly with modern data sources and supports data lineage, the platform faces challenges with legacy systems and licensing flexibility. Its user-friendly interface and automation features make it a valuable tool in data analytics and governance, enabling organizations to streamline operations and improve decision-making.

What are the key features of IBM InfoSphere Information Governance Catalog?

User-friendly interface: Simplifies navigation and access to data management tools.
Automation: Streamlines workflows and reduces manual effort in data governance.
Scalability: Adapts to growing data needs and expands with organizational growth.
Role management: Efficiently manages user roles and permissions.
Metadata asset manager: Organizes and categorizes data for easy access and management.
Data lineage: Tracks data flow across systems for enhanced analytics and compliance.
Multiple data source connectors: Integrates with various data inputs for seamless data management.

What benefits and ROI should be considered when evaluating IBM InfoSphere Information Governance Catalog?

Enhanced decision-making: Provides structured data insights to drive strategic decisions.
Improved data consistency: Ensures uniformity in data naming conventions and source monitoring.
Business term association: Links business jargon with data assets for better understanding.
End-to-end data workflows: Facilitates comprehensive data management from source to analytics.

In industries such as automotive, insurance, and healthcare, IBM InfoSphere Information Governance Catalog aids by addressing data inconsistencies and supporting the creation of business glossaries. It supports end-to-end data workflows, significantly impacting these sectors by enhancing metadata management and glossary maintenance. Through integration with existing tools, it helps enhance data-driven decision-making by defining and enriching critical information.

IBM

erwin Data Intelligence is a comprehensive platform for metadata management, data cataloging, and governance. It enables organizations to gain insights, improve traceability, and streamline compliance through its advanced features.

Focusing on data lineage, metadata repositories, and seamless integrations, erwin Data Intelligence provides a unified perspective of enterprise data. Its robust capabilities include Smart Data Connectors for automation, efficient data visualization with mind maps, and adaptable metadata properties. While the platform integrates well into existing systems, areas for improvement include automation, SDK inconsistencies, and the need for better data quality assessments. Use cases highlight its importance in enhancing business data models and regulatory compliance.

What are the key features of erwin Data Intelligence?

Single Source of Truth: Centralizes data for consistent information across the organization.
Smart Data Connectors: Automate connections to data sources, enhancing efficiency.
Data Lineage: Tracks data pathways for better traceability and understanding.
Business Glossaries: Enables clear definitions and shared vocabulary for all users.
Metadata Management: Streamlines metadata organization and retrieval.
Impact Analysis: Assesses implications of data changes rapidly and accurately.

What benefits should users look for in reviews?

Enhanced Efficiency: Automation scripts reduce manual processes and increase productivity.
Improved Data Visualization: Mind maps facilitate an intuitive understanding of complex data.
Customizable Properties: Adapt metadata attributes to fit specific organizational requirements.
Unified View: Offers a comprehensive perspective of data governance practices.

Industries implementing erwin Data Intelligence often focus on mapping data sources and integrating governance with ETL tools. This supports comprehensive data management strategies, enabling business teams to better locate, understand, and utilize data effectively. Its application in metadata management and automated reporting is particularly valuable in sectors requiring stringent regulatory compliance.

Quest Software

Sample Customers

Rabobank, QuadReal Property Group, Jakarta Smart City

Oracle, Infosys, GSK, Toyota Motor Sales, HSBC

Find out what your peers are saying about Collibra, Informatica, Alation and others in Metadata Management. Updated: June 2026.

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