Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users

IBM Rational System Architect vs Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 3, 2024

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 Rational System Architect
Ranking in Enterprise Architecture Management
20th
Average Rating
7.4
Number of Reviews
5
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Sparx Systems Enterprise Ar...
Ranking in Enterprise Architecture Management
2nd
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
99
Ranking in other categories
Business Process Design (5th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Enterprise Architecture Management category, the mindshare of IBM Rational System Architect is 2.0%, up from 2.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect is 11.3%, down from 15.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Enterprise Architecture Management Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect11.3%
IBM Rational System Architect2.0%
Other86.7%
Enterprise Architecture Management
 

Featured Reviews

GM
Lots of valuable features, especially the metamodel customization
In terms of what could be improved, we did not take the whole package with all the modules, and I think that the integration with other platforms like Office could be better. The reverse engineering of the database is already there, but in the next release I would like to see some pilot supplied with the solution in order to address any database.
Milan Sterba - PeerSpot reviewer
Efficient documentation generation through organized model structure with a good price-performance ratio
Whenever I begin a new project with Sparx, I have to spend time training people on how to use it since it is not straightforward. Although it's a powerful product with plenty of features, it's not easy for even experienced users to find their way without guidance. This is not the most user-friendly solution.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The solution is pretty stable."
"The user interface is good. It's both clear and comprehensible. It's easy to work with."
"We have seen ROI with this solution over the years that we have used it."
"There are a lot of features I find valuable, but I think that the metamodel customization is one of the best features that the solution offers."
"Its ability to reference and link to components from any diagram."
"Customizable and tailored to the environment. Several template frameworks are provided."
"Sparx offers good flexibility."
"It provides good utilization and it's a convenient tool for building exact architectural work."
"The platform is stable and reliable."
"The installation was very easy."
"For the most part, we find that it is remarkable how inexpensive it is."
"Scalable solution for modeling, project sharing, and collaboration. Support for it is good."
 

Cons

"There needs to be more information at the outset about how to use the solution and how to deploy it. The deployment process needs improvement."
"The solution needs to better integrate with other products, like Microsoft."
"The reverse engineering of the database is already there, but in the next release I would like to see some pilot supplied with the solution in order to address any database."
"This solution can be more user-friendly and easier to use, with better dashboards."
"The presentation graphics need to be improved in future builds."
"When the model is large, it is a bit slow to render."
"From a practical point of view, we need speed and reliability for creating a model and doing some really meaningful tasks such as application landscape, refactoring, etc. These are two primary criteria. Sometimes, when you import something, it creates the object duplicates, or it allows you to do something that you're not supposed to do. For example, validation is missing. This could be frustrating because when you work at a high speed, you need to come back and start fixing things that the tool allowed you to go with, which is not quite good. So, there should probably be some internal mechanisms to advise you about what you're doing and what is probably not the best idea."
"The documentation could be better. Where I work, we speak French and we don't speak English, so we don't have anything in French. It's perfect in English, but we need something in French."
"This solution should have better ease of use for the uninitiated."
"Their technical support is not good in India. I wrote to them because I had a question, but I never got an answer. So, I just left it behind."
"The modeling tool is targeted toward a sophisticated user."
"More challenging than other tools to maintain documents and document versions for an architecture board review."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available
"The pricing is reasonable."
"The solution is quite expensive."
"Pricing and licensing is very attractive, simple, and straightforward."
"Licenses are pretty low cost compared to, for example, ARIS."
"They have the price on their site for the enterprise version, and we do receive a small discount."
"The licence has a costly upfront fee which gets you access. You have to pay an annual maintenance fee, which is less."
"In terms of cost, Sparx EA is probably one of the cheapest tools I have ever used."
"We paid 1200 euros as a once-off cost. All add ons and integrations come at an additional cost."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Enterprise Architecture Management solutions are best for your needs.
868,706 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
18%
Financial Services Firm
12%
Government
10%
Computer Software Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
13%
Government
12%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Computer Software Company
9%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business38
Midsize Enterprise20
Large Enterprise58
 

Questions from the Community

Ask a question
Earn 20 points
What do you like most about Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect?
The stability has been good and satisfactory. I would rate the stability a ten out of ten.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect?
One of the reasons many public sector institutions in the Czech Republic use it is that it provides a very good price-performance ratio. While it might be cumbersome to learn, it still delivers exc...
What needs improvement with Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect?
Whenever I begin a new project with Sparx, I have to spend time training people on how to use it since it is not straightforward. Although it's a powerful product with plenty of features, it's not ...
 

Also Known As

Rational System Architect
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Wuxi Lake Cloud, Nationwide, ETI, IDS Scheer
OmniLink
Find out what your peers are saying about IBM Rational System Architect vs. Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.
868,706 professionals have used our research since 2012.