LeanIX vs Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect comparison

SAP LeanIX and Sparx Systems are both solutions in the Enterprise Architecture Management category. SAP LeanIX is ranked #1 with an average rating of 7.8, while Sparx Systems is ranked #5 with an average rating of 8.0. SAP LeanIX holds a 9.5% mindshare in AM, compared to Sparx Systems’s 8.6% mindshare. Additionally, 96% of SAP LeanIX users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 87% of Sparx Systems users who would recommend it.

LeanIX

Read 25 LeanIX reviews

5,537 Views
4,430 Comparison Views

96% willing to recommend

Sparx Systems Enterprise Ar...

Read 99 Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect reviews

7,890 Views
3,393 Comparison Views

87% willing to recommend

LeanIX

Sparx Systems Enterprise Ar...

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 3, 2024

Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect and LeanIX compete in the domain of enterprise architecture solutions. Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect seems to have the upper hand with its comprehensive modeling features and competitive pricing which is advantageous for large teams.

Features: Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect supports various modeling standards, including UML, BPMN, and ArchiMate. It offers robust collaboration through a centralized repository and provides extensive diagramming capabilities alongside features supporting documentation generation across all architecture domains. It is also praised for its extensibility and reverse engineering capabilities. LeanIX focuses on architecture visualization and reporting, facilitating easy sharing and presentation of findings, and its ease of use is particularly valued by non-technical users.

Room for Improvement: Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect is criticized for its non-intuitive interface and steep learning curve. Users suggest modernizing the interface and improving cloud integration as well as real-time collaboration. LeanIX could enhance its reporting capabilities and improve integration options. Additionally, it lacks strong built-in diagramming tools, potentially necessitating extra purchases for comprehensive functionalities.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect offers flexible deployment options, supporting both on-premises and cloud configurations, with some users relying on community resources due to technical support limitations. LeanIX is cloud-based, which simplifies its updates and accessibility. It provides responsive customer service, effectively addressing queries via a well-structured support framework.

Pricing and ROI: Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect has competitive pricing, offering both perpetual and subscription licenses, proving cost-effective for large teams through its floating license model. LeanIX's pricing is based on application count, which may result in increased costs with higher usage, but it offers substantial value for organizations focused on application management.

To learn more, read our detailed LeanIX vs. Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect Report (Updated: February 2026).

Buyer's Guide

LeanIX vs. Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect

February 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

LeanIX

Ranking in Enterprise Architecture Management

1st

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Sparx Systems Enterprise Ar...

Ranking in Enterprise Architecture Management

5th

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Business Process Design (5th)

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2026, in the Enterprise Architecture Management category, the mindshare of LeanIX is 9.5%, down from 15.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect is 8.6%, down from 14.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Enterprise Architecture Management Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
LeanIX	9.5%
Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect	8.6%
Other	81.9%

Enterprise Architecture Management

Featured Reviews

NormanGarnett

Managing Director at Global Information Technology Corporation

Building Strategic Enterprise Architecture Journeys with Comprehensive Process Mapping and Risk Management

They will continue to improve LeanIX. I'm actually supposed to be at the SAP Sapphire this year. There are a couple of recommendations I know some of my colleagues have made. For me, I have not looked into additional recommendations for LeanIX because I've been held in really just utilizing it for the purposes it has. One of the things that I know I've had is being able to build it into decent process flows for changes. While LeanIX does have the capability, 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. But there's enough information that comes out of LeanIX to be utilized, and that would be one of the areas I would suggest.

Read full review

Milan Sterba

Senior Enterprise Architect at Deepview S.r.o.

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.

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

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

"I do see some return on investment, some ROI, time saving, money saving; it's more than 30%, so ultimately, the work that I do in using LeanIX will pay for itself."

"I would rate LeanIX at an 8.5, trending towards nine."

"One of the product's most valuable features is its ability to configure hardware devices."

"The most valuable feature would be application portfolio management, which is where they came from, but over time, they have got artificial intelligence. They built up a very good repository. If I identify a system by name, from historical information, oftentimes, they can tell me that this is deployed with this number of CPUs and they can give me a really good profile of the application for me to put it into a change management database with very little effort."

"Ease of use is the most valuable feature. From an enterprise architecture perspective, it's not too cumbersome with too many functionalities, yet it has a lot of attributes for the content it covers."

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

"I can develop a report and then do a presentation, or develop a report and some other diagrams and then put them all in one presentation, and from there, I can present things directly, so there is no need to move images."

More LeanIX pros

"It is an EA tool that is approved by Open Group. It is in the tool register of Open Group."

"The solution is easy to use, supports SysML and UML, and is able to connect to MATLAB. This is very important for us."

"Using Sparx Enterprise Architect allowed my customer to detail and make the company's IT strategy visible and accessible to all. The system provided clear roadmaps for IT development and helped to keep up-to-date documentation of systems and processes."

"Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect was easy to set up and it took just twenty minutes."

"The best thing about the tool is that its database is open."

"It's a very practical solution. You don't need to do an advanced course to start using this tool."

"Its traversability is most valuable. I can use ArchiMate, and I can create a UML model. ArchiMate is for logical enterprise architecture, UML is for software engineering, and BPMN is for business processes. I can build it to have multiple models, and they are also traversable, which is not something that every tool allows. If there is a huge organization, you can segment it and have separate models for business technology or internal resource management system. You don't need to keep them in one model, and you can decide to segregate them."

"It's a stable and scalable solution. I like that it's similar to Rational Rose."

More Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect pros

Cons

"It would be beneficial to have additional features and capabilities to enhance mapping between applications, especially across domains where the relationships may not be direct."

"Another area for improvement is that when you're starting to look into more advanced information, using the solution's APIs and its customizations, documentation for that specific aspect is not very good. There is not too much support built into the offering for that aspect, for a developer."

"LeanIX should improve its support services."

"It's hard to predict the pricing of the system."

"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."

"Improvements in user interface simplicity could be made, particularly with the reporting and filtering capabilities."

"The initial setup has room for improvement."

"The whole integration architecture view of interfaces/data exchange could be improved."

More LeanIX cons

"Greater OMG UML and XMI compliance"

"It took me a while to figure out how to use the report generation features effectively. So, it would be really nice if they had a way to make that a little bit more interactive and a little bit more straightforward."

"They should make the Save button easier to find. A simplified user interface for a lighter user would probably be useful. I am not sure if such an interface is already there."

"For data modeling, it is not very mature when comparing with other data modeling tools."

"The dashboard and connectivity could be improved."

"It should be made Windows compatible."

"One room for improvement in Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect is that it's not very friendly. Another room for improvement in the tool is that it doesn't enable you to import the metadata from a database very easily, so reverse engineering of a database was very difficult. Its database modeling and entity-relationship modeling functions need improvement."

"In a future release, they should improve portfolio planning."

More Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

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

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

"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."

"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."

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

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

"We paid 1200 euros as a once-off cost. All add ons and integrations come at an additional cost."

"In terms of cost, Sparx EA is probably one of the cheapest tools I have ever used."

"Licenses are pretty low cost compared to, for example, ARIS."

"The license for Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect is paid yearly, but I don't handle that area. It's good for its price, so I'm rating it a five out of five, but I'm not using it much. I also don't have information regarding additional costs apart from the standard licensing fees."

"I use my own license. So, I just bought the professional version, which costs $800 or something like that. In the company where I am working, we have floating licenses. They are probably more expensive. Its licensing is affordable, but we are talking about a large organization, and there could be modelers or viewers of the models. We don't know how much that would cost us."

"The license I use is on-premise. We haven't gone to the cloud where we have to pay monthly or something like that. Sparx is cheaper than most similar tools."

"It's reasonably priced for large organizations."

"The Corporate Edition, or one of the bundles, is the way to go."

More Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

13%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Computer Software Company

Insurance Company

Financial Services Firm

14%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Government

10%

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	13

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	38
Midsize Enterprise	20
Large Enterprise	58

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...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for LeanIX?

My experience with pricing is not directly known, as it was handled by others, but it is subscription-based. The tool was part of the RISE license in a previous project.

See all answers

What needs improvement with LeanIX?

From a pricing perspective, it is not a cheap tool. It is relatively expensive compared to some of its competitors. I can't really think off the top of my head at the moment about any features that...

See all answers

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.

See all answers

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...

See all answers

What needs improvement with Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect?

See all answers

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

LeanIX

January 2026

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Buyer's Guide

Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect

January 2026

Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect report

Download Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect product report

Interactive Demo

SAP LeanIX

Demo not available

Sparx Systems

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

Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect is an enterprise solution that helps streamline, accelerate, and integrate software, system, and business development. With this intuitive modeling and design solution, enterprises can stay in control of their workplaces, enable collaboration, support their teams and colleagues, and manage complex projects. Software architects, business analysts, project managers, developers, support staff, and testers can unite under a single repository. Through numerous view points and potential sub-systems, users are offered a unified view in a complex environment.

With Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect, users are also offered a shared model option which can be accessed quickly and securely by in-office and remote team members through the Enterprise Architect’s Pro Cloud Server. Building a coherent, verifiable model can be done by connecting and integrating a variety of behavioral and structural information in visual form. As a result, Enterprise Architect offers high performance, flexibility, and the ability to model, manage, and trace every stage of the business development and modeling process.

Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect Features

Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect assists in creating a unified and accessible vision in business development by offering a flexible platform with a unique set of rich features. These features include:

Test and debug - Streamline software development and visualize software with the simulation process. Users can test and confirm correct behavior, set and oversee test points, and debug and examine software.

Track tasks - Track, prioritize, and assign individual and group tasks to assist in the model’s development. Users can visually monitor their progress through the Gantt chart.

Open standards - Users can visualize and analyze running software with integrated custom tools. They can also run advanced simulations, team-based repositories, testing tools, and version control. In addition, the solution supports enterprise architecture frameworks such as UPDM and TOGAF.

Simulation - Create and debug embedded solutions by simulating behaviors and state models. Users can specify events, triggers, constraints, and more. Users can also specify extensive and complex structural systems and create custom domain-specific solutions.

Reviews from Real Users

Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect merges high-end tools, online availability, a dedication to open standards, and accessible pricing so enterprises can stay in control of their workplaces, whether remote or in-office. Users particularly like the architectural frameworks and the scalability.

Marc L., a principal architecture enterprise solution adviser at Cronomagic Canada, notes, "The product offers very good support for all mainstream modeling notations and architectural frameworks."

An enterprise architect at a manufacturing company writes, "Scalable solution for modeling, project sharing, and collaboration. Support for it is good."

Sparx Systems

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,...

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LeanIX vs. Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect

February 2026

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