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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Confluence

    Score8.2 out of 10
    N/AConfluence is a collaboration and content sharing platform used primarily by customers who are already using Atlassian's Jira project tracking product. The product appeals particularly to IT users.

    $6.40

    per month per user

    Polarion ALM

    Score10 out of 10
    N/APolarion ALM is an application requirement management software platform now owned and supported by Siemens since the 2015 acquisition. It is available on the cloud (Polarion X) and on-premise. Polarion connect teams and projects to improve application development processes with a single, unified solution for requirements, coding, testing and release.

    $42

    per month per user

    Pricing
    ConfluencePolarion ALM
    Editions & Modules
    Free
    $0
    Free for 10 Users
    Standard
    $6.40
    per month per user
    Premium
    $12.30
    per month per user
    Data Center
    220,000.00
    40,001+ Users - Annually
    Enterprise
    Contact Sales
    Polarion X Base
    $42
    per month per user
    Polarion ALM
    Contact Sales
    one or more years per user/concurrent
    Polarion Requirements
    Contact Sales
    one or more years per user/concurrent
    Polarion QA
    Contact Sales
    one or more years per user/concurrent
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    ConfluencePolarion ALM
    Free Trial
    YesYes
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoYes
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeOptional
    Additional DetailsPrices shown here reflect prices for deployments with 100 users or less. The prices decrease wien the user base surpasses 100.—
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    ConfluencePolarion ALM
    Considered Both Products
    Atlassian
    No answer on this topic
    Siemens AG
    No answer on this topic
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    89%
    Would buy again
    97 Answers
    96%
    Would buy again
    23 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    94%
    Delivers good value for the price
    87 Answers
    96%
    Delivers good value for the price
    22 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    92%
    Happy with the feature set
    100 Answers
    96%
    Happy with the feature set
    23 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    94%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    45 Answers
    100%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    16 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    89%
    Implementation went as expected
    54 Answers
    100%
    Implementation went as expected
    20 Answers
    Features
    ConfluencePolarion ALM
    Project Management
    Comparison of Project Management features of Atlassian Confluence and Polarion ALM
    Feature
    Atlassian Confluence
    7.1
    158 Ratings
    8% below category average
    Polarion ALM
    -
    Ratings
    Task Management7.2127 Ratings00 Ratings
    Gantt Charts7.912 Ratings00 Ratings
    Scheduling7.221 Ratings00 Ratings
    Workflow Automation6.591 Ratings00 Ratings
    Mobile Access7.0118 Ratings00 Ratings
    Search7.0157 Ratings00 Ratings
    Visual planning tools7.2127 Ratings00 Ratings
    Communication
    Comparison of Communication features of Atlassian Confluence and Polarion ALM
    Feature
    Atlassian Confluence
    7.9
    158 Ratings
    1% below category average
    Polarion ALM
    -
    Ratings
    Chat6.415 Ratings00 Ratings
    Notifications8.2156 Ratings00 Ratings
    Discussions7.9149 Ratings00 Ratings
    Surveys7.015 Ratings00 Ratings
    Internal knowledgebase9.0150 Ratings00 Ratings
    Integrates with GoToMeeting6.03 Ratings00 Ratings
    Integrates with Gmail and Google Hangouts9.37 Ratings00 Ratings
    Integrates with Outlook9.610 Ratings00 Ratings
    File Sharing & Management
    Comparison of File Sharing & Management features of Atlassian Confluence and Polarion ALM
    Feature
    Atlassian Confluence
    7.7
    157 Ratings
    4% below category average
    Polarion ALM
    -
    Ratings
    Versioning8.3137 Ratings00 Ratings
    Video files6.9105 Ratings00 Ratings
    Audio files6.997 Ratings00 Ratings
    Document collaboration8.4153 Ratings00 Ratings
    Access control8.7148 Ratings00 Ratings
    Advanced security features8.4115 Ratings00 Ratings
    Integrates with Google Drive5.947 Ratings00 Ratings
    Device sync8.486 Ratings00 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    ConfluencePolarion ALM
    Small Businesses
    Flock
    Score9.5 out of 10
    No answers on this topic
    Medium-sized Companies
    Troop Messenger
    Score9.8 out of 10
    PTC Windchill RV&S
    Score2 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Cisco Business Edition 7000 (discontinued)
    Score9 out of 10
    IBM Engineering Lifecycle Management
    Score5 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    ConfluencePolarion ALM
    Likelihood to Recommend
    8.3
    (174 ratings)
    9.8
    (24 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    9.5
    (22 ratings)
    9.1
    (2 ratings)
    Usability
    8.1
    (63 ratings)
    7.6
    (2 ratings)
    Availability
    9.0
    (3 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Performance
    8.0
    (5 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Support Rating
    5.4
    (25 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    In-Person Training
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    Online Training
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    8.8
    (4 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Configurability
    6.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Contract Terms and Pricing Model
    -
    (0 ratings)
    1.0
    (1 ratings)
    Ease of integration
    8.0
    (4 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    8.0
    (2 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Professional Services
    -
    (0 ratings)
    4.0
    (1 ratings)
    Vendor post-sale
    8.0
    (1 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    Vendor pre-sale
    8.0
    (1 ratings)
    7.0
    (1 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    ConfluencePolarion ALM
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Atlassian
    It is well suited due to the below reasons 1. Easy collaboration between teams 2. Strong integration with other applications 3. Centralized documentation among teams and within the organisation 4. Project planning and report sharing 5. Employee onboarding is easier and maintain HR policies very well. Less appropriate in below scenarios When this is being used as a main tool for communication rather than its purpose of collaboration.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Siemens AG
    The question is actually not trivial to answer in 200 words. To summarize, I can say that we have had consistently positive experiences with all customers where we have used Polarion ALM. The sector in which the customer operates only played a subordinate role. We use Polarion ALM in almost all sectors: Medical technology, pharmaceuticals, aerospace, agriculture, automotive and many others. It is also interesting to note that in the beginning we were mostly active in the development of products, systems or software. Over time, this has changed more and more for some customers and risk management or projects for lessons learned have taken up more space. This enabled us to banish a seemingly endless number of Excel lists. Who doesn't know this problem: at first there is only one Excel list on the drive. Day by day there are more. Some with a date in the file name. Others with an employee abbreviation. In the end, nobody can tell which is the current and complete list. The really good thing about Polarion ALM is that it is extremely flexible to use and the configuration determines what the project is used for in Polarion ALM. It is customizable to my situation and not rigid.
    Read full review
    Pros
    Atlassian
    • Cross product linking - If you use other Atlassian products then Atlassian Confluence is a no-brainer for your source of documentation, knowledge management etc. You can show previews of the linked asset natively E.g. showing a preview of a JIRA ticket in a Atlassian Confluence page.
    • Simple editing - Though the features available may not be super complex right now, this does come with the benefit of making it easy to edit and create documents. Some documentation editors can be overwhelming, Atlassian Confluence is simple and intuitive.
    • Native marketplace - If you want to install add-ons to your Atlassian Confluence space it's really easy. Admins can explore the Atlassian marketplace natively and install them to your instance in a few clicks. You can customise your Atlassian Confluence instance in many different ways using add-ons.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Siemens AG
    • Requirements Management:
    • Polarion ALM provides a centralized repository for capturing and managing requirements. Teams can define, organize, and link requirements to other artifacts like test cases and development tasks.
    • Test Management:
    • Polarion ALM facilitates end-to-end test management. Teams can create detailed test cases, manage test execution, and track test results.
    • Traceability and Impact Analysis:
    • Polarion ALM ensures traceability across all phases of the development lifecycle. Users can establish links between requirements, test cases, development tasks, and other artifacts. This traceability helps in impact analysis, allowing teams to understand how changes in one area may affect other parts of the project.
    • Customization and Adaptability:
    • Polarion ALM is highly customizable to fit the unique needs of different organizations and industries. Users can create custom workflows, define custom fields, and adapt the tool to their specific development processes.
    Read full review
    Cons
    Atlassian
    • UI Design is very simplistic and basic could make use of more visually interesting colour choices, layout choices, etc.
    • Under the 'Content' menu, it defaults to having a landing page for all L1 and L2 category pages. Meaning as long as the broader content category has a sub-category, it still creates a separate landing page. In my team's case, this often creates blank pages, as we only fill out the page at the lowest sub-category (L3).
    • Hyperlinks are traditionally shown as blue, however, this results into very monotonously blue pages in cases where a lot of information is being linked.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Siemens AG
    • More robust engine as far as the actual took is concerned. There are navigation components in trace to reporting which we feel can be improved especially when dealing with cross global accessing of the tool. It slows us down a bit so it's backend driven optimization as well as some front end "clunkiness" that can be improved.
    • Improve some filtering capabilities especially in creating custom reports and generally all around the ALM components of the tool.
    • As of the version we have, the ability to enhance replationship types in traceability is limited.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    Atlassian
    I am confident that Atlassian can come with additional and innovative macros and functions to add value to Confluence. In 6 months, Atlassian transformed a good collaborative tools into a more comprehensive system that can help manage projects and processes, as well as "talk" with other Atlassian products like Jira. We are in fact learning more about Jira to evaluate a possible fit to complement our tool box.
    Read full review
    Siemens AG
    There is too much at stake to go into a new system. But with everything else being promised as far as newer more innovative products, the justification to not renew is a huge risk so that is not a concern
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Usability
    Atlassian
    Atlassian Confluence is a great tool for project management, especially for internal documentation. It has a minimum governance requirement to use its full power. Also, it is a little pricy to unlock its full power as well, so it is not recommended for companies with a low budget in my opinion.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Siemens AG
    Polarion ALM can be used individually and what I do with Polarion ALM is decided by my configuration. Lesson-learned, operational risk management, product, system or software development or customer management .... doesn't matter at all. I decide with my configuration what I will do with Polarion ALM. Of course, you can also use Polarion ALM out-of-the-box for your development because it comes with a large set of project templates.For this reason, I would also recommend not to just get started. A suitable consultant will show you the right templates and customize them according to your needs. Having Polarion ALM is like having a car. You know exactly how to operate the car. You've done it a thousand times before. The details are in the configuration: did I have a navigation system installed or not? Do I have a lane departure warning system or not? Do I have cruise control or not? Unlike when buying a vehicle, almost all functions are already available and can be used, usually at no extra cost. However, if something is missing, it can be obtained via the manufacturer's extension portal. Individual extensions are subject to a charge. Polarion ALM - easy to deploy and easy to use.
    Read full review
    Reliability and Availability
    Atlassian
    I do not recall having outages or applications error so far, very reliable and available.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Siemens AG
    update, reindex takes to long
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Performance
    Atlassian
    We never worked against the tide while using Confluence. Everything loads considerably fast, even media components like videos (hosted on the platform or embed external videos from Youtube, for example). We are not using heavy media components a lot, but in the rare occasion we happen to use one we have no problems whatsoever.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Siemens AG
    No answers on this topic
    Support Rating
    Atlassian
    This rating is specifically for Atlassian's self-help documentation on their website. Often times, it is not robust enough to cover a complex usage of one of their features. Frequently, you can find an answer on the web, but not from Atlassian. Instead, it is usually at a power user group elsewhere on the net.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Siemens AG
    Support for customers using the full range of Polarion could be better.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    In-Person Training
    Atlassian
    No answers on this topic
    Siemens AG
    competent trainer, good training project
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Online Training
    Atlassian
    No answers on this topic
    Siemens AG
    easy to follow, efficent
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Implementation Rating
    Atlassian
    Overall, I am very satisfied with the initial implementation (and the subsequent upgrades and implementations made over the years).
    This product has never rose to the level of being an major issue at an executive level. It has quietly and valiantly done it's job for our company!
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Siemens AG
    Automated install and backup procedure ist missing
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Alternatives Considered
    Atlassian
    We chose Atlassian Confluence over SharePoint because it's much more user-friendly and intuitive. Atlassian Confluence makes collaboration and knowledge sharing easier with its simpler interface and better search. While SharePoint can be powerful, it often feels clunky and complex, making it harder for our team to actually use it.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Siemens AG
    Polarion ALM has the best usability, extensibility and reactiv product management. The support is also very good compared to other companies. Or in other words it is closer to the customer. Codebeamer is for sure also a good ALM tool with a great feature set, but existing customers are often neglected. We will see, what PTC as the new owner of codebeamer will change at this point.
    Read full review
    Contract Terms and Pricing Model
    Atlassian
    No answers on this topic
    Siemens AG
    should be more flexible
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Scalability
    Atlassian
    This tool is very adaptable. So much so we use it for three completely separate projects, in three very different ways.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Siemens AG
    No answers on this topic
    Return on Investment
    Atlassian
    • We totally rely on this tool since a decade now and despite being so much transition in our company it has served us well in those transitions
    • Many times, during security audits we are asked to showcase our readiness for various compliance points and confluence helps us a lot in maintaining that
    • Talking about Confluence in front of clients and customers gives us an upper hand that we are up to date with latest trend and technologies and tools for our RnD planning and management
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Siemens AG
    • Many of our customers have achieved things that they could not have done without Polarion
    • Possibility to make engineering enjoyable and not so documentation oriented (especially in regulated industries)
    • Automatic and all the time up-to-date reporting gives savings in time
    • Information reuse is typically giving benefits in resource use and time-to-market. Up to 40% reduction in time-to-market seen.
    • 10-20% reduction in R&D cost is typically achievable
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    ScreenShots

    Polarion ALM Screenshots

    Screenshot of Requirements Management - This feature is used to gather, author, approve and manage requirements across the full project lifecycles.Screenshot of Test & Quality Management - From this interface, users can manage all testing activities from a central platform.Screenshot of Issue & Risk Management - This interface is used to track all possible and reported failures, or plan and assign tasks to mitigate them.Screenshot of Connectors & Extensibility - Out of the box integrations with popular tools. Free, open APIs can be used to build apps and extensionsScreenshot of Agile / Hybrid Project Management - Modern agile techniques can be adopted at once or incrementally with out of the box project templates that can be adjusted to meet any needs.Screenshot of Core Functionality - Collaboration, Traceability and Workflow - 3 core principles built into the software