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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    ER/Studio

    Score9.9 out of 10
    N/AER/Studio is a database development and management tool from Embarcadero Technologies (acquired by Idera) in California.

    $2,687

    per year per user

    SmartDraw

    Score8.4 out of 10
    N/ASmartDraw is a diagramming and flow chart building tool from SmartDraw Software in San Diego, California.

    $131.40

    per year (for a single user on an individual plan)

    Pricing
    ER/StudioSmartDraw
    Editions & Modules
    Standard
    $2,687
    per year per user
    Professional
    $3,693
    per year per user
    Enterprise
    Custom
    per year per user
    Team
    $119.40
    per year per user (3 minimum)
    Individual
    $131.40
    per year single user
    Enterprise
    Contact Sales
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    ER/StudioSmartDraw
    Free Trial
    NoYes
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    YesNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional DetailsPricing for new customers only, first year maintenance included. Maintenance includes access to technical support and product updates for the defined period of the agreement.—
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    ER/StudioSmartDraw
    Considered Both Products
    Idera, Inc.
    No answer on this topic
    SmartDraw Software
    No answer on this topic
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    No answers on this topic
    88%
    Would buy again
    7 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    No answers on this topic
    86%
    Delivers good value for the price
    6 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    No answers on this topic
    75%
    Happy with the feature set
    6 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    No answers on this topic
    83%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    5 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    No answers on this topic
    86%
    Implementation went as expected
    6 Answers
    Best Alternatives
    ER/StudioSmartDraw
    Small Businesses
    No answers on this topic
    OmniGraffle
    Score9.8 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    No answers on this topic
    OmniGraffle
    Score9.8 out of 10
    Enterprises
    erwin Data Modeler
    Score10 out of 10
    OmniGraffle
    Score9.8 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    ER/StudioSmartDraw
    Likelihood to Recommend
    8.0
    (5 ratings)
    2.8
    (14 ratings)
    Support Rating
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    8.4
    (2 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    ER/StudioSmartDraw
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Idera, Inc.
    Data Architect is well suited at organizations of all sizes. It is never too early or unnecessary to enforce proper modelling and design standards on data solutions, and this tool will help that greatly by providing an industry leading data modelling tool, ability to import ETL mappings for data lineage, enforcing and managing naming conventions through the naming convention tool, and publishing of data dictionaries through the report publisher. I was successfully able to build models, provide traceability, and document source to target with lineage throughout for both the business (by providing business definitions in the descriptions), and technical teams (by documenting ETL instructions in text fields) along with field level mapping (by creating "Attachments" representing data sources, tables, and fields) providing easy search capabilities using business friendly terms
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    SmartDraw Software
    I believe SmartDraw is a great tool for small- to mid-sized organizations for simplifying the production and management of org charts. We've also had the PMO experiment with the use of some of their flow charts as well. If an organization has an HCM with the capability of producing (good!) org charts, that is likely the best option... but many that I have used in my 30-year HR career don't. So there is definitely a need for SmartDraw in the market!
    Incentivized
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    Pros
    Idera, Inc.
    • ER/Studio has the ability to provide consistent field names and data types through domains, which are templates. This provides a way to have consistent naming of common fields, like CreatedBy and the data types for the fields. They also have the ability to change all the fields that use that domain to a different data type.
    • ER/Studio provides the ability to create custom macros. These macros can be used to apply everything from standard fields based on domains to naming all constraints and indexes. I've also used a macro that comes with ER/Studio to spell check field and table names.
    • My favorite feature is the ability to compare your data model to databases for deployments of changes, and to other data models.
    Incentivized
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    SmartDraw Software
    • Provides examples to work off of--these are helpful when you don't know exactly where to start.
    • Provides a number of stylistic options without making things too complex, so you can be creative without getting overwhelmed.
    • Provides a wide variety of templates, meets a wide variety of needs.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cons
    Idera, Inc.
    • ER\Studio licensing can be cumbersome and upgrading from one version to another usually takes several phone calls and emails to the licensing group to get the update installed and running.
    • The repository can be slow when the model count gets larger. By large I mean 20 to 30 models.
    • A nice feature that I would like to see is table comments be displayed on the model along with the attributes. Currently you have to choose between the two.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    SmartDraw Software
    • A month-to-month plan would be ideal for users that don't have a need to create many projects
    • The sidebar navigation can be a little confusing with all of the tools listed.
    • Offering customizable plans with only the feature you need would simplify navigation
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Usability
    Idera, Inc.
    No answers on this topic
    SmartDraw Software
    I rated 8 because its simple to use and easy to create network topologies quickly. I liked the drag and drop option which makes designing the network topology and flow chart easier. In general its does what it needs to.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Support Rating
    Idera, Inc.
    I can call or email support and both get quick turn around. The only issue is they are on the west coast (US) and have a west coast work schedule and I'm on the East coast.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    SmartDraw Software
    They are always very helpful, we get computers every two years and I have to call them to move the license from one computer to another and they do it with a smile in their voice!
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Alternatives Considered
    Idera, Inc.
    ER/Studio is the most mature, reach in features and quality and therefore useful. Unfortunately, it lacks compatibility with AWS Redshift.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    SmartDraw Software
    We have used Corel Draw and Adobe Acrobat. Both of those tools were good when they came out but the abilities of SmartDraw far outweigh both those tools. Corel Draw was also more complex to operate and do tasks, as was Adobe Acrobat in which some basic tasks took additional steps to complete.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Return on Investment
    Idera, Inc.
    • ER/Studio has had a positive impact on my project as we can develop the data model and have a clear understanding of business needs before we continue with the development phase.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    SmartDraw Software
    • SmartDraw has provided good return for our internal purposes. Using it to understand an organization's structure and inner workings has been valuable. On the client side, creating steps and businesses processes has also been a big plus. It has helped decrease confusing reporting structures and has provided a detailed map for individuals to understand where they fit within their organization.
    • Unfortunately, SmartDraw has been somewhat inefficient with some of the more complex projects on our plate and has really deterred certain employees from even wanting to use it.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    ScreenShots

    ER/Studio Screenshots

    Screenshot of logical data models in ER/Studio Data Architect.Screenshot of data catalog in ER/Studio Data Architect.Screenshot of data glossaries in ER/Studio Data Architect.

    SmartDraw Screenshots

    Screenshot of where to create diagrams, including: flowcharts and swimlanes, organizational charts, mind maps, CAD drawings & floor plans, project charts, network diagrams, and wireframes & mockups.Screenshot of a workspace that combines brainstorming with technical diagrams. SmartDraw can be used to visualize processes, organizations, roadmaps, and even generate diagrams from data.Screenshot of SmartDraw's templates and tools used to make flowcharts, swimlanes, and process maps.Screenshot of the org chart tool, used to document organizational structure and work as a team to plan for growth or manage change. Data can be imported to generate a chart automatically.Screenshot of the CAD drawing and floor plan tools, used to design a home or optimize office space to improve traffic flow in a retail space.Screenshot of an example of the built-in templates for landscapes, gardens, backyards used to design outdoor spaces. Users can drag-and-drop flowers, shrubs, and other plants, or add sprinkler systems, lights, and walkways, and apply photo-realistic textures for a professional finish.