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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    IBM Blueworks Live

    Score9.1 out of 10
    N/ABlueworks Live is cloud-based business process management software that provides users with a collaborative environment for documenting, analyzing, and building business process mapping.N/A

    Microsoft Visio

    Score7.8 out of 10
    N/AMicrosoft offers Visio, a diagramming tool for building flowcharts, diagrams (e.g. network diagrams), org charts and floor plans, available online as a subscription and also in enterprise level packages (e.g. Visio Professional).

    $5

    per month per user

    Pricing
    IBM Blueworks LiveMicrosoft Visio
    Editions & Modules
    No answers on this topic
    Visio Plan 1
    $5.00
    per month per user
    Visio Plan 2
    $15.00
    per month per user
    Visio Standard 2024
    $309.99
    one-time fee On-premises diagramming solution, licensed for one PC
    Visio Professional 2024
    $579.99
    one-time fee On-premises diagramming solution, licensed for one PC
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    IBM Blueworks LiveMicrosoft Visio
    Free Trial
    YesNo
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoYes
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional Details——
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    IBM Blueworks LiveMicrosoft Visio
    Considered Both Products
    IBM
    Chose IBM Blueworks Live
    When compared to Google Sheets it's far better. I won't recommend visio, I have used it for month and then I switched to IBM Blueworks Live, IBM Blueworks Live suited my use case better. It has been around a year using IBM Blueworks Live and I am not switching it to any other …
    Incentivized
    Chose IBM Blueworks Live
    I have infrastructure in IBM hence integration with IBM Blueworks Live was very easy.
    There were inbuilt tools in IBM Blueworks Live where as Visio didn't support IBM platform much.
    If you have your infrastructure in Microsoft then Microsoft Visio can be a good choice else IBM …
    Incentivized
    Chose IBM Blueworks Live
    We didn't have a choice. Our implementation partner chose this
    Incentivized
    Chose IBM Blueworks Live
    Blueworks Live was part of a project deal. We did not keep it after the project. We found there are many solutions offering similar or superior capabilities - the fact that Blueworks does not fully support the universal BPMN standard was a big letdown for us. The pricing also …
    Incentivized
    Microsoft
    No answer on this topic
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    94%
    Would buy again
    31 Answers
    90%
    Would buy again
    54 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    94%
    Delivers good value for the price
    30 Answers
    98%
    Delivers good value for the price
    53 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    94%
    Happy with the feature set
    32 Answers
    93%
    Happy with the feature set
    56 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    95%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    19 Answers
    97%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    36 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    93%
    Implementation went as expected
    25 Answers
    97%
    Implementation went as expected
    36 Answers
    Features
    IBM Blueworks LiveMicrosoft Visio
    Reporting & Analytics
    Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of IBM Blueworks Live and Microsoft Visio
    Feature
    IBM Blueworks Live
    8.2
    36 Ratings
    6% above category average
    Microsoft Visio
    -
    Ratings
    Dashboards8.018 Ratings00 Ratings
    Standard reports8.935 Ratings00 Ratings
    Custom reports7.732 Ratings00 Ratings
    Process Engine
    Comparison of Process Engine features of IBM Blueworks Live and Microsoft Visio
    Feature
    IBM Blueworks Live
    7.6
    36 Ratings
    9% below category average
    Microsoft Visio
    -
    Ratings
    Process designer8.235 Ratings00 Ratings
    Process simulation8.231 Ratings00 Ratings
    Business rules engine5.832 Ratings00 Ratings
    SOA support7.829 Ratings00 Ratings
    Process player8.132 Ratings00 Ratings
    Support for modeling languages7.234 Ratings00 Ratings
    Form builder8.016 Ratings00 Ratings
    Model execution7.716 Ratings00 Ratings
    Collaboration
    Comparison of Collaboration features of IBM Blueworks Live and Microsoft Visio
    Feature
    IBM Blueworks Live
    8.4
    37 Ratings
    1% above category average
    Microsoft Visio
    -
    Ratings
    Social collaboration tools8.437 Ratings00 Ratings
    Content Management Capabilties
    Comparison of Content Management Capabilties features of IBM Blueworks Live and Microsoft Visio
    Feature
    IBM Blueworks Live
    6.1
    33 Ratings
    28% below category average
    Microsoft Visio
    -
    Ratings
    Content management6.133 Ratings00 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    IBM Blueworks LiveMicrosoft Visio
    Small Businesses
    Process Street
    Score8.2 out of 10
    OmniGraffle
    Score9.8 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    TIBCO® BPM Enterprise
    Score8 out of 10
    OmniGraffle
    Score9.8 out of 10
    Enterprises
    IBM Business Automation Workflow
    Score10 out of 10
    OmniGraffle
    Score9.8 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    IBM Blueworks LiveMicrosoft Visio
    Likelihood to Recommend
    8.7
    (40 ratings)
    8.1
    (79 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (2 ratings)
    Usability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    7.8
    (14 ratings)
    Support Rating
    8.3
    (5 ratings)
    7.3
    (14 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    IBM Blueworks LiveMicrosoft Visio
    Likelihood to Recommend
    IBM
    Pharmacies are subject to several regulatory obligations, including FDA and HIPAA rules. Pharmacy teams may record and view compliance-related procedures in a uniform format with IBM BLueworks Live. This facilitates Audit tracking, ensures process compliance at every stage, and keeps audits running smoothly.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    Visio is by far and away the best tool that I have used to do Value Stream Mapping sessions with the warehouse I support. It has all of the shapes needed built in to be able to represent all areas of the processes. I also like how you are able to make the drawing as big as needed and when printing it out of Visio you have the ability to use the necessary paper size. The biggest complaint that I have with the software if how it can be cumbersome for non-Visio users (that is, people without a license in the orgnaization) to interact with the Visio Map. We normally have to dedicate one Visio SME to be able to make the changes that Process SME's find since they do not have access to the software.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Pros
    IBM
    • Easy to create process diagrams quickly, while collaborating with others.
    • Create linkages to sub-processes and other workflows.
    • Track activities using metadata such as which IT systems are utilized.
    • Use the glossary terms to find where different roles or systems are involved in processes throughout your org.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    • Microsoft Visio is excellent for organizing thought processes related to our more complex research.
    • The diagrams created with Microsoft Visio are ideal for graphically displaying the internal organization of work and research groups through flow diagrams.
    • Microsoft Visio is a great tool for managing our students' activities by creating flowcharts that help us graphically visualize the steps of their group work.
    Read full review
    Cons
    IBM
    • In particular, we have had problems with the availability of the service because the platform frequently crashed.
    • Is not easy to pull some indicators.
    • We would like to be able to see a different interface, long ago with the same.
    • Payment process is not easy.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    • When navigating through swim lanes, the user must be careful between switching from the point to the connection features as it can be difficult to remember which mode you’re in.
    • When drawing “decision points,” it can be difficult to type words like “yes” or “no” between the connection lines.
    • The exporting options aren’t ideal. They are hard to create in PDF format.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    IBM
    No answers on this topic
    Microsoft
    We use Microsoft Visio to keep our diagrams updated and to that end we will need the subscription to keep using the software. Otherwise we will be left with PDF versions of the diagrams.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Usability
    IBM
    No answers on this topic
    Microsoft
    I have always struggled with some basics, such as connection points, object alignment, font consistency, arranging layers and their order (bring forward, send backward), and managing overlap. I usually need to create an initial rough draft and then do a separate cleanup pass to bring the diagram up to my quality standards. If I skip that step, the result generally does not look very good. And once a diagram becomes busy or the file gets large, Visio has been unstable for me in the past, including occasional crashes that caused non-recoverable edits.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Support Rating
    IBM
    I have gotten great response for the very few times I needed support.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    Overall, I feel that Microsoft's support is weak. They are now such a behemoth that their model of putting documentation online for their users to sift through is totally outgrown. Given the amount of money you pay for these licenses, Microsoft should provide easy one-on-one support for their products via email or chat. The idea of paying their rates for support incidents is ridiculous. If you have an enormous amount of time on your hands, use their support websites and you will eventually find a solution most of the time.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Alternatives Considered
    IBM
    Blueworks Live was part of a project deal. We did not keep it after the project. We found there are many solutions offering similar or superior capabilities - the fact that Blueworks does not fully support the universal BPMN standard was a big letdown for us. The pricing also did not make sense as a standalone solution.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    Even though it’s a more expensive solution, Vizio is built for the enterprise. Therefore, it integrates perfectly with our existing Microsoft stack, and quite frankly, because it’s such a more mature product, it provides exactly the functionality we need and expect.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Return on Investment
    IBM
    • It has helped us reduce miscommunication between our departments, such as production, inventory, and shipping, thus reducing delays.
    • Now, most things are automated; we can quickly know when a product will be in low stock.
    • With the help of custom charts, we are easily able to determine our best-selling product of the month and week, which helps us market according to stats.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    • Reduces the amount of time I need to create process flow diagrams. In the past I would use Powerpoint or Word which required a lot more effort and time and never looked as good. Visio just takes that headache away.
    • Only negative is that I personally believe it should always have been part and parcel of the Office suite, thus giving more users the opportunity to use it rather than specifically having to justify its separate purchase within our organisation. Different now with Office 365 of course!
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    ScreenShots

    IBM Blueworks Live Screenshots

    Screenshot of the IBM Blueworks Live interface which fosters real-time communication and feedback, allowing users to work together on process models. It is used to track changes, share insights, and refine workflows with instant messaging directly within the platform.Screenshot of the Library feature in IBM Blueworks Live, which offers a hierarchical view of spaces, blueprints, decisions, and policies. Users can navigate and categorize processes to streamline business operations, ensuring teams have access the right information at the right time.Screenshot of the Discovery Map in IBM Blueworks Live, a tool used to map out complex workflows with drag-and-drop simplicity, making it easy to capture every step of a processes in a structured and clear format. Users can optimize operations by turning insights into action, aligning teams on what truly matters.Screenshot of the Process Diagram view in IBM Blueworks Live, a feature used to transforms Discovery Maps into standardized, swimlane diagrams that clearly outline roles, responsibilities, decisions, systems and process flows. Users can streamline process design with an interactive interface that simplifies complex tasks, enabling the delivery of results faster and more efficiently.Screenshot of the Details Panel in IBM Blueworks Live, used to access critical information such as cycle time, cost, and involved systems. This feature enables users to connect process details across workflows, make data-driven decisions, optimize resources, and enhance business processes, all while keeping stakeholders aligned.