Sparx Enterprise Architect vs yEd Graph Editor

Sparx Enterprise Architect8.6Visit yEd Graph Editor8.5Visit

Higher score Sparx Enterprise Architect #7 in Diagramming Software 8.6/10 Free plan · 30-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 1 of 3 features Visit site

vs

yEd Graph Editor #8 in Diagramming Software 8.5/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 3 features Visit yEd

• Sparx Enterprise Architect fits best

  Enterprise architecture and requirements modeling

• yEd Graph Editor fits best

  Free desktop graph and diagram editing

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Side by side

Feature	Sparx Enterprise Architect 8.6/10 Visit ↗	yEd Graph Editor 8.5/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.6	8.5
Ranking	#7 in Diagramming Software	#8 in Diagramming Software
Best for	Enterprise architecture and requirements modeling	Free desktop graph and diagram editing
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Free
Starting price	—	Free plan
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	30 days	—
Deployment	Cloud, Desktop	Desktop
Platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux	Windows, macOS, Linux
Support	Email, Community, Docs	Email, Community, Docs
Built for	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Sparx Enterprise Architect 1/3 · yEd Graph Editor 0/3
Real-time collaboration	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Desktop apps	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Offline editing	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Specs
Diagram types	UML Use Case, Activity, State, Interaction Overview, Sequence, Communication, Package, Class, Object, Composite, Component, Deployment; BPMN; SysML	BPMN diagrams, semantic networks, family trees, flowcharts, social networks, UML class diagrams, entity relationship diagrams, swimlane diagrams
Import/export formats	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Editor seat limit	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Supports UML, BPMN, SysML, ArchiMate and requirements traceability Shared repositories, version control, baselines and multi-user projects Imports and exports formats including XMI, BPMN XML, CSV, PDF and SVG	Free for commercial use on Windows, macOS, and Linux Automatic layouts support graph-like structures and complex diagrams Imports GraphML, Excel XLS, GEDCOM, GML, and XML via XSLT
Cons	Paid licenses start at $245 per license The free Lite plan is limited to read-only model viewing Native desktop support is centered on Windows; macOS and Linux use Wine or CrossOver	Desktop-only workflow does not suit browser-first collaboration No paid tier adds team or enterprise capabilities Its focus on graph-based diagrams may not fit every visual workflow
Our verdict	Sparx Enterprise Architect is a desktop modeling, design and management platform for enterprise architects, business analysts, software developers, systems engineers, testers and project managers. It covers enterprise architecture,… Read the review →	yEd Graph Editor is a free desktop application for creating, editing, analyzing, and automatically arranging diagrams and graph-like structures. It suits individuals, students, analysts, and teams that need a capable diagram editor… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Sparx Enterprise Architect — where it wins

  • Supports UML, BPMN, SysML, ArchiMate and requirements traceability
  • Shared repositories, version control, baselines and multi-user projects
  • Imports and exports formats including XMI, BPMN XML, CSV, PDF and SVG

  Where it doesn't

  • Paid licenses start at $245 per license
  • The free Lite plan is limited to read-only model viewing
  • Native desktop support is centered on Windows; macOS and Linux use Wine or CrossOver

• yEd Graph Editor — where it wins

  • Free for commercial use on Windows, macOS, and Linux
  • Automatic layouts support graph-like structures and complex diagrams
  • Imports GraphML, Excel XLS, GEDCOM, GML, and XML via XSLT

  Where it doesn't

  • Desktop-only workflow does not suit browser-first collaboration
  • No paid tier adds team or enterprise capabilities
  • Its focus on graph-based diagrams may not fit every visual workflow

• Sparx Enterprise Architect8.6/10 · Free plan · 30-day trial

  A deep enterprise modeling suite with broad standards support and high paid-license costs.

  Visit siteFull verdict →
• yEd Graph Editor8.5/10 · Free plan

  A mature free desktop diagram editor with strong graph layouts and broad format support.

  Visit yEdFull verdict →