# Ardoq vs Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect: which do AI models recommend for EA tools, October 2026

IT AI Recommendation Index, October 2026 Edition, Enterprise architecture tools. Three of fourteen models named Ardoq first on the direct prompt; one named Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect. Page: https://it-ai-index.com/operations/enterprise-architecture-tools/ardoq-vs-sparx-systems-enterprise-architect/

| | First-choice share | Rank | Negative rate | Labels | Models naming it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ardoq | 18% | #2 of 10 | 15% | 47 | 13 of 14 |
| Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect | 5% | #5 of 10 | 17% | 29 | 13 of 14 |

## The direct prompt, model by model

- Claude Haiku 4.5: ardoq first (first choices: Ardoq, LeanIX) (alternatives: Archi, Bizzdesign Horizzon)
- MiniMax M2.5: ardoq first (first choices: Ardoq, SAP LeanIX) (alternatives: Essential Cloud, Sparx Enterprise Architect)
- Muse Glimmer 30B: ardoq first (first choices: Ardoq) (alternatives: Bizzdesign Horizzon, SAP LeanIX, Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect)
- Mistral Small: sparx systems enterprise architect first (first choices: Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect) (alternatives: Ardoq, iServer365)
- Gemini 3.5 Flash: neither first, one named (first choices: SAP LeanIX) (alternatives: Ardoq, Orbus Software, Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect)
- Perplexity Sonar: neither first, one named (first choices: LeanIX) (alternatives: Ardoq, Sparx Enterprise Architect)
- Grok 4.1 Fast: neither first, one named (first choices: SAP LeanIX) (alternatives: Ardoq, Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect)
- DeepSeek V4 Flash: neither first, one named (first choices: SAP LeanIX) (alternatives: Ardoq, Bizzdesign Horizzon, Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect)
- Qwen 3.7 Flash: neither first, one named (first choices: LeanIX) (alternatives: Ardoq, Bizzdesign Horizzon, Sparx Systems)
- Kimi K2: neither first, one named (first choices: SAP LeanIX) (alternatives: Ardoq, Avolution ABACUS, Bizzdesign Enterprise Studio, Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect)
- GLM 4.7 FlashX: neither first, one named (first choices: SAP LeanIX) (alternatives: Ardoq, Bizzdesign Horizzon, Sparx Enterprise Architect)
- GPT-6 Luna: neither first, one named (first choices: SAP LeanIX) (alternatives: Ardoq, OrbusInfinity)
- GPT-5.4 mini: neither named (first choices: SAP LeanIX) (alternatives: Bizzdesign Horizzon, Orbus Software, Sparx Systems)
- Llama 4 Maverick: neither named (first choices: Sparx)

## What the models said about Ardoq

- "Avoid high-end tools like LeanIX, Bizzdesign, or Ardoq" (Grok 4.1 Fast, budget prompt, hard negative)
- "High Risk: Pricing/Packaging Changes ... Ardoq if you have a very large application portfolio (>1,000 apps) and budget sensitivity." (DeepSeek V4 Flash, negative prompt, soft negative)
- "Ardoq is an example often flagged for this: ... exclusively a cloud-hosted SaaS platform — there is no on-premises deployment option" (Muse Glimmer 30B, negative prompt, soft negative)
- "Dynamic visualization & linking complex relationships. Very user-friendly for non-architects. | Great for "living repository" approach." (Qwen 3.7 Flash, scale prompt, first choice)
- "Ardoq is the most cited "modern" option for teams that want browser-based real-time collaboration and automated dependency mapping." (Muse Glimmer 30B, direct prompt, first choice)
- "LeanIX and Ardoq are usually the strongest fits because they prioritize portfolio views, impact analysis, and change planning" (Perplexity Sonar, comparative prompt, first choice)

## What the models said about Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect

- "Highest Caution/Steepest Learning Curve ... Frequently cited as one of the most problematic" (Grok 4.1 Fast, negative prompt, hard negative)
- "Avoid: - Sparx Enterprise Architect if you need business-friendly EA" (DeepSeek V4 Flash, negative prompt, hard negative)
- "The learning curve is steep with nested menus and features hidden in dialogs... Users report outdated design, poor UI, difficulty understanding and finding required tools, and performance issues" (Claude Haiku 4.5, negative prompt, soft negative)
- "It maintains a dominant 18% market share in the defense and aerospace sectors and remains the most cost-effective solution for large-scale deployments" (Claude Haiku 4.5, comparative prompt, first choice)
- "Choose Sparx EA when you need deep, standards-based architecture modeling, full control of the repository, and the lowest cost at scale" (Muse Glimmer 30B, comparative prompt, first choice)
- "If you want a powerful, cost-effective, on-premise tool with deep modeling, choose Sparx Enterprise Architect." (Mistral Small, direct prompt, first choice)

Share is the count of first choices across the direct, paraphrase, budget and scale prompts over all fourteen models, for a mid-market B2B company; rank is within the category. Comparisons are drawn for the top eight products in each category. Published under CC BY 4.0; the output is the models' output, and nothing here is a recommendation by the index.