Best Enterprise Architecture Tools in 2026: Complete Comparison Guide

Enterprise architecture management has evolved significantly in the past few years. AI capabilities, process mining integration, and flexible deployment options are reshaping what organizations expect from their EA tools. This guide compares the leading platforms for 2026, covering features, strengths, limitations, and ideal use cases for each.

Quick Comparison: All Tools at a Glance

1. Peaqview

Peaqview is an AI-native enterprise architecture platform that was built from the ground up to unify EA modeling with process mining. It stands out as the only EA tool that includes native process mining capabilities (DFG discovery, conformance checking, variant analysis, ML cycle time prediction) in the same data model as architecture management.

Key Strengths

• Unified data model: 71 ArchiMate 3.2 object types with architecture and process data connected natively. No integration tax or sync delays.
• AI Partners: 146+ tools via Model Context Protocol (MCP) for Claude Desktop. AI can autonomously create objects, generate reports, build diagrams, and run multi-step analyses.
• BYOK AI: Bring your own API keys for OpenAI, Anthropic, Mistral, Azure OpenAI, or AWS Bedrock. Full control over AI vendor, data privacy, and costs.
• Process mining: Import event logs (CSV, XES), discover process flows, overlay onto application landscape, trace bottlenecks to technology components.
• 6R rationalization: Transparent 46-factor scoring engine with mission-critical protection and Sankey visualization.
• Obsolescence intelligence: ML-powered scoring with risk inheritance that propagates across the architecture hierarchy.
• SaaS deployment: Multi-tenant platform hosted on Azure and Scaleway. Zero infrastructure to manage, automatic updates.

Considerations

• Newer platform with a smaller customer base compared to established vendors
• Fewer pre-built third-party integrations (though the API and MCP server enable custom integrations)

Best For

Organizations that need to bridge architecture management and process intelligence, want AI-native capabilities beyond a chatbot, require deployment flexibility, or need transparent rationalization scoring. Particularly strong for teams that want to trace process bottlenecks to their technology root cause.

2. LeanIX (SAP)

LeanIX has been a leading EA tool since 2012 and was acquired by SAP in 2023. It focuses primarily on application portfolio management (APM) and has a large enterprise customer base. SAP is integrating it with Signavio for process capabilities.

Key Strengths

• Market maturity: 10+ years of development, large customer base, proven at enterprise scale
• APM focus: Strong application portfolio management with dashboard-driven insights
• Integration marketplace: Broad ecosystem of pre-built connectors (ServiceNow, Jira, etc.)
• SAP alignment: Tighter integration with SAP products and roadmap
• AI assistant: AI-powered chatbot for portfolio questions and recommendations

Considerations

• No native process mining (requires separate SAP Signavio)
• SaaS-only deployment
• Custom data model, not full ArchiMate standard
• Premium enterprise pricing typically starting at $50,000+/year
• AI limited to vendor-provided model (no BYOK)

Best For

Large enterprises already invested in the SAP ecosystem that primarily need application portfolio management. Strong choice for organizations that value market maturity and a broad integration ecosystem over process mining or AI flexibility.

3. Ardoq

Ardoq takes a graph-based approach to enterprise architecture, offering flexible data modeling with strong visualization capabilities. Founded in Norway, it focuses on making architecture data accessible beyond the EA team.

Key Strengths

• Graph data model: Flexible, relationship-centric modeling that can adapt to any architecture framework
• Visualizations: Strong graph-based views and dependency maps
• Surveys and crowdsourcing: Built-in mechanisms to gather data from application owners
• API-first: Well-documented REST and GraphQL APIs
• AI insights: Basic AI-powered analysis and recommendations

Considerations

• No process mining capability
• SaaS-only deployment
• Partial ArchiMate support (flexible but not standard-compliant)
• Limited rationalization methodology (custom surveys rather than a built-in framework)
• AI capabilities less advanced than Peaqview's MCP approach

Best For

Organizations that value a flexible, graph-based data model and want to crowdsource architecture data across the organization. Good choice for teams that prioritize API-first architecture and need adaptable modeling beyond rigid frameworks.

4. Mega HOPEX

Mega HOPEX is a comprehensive platform that combines enterprise architecture with governance, risk, and compliance (GRC). It's one of the more feature-rich tools in the market, targeting large organizations that need EA within a broader governance context.

Key Strengths

• GRC integration: EA + governance, risk, and compliance in a single platform
• Comprehensive modeling: Full ArchiMate support with broad metamodel customization
• On-premises: Offers both SaaS and on-premises deployment
• Business process analysis: Process modeling (though not process mining)
• Regulatory compliance: Built-in compliance management frameworks

Considerations

• Steep learning curve due to feature breadth
• No native process mining (requires third-party integration)
• Limited AI capabilities compared to newer tools
• Higher implementation complexity and cost
• Traditional UI that can feel dated compared to modern platforms

Best For

Large organizations that need enterprise architecture combined with governance, risk management, and regulatory compliance. Strong choice for heavily regulated industries (banking, insurance, government) where GRC and EA must be tightly integrated.

5. BiZZdesign Enterprise Studio

BiZZdesign Enterprise Studio is the go-to platform for organizations deeply committed to the ArchiMate standard and TOGAF framework. It was co-created by the people who developed ArchiMate, giving it the deepest standard compliance in the market.

Key Strengths

• ArchiMate pedigree: Co-developed by ArchiMate creators, best-in-class standard compliance
• TOGAF alignment: Deep integration with TOGAF ADM methodology
• Modeling depth: Rich diagramming with ArchiMate-native tooling
• Collaboration: Multi-user modeling with version control
• Deployment flexibility: SaaS and on-premises options

Considerations

• No process mining capability
• Limited AI features
• Modeling-focused — less strong on portfolio management dashboards
• Can be complex for teams not deeply familiar with ArchiMate
• Smaller ecosystem of integrations compared to LeanIX

Best For

Organizations deeply invested in ArchiMate and TOGAF that need best-in-class standard compliance and modeling capabilities. Ideal for EA teams that prioritize architecture modeling rigor over portfolio management dashboards or AI features.

6. Orbus iServer

Orbus iServer is built on the Microsoft technology stack, leveraging Microsoft Visio for diagramming and SharePoint for collaboration. It's a natural fit for organizations already heavily invested in Microsoft tools.

Key Strengths

• Microsoft integration: Native Visio, SharePoint, and Microsoft 365 integration
• Familiar tooling: Architects already using Visio can model directly with the tools they know
• Framework support: Supports TOGAF, ArchiMate, and other EA frameworks
• Deployment options: SaaS and on-premises deployment available
• Customization: Configurable meta-model for organizational needs

Considerations

• No process mining
• No AI capabilities
• Depends on Microsoft licensing (Visio, SharePoint)
• Less modern UI compared to web-native platforms
• More limited analytics and dashboard capabilities

Best For

Microsoft-centric organizations where architects already use Visio and the IT infrastructure runs on SharePoint and Microsoft 365. Ideal for teams that want EA management without learning new tools.

How to Choose the Right EA Tool

Selecting an EA tool depends on your organization's specific needs. Here are the key decision factors:

• Do you need process mining? If yes, Peaqview is the only EA tool with native process mining. Otherwise, you'll need a separate tool like Celonis or SAP Signavio.
• How important is AI? If AI-powered autonomous analysis matters, Peaqview leads with 146+ MCP tools. LeanIX and Ardoq offer basic AI features.
• Do you need on-premises deployment? Mega HOPEX, BiZZdesign, and Orbus iServer offer on-premises options. Peaqview, LeanIX, and Ardoq are SaaS platforms.
• How important is ArchiMate compliance? BiZZdesign and Peaqview offer full ArchiMate 3.2. Others offer partial support.
• Is GRC integration needed? Mega HOPEX is the strongest choice for combined EA + GRC.
• Budget constraints? Peaqview offers the most competitive pricing. Enterprise tools typically start at $50,000+/year.

Frequently Asked Questions