kUML vs Sparx Enterprise Architect
kUML
kuml.dev
Sparx Enterprise Architect
sparxsystems.comSide by side
| Figure | kUML | Sparx Enterprise Architect |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 18 |
| Spec score · UML Modeling Software | 7.8 (#14) | 8.9 (#2) |
| Integrations | The project lists CLI, Gradle, IntelliJ, Obsidian, Asciidoctor, and VS Code integrations. | External-data integration covers Jira, Confluence, Polarion, Azure DevOps/TFS, Wrike, ServiceNow, Autodesk, Bugzilla, Salesforce, SharePoint and Dropbox. |
| Security | The MCP authoring server validates scripts with KumlScriptGuard before evaluation, using the same sandboxing applied by the CLI render and validate commands. | Pro Cloud Server supports HTTPS/TLS encryption, Windows Active Directory or OpenID authentication, row-level security and up to 20 visibility-security levels. |
| What it does | kUML expresses UML 2.x, SysML 2, C4, BPMN 2.0 and ERM as a type-safe Kotlin DSL. | Enterprise Architect is a collaborative platform for visualizing, analyzing, modeling, testing and maintaining business, software, systems and enterprise architectures. |
Plans
Sparx Enterprise Architect
- Enterprise Architect LiteFree
- Lite EditionFree
- Professional Standard$245, paid once
- Professional — Standard License$245, paid once
- Corporate Standard$320, paid once
- Corporate — Standard License$320, paid once
- Professional Floating$320, paid once
- Professional — Floating License$320, paid once
- Corporate Floating$425, paid once
- Corporate — Floating License$425, paid once
In their own words
kUML
kUML is a modeling tool that expresses UML 2.x, SysML 2, C4, BPMN 2.0, and ERM as a type-safe Kotlin DSL. It supports all 14 UML 2.x diagram types, with compile-time validation and IDE support. Built-in transformations generate JPA, OpenAPI 3.0 YAML, Kubernetes manifests, and Dockerfiles. Integrations include CLI, Gradle, IntelliJ, Obsidian, Asciidoctor, and VS Code. For interoperability, it supports Structurizr DSL round-tripping and optional XMI through the kuml-io-emf module. kUML also includes an MCP server for agent introspection and a kuml ai subcommand for AI-assisted modeling. It is free and open source under Apache 2.0, with no paid plans or feature limits stated. It runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, and the web, and can be deployed both self-hosted and through other means. Install options include packages for major desktop systems, Docker, and Maven Central library modules. Rendering Kotlin scripts executes their source code, so use only scripts or workspaces you trust.
Sparx Enterprise Architect
Sparx Enterprise Architect is a visual modeling tool for business and IT systems, software and systems engineering, and real-time and embedded development. It supports UML, SysML, BPMN, and other open standards, linking specifications with analysis, design, implementation, testing, and maintenance models. Diagram coverage includes UML use case, activity, state, sequence, communication, package, class, object, component, and deployment types, plus BPMN and SysML. Requirements management supports hierarchical requirements, links to model elements, reporting, and impact analysis. Teams can simulate behavioral models using triggers, guards, and effects, including JavaScript, and generate or reverse engineer code for languages including C++, C#, Java, PHP, and Python. Built-in version control and deployable cloud-based servers support shared projects. The trial lasts 30 days and permits use of any edition, though printed documents carry a watermark. The product supports Windows, Linux, macOS, self-hosting, and API access.