Apache Web Server vs IBM DataPower Gateway comparison

Apache and IBM are both solutions in the Application Infrastructure category. Apache is ranked #5 with an average rating of 8.7, while IBM is ranked #7 with an average rating of 8.2. Apache holds a 8.5% mindshare in AIS, compared to IBM’s 3.9% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Apache users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 96% of IBM users who would recommend it.

Apache Web Server

Read 24 Apache Web Server reviews

2,456 Views
2,431 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

IBM DataPower Gateway

Read 32 IBM DataPower Gateway reviews

7,084 Views
1,133 Comparison Views

96% willing to recommend

Apache Web Server

IBM DataPower Gateway

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 5, 2025

IBM DataPower Gateway and Apache Web Server vie in the web and data security market. IBM DataPower Gateway distinguishes itself with advanced security, combining encryption, threat protection, and API management, giving it an edge in security-focused enterprises. Apache Web Server, on the other hand, excels in cost-effectiveness and modular flexibility, preferred by those seeking a versatile solution.

Features: IBM DataPower Gateway offers encryption, threat protection, and comprehensive API management, aligning well with enterprise-level requirements. Apache Web Server provides a modular architecture, extensive customizability, and efficient client request handling, appealing to varied operational needs.

Room for Improvement: IBM DataPower Gateway could enhance usability and reduce complexity in deployment, while Apache might benefit from improved enterprise-level support and richer commercial features. DataPower could also explore cost-effective solutions to widen its market appeal. Apache Web Server needs enhancements in user interface and ease of management for large-scale deployments.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: IBM DataPower Gateway necessitates skilled personnel for deployment, supported by enterprise-grade customer service. Apache Web Server's open-source foundation ensures simpler installation and management, although it primarily relies on community-based support for troubleshooting.

Pricing and ROI: IBM DataPower Gateway incurs higher initial costs, but its features promise substantial ROI through performance gains. Apache Web Server offers economical deployment with negligible recurring costs, delivering formidable ROI through its adaptability and community-driven advancements.

To learn more, read our detailed Apache Web Server vs. IBM DataPower Gateway Report (Updated: April 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Apache Web Server vs. IBM DataPower Gateway

April 2026

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Apache Web Server

Ranking in Application Infrastructure

5th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

IBM DataPower Gateway

Ranking in Application Infrastructure

7th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Enterprise Service Bus (ESB) (4th), SOA Application Gateways (1st), API Management (10th)

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2026, in the Application Infrastructure category, the mindshare of Apache Web Server is 8.5%, down from 10.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IBM DataPower Gateway is 3.9%, down from 4.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Application Infrastructure Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Apache Web Server	8.5%
IBM DataPower Gateway	3.9%
Other	87.6%

Application Infrastructure

Featured Reviews

Dimitrios Zigkos

Enterprise Architect at Smals vzw

Faced limitations with integration and long-term adaptability but benefited from a lightweight architecture for standalone applications

I find valuable and beneficial the independence that comes with Apache Web Server. You can build a small project using a simple application server without bothering too much about how to manage it. The compatibility with multiple operating systems has helped my operations since most of the time we use Linux. Some systems rely on Windows, but they are few; in the past, Windows was the dominant operating system for mainstream PCs and infrastructure, but not for business. All the companies I worked for had 90% Linux and maybe up to 10% Windows. The initial setup of Apache Web Server was straightforward and okay.

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AkshaySawant

Manager at CSB Bank Ltd

Security features excel but development limitations emerge

We are using the IBM DataPower Gateway for security purposes. As per the development perspective, there are some limitations with IBM DataPower Gateway because it only supports XML and XSLT language, but it does not support the Java language. This is the only limitation of the IBM DataPower Gateway. For the authentication and authorization purpose, we can use the IBM DataPower Gateway. It's a very good product. We are mostly using the IBM DataPower Gateway for security purposes and load balancing purposes. If we are handling the load for a particular server, then we can use the IBM DataPower Gateway. The IBM DataPower Gateway is mostly used for security purposes. If we have some APIs and we are using some security for those APIs, then we can use it. It can also be used as a load balancer. It's also used for certificate management, user management purposes, authentication, and authorization. For routing, the IBM DataPower Gateway has multiple URL-based routing and content-based routing capabilities. If we have multiple URLs, then we can use an XML script. Using the XSLT language, we can configure multiple URLs and implement URL-based routing. Content-based routing means if we have multiple requests, we can route the request to a particular URL. For this, we need to use the XSLT language only. We can't use XML, Java, or other scripting languages. With IBM DataPower Gateway, we are using all the APIs. All APIs have been configured on the gateway. We have configured the particular TLS profile and some TLS client profiles as well. Using that TLS profile, we have configured the APIs and authentication. We have configured some tokens also, including JWT tokens and different types of auth tokens. There is also a rate limiting feature which we use for handling API loads.

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"Apache is a powerful tool with which you can make it do just about anything you need."

"I find valuable and beneficial the independence that comes with Apache Web Server; you can build a small project using a simple application server without bothering too much about how to manage it."

"Apache Web Server is freeware with no setup or licensing costs, yet it efficiently and stably runs our web applications in the cloud, including Java-based ones with Apache Tomcat and SSL for secure connectivity, providing substantial cost-savings for our organization."

"In my experience, Apache Web Server has been a good and stable solution."

"Apache Web Server effectively runs any web application, including Java-based applications, and includes Apache Tomcat server, which is crucial."

"The solution offers good security."

"It's very stable, and it hosts one of the biggest of many biggest web applications in the world."

"The control panel is very easy to navigate. It's similar to most hosting platforms, so it's user-friendly. Once you get used to it, managing your hosting becomes easy, too."

More Apache Web Server pros

"The MPGW (Multi-Protocol Gateway) is great because it allows you to easily expose services using various protocols – web services, REST (JSON), and others. This flexibility simplifies things."

"It is easy to use, easy to install, and it's resilient for high availability."

"It's high-speed and it can be remotely administered via an API."

"For me, its most valuable features include: the fact that it's high-speed, its ability to be remotely administered via an API, the fact that it can deal with multiple protocols, and it's very quick to make changes to the setup."

"I like that it is very stable, and we never experience any downtime."

"I recommend this solution; it is a good security application and it incorporates integrations and the latest security controls that are available in the market."

"Anybody can use it as their security device and as their multi-protocol handling device."

"IBM is a huge organization in comparison to most of the competition, it has massive development and offers very high-quality products."

More IBM DataPower Gateway pros

Cons

"Adding a reverse proxy to Apache Web Server would be a significant improvement."

"I want the user interface to be more user-friendly."

"The product's initial setup process could be easier for users."

"So far, for us, everything is okay."

"For NGINX, I think it has NGINX Management Suite, which is GUI-based and allows you to manage your configuration via the user interface, but Apache fails to offer such capabilities to users."

"There isn't a dedicated customer support available"

"A monitoring interface would be great for this product. The monitoring dashboards for Apache's models are not included in the basic installation. You can install the basic monitoring model, then connect this model to another monitoring system."

"Apache Server and the Nginx also do not require any licenses, and I think because of this that the support is not so good for us."

More Apache Web Server cons

"In the next release, I would like to see the product price reduced. It should be cheaper."

"API management launched two years back and we consider it quite unstable because we still face a lot of bugs."

"Scripting needs improvement. It's hard for our customers."

"DataPower isn't the most user-friendly tool. It is not an easy tool to use. Some things could use better wizards to guide you through processes."

"I would like the tool to improve its training."

"For the workloads that are not too high, appliance is a little bit expensive, especially in the development test and UAT environment, where we can use the virtual version of the product."

"One area that could be improved is the integration with Postgres and SQL databases. Currently, IBM DataPower Gateway only integrates with Oracle databases."

"An area for improvement in IBM DataPower Gateway is its price point because it's a relatively expensive product. Sometimes, when the customer use case is just a very small subset of what's being offered in IBM DataPower Gateway, then the product can be expensive, making my company lose some of the opportunities because of the expensive pricing. A lower price point for IBM DataPower Gateway, even if that results in a less feature-rich version, would be appreciated. In terms of additional features that I'd like to see in the next release of IBM DataPower Gateway, nothing specific comes to mind because IBM constantly improves its standards and provides quarterly updates to the product, so it's quite fine."

More IBM DataPower Gateway cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is a free-of-cost solution."

"It is an open-source solution."

"There is no licensing cost for the product."

"The apache software is free, open-source."

"The solution is expensive in comparison to other products."

"The appliance is a bit on the expensive side for the workloads that are not too high."

"The solution has a return on investment but is a little expensive."

"Most customers' use case budgets are not inlined with the price of IBM DataPower Gateway. It is too expensive."

"The cost of this product varies from customer to customer and the relationship with IBM, including how many offerings from IBM are already being used."

"IBM DataPower Gateway is quite expensive to get resources to work on this product. If the price could be cheaper, I think that will make it a little bit better and easily accessible to smaller clients. Then it could compete with other solutions that are available in the market. There's a whole lot of other solutions available that work well and are cheaper than IBM's products."

"The total cost of IBM DataPower Gateway would depend on the configuration, but in my experience, it can amount to 60,000 Euros per box, even for the virtual version. Usually, customers need high availability and a non-production environment, so the total price for IBM DataPower Gateway can be quite a lot. It can be 200,000 Euros or a similar figure."

"The cost is very high and requires all five components in the API management solution."

More IBM DataPower Gateway pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Construction Company

10%

Outsourcing Company

10%

Computer Software Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Financial Services Firm

29%

Insurance Company

Manufacturing Company

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	7
Midsize Enterprise	8
Large Enterprise	11

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	11
Midsize Enterprise	2
Large Enterprise	18

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Apache Web Server?

There are no fees associated with the usage of Apache Web Server in my projects. If you want to have support, then there is some cost, but today I do not know how many companies pay for that servic...

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What needs improvement with Apache Web Server?

I would like to see improvements in the functionality and core of Apache Web Server, focusing on building an infrastructure that can be resilient and robust enough to handle resource shortages, and...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Apache Web Server?

I am currently working with Apache Web Server in my projects because I'm an architect. Some years ago, it was the application server and the web server; it was Apache Daemon and Apache, the web ser...

See all answers

What do you like most about IBM DataPower Gateway?

The MPGW (Multi-Protocol Gateway) is great because it allows you to easily expose services using various protocols – web services, REST (JSON), and others. This flexibility simplifies things.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IBM DataPower Gateway?

I don't know if the current licensing cost of IBM DataPower Gateway is high, but I think it's acceptable. I don't have any complaints about it.

See all answers

What needs improvement with IBM DataPower Gateway?

I noticed that the Gateway Script libraries could be improved, as they are not covering everything I need.

See all answers

Comparisons

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Compared 20% of the time

NGINX Plus vs Apache Web Server

Compared 17% of the time

Magic xpa Application Platform vs Apache Web Server

Compared 7% of the time

Windows Server AppFabric vs Apache Web Server

Compared 6% of the time

IBM WebSphere Application Server vs Apache Web Server

Compared 4% of the time

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IBM API Connect vs IBM DataPower Gateway

Compared 30% of the time

Apigee vs IBM DataPower Gateway

Compared 5% of the time

NGINX Plus vs IBM DataPower Gateway

Compared 4% of the time

Kong Gateway Enterprise vs IBM DataPower Gateway

Compared 3% of the time

webMethods.io vs IBM DataPower Gateway

Compared 3% of the time

More IBM DataPower Gateway Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Apache Web Server

May 2026

Download Apache Web Server product report

Buyer's Guide

IBM DataPower Gateway

May 2026

Download IBM DataPower Gateway product report

Also Known As

Apache HTTP Server

WebSphere DataPower, IBM DataPower, IBM WebSphere DataPower

Overview

Apache Web Server is a stable, open-source platform known for its cost-effectiveness, multi-platform compatibility, ease of setup, and high security. It supports various web scripting languages and enables HTTPS services, making it a popular choice for many organizations.

Apache Web Server offers extensive features including HTTP server capabilities and modularity. It efficiently handles client requests and is highly flexible, which is why many companies utilize it for hosting applications, developing websites, and more. Community support further enhances its reliability, though improvements like integration with cloud systems such as Kubernetes, a simplified port management, and support for Microsoft's .Net framework are desired. Initial setup challenges exist, and enhanced security features and GUI updates would benefit less experienced users. Apache needs optimization for resource efficiency and compatibility with modern application architectures.

What are the most important features of Apache Web Server?

Open-Source: Apache is free and community-driven.
Cross-Platform Compatibility: Works on multiple operating systems.
Modular Architecture: Allows scalability and customization.
Secure: Supports HTTPS services and has WAF capabilities.
Performance: Efficiently handles client requests.

What benefits can users expect from using Apache Web Server?

Cost-Effective: No licensing fees associated.
High Reliability: Community support ensures stability.
Flexibility: Easily integrates with numerous frameworks.
Scalability: Modular design aids in scaling operations.
Community Support: Continuous updates and enhancements.

Apache Web Server is widely used across different industries such as financial sectors for hosting applications and core banking systems. Integrated with tools like JMeter and Tomcat, it is pivotal in deploying web servers and acting as a proxy for application servers. In cloud migrations, its open-source WAF features using ModSecurity are invaluable, and companies rely on its capabilities for managing threats and attacks through HTTP/HTTPS connections.

Apache

IBM DataPower Gateway provides advanced security, multi-protocol transformation, and API management, ensuring appliance-based stability and performance. It supports enterprise-level traffic, facilitating seamless integration and deployment, though it may pose challenges in terms of pricing and user complexity.

IBM DataPower Gateway integrates as an enterprise service bus and API management platform, effectively securing APIs and managing authentication and authorization. Serving large banks and enterprises, it supports B2B transactions with data security and compliance, especially for sectors requiring GDPR adherence. Users benefit from high performance and stability, despite its premium cost and complex configuration needs. Cloud integration, user-friendliness enhancements, and improved documentation are areas where it can advance. It meets the demands of sectors like BFSI by protecting against security threats and supporting significant traffic volumes.

What are key features of IBM DataPower Gateway?

Advanced security functionalities: Comprehensive tools for authentication, authorization, and certificate management.
Multi-protocol transformation: Facilitates seamless conversions across different protocols.
Appliance-based stability: Provides a stable platform for handling enterprise traffic.
API management: Capable of managing APIs efficiently with rate-limiting and other controls.
Efficient troubleshooting tools: Streamlines issue resolution and system maintenance.

What benefits or ROI can users expect?

High performance: Capable of handling large-scale enterprise traffic efficiently.
Easy integration and configuration: Simplifies connecting with existing systems.
Regulatory compliance: Supports adherence to regulations like GDPR.
Protects against security threats: Offers robust security measures for data protection.

IBM DataPower Gateway is prominent in industries requiring rigorous data security and efficient integration, such as BFSI. Large enterprises leverage it for B2B transactions, ensuring regulatory compliance and high-performance standards. It's also implemented in environments demanding robust API security and management.

IBM

Sample Customers

Cisco, Intuit, General Electric, Adobe, VMware, PayPal, HP, EMC, eBay, Apple, SAP, Qualcomm, SanDisk, Allstate, FedEx

RBL Bank, Availity

Buyer's Guide

Apache Web Server vs. IBM DataPower Gateway

April 2026

Free Report: Apache Web Server vs. IBM DataPower Gateway

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