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Apache Web Server vs IBM WebSphere Application Server comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary
 

Categories and Ranking

Apache Web Server
Ranking in Application Infrastructure
3rd
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
22
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
IBM WebSphere Application S...
Ranking in Application Infrastructure
5th
Average Rating
7.8
Number of Reviews
28
Ranking in other categories
Application Server (5th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2024, in the Application Infrastructure category, the mindshare of Apache Web Server is 10.3%, up from 9.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IBM WebSphere Application Server is 10.5%, up from 10.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Application Infrastructure
 

Featured Reviews

VishalSingh - PeerSpot reviewer
Not only does it allow the creation of in-house application servers and websites but also acts as a proxy server for specific use cases
The initial setup of Apache Web Server is extremely straightforward. The solution's deployment process can be completed in a few minutes. The deployment process depends on how the application is designed. For example, if you are designing an application that only renders static web pages, then the design will be unique. If there is a digital library of books and people are reading books in such a library, then mostly a server like Apache Web Server will host the content of the books on the application server and since everybody is trying to use the library, some of the users will be concurrently reading the same book, in that case a caching server is needed to help in load balancing. For the aforementioned example on libraries, the Apache Web Server can be used for the FTP to allow users to download or upload files and perform session tracking.
Saleem Shar - PeerSpot reviewer
Compatible, stable, and scalable
IBM WebSphere Application Server is one of the best servers due to its stability and paid license. I have never encountered any issues when installing and deploying applications, as it never goes down. Currently, there are two versions of WebSphere Application Server: the old version, known as WebSphere Application ND, and the newer version, Liberty, which is Docker-based. I have experience with both and have never encountered any issues. I believe that WebSphere Application Server is a great feature.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The open-source nature is one of its most significant advantages."
"Most of the features I liked were related to the performance during peak hours."
"The product's initial setup phase is straightforward."
"The solution's most valuable feature is reporting."
"The most significant advantage is the ability to swiftly enable HTTPS services when my DNS is configured correctly."
"It is scalable."
"Apache Web Server can be used as a proxy server"
"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."
"The scalability of the product is quite good."
"The most valuable feature of this solution is Portal Virtualization."
"One of the most valuable features might be the stability of the IBM WebSphere Application Server."
"Security: It is compatible with the latest Java 8 security features, supports FIPS 140-2 and NIST SP 800-53 with strong ciphers and cryptography keys, and supports TLS 1.2 completely. Also, configuring client and server certificates is relatively easy."
"Network Deployment is the most useful feature for scalability. It has many features within the standard WebSphere Application Server edition."
"What's most valuable in IBM WebSphere Application Server is its resilience. When you use the solution, you know that after the communication has been done, there will be no doubt that the data has reached its destination."
"IBM WAS is the backbone for our enterprise content management suite which delivers the primary processes for our customers. Without a good application server, it would be hard to provide a secure layer of midddleware upon which the other applications run. IBM WAS improves the stability of the entire solution and provides a high quality platform for running web-based solutions."
"We needed this type of integration and WebShepere is the best tool for it."
 

Cons

"The major issue occurs with ports. So, I would like to see easier port management."
"Things change very fast. We're always on the lookout for better approaches and tools. If the solution falls behind, we may have to switch."
"The interface has room for improvement."
"By optimizing the infrastructure to allow the webserver to directly handle queries from memory—particularly by prioritizing the storage of queries in memory and processing them through the web server interface—I could potentially cut down the required instances from five hundred to two hundred."
"Lacks integration with some cloud solutions."
"The GUI for the less experienced users needs some improvement. For some companies, it is hard to configure it if they have not had any experience."
"Its stability could be better."
"In future releases, I would like to see better server optimization."
"The solution could improve the integration."
"The security could be better."
"The solution consumes hardware."
"It should be able to serve more concurrent requests like Oracle. Oracle has more powerful stability, availability, and real-time serving."
"The installation has room for improvement."
"The current trend is to move to Liberty because of the portability of its cloud and its Kubernetes, which containerize the application."
"When we run into memory or locking issues, we resort to using third-party tools. However, it would be preferable to have native tools for debugging this type of problem."
"IBM WebSphere Application Server hasn't changed much. It's still a heavyweight for any company compared to what you get. Unless your code base is deeply linked with it, I don't think it's a great idea to go with this solution. The current trend is toward modularity and containerization, and given the product's requirements, containerization will be difficult. There is a memory requirement as well."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The apache software is free, open-source."
"It is a free-of-cost solution."
"There is no licensing cost for the product."
"It is an open-source solution."
"When you purchase Maximo, you get WebSphere for free."
"There is an Eclipse Plugin provided by IBM, so no need to buy IBM Rational Application Developer or Rational Software Architect tools."
"The licensing policy is based on the PVU base."
"The pricing is a little expensive."
"Room for improvement would only be in the licensing. As with all IBM products the licensing can be complex and expensive. Bargain well and try to get as much discount as possible. Discounts of 85% are possible. Without the discount, I think the product is overrated."
"The solution is quite expensive."
"The price of this product is higher than that of competitors."
"IBM WAS base is part of the deal when you purchase IBM FileNet P8 Content Engine."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
17%
Computer Software Company
16%
Government
8%
University
7%
Financial Services Firm
32%
Computer Software Company
12%
Insurance Company
8%
Manufacturing Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Apache Web Server?
The product's initial setup phase is straightforward.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Apache Web Server?
The price of the product is an area handled by the procurement team in my company.
What needs improvement with Apache Web Server?
There isn't a dedicated customer support available for Apache Web Server.
What do you like most about IBM WebSphere Application Server?
Network Deployment is the most useful feature for scalability. It has many features within the standard WebSphere Application Server edition.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IBM WebSphere Application Server?
The product is expensive. I rate the product’s pricing a seven out of ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive.
What needs improvement with IBM WebSphere Application Server?
I think in some moments, the security was a little bit more complex to configure when it was delegated to other systems, making it an area where improvements are required.
 

Also Known As

Apache HTTP Server
WebSphere Application Server
 

Learn More

 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Cisco, Intuit, General Electric, Adobe, VMware, PayPal, HP, EMC, eBay, Apple, SAP, Qualcomm, SanDisk, Allstate, FedEx
TalkTalk, Property management group, E.SUN Bank, Ohio National Financial Services, Aviarc, Cincom Systems, FJA-US, D+H, Staples, Michigan Municipal League
Find out what your peers are saying about Apache Web Server vs. IBM WebSphere Application Server and other solutions. Updated: October 2024.
816,406 professionals have used our research since 2012.