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HCL Domino vs Oracle Application Express (APEX) comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 17, 2024

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

HCL Domino
Ranking in Rapid Application Development Software
18th
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
20
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Oracle Application Express ...
Ranking in Rapid Application Development Software
4th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
58
Ranking in other categories
Development Platforms (2nd), Low-Code Development Platforms (3rd)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2025, in the Rapid Application Development Software category, the mindshare of HCL Domino is 0.5%, down from 0.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Oracle Application Express (APEX) is 8.4%, down from 9.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Rapid Application Development Software
 

Featured Reviews

Jason Levine - PeerSpot reviewer
A tool that offers great security and integration capabilities
The solution facilitates our company's workflow automation needs since it is a platform that allows users to build whatever workflows they want. The product is used for application development in our organization for our customers, as we operate as consultants. The features of the product that I found to be beneficial for the productivity of my company's team stems from the fact that it can be integrated directly into HCL Notes email so that you can manage your workflows there, and you don't have to change contacts a go to a separate application to deal with a document approval process since it can be done directly from emails. HCL Domino is one of the leading products in the industry, so it is definitely ahead of the other tools in the market. In our company, some departments use HCL Domino for emails rather than other solutions because it is more secure. The tool has an impact on the management of sensitive data in our company. My only suggestion to those who plan to use HCL Domino is that they should not be daunted by the old UI it offers. The collaboration tool of HCL Domino has affected the internal communication processes in our organization. The collaboration tool of HCL Domino is something that the solution has been offering from the time it was introduced in the market as an expensive product. The impact or value on our company from the use of the product can be proven by the fact that with the solution, it is possible to automate processes or workflows while ensuring that there is consistency, lack of human errors, and efficiency. Earlier, I would have rated the tool eight out of ten. Presently, considering the increase in the number of integrations that the product allows and its movement to meet industry standards, I rate the overall tool a nine out of ten.
Ashraf Hamza - PeerSpot reviewer
Efficient with good data retrieval but improvement needed in user interface
Oracle APEX is very easy to use and comes with a lot of ready-made components that speed up the process of creating reports and dashboards. It is part of our agreement with Oracle E Business Suite and offers seamless data retrieval and performance. Additionally, we utilize its dashboard and reporting capabilities.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"HCL Domino is the best product from a security point of view."
"This solution can be used for workflow application so that applications can be easily developed."
"The most important benefit is security. The security architecture is very good. It's the best part of the solution."
"Domino's dual functionality as both a messaging and application solution is a standout feature compared to Exchange, which solely focuses on messaging."
"The most valuable features of the solution are security and integration."
"We can scale it if we want to."
"I like that HCL Domino is stable. It's a great product. I also like that HCL Domino is a mature product under IBM, which is why many companies use it."
"The pricing is excellent."
"The solution can efficiently translate from English to another language including Arabic using the XLIFF format."
"The solution is easy to handle. The tool has helped us develop many applications since it supports SQL and NoSQL languages. We are familiar with this language. Also, the solution’s interface design and database design are very easy. It is not so much complex. I have no experience working with other solutions."
"I like that Oracle Application Express (APEX) is powerful and attractive, allowing my organization to modernize forms within two months. I also found its PWA feature very powerful because you can produce substantial mobile applications."
"The most valuable feature of Oracle APEX is its comprehensive set of features for creating user-friendly and visually appealing applications."
"The solution's most valuable aspect is its Graphics Form Design."
"Oracle is always adding very important updates"
"What's most valuable in Oracle Application Express (APEX) is its secure coding functionality, and the solution also has good features."
"You don't have to know a lot of PL because it's built on PL/SQL. You don't need developers. You only need to design a good application that resolves a problem, or many problems, for companies and you're ready to go."
 

Cons

"When you compare with Microsoft Exchange, the UI could be more user-friendly."
"They should provide its integration with other AI applications."
"It would be advantageous if the web server could seamlessly pick up configuration changes without the need for a complete restart."
"Scalability is also an issue. We have problems with large databases."
"The solution could improve Kubernetes or Dockers migration to new environments in the cloud."
"Its performance and integration could be better. It has capabilities for large deployment with several servers, but in the latest interface, running with different servers isn't supported."
"The product's user interface is one of its shortcomings since it is outdated, making it an area for improvement."
"HCL Domino could improve by having integration with other solutions, such as Microsoft 365."
"Occasionally when trying to un a page, I would be faced with an error number; however, not much information would be provided on the error itself outside of the programming language. It would be nice if more information could be provided."
"The problem of sending emails arises when Oracle Application Express (APEX) is inside Oracle Cloud Infrastructure since it is a bit complicated or difficult to understand where to take care of the setup part to be able to just send out emails properly."
"There is not a lot of Wiki help or in Google, but there is some."
"The solution does not support the Linux platform."
"The user interface needs to be improved. It should be more user-friendly."
"Connecting with Oracle and the relation with Oracle at the database as a procedure needs improvement."
"The product must provide more triggers."
"It has a bit of a strict framework, you have to make all the time adjustments in their JavaScript. Another downside is that it's only available for Oracle databases."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"For 30 licenses, we pay $1,500 every year. It is not an expensive product."
"Price is reasonable compared to the other solutions."
"Customers have to pay for a license for the Notes Client, not for the Domino database. There is a quarter license that we use."
"I'd rate it a seven out of ten in terms of price."
"We chose to pay for our licensing fees annually."
"The license for Domino is yearly. The price is high."
"It is less expensive compared to other vendors."
"HCL Domino is costly, but it still depends on how your organization views it price-wise."
"The pricing is mid-range so is neither expensive nor cheap."
"I believe APEX comes bundled with the database, including autonomous database and other related database products, so the pricing is quite reasonable."
"Oracle Express comes with the Oracle license, it is a bundle."
"The product is completely free of cost."
"The pricing is very good and less expensive than Mendix or OutSystems."
"If you have a license to Oracle database, you can access APEX."
"Pricing is expensive, overall on an enterprise system but we consider that it gives corresponding value in the product."
"The solution is free."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
16%
Government
10%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Educational Organization
33%
Government
9%
Computer Software Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about HCL Domino?
The most valuable features of the solution are security and integration.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for HCL Domino?
The pricing is individually determined. HCL has a simple pricing model: per user per year. We pay $100 US per user per year. But "guest" users are permitted without any licence requirement. And any...
What needs improvement with HCL Domino?
Scalability needs to be improved to be on the level that's required. Support could also be enhanced.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Oracle Application Express (APEX)?
Oracle APEX is part of our on-premises solution included in our agreement with Oracle E Business Suite, though I don't know the cost specifics. Power BI is licensed by the user.
What needs improvement with Oracle Application Express (APEX)?
The user interface needs to be improved. It should be more user-friendly.
 

Also Known As

IBM Lotus Domino, Lotus Domino
Oracle APEX
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

A1 Telekom, Acubiz, Afrisam, E. A. Juffali & Brothers, Fiducia & GAD, and Pakistan State Oil
Hepart AG, pharmasol, SATLOG, Collège Bois-de-Boulogne
Find out what your peers are saying about HCL Domino vs. Oracle Application Express (APEX) and other solutions. Updated: January 2025.
831,265 professionals have used our research since 2012.