Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users

IBM BPM vs Microsoft .NET Framework comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 5, 2025

Review summaries and opinions

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

ROI

Sentiment score
7.1
IBM BPM offers quick ROI by enhancing process efficiency and transparency, outweighing high costs through accelerated operations and reduced errors.
Sentiment score
7.1
Microsoft .NET Framework offers substantial annual returns, enhancing efficiency and value, often outweighing outsourcing costs for companies.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.7
IBM BPM support is responsive and helpful but could improve response speed; high-priority issues receive swift attention.
Sentiment score
6.5
Customer service excels with responsive assistance, though delays and challenges sometimes occur; online resources are frequently used.
The customer service is outstanding.
On a scale from 1 to 10, support deserves a rating of 7 to 8.
We had a contract that provided on-site support, which was very satisfactory.
The support from Microsoft deserves a rating of 10 out of 10.
Microsoft is better in backward compatibility compared to others.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
6.8
IBM BPM excels in scalable performance on WebSphere, offering customization and flexibility, with expertise crucial for optimal setup.
Sentiment score
7.1
The .NET Framework offers strong scalability, especially with Azure, influenced by architecture, developer expertise, customization, and modular development.
The solution has scalability issues; on a scale, I would rate it at eight out of ten.
The architecture of the solution offers scalability; we can scale both vertically and horizontally.
I found IBM BPM to be scalable to a certain level but it struggled with large volumes of concurrent transactions.
SQL server clusters run effectively in complicated environments such as banks, handling tasks such as deleting millions of records.
I have not encountered any significant issues with scalability.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.1
IBM BPM stability varies, with recent versions showing improvements; issues exist under heavy loads and weak network conditions.
Sentiment score
7.5
The .NET Framework is praised for stability, though minor issues arise with older versions and under high load.
We once had a Linux server running smoothly for five years without physical maintenance.
When systems need updates, they require proper long-term support (LTS) versions.
It is stable overall.
 

Room For Improvement

IBM BPM needs UI enhancements, better integrations, improved performance, simplified installation, advanced reports, AI features, and security updates.
Microsoft .NET Framework needs better security, pricing, flexibility, integration, scalability, performance, AI, cloud, interoperability, support, and training.
IBM BPM also lacks smaller solutions, so I must purchase multiple solutions to start with workflows and applications.
Although IBM BPM is a substantial product, adopting and integrating new technologies quickly is not easy due to the migration and upgrade paths involved.
Their IDE, Visual Studio Code, is open source and multi-platform.
Since it is now open source, it could be easier to progress further.
It's still possible with Microsoft .NET Framework, which isn't the case with many other products. That's a positive aspect.
 

Setup Cost

IBM BPM is a costly solution suited for large enterprises, with licensing options often pricier than competitors like Camunda.
Microsoft .NET Framework is free but may involve costs for enterprise editions, additional tools, and Microsoft ecosystem compatibility.
SAP is more expensive, but IBM BPM is very expensive.
There is a free version available for the old version and also for the new version.
 

Valuable Features

IBM BPM offers robust SOA, easy process modulation, responsive UI, and seamless integration for effective business process management.
Microsoft .NET Framework is preferred for its Windows integration, robust tools, scalability, performance, and support for modern technologies.
The integration capabilities of IBM BPM are excellent.
There are many cutting-edge features that have surpassed Java, including delegates, lambda expressions, and async calls.
The new Microsoft .NET Framework runs perfectly in the cloud without problems.
The structure that can be created is beneficial because once you have the structure, you can be more productive and faster to create and interact with different clouds and implementations.
 

Categories and Ranking

IBM BPM
Ranking in Application Infrastructure
6th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
112
Ranking in other categories
Business Process Management (BPM) (7th), Process Automation (6th)
Microsoft .NET Framework
Ranking in Application Infrastructure
2nd
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
56
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Application Infrastructure category, the mindshare of IBM BPM is 3.1%, up from 3.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft .NET Framework is 5.8%, down from 6.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Application Infrastructure Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Microsoft .NET Framework5.8%
IBM BPM3.1%
Other91.1%
Application Infrastructure
 

Featured Reviews

Ateeq Rehman - PeerSpot reviewer
Automation platforms streamline processes and offer flexibility, but AI integration and version upgrades pose challenges
In the technology world, there is always room for improvement. Technologies evolve day by day, especially with the emergence of artificial intelligence and generative AI models. Although IBM BPM is a substantial product, adopting and integrating new technologies quickly is not easy due to the migration and upgrade paths involved. Every time new versions are released, we face business and production challenges that make rapid adoption challenging. The main concern bothering me today regarding IBM BPM is the integration of AI components.
Muhammad Qasim - PeerSpot reviewer
Has enabled building responsive multi-threaded applications while supporting rapid deployment workflows
Microsoft .NET Framework has already made significant improvements by becoming open source. Many developers are contributing to Microsoft .NET Framework, not just Microsoft itself. They have ported it to many platforms and allow a healthy ecosystem of open source tools. They have moved from Visual SourceSafe to supporting Git with Microsoft Visual Studio. Their IDE, Visual Studio Code, is open source and multi-platform. There are many third-party tools available, including AI-based tools such as Cursor and Bolt, which are forks of Visual Studio Code. Based on my understanding, I don't have any suggestions for improvement as they are already doing an excellent job.
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Application Infrastructure solutions are best for your needs.
872,098 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
27%
Computer Software Company
9%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Insurance Company
6%
Construction Company
15%
Real Estate/Law Firm
13%
Computer Software Company
9%
Government
9%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business30
Midsize Enterprise19
Large Enterprise71
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business28
Midsize Enterprise9
Large Enterprise23
 

Questions from the Community

Which is better, IBM BPM or IBM Business Automation Workflow?
We researched both IBM solutions and in the end, we chose Business Automation Workflow. IBM BPM has a good user interface and the BPM coach is a helpful tool. The API is very useful in providing en...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IBM BPM?
Once it is installed, maintaining it is not a big issue.
What do you like most about Microsoft .NET Framework?
Microsoft .NET Framework continually innovates, particularly in Visual Studio, which focuses on improving languages, debugging, and .NET functionality.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft .NET Framework?
I don't know about pricing. I'm paying for Visual Studio, even though I'm not using the new version yet. Prices can always be better, but I think for the environment provided, the prices are accept...
What needs improvement with Microsoft .NET Framework?
Since the version I'm using is many years old, they have been continuously improving. They are always adding features to the language and framework, but I cannot comment from a very old version on ...
 

Also Known As

WebSphere Lombardi Edition, IBM Business Process Manager, IBM WebSphere Process Server
MS .NET Framework
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Barclays, EmeriCon, Banca Popolare di Milano, CST Consulting, KeyBank, KPMG, Prolifics, Sandhata Technologies Ltd., State of Alaska, Humana S.A., Saperion, esciris, Banco Espirito Santo
Curtin University, Rockwell Automation, Aruba Networks, Insurity Inc., City of Barcelona, Pennsylvania DCNR, University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, A1 Telekom Austria AG, Eastman Chemical Company
Find out what your peers are saying about IBM BPM vs. Microsoft .NET Framework and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.
872,098 professionals have used our research since 2012.