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IBM Db2 Database vs MariaDB comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

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

IBM Db2 Database
Ranking in Relational Databases Tools
6th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
72
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
MariaDB
Ranking in Relational Databases Tools
5th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
59
Ranking in other categories
Open Source Databases (4th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2025, in the Relational Databases Tools category, the mindshare of IBM Db2 Database is 7.2%, up from 6.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of MariaDB is 7.9%, down from 9.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Relational Databases Tools
 

Featured Reviews

SimonHiggins - PeerSpot reviewer
Very scalable with high availability and excellent technical support
The good thing is that there are improvements coming with later function levels for the z/OS Db2. I'd like it if, with the operating system that we've got, z/OS, on the mainframe, it would allow us to refresh the hardware to run Linux dockers on the mainframe. This means this might give us opportunities for different ways of coming into the Db2 environment in the future. We just want a bit more integration with Linux. That said, we are already seeing Linux more readily available on the mainframe environment. Not only have we got the premium operating systems on OS. We can run LPARs on the same mainframe footprint that is also supporting Linux. This is what has improved and made the mainframe environment more competitive. We're also looking at AI for Db2 as well, and machine learning for the future. We know that AI has come out, that we're going to get that, and we're going to evaluate that product next year for Db2. That said, I haven't got any real complaints about Db2 on the mainframe. For the most part, a lot of the problems we have nowadays are to do with communication between the various teams that you would class as stakeholders.
KumarManish - PeerSpot reviewer
Easy to deploy, cost-effective, and integrates seamlessly with other products
We had planned for an RDBMS version and not NoSQL. We use MariaDB Galera Cluster. It's a good product. It is cheap, scalable, performs well, and is efficient. We use GCP’s BigQuery for machine learning. We must follow the best practices of the tool. We missed some best practices like the storage engine and InnoDB. It was very difficult to identify why we were having performance issues. Then, we realized that some of our tables were still on MyISAM, the default storage engine. When we switched it back to the InnoDB, it was very smooth. InnoDB is the recommended one. We must follow the best practices given in the documentation during the initial setup. Overall, I rate the product a nine out of ten.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The performance of the solution is valuable."
"The most valuable feature of the IBM Db2 Database is security."
"Db2 database scalability and performance capabilities match our database needs. It covers pretty much everything a database administrator or engineer might need."
"The structure is straightforward, consisting of the test file and the logical and physical files. You have one physical file and many logical files related to it."
"The most valuable feature of the IBM Db2 Database is the ease of use, and the ability to do query writing of any SQL statement and have an output."
"The most valuable feature of the solution is its compatibility with IBM Power Systems."
"The solution's security is very tough and impenetrable."
"Very good for performance and scalability."
"The solution has PL/SQL compatibility."
"The most valuable features of the solution stem from the fact that it is a cloud-based tool, so it is pretty fast."
"I like the global transaction IDs (GTIDs) feature. It's quite reliable for replication between a master and a replica server, and it's a feature that MySQL also has but implemented differently."
"The most valuable feature of the solution is a relational database, which is fairly reliable...It is a stable solution."
"It's open source."
"The solution's high availability is its most valuable aspect."
"Easy to use and available in most environments."
"MariaDB is scalable."
 

Cons

"Some of the internal rearrangement in the administration is not as straightforward as it is in competing products."
"Microsoft SQL Server is comparatively very simple to use. I wish IBM would move towards making Db2 easy to use for both basic and advanced users. This is where I see room for advancement. Db2 is also more expensive than Microsoft SQL Server, and its price can be reduced. The replication feature needs to be there in Db2. Microsoft provides similar functionality in SQL Server. IBM also has similar functionality, but it exists in a different product. So, to have the replication ability, you have to buy a different product. It makes sense to have this functionality within Db2 instead of a different product. It will also be helpful in terms of competition. In Africa, the problem for Db2 is competition. Oracle Database and Microsoft SQL Server have been in this market for a very long time. These companies have built the ecosystem and the brand within this market for a very long time. So, they are very popular with users. Db2 or IBM came a little later in the game, and that's where the problem lies. They also don't do a lot of marketing for it, which is also a problem."
"The user interface is not user-friendly."
"The pricing could be improved, it's expensive."
"Db2 interface could be improved a bit. Comparing it to Oracle, Db2's interfaces could be improved."
"There could be more user-friendly tools with features such as drag-and-drop functionality, visual basics, and low-code capabilities."
"IBM's support isn't as strong as it used to be, especially when it comes to providing fixes."
"​Not very solid compared to its competitors' products.​"
"MariaDB doesn't handle long or complex SQL queries quite as well as Oracle Database."
"The ability to create stored procedures in MariaDB is an area where the tool lacks a bit."
"MariaDB could improve by adding support for non-relational structures and new data types."
"In the next release, I would like to see improvements in the scalability and redundancy features."
"I would like to see more compatibility going forward. This would help if there is a need to change databases."
"An improvement would be scaling it up to the levels of Oracle, especially when it comes to resilience, so that we can do higher transactions for two databases or power our operation."
"There could be a command-line prompt for repairing the database and fixing indexes, similar to what was available in the old MyISAM storage engine."
"The PL/SQL performance is slow if you have big batch jobs running overnight."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"We purchase the product's yearly license."
"The solution's pricing is fine."
"Compared to other databases, Db2 is relatively cheaper."
"It is expensive when compared to other products."
"If I consider the price of IBM Db2 Database, I would say there are cheaper products in the market."
"I rate the price of the IBM Db2 Database an eight out of ten."
"The solution's hardware and subscription model for support are very expensive."
"We did not buy it. It came with our hardware without any complimentary maintenance. If I compare Db2 Database with Oracle Database, its price is lower than Oracle Database."
"It's an open-source solution."
"MariaDB is a free-to-use solution."
"This is an open-source product, which can be used free of charge."
"The cost is quite good. You can have the open source, free version, which has adequate capacity."
"We pay for a yearly license."
"It is an open-source solution."
"It is free of charge."
"My company uses the free version of the solution."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Educational Organization
61%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Computer Software Company
4%
Manufacturing Company
3%
Computer Software Company
16%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Educational Organization
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about IBM Db2 Database?
Db2 database scalability and performance capabilities match our database needs. It covers pretty much everything a database administrator or engineer might need.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IBM Db2 Database?
IBM Db2 is an expensive solution. While I am not heavily involved with pricing, additional companies provide capabilities or products like those from BMC, which many installations might also purchase.
What needs improvement with IBM Db2 Database?
The usage of Db2 could be simplified, as it is quite complex and requires substantial knowledge of Db2 and zOS. Modern features are being implemented, but further simplification and the inclusion o...
What do you like most about MariaDB?
The integration with other products is seamless.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for MariaDB?
I have found the price of commercial MariaDB to be pretty steep, although not as high as Oracle. Customers often prefer the Community Edition because it's free.
What needs improvement with MariaDB?
The only potential area for improvement could be the pricing model, which might benefit from being more flexible or a bit cheaper.
 

Comparisons

 

Also Known As

DB2
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Overview

 

Sample Customers

Knorr-Bremse, Mizuho Bank Ltd., Australian Government Department of Defence, SCHWENK Zement, Friedhelm Loh Group, YAZAKI Europe Limited, Ekornes ASA, Baldor Electric, VSN Systemen BV, Lion Brewery (Ceylon) PLC, PLANSEE Group, TE Connectivity, Hansgrohe SE, Openmatics, University of Toronto
Google, Wikipedia, Tencent, Verizon, DBS Bank, Deutsche Bank, Telefónica, Huatai Securities
Find out what your peers are saying about IBM Db2 Database vs. MariaDB and other solutions. Updated: January 2025.
831,158 professionals have used our research since 2012.