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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
73
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 February 2025, in the Relational Databases Tools category, the mindshare of IBM Db2 Database is 7.0%, up from 6.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of MariaDB is 7.6%, down from 9.1% 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

"​Scales well enough for a relational database."
"The most valuable feature of IBM Db2 Database is its ability to perform automatic self-management, reducing the need for manual tasks such as managing logs and folders."
"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."
"IBM Db2 was much cheaper as a package than using other products. This is because IBM supplied a package with its product. It's an application. So it was much more efficient and a stronger competitor in that regard."
"When you submit a ticket the response time is quick."
"The solution is very stable, in both hardware and database."
"The most valuable feature of this solution is the integration with other IBM products."
"Db2 Database has given us good results since we have started to use it. We predominantly use IBM hardware, and this is one of the reasons why we started to use Db2 Database. Db2 Database has a very good HADR capability. High availability resilience is also good in this solution. It also has pureScale, which allows you to upgrade one node to get very good and high-level resilience. If you are using a database on five nodes, you can take one node down, upgrade that, and let that node up. You can then bring the second node down, upgrade that, and so on."
"The integration with other products is seamless."
"MariaDB performs well as the backend database for our cloud-based telephony solution."
"The most valuable features of the solution stem from the fact that it is a cloud-based tool, so it is pretty fast."
"Easy to use and available in most environments."
"Visual Studio offers unit testing integration and extensive searching capabilities."
"It delivers fast processing times, particularly for frequent select queries and insert/update operations."
"The documentation is quite straightforward."
"The most valuable feature is that it uses multiple cores, which is better than some of the other databases."
 

Cons

"It would be helpful to have more querying tools and more development tools for us to work easily with Microsoft."
"The solution's UI hasn't been upgraded. The solution’s UI is an area to improve because the solution was developed long ago."
"I would like to see better support for advanced analytics."
"Performance is something that can be improved with DB2."
"Db2 interface could be improved a bit. Comparing it to Oracle, Db2's interfaces could be improved."
"GUI needs improvement."
"We need some time to improve the performance. We have to perform a weekly REORG, or else RUNSTATS for the databases."
"The solution could improve by providing more integration."
"The dashboard and pricing need improvement."
"In the next release, I would like to see improvements in the scalability and redundancy features."
"MariaDB could improve by adding support for non-relational structures and new data types."
"Lacks time series data and additional driving support would be helpful."
"It's not very stable. It needs improvement."
"When we have had issues with accidental computer shutdown or a power outage, our MariaDB database was corrupted."
"I am editing."
"The license should be cheaper and closer to that offered by MySQL, Oracle and other products."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Among Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, and Db2, Microsoft SQL Server is the cheapest one, and Oracle is the most expensive one. Db2 is in the middle. As compared to SQL Server, its price could go down. It will be good for customers."
"We purchase the product's yearly license."
"I think that everyone knows that with IBM the standard price is higher than the others."
"Clients are required to purchase a license."
"Licensing fees are on a yearly basis."
"The total cost of the solution depends upon the PVU licensing"
"They are competitive and honest (compared to how peer firms approach licensing conversations). ​"
"I rate the price of the IBM Db2 Database an eight out of ten."
"The tool is open-source."
"We use the solution's free version."
"I rate the product's price a three on a scale of one to ten, where one is low price, and ten is high price since there are some support costs involved, even though it isn't an open-source solution."
"MariaDB is an open-source software, meaning I don't need to pay for the product."
"It is free of charge."
"MariaDB is open-source and self-hosted."
"The solution is free, but if you want the enterprise version you will need to pay for some licenses but the cost is less than other solutions, such as Oracle."
"The product is not expensive."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Educational Organization
62%
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
No data available
 

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.
838,640 professionals have used our research since 2012.