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IBM Db2 Database vs MariaDB comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary
 

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 December 2024, in the Relational Databases Tools category, the mindshare of IBM Db2 Database is 7.4%, up from 6.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of MariaDB is 8.2%, down from 8.9% 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 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 solution is easy to install and simple to maintain. The most valuable aspect of the solution is its general user-friendliness for users of all kinds."
"Db2's best features are that it's self-maintaining and self-monitoring, which means I have to view and monitor the database far less often."
"The solution is very stable, in both hardware and database."
"Some of the most valuable features are the scaling from a small very cheap installation to a very large enterprise installation. In addition, the backups and assistance are good."
"We had a crash of the backup system and the IBM DB2 was always up and consistent. It's robust, and for us, it was always up and running."
"The valuable features include access path optimization, excellent performance, a robust locking mechanism, parallelism, and effective buffering in memory."
"Db2 database scalability and performance capabilities match our database needs. It covers pretty much everything a database administrator or engineer might need."
"MariaDB can solve things better than MySQL. Maria DB has better performance than MySQL."
"The solution is very stable. It was originally built under MySQL. It has a similar level of stability."
"What I like best about MariaDB is that it is open-source and reliable."
"It is a stable solution."
"MariaDB is a user-friendly solution. Performance wise, it's better than SQL. With SQL, I would need to write a number of queries. In contrast, MariaDB is light."
"One of the great features of MariaDB is its scalability. It's easy to handle even with large databases."
"It is a scalable solution. It easily scales up and scales down."
"It is an absolutely stable solution."
 

Cons

"IBM's products tend to be quite costly, especially given the availability of free, open-source alternatives."
"When I look at Microsoft SQL Server, SQL Server provides me with better tools for database management."
"The solution could be more modern and have updated database technology."
"Db2 interface could be improved a bit. Comparing it to Oracle, Db2's interfaces could be improved."
"Performance is something that can be improved with DB2."
"​Not very solid compared to its competitors' products.​"
"The technical support team is not very good when compared to the efficiency of Oracle's support."
"The solution could improve by providing more integration."
"There is not much support available."
"The solution should do some fine-tuning on maybe the transaction per second so that users can get more than they can on the Microsoft SQL Server."
"The features available are very basic."
"The configuration could be improved. It should be easier."
"Data continuity could be improved."
"The interface should be more user-friendly. It should be able to connect directly to the database and Interact with it without having to use commands. It needs better integration."
"One feedback I can quickly provide is the need for a robust IDE for MongoDB. The existing PHP admin console doesn't meet the client's requirements effectively."
"I would like to see more compatibility going forward. This would help if there is a need to change databases."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It's very expensive."
"The total cost of the solution depends upon the PVU licensing"
"I think that everyone knows that with IBM the standard price is higher than the others."
"We purchase the product's yearly license."
"Compared to other databases, Db2 is relatively cheaper."
"Compared to Oracle, it is so much cheaper."
"It is expensive when compared to other products."
"It is expensive."
"This is an open source solution with no licensing fees."
"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."
"The price of this solution represents a very good compromise between the cost and what it offers."
"My company uses the free version of the solution."
"The price could be less expensive."
"When it comes to MariaDB, it should have a more cost-effective license."
"The product is not expensive."
"This is an open-source product, which can be used free of charge."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Educational Organization
60%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Computer Software Company
4%
Manufacturing Company
3%
Computer Software Company
15%
Financial Services Firm
10%
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
 

Learn More

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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: December 2024.
824,053 professionals have used our research since 2012.