IBM Db2 Database vs SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise comparison

IBM Db2 Database vs. SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise

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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

6.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise

Ranking in Relational Databases Tools

14th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

7.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of March 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 SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise is 1.0%, up from 0.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Relational Databases Tools

Featured Reviews

SimonHiggins

Mainframe Technical Manager/Service Integration Lead at Saudi Business Machines

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.

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Tejas Raj

Manager at Capgemini

Offers cost-efficiency as it needs a very small amount of RAM to function

SAP is least bothered about Adaptive Server Enterprise nowadays since it wants to focus on promoting its new product, which is S/4HANA. If SAP gives out new releases and a patch upgrade to improve performance and provide additional options, then SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise can compete with other relational database systems in the market. The overall performance of the product is an area where the tool has certain shortcomings and needs to improve. I work in a very stable environment, and I prefer a very stable replication and database management system. Most of our company's customers do not want to opt out of SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise, but SAP has announced that it will be ending its support for it in 2027, and though I feel SAP might extend it, I feel SAP will want to promote its new product. Previously, I heard that SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise's end-of-support dates were announced for 2025, but now I think that they have extended it to 2027 or 2030.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The solution is very stable, in both hardware and database."

"The most valuable feature of the solution is its compatibility with IBM Power Systems."

"The most valuable features are with the industrial side."

"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."

"Your iOS, your throughputs, your performance cycles, you cannot touch it with Microsoft or with Oracle scalability-wise. That is far and away the most scalable systems and the highest performing systems of the set of them."

"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."

"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."

"It's easy to search and extract data from the warehouse using queries."

More IBM Db2 Database pros

"This is a wonderful database that is, in my opinion, underrated. Users are able to get the most out of my experience by taking advantage of its centralized environment."

"Provides very good integration."

"I like that SAP ASE can match code and the database index to index data in the programming language. There are many other valuable features, such as the table buffer, tuning, and various control agents like dispatcher. SAP ASE can handle many different data types, including views, domains, data elements, structures, objects, and various table types that are most useful in the application. Its modularization technique is also handy."

"SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise is a good transactional database."

"It's user-friendly, especially in the logistics field."

"The actual interface is good."

"They provide easy integration with other systems."

"The most valuable part of the tool stems from the fact that it is a very cost-efficient product compared to the newer technologies because it needs a very small amount of RAM."

More SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise pros

Cons

"The user interface is not user-friendly."

"They should develop its containerized version."

"The initial set up was complex."

"I would like to see better support for advanced analytics."

"The GUI interface is not particularly friendly for those who do not have experience with the product."

"IBM Db2 Database could improve with better security."

"Db2 interface could be improved a bit. Comparing it to Oracle, Db2's interfaces could be improved."

"IBM's support isn't as strong as it used to be, especially when it comes to providing fixes."

More IBM Db2 Database cons

"The overall performance of the product is an area where the tool has certain shortcomings and needs to improve."

"User interface could be more user friendly."

"The solution should improve view partitioning. The documentation is very confined and available only for users. Distributors also would like access to it."

"There could be some improvements in barcode scanning and RFID access."

"SAP should refine its debugging method, and the process needs to be a little faster. It should use more Pragmas and fewer pseudocomments. I would like if SAP added more features based on advanced technologies, like artificial intelligence and voice control. The modularization and if-else techniques could also incorporate the latest technology to code and solve complex problems. The SAP Editor should be more elaborative, and it should allow many more types of statements for all uses."

"I think that the solution needs to be positioned better within the market as it appears as though the Adaptive Server is being left out of the SAP scope."

"Because the solution is customized. we do occasionally face unique bugs. There are always some changes that need to be made here and there."

"In my opinion, product support is not that great from SAP because they have already declared the end-of-date for SAP ASE. They will be stopping product support."

More SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It's very expensive for West African countries like ours."

"If I consider the price of IBM Db2 Database, I would say there are cheaper products in the market."

"Db2 is less expensive than Oracle."

"It is 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 is expensive when compared to other products."

"It is expensive. The price depends on the size of the machine on which you are installing the Db2 and the features you are using. It also depends on the country. IBM has different policies and different options for payment for this product."

"Compared to Oracle, it is so much cheaper."

More IBM Db2 Database pricing and cost advice

"Price-wise, the product is worth it since one needs very less infrastructure to use it."

"I rate SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise's pricing a six out of ten."

"The licensing cost for ASE is pretty low."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Educational Organization

61%

Financial Services Firm

Computer Software Company

Government

Financial Services Firm

19%

Manufacturing Company

15%

Computer Software Company

11%

Government

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 user interface is old and needs to be improved. It doesn't match the responsive and suggestion-rich UI of cloud solutions. New functions don't come to mind.

What do you like most about SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise?

SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise is a good transactional database.

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise?

The licensing cost for ASE is pretty low when you compare it with Microsoft SQL Server. If you compare it with SQL Server, it is pretty low.

What needs improvement with SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise?

The main thing is it's not getting upgraded to meet today's needs. It's not upgrading at the level of transaction needs. For example, PostgreSQL or Oracle, these are pretty good databases. They can...

SQL Server vs IBM Db2 Database

Comparisons

Compared 32% of the time

Oracle Database vs IBM Db2 Database

Compared 18% of the time

SAP HANA vs IBM Db2 Database

Compared 17% of the time

Teradata vs IBM Db2 Database

Compared 13% of the time

MySQL vs IBM Db2 Database

Compared 6% of the time

More IBM Db2 Database Competitors

SAP HANA vs SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise

Compared 62% of the time

SAP SQL Anywhere vs SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise

Compared 17% of the time

SQL Server vs SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise

Compared 12% of the time

Oracle Database vs SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise

Compared 9% of the time

More SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise Competitors

Product Reports

IBM Db2 Database

Download IBM Db2 Database product report

SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise

Download SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise product report

Also Known As

DB2

SAP ASE

Overview

DB2 Enterprise for Linux, UNIX, and Windows is the ideal data server for the most demanding workloads. New XML support is designed to help firms minimize the time and effort it takes to persist and use their XML data reducing development costs and improving business agility.

IBM

SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise (ASE) is a high-performance relational database management system designed for mission-critical, data-intensive environments. It provides a centralized environment for storing and managing data, with the ability to handle a wide range of data types and a modularization technique allowing easy customization.

SAP ASE is particularly valuable for financial operations, as it offers integrated financial features. The solution also offers various control agents and the ability to match code and database index. SAP ASE has improved daily data collection and program functionality for many organizations.

SAP

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

City of Buenos Aires, ASR Group, Citrix, EarlySense, Usha International Limited, Automotive Resources International (ARI), Takisada-Osaka Co. Ltd., Coelba (Grupo Neoenergia), RZD Russian Railways, National Basketball Association - NBA, TALLY

IBM Db2 Database vs. SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise