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IBM Db2 Database vs SAP HANA comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 5, 2025

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
SAP HANA
Ranking in Relational Databases Tools
4th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.5
Number of Reviews
84
Ranking in other categories
Data Virtualization (2nd), Embedded Database (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 SAP HANA is 12.0%, up from 10.8% 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.
Jayarami Reddy Pujeri - PeerSpot reviewer
Comprehensive system with real-time analytics for versatile industry applications
Our primary use case is working with various clients in industries such as pharmaceuticals and other services. We support clients as implementers of SAP HANA, providing expertise in functionality, finance, logistics, and processes The solution is very user-friendly and supports all kinds of…

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The solution's initial setup is straightforward."
"When you submit a ticket the response time is quick."
"It's very secure."
"It is a scalable solution."
"The initial setup was easy."
"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 self-management and optimization features are probably the best on the market"
"The newly added feature of ALSM is one of the top features"
"It is very stable and very innovative. You can integrate many applications with it."
"I like the integration process. Also, the data is trusted by our management, and we use the data from transactions for analysis."
"It is very flexible to integrate with SaaS components."
"SAP HANA is vertically and horizontally scalable."
"It has a very huge bandwidth and data transfer."
"Our operations have grown from a hundred data operations a day to as many in a couple of seconds."
"The most value for us was in terms of using it to issue tenders online. We host our server, but it is open to the public, so clients who want to buy those tenders were able to go online, put their tender documents up, and we could evaluate them using SAP."
"A very feature-rich solution with excellent performance."
 

Cons

"In terms of improvements, IBM Db2 can improve its interface and its functionality. Also, the embedded functions should be much richer than the current ones - the functions which are embedded in the engine itself."
"It would be ideal if the solution offered backup functionality. Many similar tools already do, which means Db2 is somewhat behind the curve in terms of what a customer might expect from it."
"Db2 interface could be improved a bit. Comparing it to Oracle, Db2's interfaces could be improved."
"IBM Db2 Database could improve in the steps it takes for upgrades. It is not an easy process. The process of upgrading the version is lengthy and requires a lot of time. To make it more efficient, I suggest implementing some automation on the solution side. This will greatly reduce the time required for the upgrade."
"Also, the website could be more intuitive. I didn't find it easy to find documentation on the website."
"IBM's support isn't as strong as it used to be, especially when it comes to providing fixes."
"It would be helpful to have a hybrid data storage facility that includes NoSQL technologies."
"The problem with this environment is that any software that you install is very costly because there are no free tools for this environment."
"I'd just like to see some more improvements done on the training, both on the functional training and technical training sides as a part of the complete solution."
"The JDBC connectors are very slow."
"More standards would help in the future."
"The solution is very expensive, however. The pricing depends on the number of users and many other factors that affect licensing."
"The solution could improve by having better migration flexibility. For example, it would be helpful if there was a way for customers could check their nonproduction and production deployments."
"There's an issue in the partition. When you record more than two million records, partitioning does not work well. In Oracle it's easy. SAP must resolve this issue in order to be more competitive with Oracle."
"The solution could improve in the handling of backup data and the administration tools."
"The SAP ERP processes are quite complex and it can be challenging."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution costs less than other products."
"Licensing fees are on a yearly basis."
"We purchase the product's yearly license."
"It is expensive when compared to other products."
"I would rate the pricing a five out of ten. It's not super expensive, but also not cheap."
"I rate the product pricing a nine out of ten."
"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."
"Set up a consortium of consulting partners and hardware vendors to define your tech. Landscape TCO (total cost of ownership) and then approach the OEM for pricing (on-premise or on cloud or a hybrid model). Check if you can bring your own licenses for some of the existing application licenses on the new platform, to reduce TCO."
"Setup and licensing require planning and proper budgeting, as it is not cheap."
"The price is on the expensive side, at eight out of ten, with ten being expensive."
"SAP HANA is affordable. I rate it a seven out of ten."
"People who are technical will accept the cost, but financially they will assess whether this solution will bring them revenue or not. People often ask, how will I profit when the cost is so high?"
"SAP HANA is expensive, but unfortunately, we do not have any alternatives."
"The price of this product is good."
"The solution's license is very expensive so I rate pricing a one out of ten."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Educational Organization
62%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Computer Software Company
4%
Manufacturing Company
3%
Manufacturing Company
15%
Computer Software Company
12%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Government
7%
 

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 are the biggest benefits of using SAP HANA?
Based on my work with SAP HANA, the biggest benefit that it can bring to your business is total data management. This product is by SAP - a company that serves almost all needs a client may have co...
Is SAP HANA’s customer and technical support reliable?
We have been using SAP HANA for a fairly short period of time and have only taken advantage of their customer support. So far, we have not had issues that required specialized help from technical s...
Is SAP HANA difficult to set up and start using?
SAP HANA is fairly easy to set up, however, I do not think a complete beginner can do it. You certainly need some preparation - either you need to have experience with similar solutions, or with ot...
 

Comparisons

 

Also Known As

DB2
SAP High-Performance Analytic Appliance, HANA
 

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
Unilever, NHS 24, adidas Group, CHIO Aachen, Hamburg Port Authority (HPA), Bangkok Airways Public Company Limited
Find out what your peers are saying about IBM Db2 Database vs. SAP HANA and other solutions. Updated: January 2025.
837,501 professionals have used our research since 2012.