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IBM WebSphere Application Server vs JBoss 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 WebSphere Application S...
Ranking in Application Server
5th
Average Rating
7.8
Number of Reviews
30
Ranking in other categories
Application Infrastructure (5th)
JBoss
Ranking in Application Server
3rd
Average Rating
8.4
Number of Reviews
25
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2025, in the Application Server category, the mindshare of IBM WebSphere Application Server is 12.1%, up from 11.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of JBoss is 18.6%, up from 17.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Application Server
 

Featured Reviews

BharathirajaSukumar - PeerSpot reviewer
Efficient load balancing and the clustering, achieved by using the deployment manager, is valuable
I believe that the system is already good. However, for improvement or enhancement, it is user-friendly, but it could offer better choices on the front end for different aspects or options. Sometimes, I have to search extensively for features, as there are no upfront tabs. There is a lack of visible, easy, user-friendly, and straightforward options for the number of features.
Karamat Ali - PeerSpot reviewer
A flexible and stable solution that is cost-efficient compared to other products
Our company uses the solution for enterprise clients in the banking and finance industries.  We use different versions of the open source solution depending on client needs.  The solution has flexibility and stability. There is not much ability inside of the solution. The world is going beyond…

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"As compared to other applications, it has tremendous support. We have built internal capability so that we use it extensively internally. It is also easier to use with the outside data. You can write in ESQL, Java, or any other technology that you want to use for development. So, it is a lot more flexible in the language that it supports."
"The most valuable feature of this solution is Portal Virtualization."
"The most valuable features are its user-friendliness and reliability in terms of application hosting."
"The product offers good performance."
"IBM WebSphere Application Server is the best in terms of scalability and performance, as well as the support for managing distributed transactions."
"It does integrate well with the Tivoli Federated Identity Management system."
"We needed this type of integration and WebShepere is the best tool for it."
"This solution is easy to use with a GUI that is intuitive and very helpful."
"JBoss has made it very easy to implement web applications."
"There's good documentation and a pretty good community surrounding the product."
"The most valuable thing about JBoss is how easy it is to install and manage it on-premise, making the process simple."
"The solution's support is very good for repairing components."
"The stability is great."
"JBoss's configuration is straightforward and easy."
"The support is fast and reliable."
"The solution has flexibility and stability."
 

Cons

"I find the server okay, however, using the Maker instance, the Moving instance, and the Change instance is a little bit complicated without WebSphere knowledge."
"The solution consumes hardware."
"The installation has room for improvement."
"IBM needs to pay attention to market changes more quickly. We now have Java 9 and very soon Java EE8. We do not want to wait for two or three years after their release until they are supported by the new version."
"When compared with WebLogic, Weblogic is lighter and consumes less memory."
"I think that this is a good product but I think that the cloud environment could be improved. I think that the future is in the utilization of the product in a product as a service way which is something that is lacking at this moment."
"The main issue we faced was its limited compatibility with non-Java technologies, which can result in difficulty detecting potential bugs and requiring additional integration efforts."
"While WebSphere mostly supports IBM HTTP Server (IHS) as the web server plugin, I think it would be beneficial if it also supported Apache and NGINX web servers. That would give customers more flexibility in their choices."
"The tool's documentation could be improved to explain its usage and functionalities clearly. Having accessible documentation would save time for leaders like me when juniors seek information about it. The documentation should be self-explanatory and guide users on how to utilize the tool."
"Having the support combined with Red Hat support would be an improvement."
"In terms of monitoring, the old version was somewhat limited in flexibility, lacking the ability to easily adjust configurations."
"Logging-related issues in JBoss require improvement."
"The initial setup is a bit complex."
"The solution could improve by providing more integration."
"Sometimes the console has a glitch."
"It can have automation features. Everybody is focused right now on automation. In terms of saving cost, automation is always the first thing that comes to light."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"There is an Eclipse Plugin provided by IBM, so no need to buy IBM Rational Application Developer or Rational Software Architect tools."
"The pricing is a little expensive."
"We pay around $200,000 annually."
"IBM WAS base is part of the deal when you purchase IBM FileNet P8 Content Engine."
"WebSphere Application Server is expensive, so it may not be a good option for small companies."
"If your application is just a web app that does not need to scale big, you can obtain a single core license of WAS Express edition, which has almost the same features with limited processing cores. If you manage a very big application farm (i.e. need to run 10 or more WAS servers) it is better to get IBM WAS Hypervisor Edition."
"The solution is quite expensive."
"My company is on a perpetual or permanent license agreement with IBM WebSphere Application Server. There's also a pay-per-use option, but customers rarely choose that option. Most of the customers are on the perpetual license deal that's all-inclusive. As the license cost is quite expensive, I'm rating it two out of five."
"Despite the price increase after being acquired by IBM, JBoss still maintains its competitiveness. The package provided is more geared towards cloud-based deployments, whereas our setup is more traditional, which makes it slightly more expensive for us. As most vendors are transitioning towards cloud-centric solutions, companies like ours need to adapt accordingly."
"We pay for a maintenance license, but it is not expensive."
"Since the solution is freeware, our customers don't need to pay any licensing fees."
"The pricing of JBoss is more reasonable than that of WebLogic."
"There is no licensing cost. The solution is free to use."
"I rate the product price as eight on a scale, where one means it is a very cheap solution, and ten points mean that it is a very expensive tool."
"The solution is cost-efficient compared to other products. Pricing is rated an eight out of ten."
"It is an open-source solution."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
30%
Computer Software Company
13%
Insurance Company
7%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Financial Services Firm
26%
Computer Software Company
14%
Government
9%
Manufacturing Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about IBM WebSphere Application Server?
Network Deployment is the most useful feature for scalability. It has many features within the standard WebSphere Application Server edition.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IBM WebSphere Application Server?
Pricing is not within my department, but there is generally some talk. I do not want to comment, but it is said that the licensing cost for IBM's product is on the higher side. That's what I have b...
What needs improvement with IBM WebSphere Application Server?
I believe that the system is already good. However, for improvement or enhancement, it is user-friendly, but it could offer better choices on the front end for different aspects or options. Sometim...
What do you like most about JBoss?
The product's initial setup phase is easy.
What needs improvement with JBoss?
The price could be improved. Customers don't want to buy the license easily. It's nice that there is Wildfly, which is basically the same as JBoss, just without the price.
 

Also Known As

WebSphere Application Server
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

TalkTalk, Property management group, E.SUN Bank, Ohio National Financial Services, Aviarc, Cincom Systems, FJA-US, D+H, Staples, Michigan Municipal League
Tata Sky, Nissan, Swedish Board of Agriculture, Novamedia, American Product Distributors, Advanced Micro Devices, Emirates Group, E*TRADE
Find out what your peers are saying about IBM WebSphere Application Server vs. JBoss and other solutions. Updated: January 2025.
831,791 professionals have used our research since 2012.