Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users

IBM WebSphere Application Server vs Microsoft .NET Framework 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 Infrastructure
5th
Average Rating
7.8
Number of Reviews
29
Ranking in other categories
Application Server (5th)
Microsoft .NET Framework
Ranking in Application Infrastructure
4th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
50
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2025, in the Application Infrastructure category, the mindshare of IBM WebSphere Application Server is 11.2%, up from 10.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft .NET Framework is 5.9%, down from 7.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Application Infrastructure
 

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.
Pavan Kodur - PeerSpot reviewer
Intuitive, easier to develop, maintain, and migrate from the old framework to newer versions
There are a few areas where they could compete better with products like React or Angular – the popular SPA (Single Page Application) frameworks. Microsoft has its own product called Blazor, but I don't think it's quite as powerful yet as React or Angular. I think that's an area for improvement. For example, HR asked me to build something that worked offline and online. Microsoft products don't really support that well, as I'd have to rely on browser databases. React and Angular are better for that. If I need something faster, I'd definitely use React. So, I see Microsoft lagging a bit in that area.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"One of the most valuable features might be the stability of the IBM WebSphere Application Server."
"What's most valuable in IBM WebSphere Application Server is its resilience. When you use the solution, you know that after the communication has been done, there will be no doubt that the data has reached its destination."
"IBM WebSphere Application Server is the best in terms of scalability and performance, as well as the support for managing distributed transactions."
"The most valuable feature of this solution is Portal Virtualization."
"WebSphere Application Server's best features include the data subscription and connection viewer."
"This solution is easy to use with a GUI that is intuitive and very helpful."
"The solution has good performance."
"The most valuable features are its user-friendliness and reliability in terms of application hosting."
"Ease of use, the richness of the libraries and basically very good development tools."
"The most valuable features are the Domain Controller and the WBFS Manager."
"The tool offers a lot of support, and there is a lot of knowledge material available, along with a lot of community groups."
"It's easy to create and integrate things."
"Initial setup is straightforward. All the components are readily available."
"The .NET Framework is easier to use because it provides a wide range of libraries."
"The most valuable feature is the financial accounting."
"The most valuable features for us are web frameworks like MVC, Web API, and WCS."
 

Cons

"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."
"I think in some moments, the security was a little bit more complex to configure when it was delegated to other systems, making it an area where improvements are required."
"The footprint could be reduced so that we can use a smaller virtual machine to run the application. We could also use more scripts. I would like this solution to be more script oriented, rather than GUI oriented."
"In spite of the solution's robustness, it is expensive and a bit difficult to support."
"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."
"It should be able to serve more concurrent requests like Oracle. Oracle has more powerful stability, availability, and real-time serving."
"In the next release of this solution, I would like to see support for the Arabic language."
"The pricing is a bit expensive."
"The solution could improve by optimizing the memory for better performance."
"The initial setup is complex."
"It is of great concern to us that the solution is not very powerful on cross platform, at it impedes the ability to build and scale with it."
"They should have more training materials available that are specific to .NET. We spend a lot of money training our engineers."
"They should try to improve their Blazor WebAssembly."
"The solution has difficulty integrating with other products. There are no such difficulties if you have the same platform, hardware, and operating system."
"I would like more web integration."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I don't remember the price, but there are no additional costs."
"It costs more than some of the others, but, you get what you pay for."
"WebSphere Application Server is expensive, so it may not be a good option for small companies."
"The price of this product is higher than that of competitors."
"We used to pay about $100,000-$120,000 US or somewhere around there. That was a bit cost-prohibitive for us to continue."
"The solution is quite expensive."
"IBM WAS base is part of the deal when you purchase IBM FileNet P8 Content Engine."
"The pricing is a little expensive."
"The Microsoft .NET Framework is free of charge, without licensing cost."
"I rate the solution's pricing a two out of ten because .NET is an open-source framework. You don't have to pay for a license."
"Microsoft .NET Framework is licensed under the Windows License."
"The product’s pricing is a bit high."
"The solution is a bit costly when compared to open source products or open gear licenses."
"Considering the bigger picture, opting for the Microsoft ecosystem can be beneficial and it is priced well. When relying on entirely open-source solutions, you may encounter challenges associated with dealing with multiple vendors and potentially compromised security measures. However, it is important to note that Microsoft could enhance its performance when it comes to addressing critical security concerns."
"For the moment I can only give the product a rating of five out of ten since only some of the customers will be satisfied, those that have the financial resources for hosting a platform on Windows Server."
"Microsoft .NET Framework is free of cost."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Application Infrastructure solutions are best for your needs.
831,158 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
31%
Computer Software Company
13%
Insurance Company
7%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Financial Services Firm
13%
Computer Software Company
13%
Construction Company
10%
Government
10%
 

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?
The product is expensive. I rate the product’s pricing a seven out of ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive.
What needs improvement with IBM WebSphere Application Server?
I think in some moments, the security was a little bit more complex to configure when it was delegated to other systems, making it an area where improvements are required.
What do you like most about Microsoft .NET Framework?
Microsoft .NET Framework continually innovates, particularly in Visual Studio, which focuses on improving languages, debugging, and .NET functionality.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft .NET Framework?
The pricing is rated six out of ten. It provides value for the cost.
What needs improvement with Microsoft .NET Framework?
There is room for Microsoft .NET Framework to improve cloud platform capabilities. They have already made improvements in their new version by making it multi-platform and upgrading it for cloud pl...
 

Also Known As

WebSphere Application Server
MS .NET Framework
 

Learn More

 

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
Curtin University, Rockwell Automation, Aruba Networks, Insurity Inc., City of Barcelona, Pennsylvania DCNR, University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, A1 Telekom Austria AG, Eastman Chemical Company
Find out what your peers are saying about IBM WebSphere Application Server vs. Microsoft .NET Framework and other solutions. Updated: January 2025.
831,158 professionals have used our research since 2012.