IBM WebSphere Application Server vs Oracle Fusion Middleware comparison

IBM WebSphere Application Server vs. Oracle Fusion Middleware

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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 WebSphere Application S...

Ranking in Application Server

5th

Average Rating

7.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Application Infrastructure (5th)

Oracle Fusion Middleware

Ranking in Application Server

6th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Application Server category, the mindshare of IBM WebSphere Application Server is 12.7%, up from 11.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Oracle Fusion Middleware is 5.8%, up from 4.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Application Server

Featured Reviews

BharathirajaSukumar

Senior Lead Analyst at Radial

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.

Read full review

Sai Kri

Assistant Manager Business Applications at NMC Healthcare

Migration to a modern interface enhances AI integration and cloud capabilities

Presently, Oracle recommends migrating to Oracle Fusion since it's a hot product now. e-Business Suite may soon be sunsetted and has an outdated UI, with few upgrades. In contrast, Oracle Fusion offers modern features, such as AI, cloud-based applications, and customization options like Redwood features. Oracle Fusion AI chatbots are embedded, benefiting projects.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"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 easy to use."

"The solution is very stable and robust."

"Starting with version 8, WAS provides a special folder called monitor deployment. Once you put the .war or .ear file in there, it is deployed automatically without human intervention. This greatly helps us in our continuous integration server. Once the deployment binary is ready, we write a script to copy it to that folder and then, voila! The application is up and running and accessible from its context root."

"IBM WebSphere Application Server is the best in terms of scalability and performance, as well as the support for managing distributed transactions."

"The only reason why we're currently using WebSphere is that the integration of the authentication with Azure is very quick. WebSphere has something that can immediately connect with Azure Active Directory."

"The most valuable features are its user-friendliness and reliability in terms of application hosting."

"It does integrate well with the Tivoli Federated Identity Management system."

More IBM WebSphere Application Server pros

"The most valuable feature is the structure of the product. We use Oracle Fusion Middleware to manage the Oracle database. Registered users can go to each product if sign-on credentials match each user's identical framework."

"The solution is extendable so you can start with two cores and add more at any time."

"Oracle Fusion is stable."

"Fusion Middleware's main feature for me is that it is quite flexible, and, as middleware, it provides us with all sorts of technology and application adapters, which makes it very handy to use."

"It is really good in terms of features, and it is stable."

"The most valuable features are Oracle Unified Directory and unified identity access management."

"The most valuable features are the pre-built connectors between Oracle applications, which allow quick integration. I also appreciate the fast deployment of components. Oracle Fusion Middleware's key benefit is enabling real-time data transfer between applications."

"The solution is very easy to install."

More Oracle Fusion Middleware pros

Cons

"WebSphere is very cumbersome and not user-friendly."

"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 business logic side of it is sort of missing in the sense that if I want to track and measure velocity, it is not really available. You have to buy another application and embark on a separate implementation. Instead of having different licensing, IBM DataPower should be integrated with WebSphere. It will allow us to build the business layer and rules a lot more efficiently, rather than developing rules within the application. It would be good if we can set up the business layer through parametrization rather than development. IBM DataPower has the business rule and the controls, and if it can be integrated, it would be fantastic. It will help the application in working better in terms of security features and business logic. If you're going to use it for open banking, you will be able to monitor velocity on the total pricing."

"In the next release of this solution, I would like to see support for the Arabic language."

"The licensing could be improved, and I would like it to give the longevity of the lifespan of the visions. In the next release, I would like to be able to download and extract the files so that I can just use my application server."

"It should be able to serve more concurrent requests like Oracle. Oracle has more powerful stability, availability, and real-time serving."

"The security could be better."

"The availability of the solution needs improvement."

More IBM WebSphere Application Server cons

"Oracle Fusion Middleware is based on the regulations in Saudi Arabia and the legislation changes. There is a need to be improvements all the time. It needs to adapt quickly in this market. Additionally, there could be some improvements in the construction sector."

"An improvement for Oracle's Fusion Middleware could definitely be found in the SOA component. It's a heavyweight container and, if you ask me, if a product is available as a docker image where we can easily port it in to another Kubernetes platform, that would be perfect. But as for the current situation in the market, nobody is really willing to deploy this on premises."

"For improvements, I think Oracle Fusion Middleware could be better at connecting to third-party applications. While it works well with Oracle products, it's more limited to non-Oracle systems than other middleware solutions like MuleSoft."

"The product should improve BPEL features."

"One thing that I would like to see is if this product can be containerized. We are moving away from virtual servers and moving more towards containerization to be able to quickly set up environments or have the flexibility of scaling them. It would be good if it can be containerized, and it works well in containerized platforms."

"Its price can be improved. We are currently looking for more cost-efficiency. It should also have a little bit more flexibility for customizations. The customizations should be quicker."

"I would rate the stability a nine out of ten because we did have multiple breakdowns and crashes."

"Oracle Fusion Middleware could improve by offering enhanced and customizable business-related features, particularly in supporting individual businesses or custom applications."

More Oracle Fusion Middleware cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It costs more than some of the others, but, you get what you pay for."

"It is very expensive."

"We pay around $200,000 annually."

"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 price of IBM WebSphere Application Server could be less expensive and there is an annual license required for this solution."

"The solution is quite expensive."

"The licensing policy is based on the PVU base."

"Room for improvement would only be in the licensing. As with all IBM products the licensing can be complex and expensive. Bargain well and try to get as much discount as possible. Discounts of 85% are possible. Without the discount, I think the product is overrated."

More IBM WebSphere Application Server pricing and cost advice

"It is expensive. We are looking for a cheaper solution."

"The pricing is moderate. It's fine."

"We pay annually for the solution."

"The solution is expensive so pricing is rated a six out of ten."

"The solution is quite expensive so is only used by larger organizations."

"The licensing costs are reasonable."

"My advice is to buy the basic modules first, gain the most benefit from them, then buy the advanced modules."

"The tool is best suited for large companies due to high licensing costs."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

31%

Computer Software Company

14%

Manufacturing Company

Insurance Company

Educational Organization

51%

Financial Services Firm

Computer Software Company

Government

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?

In Korea, when you buy IBM iOS, the WebSphere base version is included with iOS. That means no additional cost.

What needs improvement with IBM WebSphere Application Server?

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.

What do you like most about Oracle Fusion Middleware?

The most valuable features are Oracle Unified Directory and unified identity access management.

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Oracle Fusion Middleware?

Pricing varies from customer to customer, however, it is reasonable compared to other products in the market.

What needs improvement with Oracle Fusion Middleware?

Oracle rapidly releases new features, and I may not be ready to adopt them. Although Oracle provides support, I need the appropriate IT team to adopt these new features.

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Compared 10% of the time

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Compared 1% of the time

More IBM WebSphere Application Server Competitors

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Compared 80% of the time

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Compared 8% of the time

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Compared 5% of the time

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Product Reports

IBM WebSphere Application Server

Download IBM WebSphere Application Server product report

Oracle Fusion Middleware

Download Oracle Fusion Middleware product report

Also Known As

WebSphere Application Server

No data available

Overview

IBM WebSphere Application Server (WAS) is a middleware platform developed by IBM. It provides a range of services and tools to help organizations develop, deploy, and manage Java-based applications. WAS is part of IBM's WebSphere product family and provides a secure, scalable, and highly available platform for developing and running web-based applications. WAS provides a secure, scalable, and highly available platform, making it an attractive solution for organizations looking to develop and deploy enterprise-grade applications.

IBM WebSphere Application Server Features

IBM WebSphere Application Server has many valuable key features. Some of the most useful ones include:

Application deployment: IBM WAS enables organizations to deploy and manage applications in a secure and scalable environment.

Clustering: The clustering feature can help organizations ensure high availability and improve application performance.

Load balancing: The solution Includes load balancing capabilities to distribute application workloads and improve performance.

Security: IBM WAS offers a range of security features, including authentication, authorization, and encryption, to help organizations secure their applications and data.

Monitoring and management: The solution’s range of tools for monitoring and managing applications, including the IBM WebSphere Administrative Console allows organizations to optimize application performance and resolve issues easily.

Integration: IBM WAS integrates with a range of IBM and third-party products, including IBM WebSphere MQ, IBM DB2, and more, to provide a comprehensive platform for developing and running web-based applications.

IBM WebSphere Application Server Benefits

There are many benefits to implementing IBM WebSphere Application Server. Some of the biggest advantages the solution offers include:

Improved application performance: The IBM WAS platform offers a scalable and secure platform for deploying and managing applications, enabling organizations to improve application performance and reduce downtime.

High availability: IBM WAS provides clustering and load-balancing capabilities to help organizations ensure high availability.

Improved security: With a large range of security features, including authentication, authorization, and encryption, the solution helps organizations secure their applications and data.

Simplified management: IBM WAS is designed with a set of tools for monitoring and managing applications, enabling organizations to optimize performance and resolve issues efficiently.

Increased flexibility: The solution integrates with a range of IBM and third-party products, providing organizations with a flexible platform for developing and running web-based applications.

Improved developer productivity: It supports the latest Java EE specifications, allowing developers to use the latest technologies and development methodologies when building applications.

Better customer experience: Organizations can deliver faster and more reliable applications, improving the overall customer experience.

Scalability: IBM WAS provides a scalable and secure platform for deploying and managing applications, so organizations can quickly respond to changing business requirements.

Reviews from Real Users

IBM WebSphere Application Server is a solution that stands out when compared to many of its competitors. Some of its major advantages are that it is stable, supports many languages, and is resilient.

Princewill O., Head Banking Application Customization and Reporting at a financial services firm, states, “[The solution is] very stable, supports many languages, and helpful for faster time to market.”

Another PeerSpot reviewer, an Enterprise Technical Leader at a tech services company mentions, “[It is an] enterprise-level product with extensive console capabilities, including the ability to control multiple JVM containers.”

IBM

Oracle Fusion Middleware is the digital business platform for the enterprise and the cloud. It enables enterprises to create and run agile, intelligent business applications while maximizing IT efficiency through full utilization of modern hardware and software architectures.

Oracle

Sample Customers

TalkTalk, Property management group, E.SUN Bank, Ohio National Financial Services, Aviarc, Cincom Systems, FJA-US, D+H, Staples, Michigan Municipal League

Police Department of Izmir City

IBM WebSphere Application Server vs. Oracle Fusion Middleware