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IBM WebSphere Application Server vs Oracle Fusion Middleware 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
29
Ranking in other categories
Application Infrastructure (5th)
Oracle Fusion Middleware
Ranking in Application Server
6th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
14
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 Oracle Fusion Middleware is 5.1%, up from 4.4% 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.
Husni Milhem - PeerSpot reviewer
Maintains top database performance and includes a very good ATB feature
Technical support is helpful. They have a good support bot for handling items so most case response times are fast. Support is aware and responsive but it takes time for them to resolve issues. Our whole enterprise is in the cloud and uses this application. It is a high priority to close any issues. We need an immediate response with resolution within two to three days. Support sends a lot of templates to fill in based on the priority or escalation. Completing templates takes time, particularly with the bot. The support process definitely needs improvement so technical support is rated a seven out of ten.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"It has good stability of the application server in the long term compared to other solutions."
"The VPN service is quite useful."
"It does integrate well with the Tivoli Federated Identity Management system."
"The most valuable feature of this solution is Portal Virtualization."
"We needed this type of integration and WebShepere is the best tool for it."
"Security: It is compatible with the latest Java 8 security features, supports FIPS 140-2 and NIST SP 800-53 with strong ciphers and cryptography keys, and supports TLS 1.2 completely. Also, configuring client and server certificates is relatively easy."
"WebSphere Application Server's best features include the data subscription and connection viewer."
"The product offers good performance."
"Oracle Service Bus is the most valuable feature of the solution."
"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."
"Data integrity."
"The scalability is good."
"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 extendable so you can start with two cores and add more at any time."
"Oracle Fusion is stable."
"It is really good in terms of features, and it is stable."
 

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."
"The solution consumes hardware."
"Some things are very difficult to do, so the interface and usage could be more intuitive for those."
"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 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."
"The current trend is to move to Liberty because of the portability of its cloud and its Kubernetes, which containerize the application."
"Initial setup is very simple. Just use the IBM Installation Manager and add the packages. The install wizard takes care of the rest. The only thing that can be difficult is to find the right packages on the IBM website, because of all the changes that IBM does on its website(s)."
"Based on the field and based on the build that was provided, we've noticed a lot of constraints in terms of the performance now."
"Oracle Fusion Middleware could improve by offering enhanced and customizable business-related features, particularly in supporting individual businesses or custom applications."
"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."
"Technical support should resolve issues more quickly."
"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 documentation might not be good enough for new users."
"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."
"The main improvement must be made on the user interface. You need to use another Oracle cross in this product. It must be improved and some features of the connectors must be changed."
"The price could always be better."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is very expensive."
"We used to pay about $100,000-$120,000 US or somewhere around there. That was a bit cost-prohibitive for us to continue."
"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."
"When you purchase Maximo, you get WebSphere for free."
"The licensing cost is 1,000 of euros for a 30-year table."
"WebSphere Application Server is expensive, so it may not be a good option for small companies."
"IBM WAS base is part of the deal when you purchase IBM FileNet P8 Content Engine."
"I don't remember the price, but there are no additional costs."
"We pay annually for the solution."
"My advice is to buy the basic modules first, gain the most benefit from them, then buy the advanced modules."
"It is expensive. We are looking for a cheaper solution."
"The pricing is moderate. It's fine."
"The licensing costs are reasonable."
"The tool is best suited for large companies due to high licensing costs."
"The solution is quite expensive so is only used by larger organizations."
"The solution is expensive so pricing is rated a six out of ten."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
31%
Computer Software Company
13%
Insurance Company
7%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Educational Organization
56%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Computer Software Company
7%
Government
5%
 

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 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?
The tool is best suited for large companies due to high licensing costs.
What needs improvement with Oracle Fusion Middleware?
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 ...
 

Also Known As

WebSphere Application Server
No data available
 

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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
Police Department of Izmir City
Find out what your peers are saying about IBM WebSphere Application Server vs. Oracle Fusion Middleware and other solutions. Updated: January 2025.
831,158 professionals have used our research since 2012.