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 March 2025, in the Application Server category, the mindshare of IBM WebSphere Application Server is 12.4%, up from 11.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Oracle Fusion Middleware is 5.6%, up from 4.5% 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 e-Business Suite may soon be sunsetted and has an outdated UI, with few upgrades.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

"This solution is easy to use with a GUI that is intuitive and very helpful."

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

"The scalability of the product is quite good."

"One of the most valuable features might be the stability of the IBM WebSphere Application Server."

"The most valuable feature of this solution is Portal Virtualization."

"Network Deployment is the most useful feature for scalability. It has many features within the standard WebSphere Application Server edition."

"The solution is robust. The connection management and the scalability, which IBM provides to the Stack, are also valuable."

"The integration between IBM tools and applications is very well executed."

More IBM WebSphere Application Server pros

"One good thing, which is a little bit common across all middleware products, is that you can build asynchronous as well as synchronous processes. The SOA part is where it can maintain your state for any state-full integrations. If you have failures, you can replay all that, which is a good part."

"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."

"Oracle Fusion is stable."

"The scalability is good."

"Oracle recommends moving to Oracle Fusion as they are constantly releasing new AI, modern, web-based, and cloud-based features with updated UI. With Redwood customization and AI chatbots embedded, Oracle Fusion stands ahead of older systems."

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

"The solution is very easy to install."

"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."

More Oracle Fusion Middleware pros

Cons

"What could be improved in IBM WebSphere Application Server is its interconnection with other products, for example, Kafka. What I'd like to see in the next release of the solution is a better graphical user interface."

"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 current trend is to move to Liberty because of the portability of its cloud and its Kubernetes, which containerize the application."

"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."

"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)."

"Some things are very difficult to do, so the interface and usage could be more intuitive for those."

"The solution consumes hardware."

"WebSphere is very cumbersome and not user-friendly. It used to have its own JVM, which presented challenges such as different architecture and memory leaks."

More IBM WebSphere Application Server cons

"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."

"All areas of HCM modules could use some improvement."

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

"The solution's technical support needs to be improved."

"Oracle rapidly releases new features, and I may not be ready to adopt them."

"The price could always be better."

"Oracle rapidly releases new features, and I may not be ready to adopt them."

"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."

More Oracle Fusion Middleware cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"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."

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

"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."

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

"It's expensive."

"IBM WAS base is part of the deal when you purchase IBM FileNet P8 Content Engine."

"The price of this product is higher than that of competitors."

More IBM WebSphere Application Server pricing and cost advice

"We pay annually for the solution."

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

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

"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."

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

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

"The licensing costs are reasonable."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

31%

Computer Software Company

14%

Insurance Company

Manufacturing Company

Educational Organization

50%

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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Comparisons

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Oracle WebLogic Server vs IBM WebSphere Application Server

Compared 10% of the time

WebLogic Suite vs IBM WebSphere Application Server

Compared 1% of the time

More IBM WebSphere Application Server Competitors

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Compared 80% of the time

JBoss vs Oracle Fusion Middleware

Compared 8% of the time

Tomcat vs Oracle Fusion Middleware

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.”

"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,” says Nicolae C., System and Solutions Architect at Seidor.

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