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Oracle Application Express (APEX) vs ServiceNow Now Platform comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 18, 2024

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

Oracle Application Express ...
Ranking in Rapid Application Development Software
4th
Ranking in Low-Code Development Platforms
3rd
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
59
Ranking in other categories
Development Platforms (2nd)
ServiceNow Now Platform
Ranking in Rapid Application Development Software
11th
Ranking in Low-Code Development Platforms
8th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
47
Ranking in other categories
No-Code Development Platforms (3rd)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Rapid Application Development Software category, the mindshare of Oracle Application Express (APEX) is 8.2%, down from 9.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of ServiceNow Now Platform is 1.8%, up from 1.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Rapid Application Development Software
 

Featured Reviews

Rodrigo-Mesquita - PeerSpot reviewer
Rapid application development empowers big projects in months
The ability to quickly develop applications without needing to code a lot is very valuable. It is very quick to create a page, and one can use AI to speed up software development. It is easy to learn. In my company, we could develop a very big application in a couple of months.
Fabio QUINTANILHA - PeerSpot reviewer
Allows for seamless integration and sharing of common features
The initial setup is straightforward. There are limited access. If you choose not to use scripts, you can still configure the majority of the settings on the platform. The technical aspect of implementing changes is governed by change management processes. Even simple features require careful consideration of communication, documentation, and governance. Despite the setup being relatively straightforward and typically taking one to two weeks to complete once the desired outcome is identified, the implementation phase can often extend for a month or two due to various factors. I rate the initial setup a nine out of ten, where one is difficult, and ten is easy.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The database is super easy to use for creating tables."
"Efficient software delivery and a solution that works quickly."
"It has a well-designed architecture and is a simple 3rd party application."
"Oracle APEX is very easy to use and comes with a lot of ready-made components that speed up the process of creating reports and dashboards."
"Oracle APEX's reporting features are simple yet powerful. The ability to quickly create CRUD screens has simplified many RAD discovery processes, while the APEX environment allows the product owners and dev teams to quickly understand the complex solutions and employ usage statistics to identify areas requiring improvement. The option to add external JavaScript tools in screen development enables the development of complicated mobile or web usage scenarios in rare cases where the APEX UX is not enough."
"The most valuable features of Oracle Application Express (APEX) are the ease and speed of development. Instead of engaging a large team of middleware, front-end, and database engineers, we can have professional look at the front end and have the user interface up and running in a matter of days. However, if you want to go far and implement very custom features, it doesn't require a lot of knowledge of front-end development, such as HTML, JavaScript, or other aspects."
"This is a good application for quickly creating public applications."
"One of the most valuable features is the ability to build very fast data-driven UIs."
"It can integrate anywhere, and you can make any kind of workflow."
"Scalability-wise, it is a very good solution."
"The integration feature has simplified our multi-tool ecosystem. The inbuilt integrations significantly improve our solution delivery timelines. Also, standardized adapters and integration adapters reduce failure rates due to compatibility. This boosts productivity and eases maintenance."
"ServiceNow Now Platform is quite useful, scalable, and flexible. The user interface is very good."
"It is a scalable and a stable platform."
"At this point, over and above what ServiceNow actually is, the key is that it's really nothing but a web service. Whether it's a form or anything, the best part is that you can easily leverage anything of ServiceNow for any application anywhere just by calling the REST endpoints and handling the request messages."
"The ServiceNow Now Platform is powerful because it allows for seamless integration and sharing of common features. I can access various features from a single point, enhancing efficiency and usability. Its capability to integrate different user features while maintaining full integration is a significant strength of the platform."
"The level of automation within the platform is great."
 

Cons

"The grid reports contain a lot of bugs."
"Apex has effectively incorporated new market trends into its features. The platform's user-friendly nature is notable, guiding developers through the development process. While advanced customization of the user interface with HTML and CSS is possible, the out-of-the-box options often suffice, providing 80-90% of the required functionality. The IDE is commendable, yet an enhancement in the Page Designer to allow a real-time preview of layout changes would be beneficial. Currently, running the page is necessary to visualize layout adjustments, but an immediate preview during the design phase would be a valuable improvement."
"The product must provide more triggers."
"It can only be deployed on Oracle Database."
"It can be modern and more user-friendly."
"Another issue I used to encounter was with the debugging functions. I believe this is an area where Oracle APEX could improve significantly in terms of displaying error messages or error pages. It is very difficult to detect bugs or which bugs you are having when it comes to errors or which errors you have."
"There is a bit of a learning curve involved when first using the solution."
"You also need an APEX specialist for deployment because not many people use it."
"The licensing for this solution, with respect to the user, needs to be improved."
"There's always room for improvement, but I think the biggest challenge with ServiceNow is the licensing model. It's not very clear and changes frequently."
"I feel that the solution's user interface is an area with certain shortcomings, where improvements are required."
"ServiceNow is not open source, so there is a license you must pay. As for how much it costs, what I have observed is that it often depends on your subscriptions. Suppose that you go with some subscriptions such as IDSM or any type of package like it, then the license cost will be impacted accordingly. Similarly, the cost is also adjusted based on your headcount of how many users will be using it."
"The UI is very bad and needs to be updated."
"The Playbooks feature is useful for visualizing steps in a process, however, it lacks support for rollbacks in case of complex customer processes."
"The solution's user interface is very average, and it needs to be more enriched and user-friendly."
"The product's UI is ugly, making it an area where improvements are required."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The pricing is very good and less expensive than Mendix or OutSystems."
"There is a trial version available that can be used free of charge."
"We have an Oracle basic product license, and then we can use Oracle APEX for free. We have many licenses for Oracle for approximately 20 processors."
"It's a free solution with no additional costs."
"Oracle Application Express (APEX) comes with Oracle. The Oracle price itself. I do not know the exact cost. Oracle is flexible on its price. If you overspend on your hardware, then I don't think you will overpay. I heard that Oracle is more expensive than other databases, but when you consider Oracle is the best traditional relational database out there. You get what you pay for."
"Oracle Application Express (APEX) is free, so this is another magic of the solution. You just get charged for the database license, which I don't need."
"I would rate it around an eight in terms of price, with one being low and ten being high."
"The product is completely free of cost."
"I don't have much exposure to the costs attached to the solution. I rate the product's price a six on a scale of one to ten, where one is the lowest price, and ten is the highest price since it is a costly tool."
"From what I heard, the license for the ServiceNow Now Platform is paid monthly, and on a scale of one to five, I'm rating it a three in terms of pricing, so it's on the cheaper side. I don't know of any additional costs associated with the ServiceNow Now Platform, apart from the standard licensing fees."
"Pricing is based on the number of users and user licenses, but the product is 20% to 30% more than the competition."
"In my opinion, it is expensive. However, they do offer favorable licensing for charities, for example."
"The product is very expensive."
"I would rate the pricing an eight out of ten, with ten being very expensive solution."
"The solution is expensive."
"ServiceNow is not open source, so there is a license you must pay. As for how much it costs, what I have observed is that it often depends on your subscriptions."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Educational Organization
32%
Government
9%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Computer Software Company
7%
Financial Services Firm
17%
Computer Software Company
10%
Government
9%
Manufacturing Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Oracle Application Express (APEX)?
Oracle APEX is part of our on-premises solution included in our agreement with Oracle E Business Suite, though I don't know the cost specifics. Power BI is licensed by the user.
What needs improvement with Oracle Application Express (APEX)?
Using AI to analyze data without needing much code would be better. Also, although the interface is easy to change, it could have more features.
What do you like most about ServiceNow Now Platform?
The integration with other tools is pretty good.
What needs improvement with ServiceNow Now Platform?
The analytics should be more readily available on the base product. Historical data isn't as easily available as expected and it requires buying additional licenses for more features.
 

Also Known As

Oracle APEX
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Hepart AG, pharmasol, SATLOG, Collège Bois-de-Boulogne
experian, beachbody, health partners
Find out what your peers are saying about Oracle Application Express (APEX) vs. ServiceNow Now Platform and other solutions. Updated: March 2025.
845,040 professionals have used our research since 2012.