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Adobe ColdFusion vs Oracle Application Express (APEX) 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

Adobe ColdFusion
Ranking in Rapid Application Development Software
23rd
Ranking in Low-Code Development Platforms
22nd
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
6
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
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)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Rapid Application Development Software category, the mindshare of Adobe ColdFusion is 0.5%, up from 0.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Oracle Application Express (APEX) is 8.2%, down from 9.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Rapid Application Development Software
 

Featured Reviews

RakibulIslam - PeerSpot reviewer
An easy-to-setup tool that can be used to automate repetitive tasks
Currently, they have some legacy connectors with different tools, and they are creating native connectors. For example, AEM was only using HTTP or SMTP connections. However, now, AEM also has a native connector. In Adobe Workfront, if we use those connectors, we can push data through them. Previously there were no in-built connectors for Power BI and the dashboard. Now I see that connectors are there in Adobe ColdFusion though I have not used them yet. Previously when I was trying to create some data, it was very difficult to get real-time data from Workfront. I would like to say that it could be an area of improvement if it was possible to get real-time data, and we can create some connectors like the ones on Power BI or Tableau. Now we have the option with which we can schedule a time, like one or two hours, five times a day, allowing us to push the data with Power BI or an external tool. However, with real-time data, it's really difficult now. For ColdFusion, since I do not have that much expertise, I would say that whatever issue I face, I will resolve them. For that, I would like to get real-time data using the tool. Hence, I would like to get a real-time dashboard all the time.
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.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"My client has been able to improve productivity with the use of the tool. The solution has them develop several tools that addressed their specific needs. They have become more efficient and safe with the use of the product."
"The ability to write SQL queries was very helpful as we did not need to bother our DBAs in writing stored procedures for simple tasks."
"I find it to be the easiest server-side technology for website development. It easily integrates with virtually everything– from web APIs to NoSQL databases to RSS and XML services."
"Apart from providing a mature, reliable, consistent platform, Adobe also offers outstanding customer service and product support."
"I would like to say that its best feature is its different kinds of connectors. We have lots of in-built connectors."
"No need to import libraries from outside the environment."
"We save enormous amounts of time in development using this tool."
"This tool was very easy learn, yet powerful enough to manage many sites on a single instance."
"It's fairly easy to make a user-friendly interface."
"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."
"I like the way that it automatically goes into the spreadsheets and the users can deal with it."
"You can customize the solution to create a console where only business users can access and download files if they want to extract the data."
"It provides attractive GUIs allowing professionally-styled applications without the need to know HTML, CSS, or JavaScript."
"The database is super easy to use for creating tables."
"I like the fact that it is natively integrated into the Oracle database."
"In our experience with Apex, we find that minimizing reliance on HTML and JavaScript is preferable, especially considering our background as seasoned programmers adept in PL/SQL. Incorporating HTML and JavaScript can pose challenges due to potential compatibility issues when updates are made to JavaScript. We also make use of JAPER report integration for generating reports, a practice integral to our reporting procedures."
 

Cons

"Installation of the server software was formidable due the number of configurable options."
"ColdFusion’s third-party authentication is currently limited to just a couple of companies, like Google and Facebook, and a few third-party SAML authenticators. From my personal perspective, adding LinkedIn and Microsoft would greatly benefit me."
"Previously when I was trying to create some data, it was very difficult to get real-time data from Workfront."
"The solution needs to improve its adaption capability with a third-party company. I want to see more communities or open knowledge resources with the tool."
"Need to be able to Be able to inject Python, Java, Groovy, or PHP code into a CFML page."
"There is not much third party authenticators in this solution"
"Source control could be stronger in Oracle Application Express (APEX). It needs some work."
"The solution's layout could be improved for report generation to allow more configuration."
"The migration process is difficult in Oracle Application Express."
"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 collaboration and the workflow engine could use some improvement."
"I don't like the URL syntax."
"Connections to the application pages are not handled well and at times more than one user can be accessing an application with the same ID."
"We would like to see tighter integration with the Oracle Cloud Infrastructure."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The tool's pricing is high but it's totally worth the investment."
"If you really want to save money, there is a free open source CFML engine (former Railo, now Lucee) out there."
"It is a very effective solution and worth the price."
"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 rate the product's price as ten on a scale of one to ten, where one is a high price, and ten is a low price."
"The pricing is mid-range so is neither expensive nor cheap."
"Pricing is expensive, overall on an enterprise system but we consider that it gives corresponding value in the product."
"I would rate it around an eight in terms of price, with one being low and ten being high."
"It is expensive, but I don't know what the licensing cost is."
"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."
"The solution is moderately priced, where it is neither cheap nor expensive."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Government
21%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Computer Software Company
10%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Educational Organization
32%
Government
9%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Computer Software Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Adobe ColdFusion?
I would like to say that its best feature is its different kinds of connectors. We have lots of in-built connectors.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Adobe ColdFusion?
The tool's pricing is high but it's totally worth the investment.
What needs improvement with Adobe ColdFusion?
Currently, they have some legacy connectors with different tools, and they are creating native connectors. For example, AEM was only using HTTP or SMTP connections. However, now, AEM also has a nat...
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.
 

Also Known As

No data available
Oracle APEX
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Inspirus, Promisan, Webapper, Giva, Frontech Solutions Inc, Digicon, ITX Corp, Wall Street Magnate, SimulTV, ten24 Digital Solutions, Prospective Medical Data International Inc, Alcatel-Lucent
Hepart AG, pharmasol, SATLOG, Collège Bois-de-Boulogne
Find out what your peers are saying about Adobe ColdFusion vs. Oracle Application Express (APEX) and other solutions. Updated: March 2025.
845,040 professionals have used our research since 2012.