Exasol Data Warehouse vs IBM Db2 Database comparison

Exasol and IBM are both solutions in the Relational Databases Tools category. Exasol is ranked #32, while IBM is ranked #5 with an average rating of 8.4. Exasol holds a 1.4% mindshare in SQL, compared to IBM’s 6.6% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Exasol users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 90% of IBM users who would recommend it.

Exasol Data Warehouse

Read 8 Exasol Data Warehouse reviews

677 Views
596 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

IBM Db2 Database

Read 75 IBM Db2 Database reviews

3,607 Views
3,463 Comparison Views

90% willing to recommend

Exasol Data Warehouse

IBM Db2 Database

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 4, 2025

IBM Db2 Database and Exasol Data Warehouse compete in the database management market, serving different needs. IBM Db2 shows strength with its comprehensive enterprise features, making it suitable for large organizations, while Exasol prioritizes speed, appealing to those needing rapid analytics.

Features: IBM Db2 Database includes comprehensive data security, integration with other IBM services, and strong support for SQL and NoSQL. Exasol Data Warehouse offers high-performance analytics, in-memory processing, and scalability for large data volumes.

Room for Improvement: IBM Db2 could enhance its user interface and simplify deployment processes. Improving documentation accessibility and offering more out-of-the-box analytics tools would also benefit its users. Exasol may improve in providing stronger enterprise-level support, developing more robust data integration capabilities, and expanding its cloud service offerings.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: IBM Db2 Database supports traditional deployment with thorough documentation and extensive enterprise-level support services. Exasol focuses on rapid deployment with an agile process, offering effective support for smooth and simple implementations.

Pricing and ROI: IBM Db2 Database pricing aligns with its wide-ranging enterprise features and infrastructure, providing value through robust support. Exasol offers competitive pricing aimed at excellent cost-performance for businesses needing fast analytics, focusing on maximizing ROI with high-performance capabilities.

To learn more, read our detailed Exasol Data Warehouse vs. IBM Db2 Database Report (Updated: December 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Exasol Data Warehouse vs. IBM Db2 Database

December 2025

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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

Exasol Data Warehouse

Ranking in Relational Databases Tools

32nd

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

IBM Db2 Database

Ranking in Relational Databases Tools

5th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Relational Databases Tools category, the mindshare of Exasol Data Warehouse is 1.4%, up from 0.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IBM Db2 Database is 6.6%, down from 6.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Relational Databases Tools Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
IBM Db2 Database	6.6%
Exasol Data Warehouse	1.4%
Other	92.0%

Relational Databases Tools

Featured Reviews

Shubham-Agarwal

Manager Projects at Cognizant

Fast query processing and easy-to-store all the data

There are very few companies that are using Exasol, but the majority of companies are using SQL Server, Cloud or IBM Db2 Database, or any other databases. Therefore, the resources are limited, which is my only concern. So if I face any issues, limited resources are available to help me resolve the issue with Exasol. From that perspective, it can be a bit of a struggle for me to find a solution. In the next release, I would like to see better compatibility issues. Currently, Exasol has limited compatibility with other software like Python and R. For example, If I talk about SQL Server, we can connect it to big data or Python, which is also compatible with different servers.

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reviewer2708292

Associate Director, Data Architecture at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees

Support improves setup and maintenance while pricing influences decision

If you have a similar use case and the same deal with IBM as our company, it is definitely a good option and choice. The company I work with has more than 50,000 people and more than 500 support staff. We are not locked into one database vendor. We typically work with multiple database vendors simultaneously, selecting the top choice based on the deals we make and other considerations. We do not use IBM Db2 Database related to AI at this moment because our AI project PLC is still very small scale. We may consider it in the future if we have enough scale. Overall rating for IBM Db2 Database is 8.5 out of 10.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"We can quickly scale the solution as it works on an MPP system."

"We mainly chose Exasol for its performance reasons."

"Performance is a top priority, and it excels in this aspect."

"The speed is very good compared to other databases, like SQL Server or Oracle."

"The most valuable feature of Exasol is its speed."

"Its speed is great."

"It is easy to scale."

"The solution is hands-off; you set it up insert your data and it self tunes queries."

"The most valuable aspect of this solution is its stability. We have never had any problems and have never had to contact technical support."

"It's easy to search and extract data from the warehouse using queries."

"The structure is straightforward, consisting of the test file and the logical and physical files. You have one physical file and many logical files related to it."

"The solution can scale."

"The stability of IBM Db2 Database is stable. We have not faced any downtime in one year. Our work is mostly during business hours and during that time, we haven't faced any downtime."

"The solution's querying feature is most valuable. It allows me to retrieve data quickly."

"The solution has very good data compression of up to 50%. For example, if you have 50 terabytes of data, it can be reduced to 25 terabytes."

"We had a crash of the backup system and the IBM DB2 was always up and consistent. It's robust, and for us, it was always up and running."

More IBM Db2 Database pros

Cons

"Lacks a cloud-based platform."

"They don't talk very well to with other products when it comes to connectivity. Integration is lacking."

"They should improve the security features for MPP processing."

"The only area where we found it could improve was in custom role creation and security, and it was difficult to work with."

"It's not cloud-native so many maintenance operations require downtime."

"There are limited resources available to help me resolve the issue with Exasol."

"It would be beneficial if the updates would occur more often."

"You have to install Exasol drivers, and it's not easy to find or implement a driver into different systems."

"The application development requires a Java developer and not every company has these resources."

"Db2 interface could be improved a bit. Comparing it to Oracle, Db2's interfaces could be improved."

"The command line part of this solution could be much better."

"In terms of improvements, IBM Db2 can improve its interface and its functionality. Also, the embedded functions should be much richer than the current ones - the functions which are embedded in the engine itself."

"There could be more user-friendly tools with features such as drag-and-drop functionality, visual basics, and low-code capabilities."

"There could be better integration with some cloud solutions."

"The management of Db2 should be simplified because there are not too many specialists in this area, and the learning curve of Db2 specialists is very long. After the courses, probably it takes one and a half or two years to get to the point when you are using the product properly in the production systems. So, the complexity is very high, and the most important thing is to simplify the management of the product, including self-maintenance. They should simplify the installation, management, and monitoring to simplify the product. It takes too long for a person to be a specialist in this product."

"I would say that the tool has to be made more cloud-friendly and should have agreements with AWS, Microsoft, or Google to run things on hyperscalers."

More IBM Db2 Database cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution's cost is mid-ranged."

"Compared to other databases, Db2 is relatively cheaper."

"Clients are required to purchase a license."

"It's very expensive."

"Db2 is less expensive than Oracle."

"Among Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, and Db2, Microsoft SQL Server is the cheapest one, and Oracle is the most expensive one. Db2 is in the middle. As compared to SQL Server, its price could go down. It will be good for customers."

"The solution's hardware and subscription model for support are very expensive."

"Licensing fees are on a yearly basis."

"We did not buy it. It came with our hardware without any complimentary maintenance. If I compare Db2 Database with Oracle Database, its price is lower than Oracle Database."

More IBM Db2 Database pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Logistics Company

Insurance Company

Retailer

Computer Software Company

Financial Services Firm

19%

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	1
Midsize Enterprise	1
Large Enterprise	6

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	20
Midsize Enterprise	13
Large Enterprise	48

Questions from the Community

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What do you like most about IBM Db2 Database?

Db2 database scalability and performance capabilities match our database needs. It covers pretty much everything a database administrator or engineer might need.

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IBM Db2 Database?

IBM Db2 is an expensive solution. While I am not heavily involved with pricing, additional companies provide capabilities or products like those from BMC, which many installations might also purchase.

See all answers

What needs improvement with IBM Db2 Database?

The IBM Db2 Database is a good solution, but now there is a high maintenance charge. The IBM Db2 Database needs improved support, and there are many difficulties in using it. We tend to use the clo...

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Comparisons

Oracle Database vs Exasol Data Warehouse

Compared 15% of the time

SQL Server vs Exasol Data Warehouse

Compared 14% of the time

Teradata vs Exasol Data Warehouse

Compared 13% of the time

Oracle Database In-Memory vs Exasol Data Warehouse

Compared 12% of the time

SAP IQ vs Exasol Data Warehouse

Compared 10% of the time

More Exasol Data Warehouse Competitors

SQL Server vs IBM Db2 Database

Compared 40% of the time

Oracle Database vs IBM Db2 Database

Compared 17% of the time

SAP HANA vs IBM Db2 Database

Compared 9% of the time

Teradata vs IBM Db2 Database

Compared 9% of the time

MySQL vs IBM Db2 Database

Compared 5% of the time

More IBM Db2 Database Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Exasol Data Warehouse

January 2026

Download Exasol Data Warehouse product report

Buyer's Guide

IBM Db2 Database

January 2026

Download IBM Db2 Database product report

Also Known As

No data available

DB2

Overview

Exasol is a high-performance data warehouse solution that accelerates BI and reporting features. Its speed, stability, and self-tuning queries make it valuable, and it doesn't require a database administrator. It's a backend database for Tableau dashboards, resulting in faster report loading times and increased efficiency in querying data.

Exasol's high performance allows users to connect insights and fire queries instead of looking at cached dashboards. It has impressive aggregation capabilities that help calculate metrics on the fly based on user-selected filters.

Exasol

DB2 Enterprise for Linux, UNIX, and Windows is the ideal data server for the most demanding workloads. New XML support is designed to help firms minimize the time and effort it takes to persist and use their XML data reducing development costs and improving business agility.

IBM

Sample Customers

1&1 Internet SE 11880 Internet Services AG AB Svenska Spel Accarda AG Aera Technology Inc. AGRAVIS Raiffeisen AG Apotheken-Rechen-Zentrum GmbH AQR Capital Management, LLC arvato distribution GmbH ARZ Allgemeines Rechenzentrum GmbH Badoo Limited Baur Versand (GmbH & Co. KG) BIScience Ltd Blocket Blue Yonder GmbH Codilink UK Ltd T/A Coniq crealytics GmbH dailyme TV GmbH Dailymotion S.A. Dataforce Verlagsgesellschaft für Business Information mbH Deutsche Postbank AG Digitales Rezept Zentrum GmbH DIKW Groep direct services Gütersloh GmbH DR Technologies Ltd. dress-for-less GmbH econda GmbH emetriq GmbH empiriecom GmbH & Co. KG Flaconi GmbH Fresenius Netcare GmbH Fyber GmbH GfK SE Grant Street Group, Inc. Gruner + Jahr GmbH Gymshark UK Hahn Air Lines GmbH Hermes Einrichtungs Service GmbH & Co. KG INNOVATIVE SCHEDULING, LLC internetstores GmbH INTERSPORT Deutschland eG IQVIA Commercial GmbH & Co. OHG IQVIA Commercial Sp. z o.o. IQVIA Incorporated iVantage Health Analytics K - Mail Order GmbH & Co. KG LIQ CORP SA Manor AG Basel Match2Lists Limited MEDION AG Midasplayer AB Monsoon Accessorize Limited m-pathy GmbH msales Ltd. MTG Modern Services AB MW Aviation GmbH & Co. KG Myntra Designs Pvt Ltd Netzeffekt GmbH New Company Services Ltd. NOVENTI HealthCare GmbH Olympus Europa SE & Co. KG Operation Fistula OpsDataStore OTTO (GmbH & Co KG) Panda Retail Co. PAPSTAR GmbH Piedmont Healthcare, Inc. Questback GmbH RatePAY GmbH Revolut Ltd. Saarland-Sporttoto GmbH Sagarmatha Ltd. SIA Damara Technologies Supermärkte Nord Vertriebs GmbH & Co. KG The National Research Center for College & University Admissions, Inc. United Utilities Water Ltd. Verlag C.H. Beck oHG Vocal Planet Ltd. Vodafone Group Services GmbH Webtrekk GmbH wer liefert was? GmbH Windeln.de SE Wooga GmbH XING SE Zalando SE

Knorr-Bremse, Mizuho Bank Ltd., Australian Government Department of Defence, SCHWENK Zement, Friedhelm Loh Group, YAZAKI Europe Limited, Ekornes ASA, Baldor Electric, VSN Systemen BV, Lion Brewery (Ceylon) PLC, PLANSEE Group, TE Connectivity, Hansgrohe SE, Openmatics, University of Toronto

Buyer's Guide

Exasol Data Warehouse vs. IBM Db2 Database

December 2025

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