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Firebird SQL vs IBM Informix comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 4, 2025

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

Firebird SQL
Ranking in Embedded Database
4th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
15
Ranking in other categories
Open Source Databases (5th)
IBM Informix
Ranking in Embedded Database
10th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.5
Number of Reviews
17
Ranking in other categories
Relational Databases Tools (25th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2026, in the Embedded Database category, the mindshare of Firebird SQL is 11.6%, down from 22.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IBM Informix is 3.8%, up from 1.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Embedded Database Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Firebird SQL11.6%
IBM Informix3.8%
Other84.6%
Embedded Database
 

Featured Reviews

SS
Research and Development Project Manager at Sixense Monitoring
Efficient data storage with reliable and easy management
We are working on monitoring software that involves making a lot of measurements with sensors. We store all the data in Firebird, which is why we use It primarily for data storage It's difficult to describe how it has improved our organization because we have been using Firebird for a very long…
Nasir Niamat - PeerSpot reviewer
DB Consultant at i2c
Has offered a cost-effective option despite frequent technical issues and limited market demand
We find some bugs in IBM Informix. Maybe we are using it more aggressively than others. Every month or every second month, we find some bugs in it, which is not ideal. It should be rare, not this frequent. The good thing is they cover those bugs in the next release within weeks or days on demand. IBM Informix should become hybrid and should include AI features similar to other DBMS systems such as Snowflake, Redshift, and DataBricks. This would help its value rise with the market.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"I find the ease of deployment to be the most valuable aspect of this solution."
"We are satisfied with Firebird SQL, and we will keep on using it."
"The solution has worked perfectly; I've never run into issues or had to reach out to technical support for troubleshooting."
"The most valuable feature of the solution is that it is reliable, offers good performance, and is easy to use."
"The product was easy to use."
"Robustness is the absolutely main feature."
"The solution is very useful for stock management."
"Firebird SQL is an open-source solution and can run on most operating systems, such as Linux, Unix, and Windows."
"Not looking at Informix would really mean a shot in your own leg before walking a long distance."
"My advice is to take it; you will never regret it."
"Overall, this is a great product. It works really well, is very stable, and is very scalable."
"It supports in-house-built applications in .NET and VB6"
"It is very easy to install IBM Informix, very easy to scale, and support is quite better."
"Replication, all levels of replication, query charting, and the MongoDB embedded are the most valuable features of this solution."
"The initial setup is pretty easy."
"This solution has made financial reporting possible by allowing financial people the opportunity to set Informix to "Auto Pilot" so that they can attend other duties."
 

Cons

"This solution isn't very user-friendly, or intuitive, which could be improved when it is developed."
"It would be interesting if they added functionality with redundancy, reputation, and variability."
"We would like to improve the management of very large databases."
"On large databases, we have some difficulties."
"It would be good to have more automation and integration with the tools from other vendors."
"Database sharing is a capability that Firebird SQL lacks."
"It would be nice to have a graphical user interface to handle the product."
"The security of the users could improve in Firebird SQL."
"In my opinion, the packages could be improved. The version I use doesn't allow for packages. I can do some general procedures, but no packages like in Oracle. So, develop separate modules in SQL language. This would be most beneficial for me."
"The product needs a lot more marketing involvement from IBM."
"It would be helpful to have IBM salespeople know that Informix exists, and sell it. Currently, it is completely ignored by IBM."
"The support team could include local engineers to establish efficient communication. It will help us speed up the escalation process."
"The solution doesn't include functionality like data anonymization."
"Informix is very sturdy, but the problem for us is the marketing action around Informix."
"I really would love to have a QT plugin."
"This product could be made easier to use for beginners."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is okay."
"The most valuable feature of the solution is that it is freely available."
"I was using the free version of Firebird SQL."
"It's open-source and free."
"The tool is open source."
"We are using the free solution, so there is no cost involved."
"There is a yearly maintenance fee for the use of the solution."
"Firebird SQL is an open-source solution, which means it is a free product."
"The product has reasonable pricing. We purchase its yearly license."
"For me, it's always too expensive."
"The free edition can be enough to handle moderate-size implementations, but you may want a pay for edition to benefit from more functionality, such as replication."
"I am not aware of the licensing costs or terms."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Comms Service Provider
14%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Computer Software Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Construction Company
12%
Comms Service Provider
10%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Manufacturing Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business11
Midsize Enterprise3
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business9
Midsize Enterprise2
Large Enterprise8
 

Questions from the Community

How does Firebird SQL compare with PostgreSQL?
PostgreSQL was designed in a way that provides you with not only a high degree of flexibility but also offers you a cheap and easy-to-use solution. It gives you the ability to redesign and audit yo...
What needs improvement with Firebird SQL?
We would like to improve the management of very large databases. We have databases up to three or four terabytes, and it's not so easy to manage such large databases.
What is your primary use case for Firebird SQL?
We are working on monitoring software that involves making a lot of measurements with sensors. We store all the data in Firebird, which is why we use It primarily for data storage.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IBM Informix?
There is a cost reason to move from IBM Informix. It is relatively cheaper than Oracle. The second reason is that moving the whole application to a new database would require significant cost. The ...
What needs improvement with IBM Informix?
We find some bugs in IBM Informix. Maybe we are using it more aggressively than others. Every month or every second month, we find some bugs in it, which is not ideal. It should be rare, not this f...
What is your primary use case for IBM Informix?
We are using IBM Informix for OLTP systems. We are using IBM Informix although it is a technology that is not very popular compared to others. We are using it because our application was initially ...
 

Comparisons

 

Also Known As

No data available
Informix
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Elekt Labs, Streamsoft, wobe-systems GmbH, DRB Systems, Moscow City Hospital #31
Shaspa, Hildebrand, Kaifa, Ranhill Powertron, Federaci‹ Farmacutica (FedeFarma), Camden Council, The German Aerospace Center (DLR), Myers, Votorantim Group, Doosan Infracore, GreenIvory
Find out what your peers are saying about Firebird SQL vs. IBM Informix and other solutions. Updated: August 2026.
908,800 professionals have used our research since 2012.