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HCL Domino vs Oracle Application Express (APEX) comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 17, 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

HCL Domino
Ranking in Rapid Application Development Software
18th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
21
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Oracle Application Express ...
Ranking in Rapid Application Development Software
3rd
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
59
Ranking in other categories
Development Platforms (2nd), Low-Code Development Platforms (2nd)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the Rapid Application Development Software category, the mindshare of HCL Domino is 0.6%, up from 0.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Oracle Application Express (APEX) is 7.6%, down from 9.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Rapid Application Development Software
 

Featured Reviews

FrederickLim - PeerSpot reviewer
Provides mobile email systems with solid stability and easy deployment
The initial setup is easy. You need to sign up. It depends on the scope. It will take longer if there are more than one or more applications. The project usually includes infrastructure and deployment may take anywhere from one month to six months. I rate the initial setup an eight out of ten, where one is difficult and ten is easy.
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

"The most valuable features of the solution are security and integration."
"The pricing is excellent."
"The email system is the most valuable feature."
"This solution can be used for workflow application so that applications can be easily developed."
"The DAOS feature is the most valuable. It helps to save some of my storage."
"The most valuable feature of HCL Domino is how robust it is."
"We can scale it if we want to."
"We have been able to set up a portal using a special XPage application that gives our customers access to this system."
"I like the fact that it is natively integrated into the Oracle database."
"Oracle APEX improved our organization by making it possible for us to implement agile project development."
"You don't have to know a lot of PL because it's built on PL/SQL. You don't need developers. You only need to design a good application that resolves a problem, or many problems, for companies and you're ready to go."
"The most valuable features are security, stability, and ease of implementation."
"Oracle APEX allows our company to complete webpage projects easily in a fast turnaround time."
"I particularly enjoy the web builder capabilities, especially the Page Designer. It offers so many elements or components to choose from, which is a major plus for me."
"The most valuable feature of Oracle APEX is its comprehensive set of features for creating user-friendly and visually appealing applications."
"This product will speed up development time with helpful production aids."
 

Cons

"Scalability is also an issue. We have problems with large databases."
"The speed of the Notes client is an area that could be improved."
"An area for improvement in HCL Domino is security. New enhancements in the IT industry mean that security should be improved. The HCL Domino GUI also needs improvement."
"Its performance and integration could be better. It has capabilities for large deployment with several servers, but in the latest interface, running with different servers isn't supported."
"It would be advantageous if the web server could seamlessly pick up configuration changes without the need for a complete restart."
"Recently, IBM sold the product to HCL. Since Pakistan and India have some problems on a domestic level, we were actually considering replacing it with Indian products from the organization. We're just facing some regulatory issues."
"The client version of this solution could be faster and be made simpler for non-IT users. You will need to have some knowledge of Notes to correctly install this solution."
"Designing a new template could provide a refreshed visual experience for users without significant changes to the underlying functionality."
"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."
"Visual Builder and APEX should meld in one product."
"Better connection and integration with non-Oracle databases is needed."
"I've experienced some difficulties when using Oracle Application Express (APEX), particularly when I'm designing forms. For example, when I design a form, I add buttons and controls, but I'm unable to visualize how it'll look unless I run it. You want to design and do things your way, but if you don't have much experience, then you'll find that designing in Oracle Application Express (APEX) is a little complicated. This won't be a problem with anyone more experienced, though. If I wanted to create my design, for example, a different table format or some background images, it becomes a problem, and this is an area for improvement in Oracle Application Express (APEX). Designing should be easier, even for less experienced users. An additional feature I'd like to see in Oracle Application Express (APEX) is more plugins, particularly a repository that contains a lot of plugins, so you can go to that repository and download whichever you like and use it or add it to your project. Right now, I create my plugins, so it would be helpful if Oracle Application Express (APEX) has a repository of plugins people can use, download from anywhere in the world, and integrate into projects."
"The solution's layout could be improved for report generation to allow more configuration."
"Being able to only design with HTML and CSS can be limiting as to what can be accomplished."
"The migration process is difficult in Oracle Application Express."
"The collaboration and the workflow engine could use some improvement."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"HCL Domino is costly, but it still depends on how your organization views it price-wise."
"The license for Domino is yearly. The price is high."
"We chose to pay for our licensing fees annually."
"It is less expensive compared to other vendors."
"The pricing is subjective and contingent on the intended usage."
"My company's customers need to make monthly or yearly payments towards the license charges of the product."
"HCL Domino's pricing depends on the number of users, but its license is not cheap."
"For 30 licenses, we pay $1,500 every year. It is not an expensive product."
"The pricing is mid-range so is neither expensive nor cheap."
"The solution is cheap. It's a free solution. I rate the solution's pricing a six or seven out of ten."
"Apex is not priced separately; instead, it is associated with the Oracle database. A free option for Oracle database and Apex can be downloaded and installed on this complimentary database version. This aligns with our current approach."
"The solution is free with your Oracle license or database and that is a good value."
"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."
"To my understanding, my organization is using the free version of Oracle Application Express (APEX), but I'm unsure because I haven't checked the pricing or licensing cost for it."
"The tool is free with the Oracle Database license."
"It is expensive in comparison to other products."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
14%
Government
10%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Construction Company
8%
Government
11%
Educational Organization
10%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Computer Software Company
9%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about HCL Domino?
The most valuable features of the solution are security and integration.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for HCL Domino?
The Notes client is very expensive, costing around $105 per client. Overall, HCL Domino is a costly product.
What needs improvement with HCL Domino?
The speed of the Notes client is an area that could be improved. Many people are not very happy with its speed. Additionally, in-line editing of documents and a document viewer are functionalities ...
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

IBM Lotus Domino, Lotus Domino
Oracle APEX
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

A1 Telekom, Acubiz, Afrisam, E. A. Juffali & Brothers, Fiducia & GAD, and Pakistan State Oil
Hepart AG, pharmasol, SATLOG, Collège Bois-de-Boulogne
Find out what your peers are saying about HCL Domino vs. Oracle Application Express (APEX) and other solutions. Updated: June 2025.
860,592 professionals have used our research since 2012.