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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:
 

ROI

Sentiment score
3.9
HCL Domino's ROI impact varies, with some organizations justifying it and others noting challenges due to recent deployments.
Sentiment score
6.6
Oracle APEX enables rapid app development, cost-effective cloud solutions, and ROI by meeting small business needs and objectives.
The faster development allows us to provide our customers with competitive pricing.
Director. Owner at Itium
A project that might take several months in another language can be completed in just two months using Oracle Application Express (APEX).
Oracle APEX Developer at Pretius
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
7.4
Users generally rate HCL Domino technical support positively for problem resolution, despite mixed reviews on customer service and website complexity.
Sentiment score
6.6
Oracle APEX offers strong community resources for issue resolution, but experiences with Oracle's official support are mixed and costly.
My experience with the technical support of HCL is that they are responsive.
Owner at Prodej a Správa Nemovitostí s.r.o.
There are many forums where I can gather answers and a very well-prepared documentation that Oracle provides.
Oracle APEX Developer at Pretius
There are lots of people readily available to help with any doubts or questions.
Senior Software developer at QV Systems
Whenever I encounter an issue and raise an SR to Oracle, I receive a fast response from their side.
Associate Technical Consultant at a computer software company with 51-200 employees
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
6.9
HCL Domino is praised for adaptability and scalability, accommodating thousands of users while efficiently managing distributed server loads.
Sentiment score
6.8
Oracle APEX is scalable for small to medium applications but faces challenges with extensive users in larger projects.
Some features are simply not really possible with standard HCL client applications, which means moving all application development to web access, adding a lot of work.
Owner at Prodej a Správa Nemovitostí s.r.o.
If you want to grow, you can use the Oracle database to scale, and the application grows with it, ensuring that everything is very scalable.
Director. Owner at Itium
Oracle Application Express (APEX) exhibits excellent scalability as it can handle growing workloads and user numbers very well.
Oracle APEX Developer at Pretius
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.0
HCL Domino is praised for stability, with most users experiencing minimal issues, despite concerns with large databases.
Sentiment score
7.8
Oracle APEX is stable and reliable, praised for consistency and improved stability with recent updates despite data complexity.
Once we develop an application, it basically works and does not really break.
Owner at Prodej a Správa Nemovitostí s.r.o.
Oracle Application Express (APEX) is stable in my experience.
Oracle APEX Developer at Pretius
Oracle Application Express (APEX) is stable because it has been around for about 22 years, and most bugs have been resolved.
Director. Owner at Itium
 

Room For Improvement

HCL Domino needs security, UI, and integration improvements, plus better performance, usability, scalability, and modern technical capabilities.
Oracle APEX requires improved offline support, AI integration, mobile features, UI, security, and expanded training resources for better performance.
In-line editing of documents and a document viewer are functionalities that would be beneficial.
SME at a tech services company with 1-10 employees
I would say that there are much better low-code platforms.
Owner at Prodej a Správa Nemovitostí s.r.o.
Oracle Application Express (APEX) was designed to work with the database consistently, making it less ideal for offline applications.
Oracle APEX Developer at Pretius
For beginners, understanding the installation process can be challenging because documentation is limited.
Associate Technical Consultant at a computer software company with 51-200 employees
The user interface needs to be improved.
Consultant at International Turnkey Systems - ITS
 

Setup Cost

HCL Domino pricing varies with usage, charging about $100 per user annually, with mixed reviews on its affordability.
Oracle APEX is free with a purchased Oracle database, but additional costs for database products may increase expenses.
The Notes client is very expensive, costing around $105 per client.
SME at a tech services company with 1-10 employees
Oracle Application Express (APEX) is free, so we do not have to buy anything besides the database.
Director. Owner at Itium
 

Valuable Features

HCL Domino provides secure, versatile, and stable solutions with easy deployment, dual functionality, and cross-platform integration capabilities.
Oracle APEX simplifies app development with low-code tools, integrations, and security features, enhancing productivity and efficiency without extensive coding.
Additionally, it supports web services, enabling us to consume and expose web services.
SME at a tech services company with 1-10 employees
I would appreciate HCL Domino to have wider integration into the SAP world because SAP is not easy to use, and if we could integrate it into a HCL Domino application, we could post data more easily to SAP from the HCL Domino environment and vice versa.
CEO at hydrografix Consulting AB
You can make it do many things because it is an application server.
Owner at Prodej a Správa Nemovitostí s.r.o.
It's a very fast platform with many built-in components that I can utilize right away.
Oracle APEX Developer at Pretius
Oracle Application Express (APEX) offers excellent features including being low-code, performing well in the AI race today, always evolving, and providing a very complete set for the developer.
Director. Owner at Itium
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.
Consultant at International Turnkey Systems - ITS
 

Categories and Ranking

HCL Domino
Ranking in Rapid Application Development Software
19th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
24
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
6.9
Number of Reviews
63
Ranking in other categories
Development Platforms (2nd), Low-Code Development Platforms (3rd)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2026, in the Rapid Application Development Software category, the mindshare of HCL Domino is 1.0%, up from 0.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Oracle Application Express (APEX) is 4.9%, down from 8.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Rapid Application Development Software Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Oracle Application Express (APEX)4.9%
HCL Domino1.0%
Other94.1%
Rapid Application Development Software
 

Featured Reviews

FN
Owner at Prodej a Správa Nemovitostí s.r.o.
Long-term platform has supported secure mail, custom workflows, and reliable on-premise apps
I have noticed some weak points and downsides. HCL Domino is a Swiss army knife, which is the downside as well. It does many things, which is an advantage. The biggest downside is that it is a good product, but there are not that many applications for it. There are not that many ready-made applications. When they do exist, they tend to be somewhat pricey. I have not actually used HCL Domino's low-code tools. There are no low-code tools. HCL says there are, but frankly speaking, I have tried it and I always come back to the classic, the original HCL Domino. I do not see it as truly low-code. They call it Leap. Even when you want to do something more specific or more complex, you do need programming logic and then it stops being low-code. I would say that there are much better low-code platforms. N8N, for instance, looks nice with nice diagrams, especially for workflow and automation, which is where HCL Domino is lacking. The evaluation of the security features of HCL Domino in handling sensitive business information is that it has a peculiar security model, which I view as acceptable. Sometimes it may get in your way, but sometimes it simplifies things. It depends.
Dominik Grabiński - PeerSpot reviewer
Oracle APEX Developer at Pretius
Fast low-code web development has transformed how I build complex data-driven business apps
Oracle Application Express (APEX) is a very great tool that is easy to learn but hard to master. The level of entry is very low, but the longer I work with this platform, the more I understand how it works and the great things I can create. For example, I can create report graphs and handle a lot of data across many levels. It's a great application to start with, and when I have experience in Oracle databases, I can utilize Oracle Application Express (APEX) as a front-end tool for the Oracle database. Oracle Application Express (APEX) helps me create reports and graphs by providing a plethora of out-of-the-box solutions that I can use. For example, I can upload data to and from the database, upload photos, create maps, and create various report types such as Interactive Report and Interactive Grid where I can manage, edit, and delete data. I have many solutions that are very helpful and ready to use right away from Oracle Application Express (APEX). My favorite feature of Oracle Application Express (APEX) is the Interactive Report because it's a straightforward report that I can create using a simple query or by selecting a particular table from the database. In the action button behind it, I have many great features that I can use out of the box, including graphs and download options for Excel files. There are many sorting functionalities and accounting features. The Interactive Report is a very great tool for quickly displaying interesting data to clients. Oracle Application Express (APEX) has positively impacted my organization by being very fast compared to other languages and products. For example, I don't have to build a site from the ground up, nor do I have to create tons of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript because Oracle Application Express (APEX) offers many built-in solutions. When I want to create a button, in another language, I would need to create it from scratch. In Oracle Application Express (APEX), I can simply use what's available out of the box. It's a very fast platform with many built-in components that I can utilize right away.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Construction Company
10%
Government
10%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Government
9%
Comms Service Provider
9%
Manufacturing Company
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business18
Midsize Enterprise3
Large Enterprise2
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business31
Midsize Enterprise10
Large Enterprise28
 

Questions from the Community

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?
I am not missing anything significant from HCL Domino at the moment. There are some smaller things that can be improved, but these have already been posted on the HCL website where we can submit ou...
What is your primary use case for HCL Domino?
I have been using HCL Domino products since 1992, when it was known as Lotus Notes. I use it myself and also work as a consultant. We are an IBM Business Partner and HCL Business Partner. We are no...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Oracle Application Express (APEX)?
My experience with pricing, setup costs, and licensing has been that Oracle Application Express (APEX) is free, so we do not have to buy anything besides the database.
What needs improvement with Oracle Application Express (APEX)?
I see room for improvement in Oracle Application Express (APEX), specifically in the customer-facing UI, which could be better or more adjustable; you can do everything you want, but at a certain p...
What is your primary use case for Oracle Application Express (APEX)?
My main use case for Oracle Application Express (APEX) is building software platforms for our customers.A specific example of a platform I have built for a customer using Oracle Application Express...
 

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 2026.
900,838 professionals have used our research since 2012.