IBM Cloud Private vs IBM Public Cloud comparison

IBM Cloud Private and IBM Public Cloud are both solutions in the PaaS Clouds category. IBM Cloud Private is ranked #20 with an average rating of 6.3, while IBM Public Cloud is ranked #14 with an average rating of 6.3. IBM Cloud Private holds a 0.7% mindshare in PSP, compared to IBM Public Cloud’s 3.3% mindshare. Additionally, 60% of IBM Cloud Private users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 86% of IBM Public Cloud users who would recommend it.

IBM Cloud Private

Read 5 IBM Cloud Private reviews

585 Views
461 Comparison Views

60% willing to recommend

IBM Public Cloud

Read 17 IBM Public Cloud reviews

3,902 Views
2,933 Comparison Views

86% willing to recommend

IBM Cloud Private

IBM Public Cloud

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 15, 2024

IBM Public Cloud and IBM Cloud Private compete in the cloud computing category. IBM Cloud Private seems to have the upper hand due to its enhanced data security and customization capabilities, although IBM Public Cloud may be preferred for competitive pricing and support.

Features: IBM Public Cloud provides scalability, a wide variety of services, and ease of integration with various tools. IBM Cloud Private offers a high level of customization, increased security controls, and targeted data protection. Depending on business needs, the robust feature set of IBM Cloud Private may outweigh the numerous services of IBM Public Cloud.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: IBM Public Cloud provides a straightforward deployment model with efficient customer service. IBM Cloud Private, with its customizable environment, requires more expertise, possibly leading to a complex deployment process that may demand more support. IBM Public Cloud is generally quicker to deploy, while IBM Cloud Private delivers tailored service once set up.

Pricing and ROI: IBM Public Cloud is known for its competitive pricing model, making it appealing for businesses seeking cost-effective solutions with a faster ROI due to minimal initial setup costs. IBM Cloud Private may involve higher upfront investments but offers long-term ROI through its enhanced security and customization features, justifying the cost for organizations requiring those capabilities.

To learn more, read our detailed IBM Cloud Private vs. IBM Public Cloud Report (Updated: April 2025).

Buyer's Guide

IBM Cloud Private vs. IBM Public Cloud

April 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

IBM Cloud Private

Ranking in PaaS Clouds

20th

Average Rating

6.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

IBM Public Cloud

Ranking in PaaS Clouds

14th

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

IoT Platforms (6th)

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the PaaS Clouds category, the mindshare of IBM Cloud Private is 0.7%, up from 0.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IBM Public Cloud is 3.3%, down from 4.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

PaaS Clouds

Featured Reviews

CristianIriazabal

Architect of solutions at Gire S.A.

A solution that ranks in the top five and integrates well with API Connect

One issue with the solution is latency because there is lag time when we connect from Argentina to IBM's data centers in Washington and Dallas. It would be a benefit to have a data center in Latin America. The solution does not offer many routes over the cloud that are available with other solutions such as AWS which is a leader in the industry.

Read full review

Shivakumar Kuppannan

Founder & CEO at Star Systems India Private Limited

No hidden charges, 100% stable, and allows us to have bare metal servers for dedicated workload

It pretty much has all the features. There are many applications and features, and because of that, we need to walk through or study all the material and do hands-on. We need clear documentation or support for using IBM Public Cloud. The UI is fine, and everything else in terms of usability and configuring the cloud is also fine. The only thing is that when we're stuck or get an error, we need some technical support. Normally, for any cloud, we get a lot of information on the web, but that is missing in the case of IBM Public Cloud. We need some technical support documents. That is the only thing missing in IBM Public Cloud.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Excellent technical support."

"We have control of the ESXi."

"The product's framework is good, it integrates well with API Connect, and the private cloud allows for use in any location."

"The most valuable attribute is the platform's ability to consistently deliver high reliability."

"Our core banking process was monolithic. To address this, we transitioned to a microservices-based architecture. Leveraging Microsoft technologies, including Terminals version 23, we’ve revamped our banking operations. Not all services are microservices; some remain monolithic for simplicity. Containerization is pivotal, with OpenShift (based on Kubernetes and Docker) managing our microservices."

"The beauty of cloud service providers, especially public cloud service providers, is that they are scalable every time when you need them because their payment model is pay-as-you-go."

"It's straightforward, has a good environment and is cost-effective."

"This product is very good because it is accessible in remote locations, and anyone can deploy from any place."

"The most valuable feature of IBM Public Cloud is the AI integrations."

"What I like most in IBM Public Cloud is how easy it is to create serverless functions. They are called IBM functions, but in AWS, they are called Lambda functions. Those are pretty standard, and another thing I like the most is that you have fewer restrictions on the amount of data you can transfer across those functions. IBM Public Cloud is way more flexible than AWS. I also like that IBM Public Cloud is pretty straightforward to integrate. As long as you have all the tools IBM provides you, getting everything up and running is straightforward."

"For non-complex applications, the IBM Cloud works fine and the price is much lower than the competitors."

"This is a predictable and dependable service."

"It is a scalable product. You can scale it up and down."

More IBM Public Cloud pros

Cons

"I've noticed that the satellite services layer requires some improvement compared to platforms like Azure or Microsoft. While it's in development, I believe the satellite layer has room for enhancement. Additionally, the DevOps layer could benefit from closer integrations, especially for using external applications like Jenkins."

"Auto-scaling and managing pod scaling in the microservices architecture, a core feature of IBM Cloud Private, can pose challenges, especially when dealing with larger volumes of traffic."

"The support and pricing need to improve."

"lacking in multi-cloud management."

"One issue with the solution is latency because there is lag time when we connect."

"Recently, we just faced some issues with the operating system due to the end of life of CentOS 6...So, then the client wanted to try it out under AWS instead of IBM. In short, it has some complexities."

"Support could be improved."

"It could be more secure."

"There is not a lot of support for this solution, which is something that needs to be improved."

"They could improve on customizing reporting capabilities."

"The deployment can be a bit of a pain. There are a lot of packages and a lot of options and it can require complex configuration to get it right."

"While they have about 99% of what we need, the only exception, perhaps, was the push notification feature that was discontinued. They delayed the replacement product."

"The solution needs to be more autonomous. It should let the DL go to allow for more jobs on the cloud. It could have a better interface as well."

More IBM Public Cloud cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I rate the tool's pricing an eight out of ten."

"In general, the cost is on the higher side."

"We pay annual licensing fees."

"The solution is expensive."

"We are using the trial version of this solution, so we have not paid anything."

"IBM has a lesser price compared to other cloud service providers like Azure and AWS."

"It pretty much has a standard price. There is no hidden price with IBM Public Cloud."

"Pricing is not as fair as Amazon or Azure."

"On a scale from one to ten, where one is cheap, and ten is expensive, I rate the solution's pricing a nine out of ten."

"The licensing fees are straightforward and predictable."

"IBM Public Cloud is pretty cheap. They have an ongoing free tier that basically won't expire, so as long as your solution is small enough, you can have a test set that you can use for demos, which will cost you almost nothing."

"In order to be competitive, you have to commit to a contract for at least one year, but you pay a fixed monthly fee."

More IBM Public Cloud pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Recruiting/Hr Firm

25%

Real Estate/Law Firm

10%

Financial Services Firm

Computer Software Company

13%

University

13%

Financial Services Firm

13%

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about IBM Cloud Private?

Our core banking process was monolithic. To address this, we transitioned to a microservices-based architecture. Leveraging Microsoft technologies, including Terminals version 23, we’ve revamped ou...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IBM Cloud Private?

I rate the tool's pricing an eight out of ten.

See all answers

What needs improvement with IBM Cloud Private?

I've noticed that the satellite services layer requires some improvement compared to platforms like Azure or Microsoft. While it's in development, I believe the satellite layer has room for enhance...

See all answers

Which is preferable - IBM Public Cloud or Microsoft Azure?

IBM Public Cloud is IBM’s Platform-as-a-Service. It aims to provide organizations with a secure cloud environment to manage data and applications. One of the features we like is the cloud activity ...

See all answers

What needs improvement with IBM Cloud?

The front end is not pervasive, so it is very difficult get the status of your current services or account from a mobile device.

See all answers

What do you like most about IBM Public Cloud?

The most valuable feature of IBM Public Cloud is the AI integrations.

See all answers

Comparisons

Red Hat OpenShift vs IBM Cloud Private

Compared 85% of the time

Microsoft Azure vs IBM Cloud Private

Compared 15% of the time

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Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) vs IBM Public Cloud

Compared 35% of the time

Microsoft Azure vs IBM Public Cloud

Compared 34% of the time

Amazon AWS vs IBM Public Cloud

Compared 12% of the time

Dell ECS vs IBM Public Cloud

Compared 4% of the time

Google Cloud vs IBM Public Cloud

Compared 3% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

PaaS Clouds

April 2025

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Buyer's Guide

IBM Public Cloud

April 2025

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Also Known As

ICP

IBM Bluemix

Overview

IBM Cloud Private is a private cloud platform for developing and running workloads locally. It is an integrated environment that enables you to design, develop, deploy and manage on-premises, containerized cloud applications behind your firewall. It includes the container orchestrator Kubernetes, a private image repository, a management console and monitoring frameworks.

IBM

IBM Cloud is a full-stack cloud platform that spans public, private and hybrid environments. Build with a robust suite of advanced data and AI tools, and draw on deep industry expertise to help you on your journey to the cloud.

IBM

Sample Customers

Ilmarinen Mutual Pension Insurance Company

Uvionics Tech, Komsomolskaya Pravda, Alpha Modus, Inventive, Web Business Consulting, FindBrok, SilverHook Powerboats, United Way of Allegheny County

Buyer's Guide

IBM Cloud Private vs. IBM Public Cloud

April 2025

Free Report: IBM Cloud Private vs. IBM Public Cloud

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