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 #15 with an average rating of 6.7. IBM Cloud Private holds a 0.8% 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 83% of IBM Public Cloud users who would recommend it.

IBM Cloud Private

Read 5 IBM Cloud Private reviews

500 Views
94 Comparison Views

60% willing to recommend

IBM Public Cloud

Read 18 IBM Public Cloud reviews

2,896 Views
197 Comparison Views

83% 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: June 2025).

Buyer's Guide

IBM Cloud Private vs. IBM Public Cloud

June 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

15th

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

IoT Platforms (6th)

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the PaaS Clouds category, the mindshare of IBM Cloud Private is 0.8%, up from 0.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IBM Public Cloud is 3.3%, down from 4.1% 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

Premnath Jaganathan

Product Manager at Uop Ipl

Affordability and security improve our cloud experience while learning new systems

I'm not working with any AI features in IBM Public Cloud, but they are in the process of building it.I am very satisfied with the security that IBM Public Cloud provides. I would rate IBM Public Cloud eight out of ten, where one is worst and ten is the best.

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

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

"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."

"We have control of the ESXi."

"Excellent technical support."

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

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

"I am very much satisfied with the technical support team at IBM Public Cloud."

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

"The initial setup was very easy. It's quite straightforward. Deployment took about fifteen minutes. Everything is well organized."

"I've found the stability to be excellent. The performance is good."

"The availability is second to none. Customer support is very good."

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

More IBM Public Cloud pros

Cons

"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."

"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."

"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."

"They could improve on customizing reporting capabilities."

"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."

"Support could be improved."

"I would like to see a more user-friendly deployment process in the next release of this solution."

"The solution’s pricing could be improved."

"It could be more secure."

"An area for improvement in IBM Public Cloud is getting up-to-date information on how to set up everything. It's hard to find new documentation."

More IBM Public Cloud cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution is expensive."

"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."

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

"The price of IBM Cloud is very cheap compared to competitors AWS and Azure."

"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."

"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."

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

"The licensing fees are straightforward and predictable."

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

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

More IBM Public Cloud pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Recruiting/Hr Firm

17%

Real Estate/Law Firm

11%

Computer Software Company

11%

University

14%

Financial Services Firm

14%

Computer Software Company

13%

Manufacturing Company

10%

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 82% of the time

Microsoft Azure vs IBM Cloud Private

Compared 18% of the time

More IBM Cloud Private Competitors

Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) vs IBM Public Cloud

Compared 36% of the time

Microsoft Azure vs IBM Public Cloud

Compared 30% of the time

Amazon AWS vs IBM Public Cloud

Compared 13% of the time

Dell ECS vs IBM Public Cloud

Compared 4% of the time

Red Hat OpenShift vs IBM Public Cloud

Compared 4% of the time

More IBM Public Cloud Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

PaaS Clouds

June 2025

Download IBM Cloud Private product report

Buyer's Guide

IBM Public Cloud

June 2025

Download IBM Public Cloud product report

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

June 2025

Free Report: IBM Cloud Private vs. IBM Public Cloud

Find out what your peers are saying about IBM Cloud Private vs. IBM Public Cloud and other solutions. Updated: June 2025.

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