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IBM Db2 Database vs MariaDB 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

IBM Db2 Database
Ranking in Relational Databases Tools
6th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
75
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
MariaDB
Ranking in Relational Databases Tools
4th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
59
Ranking in other categories
Open Source Databases (4th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2025, in the Relational Databases Tools category, the mindshare of IBM Db2 Database is 7.6%, up from 6.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of MariaDB is 6.3%, down from 9.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Relational Databases Tools
 

Featured Reviews

Michael Raz - PeerSpot reviewer
Efficient access path optimization and performance excellence with helpful support
IBM Db2 for zOS serves as the central database for all the core business applications in the two banks I work with. All applications use Db2 as a data server. We fully implement and utilize most of Db2's functionalities and capabilities for core banking business applications IBM Db2 has…
KumarManish - PeerSpot reviewer
Easy to deploy, cost-effective, and integrates seamlessly with other products
We had planned for an RDBMS version and not NoSQL. We use MariaDB Galera Cluster. It's a good product. It is cheap, scalable, performs well, and is efficient. We use GCP’s BigQuery for machine learning. We must follow the best practices of the tool. We missed some best practices like the storage engine and InnoDB. It was very difficult to identify why we were having performance issues. Then, we realized that some of our tables were still on MyISAM, the default storage engine. When we switched it back to the InnoDB, it was very smooth. InnoDB is the recommended one. We must follow the best practices given in the documentation during the initial setup. Overall, I rate the product a nine out of ten.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Db2 Database has given us good results since we have started to use it. We predominantly use IBM hardware, and this is one of the reasons why we started to use Db2 Database. Db2 Database has a very good HADR capability. High availability resilience is also good in this solution. It also has pureScale, which allows you to upgrade one node to get very good and high-level resilience. If you are using a database on five nodes, you can take one node down, upgrade that, and let that node up. You can then bring the second node down, upgrade that, and so on."
"The most valuable features are the simplicity of the database and the access to Db2 and Db2 information."
"It is a scalable solution."
"The most valuable feature of this solution is the integration with other IBM products."
"Some of the most valuable features are the scaling from a small very cheap installation to a very large enterprise installation. In addition, the backups and assistance are good."
"It has a good feature called pureScale, which is just for scalability. It is a perfect solution for environments where scalability is going to be an issue."
"The most valuable feature of the solution is its compatibility with IBM Power Systems."
"Its functionality and availability are valuable. Its availability is great. It is available 99.99% of the time."
"The product has good documentation and you can find many examples online."
"The solution is very stable. It was originally built under MySQL. It has a similar level of stability."
"I am editing."
"The solution's features have effectively met our operational requirements as a standard SQL database."
"The most valuable feature of the solution is the query speed it offers."
"We use MariaDB for identity provider services. Most of the things that we are doing are deployed in the container mode. All such solutions require a database, and MariaDB is easier to use for these kinds of deployments."
"It delivers fast processing times, particularly for frequent select queries and insert/update operations."
"The most valuable feature of MariaDB is the replication mode."
 

Cons

"IBM's support isn't as strong as it used to be, especially when it comes to providing fixes."
"The price should be lower."
"I would say that the tool has to be made more cloud-friendly and should have agreements with AWS, Microsoft, or Google to run things on hyperscalers."
"It would be ideal if the solution offered backup functionality. Many similar tools already do, which means Db2 is somewhat behind the curve in terms of what a customer might expect from it."
"The solution no longer supports POWER8."
"IBM Db2 Database could improve in the steps it takes for upgrades. It is not an easy process. The process of upgrading the version is lengthy and requires a lot of time. To make it more efficient, I suggest implementing some automation on the solution side. This will greatly reduce the time required for the upgrade."
"The product needs to improve its configuration and storage."
"IBM Db2 Database is not ACID compliant, which would improve it. Db2 lacks Isolation, so when two people are trying to update the same field at the same time it can become stuck. Other newer databases do not have this issue, such as Microsoft SQL, Oracle DB, PostgreSQL, and SAP HANA."
"Could have more integration with user platforms."
"The features available are very basic."
"Data continuity could be improved."
"In future releases, mainly the addition of security features would be beneficial for MariaDB."
"Maria DB has to improve from a management perspective."
"MariaDB doesn't handle long or complex SQL queries quite as well as Oracle Database."
"The PL/SQL performance is slow if you have big batch jobs running overnight."
"It should work across all fields like SQLite, as it is the basis of any application, even apps for phones and the like."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"There is a license for this solution and we pay every three years."
"Compared to other databases, Db2 is relatively cheaper."
"We don't see what the specific price of the DB2 license is because we pay for the backup license as a package."
"The solution's pricing is fine."
"I rate the price of the IBM Db2 Database an eight out of ten."
"Among Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, and Db2, Microsoft SQL Server is the cheapest one, and Oracle is the most expensive one. Db2 is in the middle. As compared to SQL Server, its price could go down. It will be good for customers."
"Db2 is less expensive than Oracle."
"The total cost of the solution depends upon the PVU licensing"
"There is a monthly subscription to use MariaDB."
"When it comes to MariaDB, it should have a more cost-effective license."
"My company uses the free version of the solution."
"The tool is open-source."
"MariaDB is open-source and self-hosted."
"The product is not expensive."
"MariaDB is an open-source software, meaning I don't need to pay for the product."
"I used the open-source version, which is available free of charge."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
20%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Government
10%
Computer Software Company
9%
Computer Software Company
15%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Comms Service Provider
9%
Manufacturing Company
9%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about IBM Db2 Database?
Db2 database scalability and performance capabilities match our database needs. It covers pretty much everything a database administrator or engineer might need.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IBM Db2 Database?
IBM Db2 is an expensive solution. While I am not heavily involved with pricing, additional companies provide capabilities or products like those from BMC, which many installations might also purchase.
What needs improvement with IBM Db2 Database?
The IBM Db2 Database is a good solution, but now there is a high maintenance charge. The IBM Db2 Database needs improved support, and there are many difficulties in using it. We tend to use the clo...
What do you like most about MariaDB?
The integration with other products is seamless.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for MariaDB?
I have found the price of commercial MariaDB to be pretty steep, although not as high as Oracle. Customers often prefer the Community Edition because it's free.
What needs improvement with MariaDB?
The only potential area for improvement could be the pricing model, which might benefit from being more flexible or a bit cheaper.
 

Comparisons

 

Also Known As

DB2
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Knorr-Bremse, Mizuho Bank Ltd., Australian Government Department of Defence, SCHWENK Zement, Friedhelm Loh Group, YAZAKI Europe Limited, Ekornes ASA, Baldor Electric, VSN Systemen BV, Lion Brewery (Ceylon) PLC, PLANSEE Group, TE Connectivity, Hansgrohe SE, Openmatics, University of Toronto
Google, Wikipedia, Tencent, Verizon, DBS Bank, Deutsche Bank, Telefónica, Huatai Securities
Find out what your peers are saying about IBM Db2 Database vs. MariaDB and other solutions. Updated: July 2025.
865,295 professionals have used our research since 2012.