IBM Db2 Database vs Oracle Database comparison

IBM and Oracle are both solutions in the Relational Databases Tools category. IBM is ranked #5 with an average rating of 8.4, while Oracle is ranked #2 with an average rating of 8.2. IBM holds a 6.6% mindshare in SQL, compared to Oracle’s 11.5% mindshare. Additionally, 90% of IBM users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 92% of Oracle users who would recommend it.

IBM Db2 Database

Read 75 IBM Db2 Database reviews

3,607 Views
3,463 Comparison Views

90% willing to recommend

Oracle Database

Read 292 Oracle Database reviews

7,648 Views
7,113 Comparison Views

92% willing to recommend

IBM Db2 Database

Oracle Database

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 4, 2025

Oracle Database and IBM Db2 are leading competitors in the enterprise database category, each offering unique strengths and areas needing improvement. While Oracle shines with its extensive feature set and reliability, IBM Db2 stands out for its cost-effectiveness and platform support. Based on feature comparison, both databases present strong capabilities but in different aspects.

Features: Oracle Database is known for high availability, robust security, and advanced workload diagnostics features such as Oracle RAC, Data Guard, and SQL Tuning Advisor. In contrast, IBM Db2 offers strong SQL query language, self-tuning memory management, and versatile platform support, ensuring efficient application development and integration.

Room for Improvement: Oracle users often experience high operational costs and complex configurations. Suggestions for Oracle include simplifying licensing and reducing costs. In contrast, IBM Db2 users have pointed out the need for a more user-friendly interface and advanced analytics support. Enhancing cross-platform capabilities and minimizing setup time are also areas for Db2 improvement.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Oracle supports a range of deployment models including on-premises, cloud, and hybrid, but user experiences with customer service vary, noting slow response times. IBM Db2 offers similar deployment flexibility and mirrors Oracle's mixed reviews in customer support, emphasizing a need for improved user guidance. Oracle deployments are perceived as technically challenging, in comparison to Db2's offerings.

Pricing and ROI: Oracle Database has a higher cost, associated with its extensive features, suitable for large enterprises, with a pricing model involving premium license and support fees but allows for volume negotiation. Despite high costs, Oracle provides satisfactory ROI due to stability and scalability. IBM Db2 is recognized for being more cost-effective, especially in large-scale implementations and packages inclusive of hardware, although users note licensing complexities. Its ROI is seen as favorable given its performance reliability.

To learn more, read our detailed IBM Db2 Database vs. Oracle Database Report (Updated: December 2025).

Buyer's Guide

IBM Db2 Database vs. Oracle Database

December 2025

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Helped 881,082 peers since 2012

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

6.6

IBM Db2 Database offers high ROI with enhanced efficiency and performance, despite initial costs, supporting seamless business projects.

Sentiment score

5.8

Oracle Database offers high stability and growth potential, justifying its cost with effective long-term ROI for businesses.

No quotes available

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No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the Oracle Database report

Customer Service

Sentiment score

6.5

IBM Db2 support is generally reliable yet requires speed improvements; users find response times and expertise occasionally lacking.

Sentiment score

6.1

Oracle Database's customer service is responsive but inconsistent, with high costs and delays, despite strong knowledge base resources.

We normally receive substantial discounts on the price.

reviewer2708292

Associate Director, Data Architecture at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees

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In some cases, they support me on a 24/7 basis, round the clock.

Muhammad Usman Muzaffar

Senior Vice President IT Operations at ZTBL

Oracle's technical support is not very effective.

Ismail Aboulezz

Chief Executive Officer at LeaseWeb

For more quotes and insights, download the Oracle Database report

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score

7.1

IBM Db2 excels in scalability for large companies but faces challenges with horizontal scaling and increasing costs.

Sentiment score

7.4

Feedback applauds Oracle Database's scalability and flexibility, though license costs and architecture challenges impact some scaling decisions.

No quotes available

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The database regularly releases new versions with better performance and security features.

Ismail Aboulezz

Chief Executive Officer at LeaseWeb

RAC is the feature where I can distribute the load among multiple nodes, and it has helped our enterprise applications.

Muhammad Usman Muzaffar

Senior Vice President IT Operations at ZTBL

For more quotes and insights, download the Oracle Database report

Stability Issues

Sentiment score

7.7

IBM Db2 Database is highly rated for stability and reliability, though performance can dip with significant data growth.

Sentiment score

8.0

Oracle Database is renowned for its stability, reliability, and performance, earning widespread user trust and industry presence.

No quotes available

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Oracle Database is very robust, and I rate its stability nine out of ten.

Ismail Aboulezz

Chief Executive Officer at LeaseWeb

It is a stable product.

Muhammad Usman Muzaffar

Senior Vice President IT Operations at ZTBL

For more quotes and insights, download the Oracle Database report

Room For Improvement

IBM Db2 Database needs usability, integration, and cloud improvements, plus better licensing, analytics, security, and standardization tools.

Users seek improvements in Oracle Database's cost, usability, integration, performance, and upgrade processes while desiring simplified UI and documentation.

It might be slightly slower than other database vendors, but it works well since banks typically do not move quickly with leading-edge technology.

reviewer2708292

Associate Director, Data Architecture at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees

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It would be more feasible if Oracle allowed licensing on a socket-based model instead of cores.

Muhammad Usman Muzaffar

Senior Vice President IT Operations at ZTBL

One existing feature that distinguishes Oracle Database from others is its ability to log errors in the database itself.

Praful Kolekar

Business Analyst at Tata Consultancy

Oracle Database needs improvement in data analytics capabilities, AI involvement, machine learning, and deep learning.

Ismail Aboulezz

Chief Executive Officer at LeaseWeb

For more quotes and insights, download the Oracle Database report

Setup Cost

IBM Db2 pricing is complex and expensive, especially in Africa and the Middle East, but offers robust features.

Oracle Database is costly; negotiations and choosing the right licensing model are crucial for managing expenses effectively.

No quotes available

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For medium businesses, Oracle and IBM DB2 pricing are quite similar.

Ismail Aboulezz

Chief Executive Officer at LeaseWeb

Oracle Database is costly.

Muhammad Usman Muzaffar

Senior Vice President IT Operations at ZTBL

For more quotes and insights, download the Oracle Database report

Valuable Features

IBM Db2 Database offers SQL, Java integration, scalability, security, and seamless IBM integration for flexible, reliable enterprise applications.

Oracle Database excels in high availability, security, performance, scalability, and cloud integration, offering reliability for large datasets and users.

IBM Db2 Database, because of enterprise performance and support, is why banks still maintain their relationship with it.

reviewer2708292

Associate Director, Data Architecture at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees

The IBM Db2 Database brought benefits to my organization as we did not spend too much money on security.

Mona Mohamed

Network Administrator at GAEB

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Its data management capabilities include data quality, data integration, data architecture, modeling, and data security, which are very important for data-driven companies.

Ismail Aboulezz

Chief Executive Officer at LeaseWeb

The most valuable features in WebLogic Suite are its stability and security.

Muhammad Usman Muzaffar

Senior Vice President IT Operations at ZTBL

Regarding what I value about Oracle Database, as far as execution is concerned, I think it is one of the best databases I have come across.

Praful Kolekar

Business Analyst at Tata Consultancy

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Categories and Ranking

IBM Db2 Database

Ranking in Relational Databases Tools

5th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Oracle Database

Ranking in Relational Databases Tools

2nd

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

292

Ranking in other categories

Database Management Systems (DBMS) (1st)

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Relational Databases Tools category, the mindshare of IBM Db2 Database is 6.6%, down from 6.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Oracle Database is 11.5%, down from 12.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Relational Databases Tools Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Oracle Database	11.5%
IBM Db2 Database	6.6%
Other	81.9%

Relational Databases Tools

Featured Reviews

reviewer2708292

Associate Director, Data Architecture at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees

Support improves setup and maintenance while pricing influences decision

If you have a similar use case and the same deal with IBM as our company, it is definitely a good option and choice. The company I work with has more than 50,000 people and more than 500 support staff. We are not locked into one database vendor. We typically work with multiple database vendors simultaneously, selecting the top choice based on the deals we make and other considerations. We do not use IBM Db2 Database related to AI at this moment because our AI project PLC is still very small scale. We may consider it in the future if we have enough scale. Overall rating for IBM Db2 Database is 8.5 out of 10.

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Muhammad Usman Muzaffar

Senior Vice President IT Operations at ZTBL

Running secure internal banking applications has been reliable and supports fast deployments

I am still working with Oracle products. I am still using Enterprise Manager 14c. I am using Oracle Database, Oracle ExaCC, Oracle EBS, Oracle WebLogic, Oracle Enterprise Manager, and Oracle Linux. I can answer questions about my experience with WebLogic Suite. I use it in my company. I have not used WebLogic's diagnostic tools. I do not utilize its lifecycle management features. I do not have much experience with WebLogic Java EE support, as I just deploy the application and the other team utilizes this server. I am not directly involved in WebLogic. I have been using Oracle Linux myself. The deployment is local, on-premises. I have been working with Enterprise Manager as well. All the components of Oracle I am using are on-premises. I use Oracle 19c database, Oracle ExaCC, Exadata on Cloud at Customer. I have been using Oracle Linux, Enterprise Manager, and databases as well. I have been working with Oracle Database for about 20 years. My experience has been 100% positive with Oracle Database. I have utilized its Real Application Clusters along with Data Guard. I do not use Oracle's Advanced Analytics and machine learning features right now. I have given this review an overall rating of 9 out of 10.

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

19%

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

Government

Financial Services Firm

17%

Computer Software Company

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	20
Midsize Enterprise	13
Large Enterprise	48

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	87
Midsize Enterprise	64
Large Enterprise	180

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.

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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.

See all answers

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...

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How do you run Oracle Database at your organization and why?

My company has been using Oracle Exadata Database Service for some years now, and we are happy with it. I will allow myself to answer your questions about why and what benefits it provides us with ...

See all answers

Do you know of any disadvantages of Oracle Database?

Undoubtedly, Oracle Database is a top product in its category. But it does have its disadvantages, and for me and my organization, that has been the limitations of the product. When it comes to Ora...

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What is the best use for Oracle Database?

Oracle Database is flexible and can be used for many things. My company's main use case for this product is for storing data. We benefit from its high level of security as well as from the fact tha...

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Comparisons

SQL Server vs IBM Db2 Database

Compared 40% of the time

SAP HANA vs IBM Db2 Database

Compared 9% of the time

Teradata vs IBM Db2 Database

Compared 9% of the time

MySQL vs IBM Db2 Database

Compared 5% of the time

IBM Informix vs IBM Db2 Database

Compared 3% of the time

More IBM Db2 Database Competitors

SAP HANA vs Oracle Database

Compared 20% of the time

SQL Server vs Oracle Database

Compared 13% of the time

Tibero vs Oracle Database

Compared 8% of the time

Teradata vs Oracle Database

Compared 6% of the time

CockroachDB vs Oracle Database

Compared 5% of the time

More Oracle Database Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

IBM Db2 Database

January 2026

Download IBM Db2 Database product report

Buyer's Guide

Oracle Database

January 2026

Download Oracle Database product report

Also Known As

DB2

Oracle 12c, RDBMS

Overview

DB2 Enterprise for Linux, UNIX, and Windows is the ideal data server for the most demanding workloads. New XML support is designed to help firms minimize the time and effort it takes to persist and use their XML data reducing development costs and improving business agility.

IBM

Oracle Database is a top-ranking multi-model database management system by Oracle Corporation. Through Oracle database services and products, clients receive cost-optimized and high-performing versions of Oracle Database, as well as in-memory, NoSQL, and MySQL databases. The solution is available by several service providers on premises, in the cloud, or as a hybrid installation. It can be run on vendor servers as well as on Oracle hardware, including Exadata on-premise, Oracle Cloud, or Cloud at Customer.

Users can select from various types of Oracle Database solutions, depending on what they aim to do with this product. Based on their specific needs, they can choose among options that include:

Autonomously managed Oracle databases: This type of database eliminates the complexity of operating and securing Oracle Database, while simultaneously ensuring high levels of performance, scalability, and availability for users.
Oracle Database on Exadata: Users who seek particularly fast platforms can select this type of running solution. Exadata is a computing platform that is optimized for running Oracle Databases and it serves as the fastest platform for Oracle Database.
Oracle Database on-premises deployment: The product allows for deployment on-premises for clients who have data residency and network latency concerns. This option also offers customers the benefit of updated Oracle Cloud technology, including Exadata and Autonomous Database.
Oracle Database in the cloud: Organizations can use a specific version of this tool in the cloud, benefiting from complete control over the versions they run and when these versions change.

Part of this product is a fully automated database service called Oracle Autonomous Database, which facilitates the development and deployment of application workloads for organizations. It is built on Oracle Database as well as on Oracle Exadata. This service supports various data types and simplifies application development and deployment from modeling and coding to extract, transform, load process (ETL), data analysis, and database optimization. The service achieves high results in:

Performance
Availability
Security for online transaction processing (OLTP)
Analytics
Batch
Internet of Things (IoT) workloads

Oracle Database Features

Oracle Database has various features which users can utilize in their work with the solution. Among these features are the following:

Backup and recovery: Oracle Database ensures the integrity of users' data in system failure situations. This feature utilizes a tool named Recovery Manager (RMAN), which allows administrators to perform cold, hot, and incremental database backups, as well as point-in-time recoveries.
Clustering: This feature enables high availability of systems in order to run without interruption of services on occasions when one or more servers in a cluster fail. Included is a tool called Oracle Real Application Clusters.
Data dictionary: Through this set of internal tables and views, Oracle Database can be administered more efficiently.
Logical data structure: Through its feature for logical data structure, Oracle Database stores data in a way that allows users to interact with the database without knowing where the physical storage of the data is located.
Memory catching: Through the memory caching architecture feature, users can scale up very large databases and still perform at a considerably high speed.
Partitioning: This feature allows users to divide large tables into different pieces and store the pieces across storage devices.

Oracle Database Benefits

Oracle Database offers its users various benefits. Some of these include:

The solution decreases costs for organizations and provides a high return on investment (ROI) through the multiple services and features it offers.
Oracle Database has high-security protection which includes encryption, key management, data masking, and activity monitoring, that secures organizations' data within the tool.
The tool offers users the ability to use a single database for all data types, simplifying the process for them.
Oracle Database can be deployed in multiple places, including data centers and public and private clouds, which allows great flexibility for users.
The product allows applications from different platforms to communicate with the database through its networking stack.
Oracle Database is ACID-compliant, which helps maintain data reliability and integrity.

Reviews from Real Users

Paul S., president at Advance Consulting Enterprise, likes Oracle Database because it gets the job done, doesn't fail, and suitable for massively scalable applications.

An Oracle DBA at a computer software company describes Oracle Database as reliable with good performance and very good stability.

Oracle

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

Agncia Nacional de guas, Anbima, Aria Systems, Asiana Airlines, Astelit LLC, Australian Finance Group, Banco Occidental de Descuento, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited, BT, Caja de Seguros S.A., Casas GEO S.A.B. de C.V., Comic Relief UK, Corsair Components Inc., CSAM Health AS, CSOB Group, Datacraft Solutions, DenizBank A.S., Department of Treasury and Finance WA, Office of State Revenue, Deutsche B_rse AG, Deutsche Lufthansa AG, Deutsche Messe AG, Digicel Haiti, DPR COSEA, Essar Group, Essatto Software Pty Ltd, Farmšcia e Drogaria Nissei Ltda., Fomento Econ‹mico Mexicano S.A.B. de C.V. (FEMSA), FundaÊo Petrobras de Seguridade Social, Future Group, GFKL Financial Services AG, Grupo Posadas S.A.B. de C.V., Grupo Sinosserra, Guerra S.A. Implementos Rodovišrios, Hanatour International Service, Hays plc, Henan Mobile Co. Ltd, Hochschule Hof, Hong Kong and China Technology (Wuhan) Co. Ltd (Towngas Technology), Industries Corpa_al C.A., Infrastructure Development Finance Company Limited, Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatstica, Instituto Mexicano de la Propiedad Industrial, Kcell, LinkShare Corporation, MercadoLibre Inc., MetLife Inc., Nextgen Distribution, €BB-IKT GmbH, Octagon Research Solutions, Pacific Lutheran University, Paragon Data GmbH, Ping ltd., PJSC Trustbank, Prodaub _ Processamento de Dados de Uberl_ndia, Purdue University, Redknee Inc., Robi Axiata Limited, Shanghai Infoservice Technology Co. Ltd, Shanghai Sihua Technologies Co. Ltd, Sistema de Aguas de la Ciudad de M_xico, Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council, Suddenlink Communications, Suprajit Engineering Limited, Tallink Grupp, Terminales Ro de la Plata S.A., Therap Services LLC, Think Passenger Inc., Trafigura, Transmed S.A.L Lebanon, ValeShop, VelQuest Corporation, Vodafone Group plc, West Virginia Network, WIND Hellas Telecommunications S.A

Buyer's Guide

IBM Db2 Database vs. Oracle Database

December 2025

Free Report: IBM Db2 Database vs. Oracle Database

Find out what your peers are saying about IBM Db2 Database vs. Oracle Database and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.

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