IBM Power Systems vs Oracle SPARC Servers comparison

IBM and Oracle are both solutions in the Rack Servers category. IBM is ranked #4 with an average rating of 8.9, while Oracle is ranked #6 with an average rating of 8.0. IBM holds a 9.0% mindshare in Rack Servers, compared to Oracle’s 3.7% mindshare. Additionally, 97% of IBM users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 83% of Oracle users who would recommend it.

IBM Power Systems

Read 71 IBM Power Systems reviews

3,981 Views
3,981 Comparison Views

97% willing to recommend

Oracle SPARC Servers

Read 7 Oracle SPARC Servers reviews

1,734 Views
1,734 Comparison Views

83% willing to recommend

IBM Power Systems

Oracle SPARC Servers

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Download the report

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jun 29, 2025

Oracle SPARC Servers and IBM Power Systems compete in high-performance computing and enterprise data solutions. Oracle SPARC Servers have the upper hand in security and scalability, while IBM Power Systems excel in reliability and virtualization.

Features: Oracle SPARC Servers provide advanced encryption, scalability, and performance for enterprise applications. IBM Power Systems offer superior virtualization features, robust processing power, and the ability to support diverse operating systems.

Room for Improvement: Oracle SPARC Servers could enhance ease of use in complex environments, provide more cost-effective scalability options, and expand integration capabilities. IBM Power Systems might improve user interface simplicity, streamline initial setup processes, and offer more competitive pricing options.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Oracle SPARC Servers boast a straightforward deployment process with responsive support services. IBM Power Systems have a more complex setup but offer extensive documentation and professional support to aid implementation.

Pricing and ROI: Oracle SPARC Servers typically involve higher initial costs but deliver significant long-term ROI through scalability. IBM Power Systems offer competitive pricing and steady ROI due to efficient resource utilization and virtualization, providing faster returns for businesses focused on cost management.

To learn more, read our detailed IBM Power Systems vs. Oracle SPARC Servers Report (Updated: July 2025).

Buyer's Guide

IBM Power Systems vs. Oracle SPARC Servers

July 2025

Download the complete report

Helped 865,295 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:

Categories and Ranking

IBM Power Systems

Ranking in Rack Servers

4th

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

3.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Oracle SPARC Servers

Ranking in Rack Servers

6th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

8.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2025, in the Rack Servers category, the mindshare of IBM Power Systems is 9.0%, up from 8.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Oracle SPARC Servers is 3.7%, up from 3.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Rack Servers

Featured Reviews

Rohintan-Karanjia

Advisory Services at Nangia Andersen LLP

Offers security features, including HIPs, Postgres, intrusion prevention systems, and AI for specific tasks

We've found that sometimes, certain setups require better servers. Ideally, the next level of model that IBM offers would be perfect for those situations. Sometimes, the availability of additional services can be a challenge for some software. Certain IBM software takes time to deliver to the client. It can be slow. So deployment is an area for improvement.

Read full review

Abdul-Salam

Sr. Manager - System Analyst (Datacenter Infrastructure) at Sohar International

A rock-solid OS and rich virtualization features for hosting many VMs on one box

Oracle doesn't have a good roadmap for the solution because they are moving to the x86 platform. Oracle is focusing on the cloud platform with a PCA and standard x86 architecture. Linux is their other OS and is mostly in the cloud. We don't see much development happening on Solaris even though it came as an acquisition from Sun Microsystems. Eventually, the solution and its platform will die because there has been no new development on the Solaris end and we haven't seen new servers in the last five years. At this point, we are pretty sure there is no real roadmap or future for the solution. There is a shortage of expert engineers because Oracle is not pushing the technology. It is hard for us to find engineers because the number of people supporting us has considerably reduced.

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 availability of a solution depends on the requirement of the customer. The most valuable feature is the virtualization. You can have this one system or you can use it for many. They were using almost 120 servers within that specific service."

"The most valuable features of the solution are disaster recovery, replication, and the ability to migrate to another location."

"Power Systems is like a dream solution for every IT person because it has redundancy, and it doesn't stop. It doesn't get affected easily. I don't see any weaknesses in this solution. At the moment, we have Power8. It is stable and runs smoothly. We have a big load, and it is working very well. It can be customized based on our needs. Flash copy is helping us amazingly. We have virtualization for vDisks, which is again very helpful. We are working on this virtualization technology, and we have a team that is working on redundancy and architecture."

"From a reliability standpoint it has provided us with excellent performance."

"Some of the most valuable features are the processing power, stability, and security."

"We value the stability and technology capability of this solution the most. It is very stable, and the processor technology of IBM is very good. When you have a CIO and you are dealing with C-level every day, you can, without any doubt, support the core banking or critical applications with this solution."

"We've been using it for a long time, and it's stable."

"The initial setup is simple and straightforward."

More IBM Power Systems pros

"The operating system is rock solid and the best I have ever used."

"The processor is very helpful and the licensing is very flexible."

"Our customers are happy with many features in Oracle SPARC Servers, like the automatic ASR feature."

"The most valuable features of the solution stem from the fact that Oracle Database functions very well with Oracle SPARC Servers."

"I have found the LDAP facilities most valuable. In addition, I like the CPU."

"The performance is the best feature."

"The Oracle server is very powerful. They are more powerful and durable compared to Intel hardware. Which has been a benefit to our organization."

Cons

"IBM should be more flexible with marketing or offer marketing events themselves and invite the partners to attend. That might be far more productive."

"No available price list is on the web. Due to this, the customer cannot compare pricing."

"IBM systems are old technologies. I couldn't renew and get to use IBM Power Systems, and it offers users very expensive support."

"Everyone likes speed. Not that speed has been an issue up until now but you can never be too fast."

"The solution is quite expensive."

"Software testing and the compatibility of software products that are available in the market should be addressed."

"It would be ideal if the solution was more simple to work with."

"Power Systems' price could always be lower."

More IBM Power Systems cons

"They need some sort of modeling because IBM has different types of models."

"The solution could improve by giving a clear roadmap about the future. I'm not seeing a lot of improvements on the OS side of the software. They need to work more on the operating system."

"Oracle doesn't have a good roadmap for the solution because they are moving to the x86 platform."

"They have declared the end of life of the hardware."

"Oracle SPARC Servers should be fine-tuned well enough to work with the other servers and software products in the market, as it is an area where Oracle SPARC Servers lack."

"Like IBM, Oracle SPARC Servers should be able to run other open operating systems like Linux."

"I would like to see a reduced price point."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The cost model is great. There is so much built in to the technology, that if you know how to use it you can save yourself a lot of money."

"Its price is too high."

"The additional software costs are high."

"The pricing is reasonable."

"The price of the solution depends upon the configuration part of it. Based on what configuration you want to go for it, there is a range like IBM Power Systems POWER9 and IBM Power Systems Power10."

"Why should I be charged for that use rather than a single CPU, a single socket?"

"When there is an error in the SAS drive of 10,000 RPM, my company buys support for 1,500 USD."

"Power Systems is a bit more costly than other products in the market, but in terms of ROI and the longevity, performance, and reliability that Power Systems provides, it's worth it in the long run."

More IBM Power Systems pricing and cost advice

"The hardware is expensive but it has very rich virtualization features that make it economical."

"The application running on it is very important to us and this makes the price worth it."

"The licensing is flexible."

"My company makes yearly payments toward the licensing costs attached to the solution."

"Oracle SPARC Servers are expensive to manage, this is because after five years Oracle will increase the support charges for the hardware. The licensing policy for Oracle is different for Intel and Sparc. It will cost you less if you use your Oracle hardware with Oracle SPARC Servers."

See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Rack Servers solutions are best for your needs.

See recommendations

865,295 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

15%

Computer Software Company

11%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Financial Services Firm

23%

Government

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about IBM Power Systems?

IBM Power Systems provides very good performance and stability compared to other brands or processors.

See all answers

What needs improvement with IBM Power Systems?

There are definitely areas for improvement, but that's not really from the technological side of things. I rarely find any people with Power skills on the market. When I get young people from unive...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for IBM Power Systems?

I use IBM Power Systems for online transactional processing, and in parts, also for online analytical processing. We mainly use IBM Power Systems' IBMI, which is an operating system with an integra...

See all answers

What do you like most about Oracle SPARC Servers?

The most valuable features of the solution stem from the fact that Oracle Database functions very well with Oracle SPARC Servers.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Oracle SPARC Servers?

My company makes yearly payments toward the licensing costs attached to the solution. My company's clients, who have paid for the licensing costs attached to the solution, have also engaged with so...

See all answers

What needs improvement with Oracle SPARC Servers?

Oracle products are usually fine-tuned with the software of other Oracle products, like Oracle WebLogic Server Services, Oracle Database, and Oracle Core Banking Software and Solutions, as all the ...

See all answers

Comparisons

Intel Server System vs IBM Power Systems

Compared 38% of the time

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers vs IBM Power Systems

Compared 19% of the time

HPE ProLiant DL Servers vs IBM Power Systems

Compared 16% of the time

Lenovo ThinkSystem Rack Servers vs IBM Power Systems

Compared 5% of the time

HPE Apollo Systems vs IBM Power Systems

Compared 3% of the time

More IBM Power Systems Competitors

Intel Server System vs Oracle SPARC Servers

Compared 27% of the time

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers vs Oracle SPARC Servers

Compared 11% of the time

HPE ProLiant DL Servers vs Oracle SPARC Servers

Compared 10% of the time

Lenovo ThinkSystem Rack Servers vs Oracle SPARC Servers

Compared 5% of the time

Dell PowerEdge FX vs Oracle SPARC Servers

Compared 4% of the time

More Oracle SPARC Servers Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

IBM Power Systems

August 2025

Download IBM Power Systems product report

Buyer's Guide

Rack Servers

August 2025

Download Oracle SPARC Servers product report

Also Known As

IBM OpenPOWER LC

No data available

Overview

IBM Power Systems are built to crush the most advanced data applications - from the mission-critical workloads you run today to the next generation of AI.

IBM

Oracle's SPARC S7, T7, and M7 Servers with always-on memory intrusion protection and comprehensive data encryption secure data with no performance penalty. Security in silicon features and Oracle Solaris protect data in memory from unauthorized access and stop malware before it gets in.

Oracle

Sample Customers

Cipher

University Hospitals Leuven, B&H Photo, Tuscon Electric Power, IS Nordic, Siemens

Buyer's Guide

IBM Power Systems vs. Oracle SPARC Servers

July 2025

Free Report: IBM Power Systems vs. Oracle SPARC Servers

Find out what your peers are saying about IBM Power Systems vs. Oracle SPARC Servers and other solutions. Updated: July 2025.

DOWNLOAD NOW

865,295 professionals have used our research since 2012.

See our IBM Power Systems vs. Oracle SPARC Servers report.

See our list of best Rack Servers vendors.

We monitor all Rack Servers reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.