Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users

IBM Security Guardium Data Protection vs Vormetric Application Crypto Suite comparison

The compared IBM and Thales solutions aren't in the same category. IBM is ranked #1 in DS , with an average rating of 8.7, and holds a 29.3% mindshare in the category. Thales is ranked #12 in DM , with an average rating of 8.0, and holds a 2.2% mindshare. Additionally, 85% of IBM users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Thales users who would recommend it.
IBM Security Guardium Data ...
Read 79 IBM Security Guardium Data Protection reviews
  • 4,782 Views
  • 3,969 Comparison Views
85% willing to recommend
Vormetric Application Crypt...
Read 2 Vormetric Application Crypto Suite reviews
  • 231 Views
  • 136 Comparison Views
100% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Download the report
Executive Summary
We performed a comparison between IBM Security Guardium Data Protection and Vormetric Application Crypto Suite based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about IBM, Imperva, Oracle and others in Database Security.

DOWNLOAD THE COMPLETE REPORT
To learn more, read our detailed Database Security Report (Updated: October 2025).
Buyer's Guide
Database Security
October 2025
Download the complete report
Helped 869,089 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 Security Guardium Data ...
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
79
Ranking in other categories
Database Security (1st)
Vormetric Application Crypt...
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
2
Ranking in other categories
Data Masking (12th)
 

Mindshare comparison

While both are Database Development and Management Tools solutions, they serve different purposes. IBM Security Guardium Data Protection is designed for Database Security and holds a mindshare of 29.3%, down 33.4% compared to last year.
Vormetric Application Crypto Suite, on the other hand, focuses on Data Masking, holds 2.2% mindshare, down 3.0% since last year.
Database Security Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
IBM Security Guardium Data Protection29.3%
Imperva Data Security Fabric27.1%
Oracle Audit Vault14.3%
Other29.299999999999997%
Database Security
Data Masking Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Vormetric Application Crypto Suite2.2%
Perforce Delphix14.2%
Informatica Intelligent Data Management Cloud (IDMC)8.3%
Other75.3%
Data Masking
 

Q&A Highlights

CR
Jul 07, 2020
IBM Guardium Data Protection vs. Vormetric Application Crypto Suite for a tech services company
I have been working with Guardium for 5 years, but I had not heard of Vormetric. So, I will not be able to help. Something I can report is from the IBM website: " IBM Security Guardium Data Encryption runs on a variety of Microsoft Windows, UNIX, and Linux platforms. It requires prerequisite software available from Vormetric, Inc. Visit the Vormetric website for information. For additional information, refer to the Software requirements section. Vormetric is not affiliated or associated with IBM. Vormetric software products and licenses are subject to change in accordance with the policies and procedures of Vormetric. " Source: https://www-01.ibm.com/common/ssi/ShowDoc.wss?docURL=/common/ssi/rep_ca/2/897/ENUS216-412/index.html&request_locale=en
See all answers
 

Featured Reviews

Marylennis Franco - PeerSpot reviewer
Has improved data visibility and streamlined compliance reporting across multiple database platforms
The best feature is how many databases we can protect with one solution because it has compatibility with different databases, including Oracle, SQL, and DB2. The data activity monitoring feature is very good because we can check the PDS and have the information for that. We can schedule the reporting and receive it by email, which provides very important information for different areas of the company. We don't need to have a seat and a case or access to the portal, we just receive the report. The user-friendly interface is very good.
Read full review
reviewer2537625 - PeerSpot reviewer
Useful to encrypt sensitive data or crown jewel data stored in various places within organizations
One of the most valuable features is the solution's integration with many leading industry solutions, both on-premises and cloud-based. It has API integration with a large number of technologies. The key management capability supports security protocols by providing an additional layer of security by separating duties. It's more secure to store encryption keys in a separate system like Thales rather than locally. If a database is compromised, the keys in Thales remain protected, making it harder for attackers to access the information.
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 maturity of the agent is the most valuable feature of the solution"
"It has automated a bunch of manual tasks, giving us insights into activities that we would not otherwise be able to capture."
"It supports our audit compliance."
"It can help with PCI compliance. It includes features like data masking, especially during queries, which supports compliance efforts."
"It tests security to support SOX compliance."
"I rate Guardium 10 out of 10 for data activity monitoring and nine for vulnerability assessment. It's easy to implement and does its job. But I would rate it seven out of 10 in terms of advanced features."
"The most valuable feature for me, in my role as systems DBA, is the expediting of internal and external audits."
"Our internal audit is keeping an eye out, and making sure that we're in compliance. Having the Guardium solution and its reporting helps us get through that process a lot more quickly and efficiently."
More IBM Security Guardium Data Protection pros
"One of the most valuable features is the solution's integration with many leading industry solutions, both on-premises and cloud-based. It has API integration with a large number of technologies."
"Transfer encryption is a great feature of Crypto Suite."
 

Cons

"The user interface could be improved and modernized."
"The solution lacks control over database security."
"I have already mentioned to IBM that a primary need is to improve the number of records in the reports above 65,535."
"There are features like end-to-end and S-TAP mapping, and the ability to install policies for your configuration builder. They're not there, but we'd like to see them in the next version."
"The ability for Central Managers to talk to one another could be improved. I have 26 Central Managers and 26 silos which are independent."
"We have had some issues with patches breaking things unexpectedly in our environments."
"I would like to see IBM Guardium have other encryption algorithms employed."
"Sometimes the performance is not good, and also sometimes we have sudden bugs causing difficulties."
More IBM Security Guardium Data Protection cons
"Some feature sets could be improved, particularly alerting, reporting, and monitoring capabilities."
"Could be more agent-led with options for simplifying implementation."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The product's pricing is reasonable and affordable. It is in the moderate range."
"IBM Guardium Data Protection charges you based on the number of users, e.g. based on the number of licenses, and it's either on a per-license or a per-data basis."
"My company purchased IBM Guardium Data Protection in a package, so I'm unable to give its exact licensing cost, but for the package of three IBM solutions, it wasn't very expensive. I'd rate the pricing for all three solutions three out of five. When my team deployed IBM Guardium Data Protection, all features were included."
"The cost depends on the number of databases. You can purchase advanced licenses, but the standard license is calculated based on the number of databases you have to onboard."
"Reasonable cost but could be lower."
"Licensing fees are paid on a yearly basis."
"It is a very costly product."
"Its cost is good. With the new metric of licensing, such as PDO not being available now, customers are expecting a good price for the solution."
More IBM Security Guardium Data Protection pricing and cost advice
Information not available
report
See which vendors are best for you
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Database Security solutions are best for your needs.
See recommendations
869,089 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Answers from the Community

CR
Jul 7, 2020
Jul 7, 2020
IBM Guardium Data Protection vs. Vormetric Application Crypto Suite for a tech services company
I have been working with Guardium for 5 years, but I had not heard of Vormetric. So, I will not be able to help. Something I can report is from the IBM website: " IBM Security Guardium Data Encryption runs on a variety of Microsoft Windows, UNIX, and Linux platforms. It requires prerequisite software available from Vormetric, Inc. Visit the Vormetric website for information. For additional inf...
See 2 answers
ET
Jul 7, 2020
IBM is reselling Vormetric. IBM Guardium Data Protection includes Vormetric as part of the Data Protection Family.
Read full answer
SM
Jul 7, 2020
I have been working with Guardium for 5 years, but I had not heard of Vormetric. So, I will not be able to help. Something I can report is from the IBM website: " IBM Security Guardium Data Encryption runs on a variety of Microsoft Windows, UNIX, and Linux platforms. It requires prerequisite software available from Vormetric, Inc. Visit the Vormetric website for information. For additional information, refer to the Software requirements section. Vormetric is not affiliated or associated with IBM. Vormetric software products and licenses are subject to change in accordance with the policies and procedures of Vormetric. " Source: https://www-01.ibm.com/common/ssi/ShowDoc.wss?docURL=/common/ssi/rep_ca/2/897/ENUS216-412/index.html&request_locale=en
Read full answer
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
27%
Computer Software Company
9%
Insurance Company
6%
Manufacturing Company
6%
No data available
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business28
Midsize Enterprise15
Large Enterprise45
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

How does IBM Guardium Data Protection compare with Imperva SecureSphere Database Security?
IBM Security Guardium Data Protection is a solution for database security from IBM that gives complete visibility, control, and analysis to secure sensitive data and comply with regulations. IBM S...
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IBM Guardium Data Protection?
I don't remember the exact prices, but Guardium is an expensive tool because it is targeted towards corporate enterprises.
See all answers
What do you like most about IBM Security Guardium Data Protection?
The features I like are the robust policies, which allow us to create customized monitoring based on specific activities.
See all answers
What needs improvement with Vormetric Application Crypto Suite?
Some feature sets could be improved, particularly alerting, reporting, and monitoring capabilities.
See all answers
What is your primary use case for Vormetric Application Crypto Suite?
I use the system to encrypt sensitive data or crown jewel data stored in various places within organizations. For example, we can encrypt databases with it. We store and manage the encryption keys ...
See all answers
What advice do you have for others considering Vormetric Application Crypto Suite?
I rate Vormetric Application Crypto Suite an eight out of ten.
See all answers
 

Comparisons

Imperva Data Security Fabric vs IBM Security Guardium Data Protection Logo
Imperva Data Security Fabric vs IBM Security Guardium Data Protection
Compared 52% of the time
Oracle Audit Vault vs IBM Security Guardium Data Protection Logo
Oracle Audit Vault vs IBM Security Guardium Data Protection
Compared 19% of the time
DataSunrise Database Security vs IBM Security Guardium Data Protection Logo
DataSunrise Database Security vs IBM Security Guardium Data Protection
Compared 5% of the time
IBM InfoSphere Optim Data Privacy vs IBM Security Guardium Data Protection Logo
IBM InfoSphere Optim Data Privacy vs IBM Security Guardium Data Protection
Compared 3% of the time
More IBM Security Guardium Data Protection Competitors
OpenText Data Privacy and Protection Foundation (Voltage) vs Vormetric Application Crypto Suite Logo
OpenText Data Privacy and Protection Foundation (Voltage) vs Vormetric Application Crypto Suite
Compared 58% of the time
More Vormetric Application Crypto Suite Competitors
 

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
IBM Security Guardium Data Protection
September 2025
IBM Security Guardium Data Protection reportDownload IBM Security Guardium Data Protection product report
Buyer's Guide
Data Masking
September 2025
Vormetric Application Crypto Suite reportDownload Vormetric Application Crypto Suite product report
 

Also Known As

InfoSphere Guardium, Guardium, IBM Guardium
No data available
 

Overview

IBM Security Guardium Data Protection automatically discovers and classifies sensitive data from across the enterprise, providing real-time data activity monitoring and advanced user behavior analytics to help discover unusual activity around sensitive data.

Deploy the solution to help discover regulated data in your data stores and use pre-built templates for regulations such as PCI, SOX, HIPAA, CCPA and many more, to streamline and automate compliance workflows.

IBM

At the core of the Vormetric Application Crypto Suite from Thales is a set of products that streamline development efforts to add encryption, tokenization, masking and other cryptographic functions to applications. The job of the developer is made easy and fast by leveraging sample code and APIs that are best for their environment, while key management functions are kept separate and secure in a FIPS 140-2 hardware or virtual appliance that is operated by IT or SecOps. Securing data at the application, with separation of duties for key management, provides the highest levels of protection and compliance.

The Vormetric Application Crypto Suite also includes applications and utilities that leverage the core components to add security layers to databases and other structured data stores.

Thales
 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
BD, Delta Dental, CMI
Buyer's Guide
Database Security
October 2025
Download Free Report
Find out what your peers are saying about IBM, Imperva, Oracle and others in Database Security. Updated: October 2025.
DOWNLOAD NOW
869,089 professionals have used our research since 2012.

We monitor all Database Security 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.