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IBM WebSphere Application Server vs JBoss Enterprise Application Platform comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jul 27, 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 WebSphere Application S...
Ranking in Application Infrastructure
3rd
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
31
Ranking in other categories
Application Server (4th)
JBoss Enterprise Applicatio...
Ranking in Application Infrastructure
8th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.2
Number of Reviews
8
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2025, in the Application Infrastructure category, the mindshare of IBM WebSphere Application Server is 11.2%, up from 10.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of JBoss Enterprise Application Platform is 8.6%, up from 7.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Application Infrastructure
 

Featured Reviews

BharathirajaSukumar - PeerSpot reviewer
Efficient load balancing and the clustering, achieved by using the deployment manager, is valuable
I believe that the system is already good. However, for improvement or enhancement, it is user-friendly, but it could offer better choices on the front end for different aspects or options. Sometimes, I have to search extensively for features, as there are no upfront tabs. There is a lack of visible, easy, user-friendly, and straightforward options for the number of features.
Gustavo Magni - PeerSpot reviewer
Stable solution with an easy initial setup process
We use the solution for the deployment of Java-based applications The solution helps my organization with simple and fast deployments. The solution is easy to configure and deploy. The solution's architecture needs improvement. Also, there could be more integration with container platforms. We…

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"IBM WAS is the backbone for our enterprise content management suite which delivers the primary processes for our customers. Without a good application server, it would be hard to provide a secure layer of midddleware upon which the other applications run. IBM WAS improves the stability of the entire solution and provides a high quality platform for running web-based solutions."
"One of the most valuable features might be the stability of the IBM WebSphere Application Server."
"IBM WebSphere Application Server is easy to use."
"Ease of administration: It has an Integrated Solutions Console, what we call the administrative console, with very detailed configurations and Help pages for each configurable item."
"The scalability of the product is quite good."
"IBM WebSphere Application Server is the best in terms of scalability and performance, as well as the support for managing distributed transactions."
"As compared to other applications, it has tremendous support. We have built internal capability so that we use it extensively internally. It is also easier to use with the outside data. You can write in ESQL, Java, or any other technology that you want to use for development. So, it is a lot more flexible in the language that it supports."
"The solution is very stable and robust."
"The most valuable features of this solution are scalability and performance."
"Stable and easy to handle in terms of hosting applications."
"It's convenient and barebone."
"Its technical support is excellent."
"The solution is quite stable."
"JBoss Enterprise Application Platform works very well."
"The most valuable aspect of JBoss EAP is its support for clustering and load balancing, which is essential for our applications that serve multiple users simultaneously."
 

Cons

"The installation has room for improvement."
"What could be improved in IBM WebSphere Application Server is its interconnection with other products, for example, Kafka. What I'd like to see in the next release of the solution is a better graphical user interface."
"Based on the field and based on the build that was provided, we've noticed a lot of constraints in terms of the performance now."
"The licensing could be improved, and I would like it to give the longevity of the lifespan of the visions. In the next release, I would like to be able to download and extract the files so that I can just use my application server."
"Some things are very difficult to do, so the interface and usage could be more intuitive for those."
"When we run into memory or locking issues, we resort to using third-party tools. However, it would be preferable to have native tools for debugging this type of problem."
"In spite of the solution's robustness, it is expensive and a bit difficult to support."
"In the next release of this solution, I would like to see support for the Arabic language."
"It's hard to find out the root cause of errors."
"A graphic user interface can be added."
"This solution needs better management UI."
"Lacks some functional requirements."
"Its architecture needs improvement."
"Sometimes, I observe the memory usage at 100% for the server, and this issue could be improved."
"Improvement is needed in the synchronization between cluster nodes, especially under network strain."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"We pay around $200,000 annually."
"If your application is just a web app that does not need to scale big, you can obtain a single core license of WAS Express edition, which has almost the same features with limited processing cores. If you manage a very big application farm (i.e. need to run 10 or more WAS servers) it is better to get IBM WAS Hypervisor Edition."
"IBM WAS base is part of the deal when you purchase IBM FileNet P8 Content Engine."
"The solution is quite expensive."
"It costs more than some of the others, but, you get what you pay for."
"When you purchase Maximo, you get WebSphere for free."
"My company is on a perpetual or permanent license agreement with IBM WebSphere Application Server. There's also a pay-per-use option, but customers rarely choose that option. Most of the customers are on the perpetual license deal that's all-inclusive. As the license cost is quite expensive, I'm rating it two out of five."
"The price of this product is higher than that of competitors."
"The solution is cost-effective."
"It is an open-source solution."
"While I am not directly involved with the financial aspects, JBoss is known for its reasonable subscription pricing. Potential users should consider whether the cost aligns with their budget and requirements."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
33%
Computer Software Company
11%
Government
8%
Insurance Company
6%
Financial Services Firm
32%
Computer Software Company
10%
Government
8%
Manufacturing Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about IBM WebSphere Application Server?
Network Deployment is the most useful feature for scalability. It has many features within the standard WebSphere Application Server edition.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IBM WebSphere Application Server?
In Korea, when you buy IBM iOS, the WebSphere base version is included with iOS. That means no additional cost.
What needs improvement with IBM WebSphere Application Server?
I find the server okay, however, using the Maker instance, the Moving instance, and the Change instance is a little bit complicated without WebSphere knowledge.
What needs improvement with JBoss Enterprise Application Platform?
The memory usage and memory RAM could be improved. JBoss Enterprise Application Platform could improve the use of memory on a server. Sometimes, I observe the memory usage at 100% for the server, a...
What is your primary use case for JBoss Enterprise Application Platform?
I deploy the application as .war or .ear, which is part of Java Enterprise. I use it for resources for the server, and I coordinate with the developer for deployment of the web application. In my j...
 

Also Known As

WebSphere Application Server
JBoss EAP, Red Hat EAP
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

TalkTalk, Property management group, E.SUN Bank, Ohio National Financial Services, Aviarc, Cincom Systems, FJA-US, D+H, Staples, Michigan Municipal League
APD, Banco Azteca, Roche, Tata Sky, Frost Bank
Find out what your peers are saying about IBM WebSphere Application Server vs. JBoss Enterprise Application Platform and other solutions. Updated: July 2025.
865,164 professionals have used our research since 2012.