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IBM WebSphere Application Server vs Oracle Fusion Middleware comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Feb 2, 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 Server
5th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
5.4
Number of Reviews
32
Ranking in other categories
Application Infrastructure (3rd)
Oracle Fusion Middleware
Ranking in Application Server
6th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.5
Number of Reviews
16
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2026, in the Application Server category, the mindshare of IBM WebSphere Application Server is 9.1%, down from 12.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Oracle Fusion Middleware is 5.5%, up from 5.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Application Server Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
IBM WebSphere Application Server9.1%
Oracle Fusion Middleware5.5%
Other85.4%
Application Server
 

Featured Reviews

CF
Senior Manager, MW & DB Automation at a computer software company with 11-50 employees
Has worked seamlessly in complex clustered environments and supports long-term development efforts
IBM WebSphere Application Server is currently at version 9.0.5.23. In recent months, they released fix 23, as they periodically release fixes. Previously, they frequently increased versions, but now they maintain 9.0.5 with different releases. It's based on Java J2EE 7 and Java SDK 1.8. Oracle announced that 2030 will be the last year when Java SDK 1.8 will be supported. Oracle currently deploys Java 2.x in parallel, with the latest being version 25. The future of IBM WebSphere Application Server remains uncertain since it's based on Java 1.8 and Java 7. I haven't found any white papers or official documentation from IBM outlining their trajectory post-2030.
Sai Kri - PeerSpot reviewer
Assistant Manager Business Applications at NMC Healthcare
Migration to a modern interface enhances AI integration and cloud capabilities
Presently, Oracle recommends migrating to Oracle Fusion since it's a hot product now. e-Business Suite may soon be sunsetted and has an outdated UI, with few upgrades. In contrast, Oracle Fusion offers modern features, such as AI, cloud-based applications, and customization options like Redwood features. Oracle Fusion AI chatbots are embedded, benefiting projects.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"High availability, alert management, and deployments are the most valuable features for us. We have the ND version so we can do deployments."
"IBM WebSphere Application Server is the ultimate product; there is nothing superior to IBM WebSphere Application Server, and while there are other options such as Tomcat, JBoss, and Oracle's solution, IBM WebSphere Application Server stands above them all."
"IBM WAS is extremely scalable. It is easy to add additional servers and to divide the load over servers in all kinds of ways."
"The only reason why we're currently using WebSphere is that the integration of the authentication with Azure is very quick. WebSphere has something that can immediately connect with Azure Active Directory."
"It does integrate well with the Tivoli Federated Identity Management system."
"One of the most valuable features might be the stability of the IBM WebSphere Application Server."
"The performance is good."
"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."
"Oracle recommends moving to Oracle Fusion as they are constantly releasing new AI, modern, web-based, and cloud-based features with updated UI. With Redwood customization and AI chatbots embedded, Oracle Fusion stands ahead of older systems."
"Data integrity."
"The most valuable features are Oracle Unified Directory and unified identity access management."
"The scalability is good."
"The solution is quite good for applying patches or performing upgrades."
"Fusion Middleware's main feature for me is that it is quite flexible, and, as middleware, it provides us with all sorts of technology and application adapters, which makes it very handy to use."
"It is really good in terms of features, and it is stable."
"One good thing, which is a little bit common across all middleware products, is that you can build asynchronous as well as synchronous processes. The SOA part is where it can maintain your state for any state-full integrations. If you have failures, you can replay all that, which is a good part."
 

Cons

"I think in some moments, the security was a little bit more complex to configure when it was delegated to other systems, making it an area where improvements are required."
"WebSphere Application Server doesn't have an automated deployment option, forcing us to use third-party tools like Jenkins UCD and Palo Automated Deployment."
"The availability of the solution needs improvement."
"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."
"Sometimes, I feel WebSphere runs a bit slow. It might be loading unnecessary libraries, impacting its performance compared to other application servers."
"When compared with WebLogic, Weblogic is lighter and consumes less memory."
"The security could be better."
"The installation has room for improvement."
"The main improvement must be made on the user interface. You need to use another Oracle cross in this product. It must be improved and some features of the connectors must be changed."
"An improvement for Oracle's Fusion Middleware could definitely be found in the SOA component. It's a heavyweight container and, if you ask me, if a product is available as a docker image where we can easily port it in to another Kubernetes platform, that would be perfect. But as for the current situation in the market, nobody is really willing to deploy this on premises."
"Its price can be improved. We are currently looking for more cost-efficiency. It should also have a little bit more flexibility for customizations. The customizations should be quicker."
"Oracle Fusion Middleware is based on the regulations in Saudi Arabia and the legislation changes. There is a need to be improvements all the time. It needs to adapt quickly in this market. Additionally, there could be some improvements in the construction sector."
"The documentation might not be good enough for new users."
"Oracle rapidly releases new features, and I may not be ready to adopt them."
"All areas of HCM modules could use some improvement."
"One thing that I would like to see is if this product can be containerized. We are moving away from virtual servers and moving more towards containerization to be able to quickly set up environments or have the flexibility of scaling them. It would be good if it can be containerized, and it works well in containerized platforms."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The licensing policy is based on the PVU base."
"The pricing is a little expensive."
"We pay around $200,000 annually."
"The licensing cost is 1,000 of euros for a 30-year table."
"When you purchase Maximo, you get WebSphere for free."
"IBM WAS base is part of the deal when you purchase IBM FileNet P8 Content Engine."
"There is an Eclipse Plugin provided by IBM, so no need to buy IBM Rational Application Developer or Rational Software Architect tools."
"The price of IBM WebSphere Application Server could be less expensive and there is an annual license required for this solution."
"The pricing is moderate. It's fine."
"The solution is quite expensive so is only used by larger organizations."
"The licensing costs are reasonable."
"It is expensive. We are looking for a cheaper solution."
"We pay annually for the solution."
"The solution is expensive so pricing is rated a six out of ten."
"My advice is to buy the basic modules first, gain the most benefit from them, then buy the advanced modules."
"The tool is best suited for large companies due to high licensing costs."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
33%
Computer Software Company
9%
Insurance Company
7%
Government
6%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Computer Software Company
9%
Performing Arts
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business9
Midsize Enterprise6
Large Enterprise23
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business3
Midsize Enterprise2
Large Enterprise11
 

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?
At Royal Bank, which is a major IBM customer with mainframes and numerous IBM products, they have a specific agreement regarding pricing. The pricing structure for large enterprise customers differ...
What needs improvement with IBM WebSphere Application Server?
IBM WebSphere Application Server is currently at version 9.0.5.23. In recent months, they released fix 23, as they periodically release fixes. Previously, they frequently increased versions, but no...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Oracle Fusion Middleware?
Oracle Fusion Middleware is generally expensive, although I'm not directly involved with the licensing aspects.
What needs improvement with Oracle Fusion Middleware?
There could be improvements in the installation and integration parts of Oracle Fusion Middleware. The guides often have errors, such as web scripting issues, and can be difficult to follow. With m...
What is your primary use case for Oracle Fusion Middleware?
I use Oracle Fusion Middleware ( /products/oracle-fusion-middleware-reviews ) primarily for installation, business intelligence installations, BPM ( /products/informatica-intelligent-data-managemen...
 

Also Known As

WebSphere Application Server
No data available
 

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
Police Department of Izmir City
Find out what your peers are saying about IBM WebSphere Application Server vs. Oracle Fusion Middleware and other solutions. Updated: February 2026.
881,733 professionals have used our research since 2012.