IBM WebSphere Application Server vs Oracle SOA Suite comparison

IBM and Oracle are both solutions in the Application Infrastructure category. IBM is ranked #5 with an average rating of 7.8, while Oracle is ranked #9 with an average rating of 7.4. IBM holds a 12.0% mindshare in AIS, compared to Oracle’s 3.9% mindshare. Additionally, 88% of IBM users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 85% of Oracle users who would recommend it.

IBM WebSphere Application S...

Read 31 IBM WebSphere Application Server reviews

2,140 Views
1,567 Comparison Views

88% willing to recommend

Oracle SOA Suite

Read 65 Oracle SOA Suite reviews

1,012 Views
639 Comparison Views

85% willing to recommend

IBM WebSphere Application S...

Oracle SOA Suite

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 5, 2025

Oracle SOA Suite and IBM WebSphere Application Server are leading solutions in the enterprise middleware category. Oracle SOA Suite has an edge due to its extensive integration capabilities, although both products offer distinct strengths across various metrics.

Features: Oracle SOA Suite provides extensive connectivity, integration capabilities, and supports both BPEL and Enterprise Service Bus functionalities. Its real-time business insights and a wide range of adapters aid cloud solution integration. IBM WebSphere Application Server is recognized for strong support of Java Enterprise Edition standards, high stability, and integration with legacy systems, along with excellent scalability and security features.

Room for Improvement: Oracle SOA Suite users face performance, resource consumption, and complexity of tools like JDeveloper. It also needs better integration with Enterprise Manager and enhanced microservices support. IBM WebSphere Application Server is seen as cumbersome, with complex licensing and setup. Lighter options and better cost management are requested, along with simplifying integration and security aspects, as it's resource-intensive.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Oracle SOA Suite primarily operates on-premises, often requiring significant community engagement for support. IBM WebSphere provides flexible on-premises and hybrid cloud options. Both have similar customer service ratings, though Oracle's support channels can be challenging to navigate. IBM users call for quicker, simplified responses to technical issues.

Pricing and ROI: Oracle SOA Suite features complex, expensive licensing, often bundled with other Oracle products to manage costs, necessitating careful planning for ROI. IBM WebSphere is costly as well, with prohibitive licensing for smaller businesses. Both solutions offer robust features that can justify the investment, but IBM users often negotiate for discounts.

To learn more, read our detailed IBM WebSphere Application Server vs. Oracle SOA Suite Report (Updated: April 2025).

Buyer's Guide

IBM WebSphere Application Server vs. Oracle SOA Suite

April 2025

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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

5th

Average Rating

7.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Application Server (5th)

Oracle SOA Suite

Ranking in Application Infrastructure

9th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

SOA Governance (1st)

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the Application Infrastructure category, the mindshare of IBM WebSphere Application Server is 12.0%, up from 10.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Oracle SOA Suite is 3.9%, down from 4.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Application Infrastructure

Featured Reviews

BharathirajaSukumar

Senior Lead Analyst at Radial

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.

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MANOHAR SADDALA

IT Specialist at Eagle Hills

Enables seamless integration with multiple systems

I would rate the scalability a seven out of ten. It's not much more dynamic, not as dynamic as you may think, like seeing it in the cloud. In order to use it, you need to have the download servers and then scale up your systems. Oracle SOA Suites serves as a middle layer between applications. For example, let's say you have SAP, and we have Salesforce or Oracle ERP system. Users connect to those systems and perform certain activities or transactions on the applications. Now, if any data needs to be synchronized or any integration needs to happen between these applications, we use the Oracle SOA Suite. It acts as the bridge between the applications, not between the users. It's like having endpoints between the applications. Currently, we have 20 endpoints; 20 systems are connected to it, which is great. Oracle SOA Suite is being used daily. We are using it to its maximum potential.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Starting with version 8, WAS provides a special folder called monitor deployment. Once you put the .war or .ear file in there, it is deployed automatically without human intervention. This greatly helps us in our continuous integration server. Once the deployment binary is ready, we write a script to copy it to that folder and then, voila! The application is up and running and accessible from its context root."

"The integration between IBM tools and applications is very well executed."

"I find IBM support to be very nice."

"This solution is easy to use with a GUI that is intuitive and very helpful."

"One of the most valuable features might be the stability of the IBM WebSphere Application Server."

"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."

"The solution is robust. The connection management and the scalability, which IBM provides to the Stack, are also valuable."

"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."

More IBM WebSphere Application Server pros

"The new product has come out with SOA Cloud Service and Integration Analytics as well, which gives more options for clients to pick their point of requirements."

"The product allows you to visualize how a company is working currently by providing rich possibilities for analysis such as the audit trails and therefore shows where improvements might be valuable."

"Middleware jobs developing for EC, ERP, and shipping systems become easier."

"The product provides transparency in finances."

"I would rate my experience with the initial setup an eight out of ten, where one is difficult, and ten is easy."

"Valuable features include connectors and BAM."

"The most valuable features for us are the APIs, which we commonly use, as well as the scheduling capabilities and file transfers."

"The ability to stand up a highly available SOA Suite, which has full DR capabilities, in a remote center and synchronize the databases using Data Guard."

More Oracle SOA Suite pros

Cons

"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."

"In the next release of this solution, I would like to see support for the Arabic language."

"WebSphere is very cumbersome and not user-friendly."

"The business logic side of it is sort of missing in the sense that if I want to track and measure velocity, it is not really available. You have to buy another application and embark on a separate implementation. Instead of having different licensing, IBM DataPower should be integrated with WebSphere. It will allow us to build the business layer and rules a lot more efficiently, rather than developing rules within the application. It would be good if we can set up the business layer through parametrization rather than development. IBM DataPower has the business rule and the controls, and if it can be integrated, it would be fantastic. It will help the application in working better in terms of security features and business logic. If you're going to use it for open banking, you will be able to monitor velocity on the total pricing."

"The installation has room for improvement."

"In spite of the solution's robustness, it is expensive and a bit difficult to support."

"The current trend is to move to Liberty because of the portability of its cloud and its Kubernetes, which containerize the application."

"The main issue we faced was its limited compatibility with non-Java technologies, which can result in difficulty detecting potential bugs and requiring additional integration efforts."

More IBM WebSphere Application Server cons

"One area that could be better is the human task feature. It could be improved to provide more functionality and customization options because it has limited options available."

"The installation and adjustment process seems too complex."

"Various parts of SOA, BPEL, and so on, each have their own consoles which need to be accessed individually with different logins. It would be better from an admin perspective if all the consoles were accessible via a single login."

"SOA, OSB, SOA Cloud Service."

"If the disk space expansion can be made more flexible, not requiring a database restart, it would be a major benefit."

"Other solutions might be better componets such as Salesforce."

"The interface is too complicated. Making modifications still requires too much technical knowledge."

"Decrease the number of internal resources which the product uses."

More Oracle SOA Suite cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I don't remember the price, but there are no additional costs."

"It costs more than some of the others, but, you get what you pay for."

"The pricing is a little expensive."

"The licensing policy is based on the PVU base."

"The solution is quite expensive."

"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."

"It's expensive."

More IBM WebSphere Application Server pricing and cost advice

"Oracle pricing is expensive. Support is based on your license. AWS is much better than Oracle in this regard."

"Oracle SOA Suite is an expensive solution."

"It is necessary to evaluate the requirement regarding the platform usage and what the main operation area of the platform will be."

"The pricing is not very high as compared to its competitors."

"The product is moderately priced."

"Based on my knowledge, Oracle SOA Suite doesn't have user-based licensing. It has a system-based licensing model, so you pay for whole systems. Oracle SOA Suite is an expensive solution, so it's a four out of ten for me."

"This product is WebLogic based, hence it can be both resource hungry as well as expensive from a licensing point of view."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

32%

Computer Software Company

14%

Insurance Company

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

19%

Financial Services Firm

16%

Government

Manufacturing Company

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.

See all answers

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.

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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.

See all answers

What do you like most about Oracle SOA Suite?

The solution's XSLT or XSL Transformation feature was very useful.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Oracle SOA Suite?

Oracle SOA Suite is an expensive solution.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Oracle SOA Suite?

The solution’s initial setup is complex and could be improved. A big challenge for Oracle SOA Suite is that you don't get too many technical resources.

See all answers

Comparisons

JBoss Enterprise Application Platform vs IBM WebSphere Application Server

Compared 26% of the time

JBoss vs IBM WebSphere Application Server

Compared 23% of the time

Tomcat vs IBM WebSphere Application Server

Compared 17% of the time

Oracle WebLogic Server vs IBM WebSphere Application Server

Compared 8% of the time

IBM DataPower Gateway vs IBM WebSphere Application Server

Compared 6% of the time

More IBM WebSphere Application Server Competitors

WebLogic Suite vs Oracle SOA Suite

Compared 44% of the time

Mule ESB vs Oracle SOA Suite

Compared 26% of the time

Apache Web Server vs Oracle SOA Suite

Compared 13% of the time

TIBCO ActiveMatrix vs Oracle SOA Suite

Compared 9% of the time

IBM BPM vs Oracle SOA Suite

Compared 8% of the time

More Oracle SOA Suite Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

IBM WebSphere Application Server

May 2025

Download IBM WebSphere Application Server product report

Buyer's Guide

Oracle SOA Suite

May 2025

Download Oracle SOA Suite product report

Also Known As

WebSphere Application Server

SOA Suite

Overview

IBM WebSphere Application Server (WAS) is a middleware platform developed by IBM. It provides a range of services and tools to help organizations develop, deploy, and manage Java-based applications. WAS is part of IBM's WebSphere product family and provides a secure, scalable, and highly available platform for developing and running web-based applications. WAS provides a secure, scalable, and highly available platform, making it an attractive solution for organizations looking to develop and deploy enterprise-grade applications.

IBM WebSphere Application Server Features

IBM WebSphere Application Server has many valuable key features. Some of the most useful ones include:

Application deployment: IBM WAS enables organizations to deploy and manage applications in a secure and scalable environment.

Clustering: The clustering feature can help organizations ensure high availability and improve application performance.

Load balancing: The solution Includes load balancing capabilities to distribute application workloads and improve performance.

Security: IBM WAS offers a range of security features, including authentication, authorization, and encryption, to help organizations secure their applications and data.

Monitoring and management: The solution’s range of tools for monitoring and managing applications, including the IBM WebSphere Administrative Console allows organizations to optimize application performance and resolve issues easily.

Integration: IBM WAS integrates with a range of IBM and third-party products, including IBM WebSphere MQ, IBM DB2, and more, to provide a comprehensive platform for developing and running web-based applications.

IBM WebSphere Application Server Benefits

There are many benefits to implementing IBM WebSphere Application Server. Some of the biggest advantages the solution offers include:

Improved application performance: The IBM WAS platform offers a scalable and secure platform for deploying and managing applications, enabling organizations to improve application performance and reduce downtime.

High availability: IBM WAS provides clustering and load-balancing capabilities to help organizations ensure high availability.

Improved security: With a large range of security features, including authentication, authorization, and encryption, the solution helps organizations secure their applications and data.

Simplified management: IBM WAS is designed with a set of tools for monitoring and managing applications, enabling organizations to optimize performance and resolve issues efficiently.

Increased flexibility: The solution integrates with a range of IBM and third-party products, providing organizations with a flexible platform for developing and running web-based applications.

Improved developer productivity: It supports the latest Java EE specifications, allowing developers to use the latest technologies and development methodologies when building applications.

Better customer experience: Organizations can deliver faster and more reliable applications, improving the overall customer experience.

Scalability: IBM WAS provides a scalable and secure platform for deploying and managing applications, so organizations can quickly respond to changing business requirements.

Reviews from Real Users

IBM WebSphere Application Server is a solution that stands out when compared to many of its competitors. Some of its major advantages are that it is stable, supports many languages, and is resilient.

Princewill O., Head Banking Application Customization and Reporting at a financial services firm, states, “[The solution is] very stable, supports many languages, and helpful for faster time to market.”

"What's most valuable in IBM WebSphere Application Server is its resilience. When you use the solution, you know that after the communication has been done, there will be no doubt that the data has reached its destination,” says Nicolae C., System and Solutions Architect at Seidor.

Another PeerSpot reviewer, an Enterprise Technical Leader at a tech services company mentions, “[It is an] enterprise-level product with extensive console capabilities, including the ability to control multiple JVM containers.”

IBM

Oracle SOA Suite is a comprehensive, standards-based software suite to build, deploy and manage integration following the concepts of service-oriented architecture (SOA). The components of the suite benefit from consistent tooling, a single deployment and management model, end-to-end security and unified metadata management. Oracle SOA Suite helps businesses lower costs by allowing maximum re-use of existing IT investments and assets, regardless of the environment (OS, application server, etc.) they run in, or the technology they were built upon. Its easy-to-use, re-use focused, unified application development tooling and end-to-end lifecycle management support further reduces development and maintenance cost and complexity.

For more information on Oracle SOA Suite, visit Oracle.com

Oracle

Sample Customers

TalkTalk, Property management group, E.SUN Bank, Ohio National Financial Services, Aviarc, Cincom Systems, FJA-US, D+H, Staples, Michigan Municipal League

7-Eleven, Arcor SAIC, Banca Transilvania, Eaton Corporation, Emdeon, Ferrovial, Griffith University, National Instruments, Pella Corporation, Vodafone Group Plc,

Buyer's Guide

IBM WebSphere Application Server vs. Oracle SOA Suite

April 2025

Free Report: IBM WebSphere Application Server vs. Oracle SOA Suite

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