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IBM WebSphere Application Server vs Oracle WebLogic Server 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 WebLogic Server
Ranking in Application Server
3rd
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
36
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Application Server category, the mindshare of IBM WebSphere Application Server is 9.6%, down from 12.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Oracle WebLogic Server is 13.5%, down from 25.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Application Server Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Oracle WebLogic Server13.5%
IBM WebSphere Application Server9.6%
Other76.9%
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.
Thomas Waltair - PeerSpot reviewer
Regional Head And Director Product Development at Neptune Software Group
Stable and scalable enterprise deployment with Cloud-Native support
Oracle WebLogic Server helps with my deployment strategy in both monolithic as well as Cloud-Native ways. I think it is useful; this Cloud-Native support helps with deployment in both on-prem and cloud. For container deployment, we are not very rich. We are in the process of moving our business logic to containerization. But in terms of this being a big product, a core banking system, I prefer on-prem rather than cloud. The use cases and the scrum help me a lot in an iterative, incremental manner. I would recommend this product; it is an enterprise, large volume, and of course, it is worth it to deploy. I am providing this review with a rating of 9.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The solution is very stable and robust."
"I find IBM support to be very nice."
"It has good stability of the application server in the long term compared to other solutions."
"The most valuable features are its user-friendliness and reliability in terms of application hosting."
"IBM WebSphere Application Server is easy to use."
"One of the most valuable features might be the stability of the IBM WebSphere Application Server."
"The integration between IBM tools and applications is very well executed."
"We needed this type of integration and WebShepere is the best tool for it."
"I would rate Oracle WebLogic Server nine out of ten, possibly even ten points."
"I recommend the product because the installation is easy, it provides a secure environment, and it's easy to manage. The solution provides easy monitoring. Accessing all the logs is easy, and deploying application versions is smooth."
"In WebLogic, the most useful feature is the UI administration console from where we can configure everything, such as security access, and we can start and stop it graphically. That's the best feature of WebLogic Server."
"It's a scalable product."
"What I like best about Oracle WebLogic Server is its integration with other software."
"One of the good features of Oracle WebLogic Server was the ability to add some custom parameters to its deployment and performance."
"We've got the support we require. If ever there is an issue, can just call on Oracle and they will assist us."
"What I find most valuable in Oracle WebLogic Server is its flexibility in administering and managing applications, along with the built-in dashboards that offer high visibility into vulnerabilities."
 

Cons

"The security could be better."
"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."
"The solution could improve the integration."
"The installation has room for improvement."
"In the next release of this solution, I would like to see support for the Arabic language."
"WebSphere Application Server doesn't have an automated deployment option, forcing us to use third-party tools like Jenkins UCD and Palo Automated Deployment."
"Installing or configuring a WAS server instance as a Windows Service causes a lot of problems, especially when the server needs credentials to stop."
"Initial setup is very simple. Just use the IBM Installation Manager and add the packages. The install wizard takes care of the rest. The only thing that can be difficult is to find the right packages on the IBM website, because of all the changes that IBM does on its website(s)."
"The cost could always be lower."
"There are always ways to improve. But it's getting better every time, with every new release, and every new patch, it's getting better."
"In terms of what could be improved, maybe something related to the processes automation or starting and stopping the processes, because often WebLogic comes with something called Node Manager. Node Manager needs to be configured and administrated manually."
"The integration could be improved."
"I've had issues with some of the tracking features tracking and have had to go back to several generations of code to fix problems where things were touched."
"The logs consultant, since it tends to be more in the server, we do need complete consult logs for a lot of different files."
"The solution is very expensive, and its pricing could be improved."
"There's a bug related to the managed services."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"When you purchase Maximo, you get WebSphere for free."
"Room for improvement would only be in the licensing. As with all IBM products the licensing can be complex and expensive. Bargain well and try to get as much discount as possible. Discounts of 85% are possible. Without the discount, I think the product is overrated."
"We used to pay about $100,000-$120,000 US or somewhere around there. That was a bit cost-prohibitive for us to continue."
"The pricing is a little expensive."
"I don't remember the price, but there are no additional costs."
"WebSphere Application Server is expensive, so it may not be a good option for small companies."
"The price of IBM WebSphere Application Server could be less expensive and there is an annual license required for this solution."
"The licensing policy is based on the PVU base."
"The licensing of the product is expensive"
"In our country, this is an expensive product."
"The solution's licensing is high-priced."
"The licensing fees are annual and depend on the model."
"Pricing for Oracle WebLogic Server is expensive."
"Its high expense is a significant drawback"
"The solution’s pricing is affordable."
"My company uses a licensed version of the product, so we get Oracle's support."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
34%
Computer Software Company
9%
Insurance Company
7%
Government
6%
Financial Services Firm
16%
Government
10%
Computer Software Company
9%
Manufacturing Company
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 Business15
Midsize Enterprise6
Large Enterprise17
 

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 needs improvement with Oracle WebLogic Server?
I am not sure at this stage about any areas for improvement.
What is your primary use case for Oracle WebLogic Server?
The main purposes for which I use Oracle WebLogic Server is for enterprise deployment. It is an enterprise application deployment. I work with Cloud-Native support in Oracle WebLogic Server. We are...
 

Also Known As

WebSphere Application Server
WebLogic Application Server
 

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
Colab Consulting Pty. Ltd., Infosys Ltd., Sascar, Banca Transilvania, UL, Center for Railway Information Systems, SPAR Austria Group, Reliance Commercial Finance, Industrial Bank of Korea, Al Jaber Group, Safe Water Kenya, Chhattisgarh Infotech and Biotech Promotion Society
Find out what your peers are saying about IBM WebSphere Application Server vs. Oracle WebLogic Server and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.
881,082 professionals have used our research since 2012.