No more typing reviews! Try our Samantha, our new voice AI agent.

IBM WebSphere Application Server vs Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform (EAP) comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Feb 8, 2026

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 (4th)
Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Ap...
Ranking in Application Server
2nd
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
5.4
Number of Reviews
33
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2026, in the Application Server category, the mindshare of IBM WebSphere Application Server is 7.9%, down from 13.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform (EAP) is 10.6%, down from 17.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Application Server Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform (EAP)10.6%
IBM WebSphere Application Server7.9%
Other81.5%
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.
G Srivastava - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Cloud Engineer at a tech services company with 201-500 employees
Migration has reduced incidents and simplifies managing secure hybrid applications
Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform (EAP) can be improved, as there are changes with the Java version, transitioning from Java to Jakarta since the last JBoss 8 version. I had to make several changes across my server to align with these updates, which was a challenging task for me as it took time. Additionally, in terms of security, there are still some concerns with hacking on Java versions and Java ports, and the XML libraries should be more secure, maintaining consistency to facilitate smoother migrations between versions. My experience during migrations with Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform (EAP) was mainly smooth, but I encountered application-specific issues because some applications were not compatible with the new version. I had to roll back and troubleshoot these issues, reaching out to Red Hat for assistance, and they were instrumental in resolving those concerns.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"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 VPN service is quite useful."
"IBM WebSphere Application Server works well and fulfills all of the requirements that are demanded of it, so it is a product that I recommend."
"I find IBM support to be very nice."
"Once you deploy your application, it will be very stable with no issues at all."
"The technical support from IBM is very good and responsive."
"It has good stability of the application server in the long term compared to other solutions."
"Without the Admin Console it would be very hard to configure JVM settings, JDBC datasources, mail session settings, and security providers."
"JBoss has made it very easy to implement web applications."
"The solution is stable, you can scale the solution, and there's good documentation and a pretty good community surrounding the product."
"I find JBoss to be lightweight and easier to manage compared to WebSphere."
"We use JBoss mainly for application deployments and application servers."
"It is a Java-based product, so it is pretty straightforward. It is pretty easy from a developer's perspective. It is also pretty reliable and scalable."
"The stability is good. I would rate it a nine out of ten."
"JBoss is a scalable tool."
"My advice is that for anybody who is searching for a lightweight application or web server, JBoss is one of the options that I recommend."
 

Cons

"The main problem is the licensing cost of the product. The product can scale but the budget cannot."
"IBM needs to pay attention to market changes more quickly. We now have Java 9 and very soon Java EE8. We do not want to wait for two or three years after their release until they are supported by the new version."
"The solution consumes hardware."
"The future of IBM WebSphere Application Server remains uncertain since it's based on Java 1.8 and Java 7."
"Its price is a bit expensive. They should improve its price to compete with other applications that are out there, which we are also exploring."
"WebSphere Application Server doesn't have an automated deployment option, forcing us to use third-party tools like Jenkins UCD and Palo Automated Deployment."
"When compared with WebLogic, Weblogic is lighter and consumes less memory."
"The security could be better."
"The initial setup is a bit complex."
"I think documentation may need improvement for Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform (EAP)."
"The solution's pricing could be improved because it is not cheap."
"I would select seven because even though it has its advantages, it does lack some flexibility."
"The product could be cheaper."
"In my experience, Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform (EAP) is approximately ninety percent stable. However, I sometimes encounter issues where deployment fails after restart or JBoss restarts itself due to heap memory issues or configuration changes within the application, leading me to conclude it is ninety percent stable."
"In general, the support of the ERPC would be really good due to the fact that, so far, I have not seen it."
"There is not much ability inside of the solution. The world is going beyond different micro and data-type things like Microsoft Office, so we are not seeing much ability within the solution."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"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."
"There is an Eclipse Plugin provided by IBM, so no need to buy IBM Rational Application Developer or Rational Software Architect tools."
"IBM WAS base is part of the deal when you purchase IBM FileNet P8 Content Engine."
"We pay around $200,000 annually."
"The price of this product is higher than that of competitors."
"The solution is quite expensive."
"It's expensive."
"The price of IBM WebSphere Application Server could be less expensive and there is an annual license required for this solution."
"Since the solution is freeware, our customers don't need to pay any licensing fees."
"We pay for a maintenance license, but it is not expensive."
"Despite the price increase after being acquired by IBM, JBoss still maintains its competitiveness. The package provided is more geared towards cloud-based deployments, whereas our setup is more traditional, which makes it slightly more expensive for us. As most vendors are transitioning towards cloud-centric solutions, companies like ours need to adapt accordingly."
"I rate the product price as eight on a scale, where one means it is a very cheap solution, and ten points mean that it is a very expensive tool."
"The pricing of JBoss is more reasonable than that of WebLogic."
"The solution is cost-efficient compared to other products. Pricing is rated an eight out of ten."
"It is an open-source solution."
"There is no licensing cost. The solution is free to use."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Application Server solutions are best for your needs.
900,747 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
30%
Computer Software Company
8%
Insurance Company
6%
Manufacturing Company
5%
Financial Services Firm
25%
Government
9%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Computer Software Company
7%
 

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 Business11
Midsize Enterprise4
Large Enterprise21
 

Questions from the Community

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 primary use case for IBM WebSphere Application Server?
I was part of an application where I integrated IBM WebSphere Application Server with Node.js and Blue Prism. I did a lot of REST applications because at my core, I'm a developer. Currently, I'm an...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for JBoss?
Regarding pricing, setup cost, and licensing for Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform (EAP), I believe the licensing cost is somewhat higher. However, I expect this given that it is now un...
What needs improvement with JBoss?
Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform (EAP) can be improved, as there are changes with the Java version, transitioning from Java to Jakarta since the last JBoss 8 version. I had to make sev...
What is your primary use case for JBoss?
My main use case for Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform (EAP) is as an application server, and sometimes I have used it as a web server on a few servers as well. It provides great middle...
 

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
Tata Sky, Nissan, Swedish Board of Agriculture, Novamedia, American Product Distributors, Advanced Micro Devices, Emirates Group, E*TRADE
Find out what your peers are saying about IBM WebSphere Application Server vs. Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform (EAP) and other solutions. Updated: June 2026.
900,747 professionals have used our research since 2012.