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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 (3rd)
Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Ap...
Ranking in Application Server
2nd
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
5.2
Number of Reviews
32
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2026, in the Application Server category, the mindshare of IBM WebSphere Application Server is 8.7%, down from 12.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform (EAP) is 12.8%, down from 18.1% 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)12.8%
IBM WebSphere Application Server8.7%
Other78.5%
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.
reviewer2788512 - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Software Engineer at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
Rapid deployments have streamlined containerized web apps but support response still needs improvement
The best features Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform (EAP) offers are its integration into AWS services, which is very helpful in containerization and application of Kubernetes specifically, and its user interface is very easy to use; we can deploy WAR files within stipulated time and also schedule deployments at a particular time, and it is easy to run the pipelines and integrate it with Jenkins. The most valuable feature for my team is containerization and Jenkins integration because Jenkins integration helps us eradicate code smells and build pipeline reports, and it also supports continuous CI/CD pipelining, while this orchestration aids in a microservice architecture where we will be using different types for it. Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform (EAP) has positively impacted my organization by helping in quickly making web Spring Boot applications and Java-based applications, and it is very easy to adapt and learn, plus it is open source with nominal and affordable subscription plans.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The solution has good performance."
"The performance is good."
"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."
"IBM WebSphere Application Server is easy to use."
"The VPN service is quite useful."
"The thing about WebSphere, as opposed to other ones that I am aware of such as JBoss and Liberty, is that WebSphere has the most comprehensive scaffolding available to it."
"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."
"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."
"It is a very cost-effective, efficient way of deploying and managing Java applications."
"The solution's technical support is good."
"We use JBoss mainly for application deployments and application servers."
"We can deploy the applications on the JBoss server, so it is easy to manage. It's also easy to add new certificates to the config."
"JBoss is more flexible and keeps up with modern technologies, supporting newer versions of different libraries."
"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."
"JBoss's configuration is straightforward and easy."
"The solution has flexibility and stability."
 

Cons

"Some things are very difficult to do, so the interface and usage could be more intuitive for those."
"The installation has room for improvement."
"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."
"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 footprint could be reduced so that we can use a smaller virtual machine to run the application. We could also use more scripts. I would like this solution to be more script oriented, rather than GUI oriented."
"I think that this is a good product but I think that the cloud environment could be improved. I think that the future is in the utilization of the product in a product as a service way which is something that is lacking at this moment."
"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."
"They should make the solution more lightweight and not bundle everything into a single product."
"I think documentation may need improvement for Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform (EAP)."
"Making it lighter and more modular would probably be beneficial."
"The tool's documentation could be improved to explain its usage and functionalities clearly. Having accessible documentation would save time for leaders like me when juniors seek information about it. The documentation should be self-explanatory and guide users on how to utilize the tool."
"It would be great if the product came with a feature where the remarks made on the board can be saved on an individual's laptop to make it more user-friendly."
"The price could be improved. Customers don't want to buy the license easily."
"Level of customization is low as compared to other competitive products."
"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."
"You cannot compare Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform (EAP) with WebSphere, for example, or with WebLogic, but from a peace of mind, it is fine."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is very expensive."
"The price of IBM WebSphere Application Server could be less expensive and there is an annual license required for this solution."
"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 licensing cost is 1,000 of euros for a 30-year table."
"The licensing policy is based on the PVU base."
"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."
"The price of this product is higher than that of competitors."
"It is an open-source solution."
"The pricing of JBoss is more reasonable than that of WebLogic."
"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."
"JBoss is an expensive solution."
"Since the solution is freeware, our customers don't need to pay any licensing fees."
"The solution is cost-efficient compared to other products. Pricing is rated an eight out of ten."
"There is no licensing cost. The solution is free to use."
"We pay for a maintenance license, but it is not expensive."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
32%
Computer Software Company
9%
Insurance Company
7%
Government
6%
Financial Services Firm
27%
Government
10%
Computer Software Company
8%
Manufacturing 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 Enterprise2
Large Enterprise20
 

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 do you like most about JBoss?
The product's initial setup phase is easy.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for JBoss?
The experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing was nominal, and with the right guidance, it could have saved a few more bucks. We can say that if we are charging around 0.75 cents per hour ...
What needs improvement with JBoss?
I think documentation may need improvement for Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform (EAP). Additionally, the support feature can be improved.
 

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: March 2026.
884,873 professionals have used our research since 2012.