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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 (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

"I find IBM support to be very nice."
"One of the most valuable features might be the stability of the IBM WebSphere Application Server."
"IBM WebSphere Application Server is the best in terms of scalability and performance, as well as the support for managing distributed transactions."
"Without the Admin Console it would be very hard to configure JVM settings, JDBC datasources, mail session settings, and security providers."
"The solution has good performance."
"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 VPN service is quite useful."
"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."
"I find JBoss to be lightweight and easier to manage compared to WebSphere."
"Since then, no problems have been experienced, and the platform has supported applications that require 24/7 availability and millions of transactions per second."
"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's configuration is straightforward and easy."
"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."
"Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform (EAP) has positively impacted my organization by minimizing the downtime of applications, which gives me respect from users."
"This open source Application server is a good choice for Enterprises using J2EE and gives much better value than Websphere and Weblogic."
"The product's initial setup phase is easy."
 

Cons

"The solution could improve the integration."
"Some things are very difficult to do, so the interface and usage could be more intuitive for those."
"Room for improvement would only be in the licensing. As with all IBM products the licensing can be complex and expensive."
"When compared with WebLogic, Weblogic is lighter and consumes less memory."
"The installation has room for improvement."
"The licensing could be improved, and I would like it to give the longevity of the lifespan of the visions. In the next release, I would like to be able to download and extract the files so that I can just use my application server."
"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."
"It should be able to serve more concurrent requests like Oracle. Oracle has more powerful stability, availability, and real-time serving."
"Level of customization is low as compared to other competitive products."
"The solution is a little complex in terms of implementation."
"I would like to see improved booting of applications altogether on one page to manage all data instances from one location, similar to an AWS console."
"It can have automation features."
"The documentation could be better. When we have questions, we need to check multiple websites. There isn't one place listing a set of common problems and how to fix them."
"The deployment of data sources could be improved."
"JBoss is not as reliable and stable as WebLogic."
"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."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"WebSphere Application Server is expensive, so it may not be a good option for small companies."
"The licensing policy is based on the PVU base."
"The pricing is a little expensive."
"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."
"IBM WAS base is part of the deal when you purchase IBM FileNet P8 Content Engine."
"The licensing cost is 1,000 of euros for a 30-year table."
"We pay around $200,000 annually."
"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."
"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."
"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."
"JBoss is an expensive solution."
"We pay for a maintenance license, but it is not expensive."
"Since the solution is freeware, our customers don't need to pay any licensing fees."
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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.