Exasol Data Warehouse vs IBM Db2 Database comparison

Exasol and IBM are both solutions in the Relational Databases Tools category. Exasol is ranked #24 with an average rating of 8.5, while IBM is ranked #6 with an average rating of 8.3. Exasol holds a 0.7% mindshare in SQL, compared to IBM’s 7.4% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Exasol users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 90% of IBM users who would recommend it.

Exasol Data Warehouse

Read 8 Exasol Data Warehouse reviews

444 Views
117 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

IBM Db2 Database

Read 74 IBM Db2 Database reviews

5,504 Views
2,309 Comparison Views

90% willing to recommend

Exasol Data Warehouse

IBM Db2 Database

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 4, 2025

IBM Db2 Database and Exasol Data Warehouse compete in the database management market, serving different needs. IBM Db2 shows strength with its comprehensive enterprise features, making it suitable for large organizations, while Exasol prioritizes speed, appealing to those needing rapid analytics.

Features: IBM Db2 Database includes comprehensive data security, integration with other IBM services, and strong support for SQL and NoSQL. Exasol Data Warehouse offers high-performance analytics, in-memory processing, and scalability for large data volumes.

Room for Improvement: IBM Db2 could enhance its user interface and simplify deployment processes. Improving documentation accessibility and offering more out-of-the-box analytics tools would also benefit its users. Exasol may improve in providing stronger enterprise-level support, developing more robust data integration capabilities, and expanding its cloud service offerings.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: IBM Db2 Database supports traditional deployment with thorough documentation and extensive enterprise-level support services. Exasol focuses on rapid deployment with an agile process, offering effective support for smooth and simple implementations.

Pricing and ROI: IBM Db2 Database pricing aligns with its wide-ranging enterprise features and infrastructure, providing value through robust support. Exasol offers competitive pricing aimed at excellent cost-performance for businesses needing fast analytics, focusing on maximizing ROI with high-performance capabilities.

To learn more, read our detailed Exasol Data Warehouse vs. IBM Db2 Database Report (Updated: June 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Exasol Data Warehouse vs. IBM Db2 Database

June 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

Exasol Data Warehouse

Ranking in Relational Databases Tools

24th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

IBM Db2 Database

Ranking in Relational Databases Tools

6th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2025, in the Relational Databases Tools category, the mindshare of Exasol Data Warehouse is 0.7%, up from 0.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IBM Db2 Database is 7.4%, up from 6.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Relational Databases Tools

Featured Reviews

Shubham-Agarwal

Manager - Projects at Cognizant

Fast query processing and easy-to-store all the data

There are very few companies that are using Exasol, but the majority of companies are using SQL Server, Cloud or IBM Db2 Database, or any other databases. Therefore, the resources are limited, which is my only concern. So if I face any issues, limited resources are available to help me resolve the issue with Exasol. From that perspective, it can be a bit of a struggle for me to find a solution. In the next release, I would like to see better compatibility issues. Currently, Exasol has limited compatibility with other software like Python and R. For example, If I talk about SQL Server, we can connect it to big data or Python, which is also compatible with different servers.

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ArpitKhare

Database Admin Senior Consultant at Capgemini

Offers optimizer plan and ALSM features along with exceptional stability

The TSA version of IBM Db2 Database doesn't meet my stability expectations. Every time when a switch over occurs, some stability issues can be noticed. The vendor should offer a free version of IBM Db2 Database. For instance, if our company wants to train new individuals on all the features of IBM Db2 Database, they can only be trained after purchasing the paid version of the solution. About ten years ago, a trial version was available for the solution that was highly beneficial for companies. The vendor can add AI or ML features in the future version of IBM Db2 Database.

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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

"Performance is a top priority, and it excels in this aspect."

"We mainly chose Exasol for its performance reasons."

"The most valuable feature of Exasol is its speed."

"The speed is very good compared to other databases, like SQL Server or Oracle."

"We can quickly scale the solution as it works on an MPP system."

"Its speed is great."

"The solution is hands-off; you set it up insert your data and it self tunes queries."

"It is easy to scale."

"The most valuable feature of the solution is its compatibility with IBM Power Systems."

"The stability of IBM Db2 Database is stable. We have not faced any downtime in one year. Our work is mostly during business hours and during that time, we haven't faced any downtime."

"It has a good, stable performance."

"It is a scalable solution."

"Db2 database scalability and performance capabilities match our database needs. It covers pretty much everything a database administrator or engineer might need."

"Db2 Database has given us good results since we have started to use it. We predominantly use IBM hardware, and this is one of the reasons why we started to use Db2 Database. Db2 Database has a very good HADR capability. High availability resilience is also good in this solution. It also has pureScale, which allows you to upgrade one node to get very good and high-level resilience. If you are using a database on five nodes, you can take one node down, upgrade that, and let that node up. You can then bring the second node down, upgrade that, and so on."

"The self-management and optimization features are probably the best on the market"

"The most valuable feature of IBM Db2 Database is its ability to perform automatic self-management, reducing the need for manual tasks such as managing logs and folders."

More IBM Db2 Database pros

Cons

"It would be beneficial if the updates would occur more often."

"You have to install Exasol drivers, and it's not easy to find or implement a driver into different systems."

"There are limited resources available to help me resolve the issue with Exasol."

"They should improve the security features for MPP processing."

"Lacks a cloud-based platform."

"The only area where we found it could improve was in custom role creation and security, and it was difficult to work with."

"It's not cloud-native so many maintenance operations require downtime."

"They don't talk very well to with other products when it comes to connectivity. Integration is lacking."

"The initial setup could be improved."

"The management of Db2 should be simplified because there are not too many specialists in this area, and the learning curve of Db2 specialists is very long. After the courses, probably it takes one and a half or two years to get to the point when you are using the product properly in the production systems. So, the complexity is very high, and the most important thing is to simplify the management of the product, including self-maintenance. They should simplify the installation, management, and monitoring to simplify the product. It takes too long for a person to be a specialist in this product."

"The technical support team is not very good when compared to the efficiency of Oracle's support."

"IBM's products tend to be quite costly, especially given the availability of free, open-source alternatives."

"There are some issues with Db2's database file system not being readable. The storage could also be increased, and the monitoring could be improved."

"Some of the internal rearrangement in the administration is not as straightforward as it is in competing products."

"Their view of it is they're maintaining it, they're continuing to upgrade it, they're continuing to grow it, however, they don't go out and try and sell that as an architectural solution the way they do Linux and Unix."

"We just want a bit more integration with Linux. That said, we are already seeing Linux more readily available on the mainframe environment."

More IBM Db2 Database cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution's cost is mid-ranged."

"Compared to Oracle, it is so much cheaper."

"I rate the price of the IBM Db2 Database an eight out of ten."

"It is expensive when compared to other products."

"We did not buy it. It came with our hardware without any complimentary maintenance. If I compare Db2 Database with Oracle Database, its price is lower than Oracle Database."

"Compared to other databases, Db2 is relatively cheaper."

"I would rate the pricing a five out of ten. It's not super expensive, but also not cheap."

"I think that everyone knows that with IBM the standard price is higher than the others."

"It is expensive."

More IBM Db2 Database pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Retailer

19%

Logistics Company

Computer Software Company

Financial Services Firm

Educational Organization

37%

Financial Services Firm

13%

Computer Software Company

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Exasol?

The most valuable feature of Exasol is its speed.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Exasol?

You have to use upper-column names in Exasol, which is strange. You have to install Exasol drivers, and it's not easy to find or implement a driver into different systems.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Exasol?

We implemented our data problem issues from Tableau. We inserted the data into the Exasol database in order to run 10 to 20 reports from Tableau. This was just a small but problematic report for us.

See all answers

What do you like most about IBM Db2 Database?

Db2 database scalability and performance capabilities match our database needs. It covers pretty much everything a database administrator or engineer might need.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IBM Db2 Database?

IBM Db2 is an expensive solution. While I am not heavily involved with pricing, additional companies provide capabilities or products like those from BMC, which many installations might also purchase.

See all answers

What needs improvement with IBM Db2 Database?

IBM is implementing some release improvements. It might be slightly slower than other database vendors, but it works well since banks typically do not move quickly with leading-edge technology.

See all answers

Comparisons

SQL Server vs Exasol Data Warehouse

Compared 20% of the time

SAP HANA vs Exasol Data Warehouse

Compared 18% of the time

Oracle Database vs Exasol Data Warehouse

Compared 14% of the time

MySQL vs Exasol Data Warehouse

Compared 13% of the time

Teradata vs Exasol Data Warehouse

Compared 11% of the time

More Exasol Data Warehouse Competitors

SQL Server vs IBM Db2 Database

Compared 33% of the time

Oracle Database vs IBM Db2 Database

Compared 18% of the time

SAP HANA vs IBM Db2 Database

Compared 15% of the time

Teradata vs IBM Db2 Database

Compared 13% of the time

MySQL vs IBM Db2 Database

Compared 5% of the time

More IBM Db2 Database Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Exasol Data Warehouse

June 2025

Download Exasol Data Warehouse product report

Buyer's Guide

IBM Db2 Database

June 2025

Download IBM Db2 Database product report

Also Known As

No data available

DB2

Overview

Exasol is a high-performance data warehouse solution that accelerates BI and reporting features. Its speed, stability, and self-tuning queries make it valuable, and it doesn't require a database administrator. It's a backend database for Tableau dashboards, resulting in faster report loading times and increased efficiency in querying data.

Exasol's high performance allows users to connect insights and fire queries instead of looking at cached dashboards. It has impressive aggregation capabilities that help calculate metrics on the fly based on user-selected filters.

Exasol

DB2 Enterprise for Linux, UNIX, and Windows is the ideal data server for the most demanding workloads. New XML support is designed to help firms minimize the time and effort it takes to persist and use their XML data reducing development costs and improving business agility.

IBM

Sample Customers

1&1 Internet SE 11880 Internet Services AG AB Svenska Spel Accarda AG Aera Technology Inc. AGRAVIS Raiffeisen AG Apotheken-Rechen-Zentrum GmbH AQR Capital Management, LLC arvato distribution GmbH ARZ Allgemeines Rechenzentrum GmbH Badoo Limited Baur Versand (GmbH & Co. KG) BIScience Ltd Blocket Blue Yonder GmbH Codilink UK Ltd T/A Coniq crealytics GmbH dailyme TV GmbH Dailymotion S.A. Dataforce Verlagsgesellschaft für Business Information mbH Deutsche Postbank AG Digitales Rezept Zentrum GmbH DIKW Groep direct services Gütersloh GmbH DR Technologies Ltd. dress-for-less GmbH econda GmbH emetriq GmbH empiriecom GmbH & Co. KG Flaconi GmbH Fresenius Netcare GmbH Fyber GmbH GfK SE Grant Street Group, Inc. Gruner + Jahr GmbH Gymshark UK Hahn Air Lines GmbH Hermes Einrichtungs Service GmbH & Co. KG INNOVATIVE SCHEDULING, LLC internetstores GmbH INTERSPORT Deutschland eG IQVIA Commercial GmbH & Co. OHG IQVIA Commercial Sp. z o.o. IQVIA Incorporated iVantage Health Analytics K - Mail Order GmbH & Co. KG LIQ CORP SA Manor AG Basel Match2Lists Limited MEDION AG Midasplayer AB Monsoon Accessorize Limited m-pathy GmbH msales Ltd. MTG Modern Services AB MW Aviation GmbH & Co. KG Myntra Designs Pvt Ltd Netzeffekt GmbH New Company Services Ltd. NOVENTI HealthCare GmbH Olympus Europa SE & Co. KG Operation Fistula OpsDataStore OTTO (GmbH & Co KG) Panda Retail Co. PAPSTAR GmbH Piedmont Healthcare, Inc. Questback GmbH RatePAY GmbH Revolut Ltd. Saarland-Sporttoto GmbH Sagarmatha Ltd. SIA Damara Technologies Supermärkte Nord Vertriebs GmbH & Co. KG The National Research Center for College & University Admissions, Inc. United Utilities Water Ltd. Verlag C.H. Beck oHG Vocal Planet Ltd. Vodafone Group Services GmbH Webtrekk GmbH wer liefert was? GmbH Windeln.de SE Wooga GmbH XING SE Zalando SE

Knorr-Bremse, Mizuho Bank Ltd., Australian Government Department of Defence, SCHWENK Zement, Friedhelm Loh Group, YAZAKI Europe Limited, Ekornes ASA, Baldor Electric, VSN Systemen BV, Lion Brewery (Ceylon) PLC, PLANSEE Group, TE Connectivity, Hansgrohe SE, Openmatics, University of Toronto

Buyer's Guide

Exasol Data Warehouse vs. IBM Db2 Database

June 2025

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