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HCL Domino vs Oracle Application Express (APEX) comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 17, 2024

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

HCL Domino
Ranking in Rapid Application Development Software
17th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
22
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Oracle Application Express ...
Ranking in Rapid Application Development Software
3rd
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
61
Ranking in other categories
Development Platforms (2nd), Low-Code Development Platforms (4th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2026, in the Rapid Application Development Software category, the mindshare of HCL Domino is 1.0%, up from 0.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Oracle Application Express (APEX) is 6.0%, down from 8.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Rapid Application Development Software Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Oracle Application Express (APEX)6.0%
HCL Domino1.0%
Other93.0%
Rapid Application Development Software
 

Featured Reviews

PB
Architect at a tech consulting company with 501-1,000 employees
Experience complete control and security in managing sensitive information and internal applications
One challenge I faced with HCL Domino was fully understanding its capabilities because initial use may lead to misconceptions based on simpler platforms. Exploring and comprehending what is possible takes time and effort, as understanding the full range of functionalities requires a mindset shift to leverage the platform's capabilities effectively. I believe HCL Domino is on a good improvement path, although a limitation is the lack of many service providers offering the platform, making initial setup more time-consuming for organizations without the expertise. If there were more subscription-based service providers available, it could enhance usability significantly, especially for organizations lacking the resources to install and configure systems.
Rodrigo-Mesquita - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Software developer at QV Systems
Rapid application development empowers big projects in months
The ability to quickly develop applications without needing to code a lot is very valuable. It is very quick to create a page, and one can use AI to speed up software development. It is easy to learn. In my company, we could develop a very big application in a couple of months.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"For workflow applications or general applications, the rapid development capability is what we value most."
"Domino's dual functionality as both a messaging and application solution is a standout feature compared to Exchange, which solely focuses on messaging."
"The full-text searching capabilities are great."
"The pricing is excellent."
"I find the HCL Domino server scalable."
"HCL Domino is the best product from a security point of view."
"It serves as a centralized solution that fulfills all my requirements from operating my email server to managing various aspects of my operations."
"We have been able to set up a portal using a special XPage application that gives our customers access to this system."
"This is a good application for quickly creating public applications."
"The most valuable features of Oracle Application Express (APEX) are the ease and speed of development. Instead of engaging a large team of middleware, front-end, and database engineers, we can have professional look at the front end and have the user interface up and running in a matter of days. However, if you want to go far and implement very custom features, it doesn't require a lot of knowledge of front-end development, such as HTML, JavaScript, or other aspects."
"We set up the HTTP server and installed the Apex Xamarin DB using the Mark Hill SQL packages for an older version. That's the extent of our configuration."
"It has a well-designed architecture and is a simple 3rd party application."
"It helps us create web pages quickly."
"The most valuable feature of Oracle APEX is its comprehensive set of features for creating user-friendly and visually appealing applications."
"The ability to quickly develop applications without needing to code a lot is very valuable."
"One of the most valuable features is the ability to build very fast data-driven UIs."
 

Cons

"An area for improvement in HCL Domino is security. New enhancements in the IT industry mean that security should be improved. The HCL Domino GUI also needs improvement."
"From the Domino side, it should support DKIM and DMARC."
"HCL Domino needs to be more user-friendly."
"The client version of this solution could be faster and be made simpler for non-IT users. You will need to have some knowledge of Notes to correctly install this solution."
"The solution could improve Kubernetes or Dockers migration to new environments in the cloud."
"For me, the one thing missing is a really good reporting engine."
"Scalability needs to be improved to be on the level that's required. Support could also be enhanced."
"It would be advantageous if the web server could seamlessly pick up configuration changes without the need for a complete restart."
"Connections to the application pages are not handled well and at times more than one user can be accessing an application with the same ID."
"There is one disadvantage. When facing problems, it can be difficult to find solutions online (Google/YouTube), unlike with Java coding, where solutions are readily available on Google."
"The solution has some stability problems that need to be resolved."
"The solution's layout could be improved for report generation to allow more configuration."
"In terms of improvement, there should be a greater focus on AI and machine learning tools in Oracle APEX."
"I've experienced some difficulties when using Oracle Application Express (APEX), particularly when I'm designing forms. For example, when I design a form, I add buttons and controls, but I'm unable to visualize how it'll look unless I run it. You want to design and do things your way, but if you don't have much experience, then you'll find that designing in Oracle Application Express (APEX) is a little complicated. This won't be a problem with anyone more experienced, though. If I wanted to create my design, for example, a different table format or some background images, it becomes a problem, and this is an area for improvement in Oracle Application Express (APEX). Designing should be easier, even for less experienced users. An additional feature I'd like to see in Oracle Application Express (APEX) is more plugins, particularly a repository that contains a lot of plugins, so you can go to that repository and download whichever you like and use it or add it to your project. Right now, I create my plugins, so it would be helpful if Oracle Application Express (APEX) has a repository of plugins people can use, download from anywhere in the world, and integrate into projects."
"The migration process is difficult in Oracle Application Express."
"It would be beneficial to include WebSockets so that you can see real-time updates."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"We chose to pay for our licensing fees annually."
"The pricing is subjective and contingent on the intended usage."
"I'd rate it a seven out of ten in terms of price."
"Customers have to pay for a license for the Notes Client, not for the Domino database. There is a quarter license that we use."
"It is less expensive compared to other vendors."
"The license for Domino is yearly. The price is high."
"HCL Domino is costly, but it still depends on how your organization views it price-wise."
"While I don't have precise pricing information at hand, my understanding is that it tends to be on the higher end."
"To my understanding, my organization is using the free version of Oracle Application Express (APEX), but I'm unsure because I haven't checked the pricing or licensing cost for it."
"The solution is free."
"Pricing is expensive, overall on an enterprise system but we consider that it gives corresponding value in the product."
"APEX itslelf is a free product, but you will need to license peripheral components."
"The product is completely free of cost."
"I do not think this would be an ideal option for a small sized company or a startup when considering the salary requirements for Oracle DBA'a and developers."
"The pricing is mid-range so is neither expensive nor cheap."
"Oracle Application Express (APEX) comes with Oracle. The Oracle price itself. I do not know the exact cost. Oracle is flexible on its price. If you overspend on your hardware, then I don't think you will overpay. I heard that Oracle is more expensive than other databases, but when you consider Oracle is the best traditional relational database out there. You get what you pay for."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Government
11%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Computer Software Company
10%
Retailer
6%
Government
12%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Comms Service Provider
9%
Computer Software Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business16
Midsize Enterprise3
Large Enterprise2
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business29
Midsize Enterprise10
Large Enterprise28
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about HCL Domino?
The most valuable features of the solution are security and integration.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for HCL Domino?
The Notes client is very expensive, costing around $105 per client. Overall, HCL Domino is a costly product.
What needs improvement with HCL Domino?
One challenge I faced with HCL Domino was fully understanding its capabilities because initial use may lead to misconceptions based on simpler platforms. Exploring and comprehending what is possibl...
What needs improvement with Oracle Application Express (APEX)?
I have only tried it with an Oracle database, not with other databases. For beginners, understanding the installation process can be challenging because documentation is limited. It is hard to unde...
 

Also Known As

IBM Lotus Domino, Lotus Domino
Oracle APEX
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

A1 Telekom, Acubiz, Afrisam, E. A. Juffali & Brothers, Fiducia & GAD, and Pakistan State Oil
Hepart AG, pharmasol, SATLOG, Collège Bois-de-Boulogne
Find out what your peers are saying about HCL Domino vs. Oracle Application Express (APEX) and other solutions. Updated: February 2026.
881,757 professionals have used our research since 2012.