Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users

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 (3rd)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2025, in the Rapid Application Development Software category, the mindshare of HCL Domino is 0.7%, up from 0.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Oracle Application Express (APEX) is 7.3%, down from 8.8% 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)7.3%
HCL Domino0.7%
Other92.0%
Rapid Application Development Software
 

Featured Reviews

Jason Levine - PeerSpot reviewer
A tool that offers great security and integration capabilities
The solution facilitates our company's workflow automation needs since it is a platform that allows users to build whatever workflows they want. The product is used for application development in our organization for our customers, as we operate as consultants. The features of the product that I found to be beneficial for the productivity of my company's team stems from the fact that it can be integrated directly into HCL Notes email so that you can manage your workflows there, and you don't have to change contacts a go to a separate application to deal with a document approval process since it can be done directly from emails. HCL Domino is one of the leading products in the industry, so it is definitely ahead of the other tools in the market. In our company, some departments use HCL Domino for emails rather than other solutions because it is more secure. The tool has an impact on the management of sensitive data in our company. My only suggestion to those who plan to use HCL Domino is that they should not be daunted by the old UI it offers. The collaboration tool of HCL Domino has affected the internal communication processes in our organization. The collaboration tool of HCL Domino is something that the solution has been offering from the time it was introduced in the market as an expensive product. The impact or value on our company from the use of the product can be proven by the fact that with the solution, it is possible to automate processes or workflows while ensuring that there is consistency, lack of human errors, and efficiency. Earlier, I would have rated the tool eight out of ten. Presently, considering the increase in the number of integrations that the product allows and its movement to meet industry standards, I rate the overall tool a nine out of ten.
Rodrigo-Mesquita - PeerSpot reviewer
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

"I like that HCL Domino is stable. It's a great product. I also like that HCL Domino is a mature product under IBM, which is why many companies use it."
"One valuable feature of HCL Domino is its integration with other directories."
"The full-text searching capabilities are great."
"HCL Domino is cost-effective because it serves as a complete platform with a web server, app server, and IT management system, eliminating the need for multiple platforms and complex integrations."
"The DAOS feature is the most valuable. It helps to save some of my storage."
"Domino's dual functionality as both a messaging and application solution is a standout feature compared to Exchange, which solely focuses on messaging."
"HCL Domino is the best product from a security point of view."
"I find the HCL Domino server scalable."
"Oracle APEX is very easy to use and comes with a lot of ready-made components that speed up the process of creating reports and dashboards."
"I like the way that it automatically goes into the spreadsheets and the users can deal with it."
"One of the most valuable features is that we can develop everything locally and deploy it for different kinds of operators in different locations, so we can do our job in one piece. The benefit of that is that others can use these applications. They connect to the internet to do these kinds of applications based on the permissions for those users."
"The database is super easy to use for creating tables."
"The most valuable feature of Oracle APEX is its comprehensive set of features for creating user-friendly and visually appealing applications."
"The solution's most valuable aspect is its Graphics Form Design."
"Personally, I would say that Oracle Application Express (APEX) is a powerful tool...Stability-wise, I rate the solution a nine out of ten."
"The most valuable applications within the organization are primarily data forms and extended reports."
 

Cons

"Scalability is also an issue. We have problems with large databases."
"From the Domino side, it should support DKIM and DMARC."
"The solution is expensive."
"It would be advantageous if the web server could seamlessly pick up configuration changes without the need for a complete restart."
"HCL Domino could have a better interface."
"Many people are not very happy with its speed."
"HCL Domino needs to be more user-friendly."
"Designing a new template could provide a refreshed visual experience for users without significant changes to the underlying functionality."
"The user interface needs to be improved. It should be more user-friendly."
"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."
"The grid reports contain a lot of bugs."
"Oracle is more of a database-oriented solution and is not very flexible in app development."
"In terms of improvement, there should be a greater focus on AI and machine learning tools in Oracle APEX."
"You also need an APEX specialist for deployment because not many people use it."
"It has been reported that the technology is very hard to learn, and the service is expensive."
"Apex has effectively incorporated new market trends into its features. The platform's user-friendly nature is notable, guiding developers through the development process. While advanced customization of the user interface with HTML and CSS is possible, the out-of-the-box options often suffice, providing 80-90% of the required functionality. The IDE is commendable, yet an enhancement in the Page Designer to allow a real-time preview of layout changes would be beneficial. Currently, running the page is necessary to visualize layout adjustments, but an immediate preview during the design phase would be a valuable improvement."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Customers have to pay for a license for the Notes Client, not for the Domino database. There is a quarter license that we use."
"The pricing is individually determined. For us, in our current deployment, we pay $12.50 Canadian per month per user."
"We're happy with the price of our license — it's pretty standard."
"Price is reasonable compared to the other solutions."
"HCL Domino's pricing depends on the number of users, but its license is not cheap."
"For 30 licenses, we pay $1,500 every year. It is not an expensive product."
"While I don't have precise pricing information at hand, my understanding is that it tends to be on the higher end."
"I'd rate it a seven out of ten in terms of price."
"When you have a licensed database in an Oracle environment, APEX is free."
"The tool is free with the Oracle Database license."
"Oracle Express comes with the Oracle license, it is a bundle."
"I would rate it around an eight in terms of price, with one being low and ten being high."
"It is expensive, but I don't know what the licensing cost is."
"The solution is moderately priced, where it is neither cheap nor expensive."
"The tool is not expensive."
"Apex is not priced separately; instead, it is associated with the Oracle database. A free option for Oracle database and Apex can be downloaded and installed on this complimentary database version. This aligns with our current approach."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Rapid Application Development Software solutions are best for your needs.
872,869 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
12%
Government
10%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Construction Company
7%
Government
12%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Computer Software Company
9%
Comms Service Provider
8%
 

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 is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Oracle Application Express (APEX)?
I consider Oracle Application Express (APEX) to be good value for the money because it has infinite quality for money since it's included in any Oracle database license. It's free once you have the...
What needs improvement with Oracle Application Express (APEX)?
One of the things that could be done to improve Oracle Application Express (APEX) is if Oracle decided to open it up to other databases. It needs to be an enterprise database; therefore, it needs t...
 

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: September 2025.
872,869 professionals have used our research since 2012.