Honeycomb Enterprise vs IBM Application Performance Management comparison

Honeycomb.io and IBM are both solutions in the Application Performance Monitoring (APM) and Observability category. Honeycomb.io is ranked #27 with an average rating of 8.0, while IBM is ranked #54. Honeycomb.io holds a 1.3% mindshare in APM, compared to IBM’s 0.6% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Honeycomb.io users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 62% of IBM users who would recommend it.

Honeycomb Enterprise

Read 3 Honeycomb Enterprise reviews

2,750 Views
2,393 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

IBM Application Performance...

Read 7 IBM Application Performance Management reviews

1,064 Views
1,043 Comparison Views

62% willing to recommend

Honeycomb Enterprise

IBM Application Performance...

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 2, 2025

IBM Application Performance Management and Honeycomb Enterprise are competing in the application performance monitoring category. Honeycomb Enterprise appears to have an edge due to its comprehensive set of features and advanced analytical capabilities, surpassing IBM's strengths in traditional monitoring.

Features: IBM Application Performance Management provides robust diagnostic tools, integration with existing IBM platforms, and established infrastructure support. Honeycomb Enterprise offers real-time analytics, advanced anomaly detection, and detailed data visualization, enabling powerful insights sought by customers needing in-depth analysis.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: IBM Application Performance Management is integrated with IBM ecosystems, allowing faster deployment and backed by established customer support channels. Honeycomb Enterprise offers flexible deployment options and responsive customer support tailored to individual needs, highlighting its customized approach to client interaction.

Pricing and ROI: IBM offers competitive pricing models, ideal for businesses already invested in IBM’s ecosystem, providing good returns. Honeycomb Enterprise requires a higher initial setup cost yet promises a strong return on investment due to its superior features. For businesses prioritizing cutting-edge performance insights, Honeycomb's value in advanced features presents a more favorable long-term business case.

To learn more, read our detailed Honeycomb Enterprise vs. IBM Application Performance Management Report (Updated: December 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Honeycomb Enterprise vs. IBM Application Performance Management

December 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

Honeycomb Enterprise

Ranking in Application Performance Monitoring (APM) and Observability

27th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

5.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

AI Code Assistants (11th), AI Observability (75th)

IBM Application Performance...

Ranking in Application Performance Monitoring (APM) and Observability

54th

Average Rating

6.4

Reviews Sentiment

5.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Application Performance Monitoring (APM) and Observability category, the mindshare of Honeycomb Enterprise is 1.3%, down from 1.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IBM Application Performance Management is 0.6%, up from 0.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Application Performance Monitoring (APM) and Observability Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Honeycomb Enterprise	1.3%
IBM Application Performance Management	0.6%
Other	98.1%

Application Performance Monitoring (APM) and Observability

Featured Reviews

meetharoon

CEO at a computer software company with 10,001+ employees

Its pattern-matching and code transformation capabilities can be adapted for mass identification and remediation of vulnerable libraries

I asked very specific questions to Mr. Pell about consideration of code security scenarios in pattern design and rules, specifically that tuned with OWASP Top 10. I believe addition of code security focus can be a value-add, though the way Grit architecture is designed and how it works, it is and may not become an alternative choice of code security solutions. Rather, it must be treated as a powerful supplementary tool that augments the existing code security solutions (such as Snyk or Checkmarx) in a DevSecOps or Secure DevOps environment. Anyone interested in learning more on this front or have queries, can get in touch with me for a consulting.

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Daniel Tamiru

Manager, Database & System Administration at Awash International Bank

A multi-functional solution but has poor stability and performance-related issues

We are using version 4 of IBM Application Performance Management, and it is deployed on-premises. We use it for internet banking and mainly for application performance on-site. For example, if we face performance-related issues in one of our software or managed services, we use this solution to…

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The solution's initial setup process was straightforward since we were getting enough support from Honeycomb.io's team."

"The solution's most valuable features are the queries for the OpenTelemetry events and all the tracing."

"The approach offers significant benefits in terms of efficiency, consistency, and proactive security management, particularly valuable for organizations with large, distributed development teams."

"It's easy to use."

"The initial setup was straightforward and took minimal effort."

"The transaction tracking feature from IBM is the most important feature for us. It is something that provides a terrific value for us and our clients. It has a lot of data sources and agents that are collectors. It is also stable."

"I would rate the scalability an eight out of ten."

"The most valuable feature is the breakdown that it provides, such as a description of the fields for a particular transaction."

"IBM Application Performance Management helped us increased our response time by 80% and cost 60% less."

"Because we have partnerships with other partners, I can share a bit about what I've noticed with IBM APM compared to other vendor solutions. Specifically, with IBM, the visibility into detailed process information is more tangible. On the OS level, APM displays all processes (or the top 10 processes) that are consuming CPU or resident memory. This is the most important thing that is not always available with other vendors."

Cons

"The process of log scraping gets delayed on Honeycomb.io. At times, it gives false alerts to the application team."

"We can make alerts based on static numbers, which may block us from building alerts that could be generic enough or could be serviced."

"The way Grit architecture is designed and how it works, it is and may not become an alternative choice of code security solutions."

"The stability is not great and should be better."

"The demo that was provided to us is not working very well. At times, there are errors."

"Technical support can be slow and needs improvement."

"Its web user interface is a little bit old in comparison to other solutions, such as New Relic, and it should be improved. Its scalability and technical support should also be improved. Currently, it is scalable, but only in a vertical way. They provide good technical support, but the initial steps for a new case can be improved to fasten the resolution process."

"With APM, we noticed that the agent can cause a lot of issues for the application, making the agent very unreliable. Many issues are happening, and we've had to discuss it with support to try and get a fix. It affects application availability, and sometimes actions fail because of the agent, degrading the performance of the application."

"They should focus on potentially enhancing the dashboard to make it more contemporary and adding some customization options. Furthermore, there might be room for improvement in the pricing policy."

"It's still missing some platforms. For example, if you look to applications itself, it is missing the interface."

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available

"The licensing fees can be paid every six months or on a yearly basis."

"IBM APM is one of the cheaper products on the market, while everything necessary to get started is included in the license."

"As I previously indicated, I initiated the IBM and uncovered all its elements. Consequently, I'm not inclined towards a licensing approach."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

17%

Financial Services Firm

12%

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Financial Services Firm

21%

Retailer

14%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Healthcare Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	6
Midsize Enterprise	1
Large Enterprise	2

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with Honeycomb.io?

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Honeycomb.io?

Although Grit is a tool code code migration and management of technical debt for large chunks of work, we reviewed Grit from the use case of assisting in faster remediation of vulnerable libraries....

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering Honeycomb.io?

We set up Honeycomb.io on all the services so that we can have all the set traces of the communication between all the services inside the company. This helps us understand where it could be failin...

See all answers

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Compared 6% of the time

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Compared 10% of the time

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Compared 9% of the time

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Compared 9% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Application Performance Monitoring (APM) and Observability

January 2026

Download Honeycomb Enterprise product report

Buyer's Guide

Application Performance Monitoring (APM) and Observability

January 2026

IBM Application Performance Management report

Download IBM Application Performance Management product report

Also Known As

Grit

IBM APM

Overview

Honeycomb Enterprise is designed to optimize performance visibility, offering a robust platform for distributed system observability. It provides insights for complex data and aids in faster issue resolution, making it a valuable tool for IT professionals.

This tool is tailored for real-time data tracking and improving system performance efficiency. Enterprises benefit from its capacity to handle large-scale data, ensuring seamless operations and continuity. Honeycomb Enterprise helps teams to tackle data challenges head-on by delivering comprehensive analytics that enhance infrastructure reliability and performance metrics.

What Features Make Honeycomb Enterprise Stand Out?

High-Resolution Visibility: Enables detailed system monitoring to identify issues quickly.
Trace Analysis: Offers powerful tracing of distributed systems for in-depth insights.
Data Scalability: Manages extensive data sets effortlessly for better decision-making.
Real-Time Alerts: Provides instant alerts to preempt potential disruptions.
Collaboration Tools: Facilitates teamwork with integrated tools enhancing productivity.

What Benefits and ROI Can Users Expect?

Reduced Downtime: Faster detection and resolution of issues minimizes operational interruptions.
Cost Efficiency: Optimizes resources leading to lower operational costs.
Improved Decision Making: Enhanced data analytics lead to smarter business strategies.
Enhanced Productivity: Streamlined processes improve team efficiency and output quality.

In industries like finance, e-commerce, and technology, Honeycomb Enterprise implementations demonstrate its utility in managing complex data flows and optimizing system reliability. Businesses in these sectors leverage its capabilities to maintain high service standards and operational efficiency.

Honeycomb.io

The IBM Application Performance Management portfolio provides visibility, control and automation of your mission-critical applications. It helps pinpoint the root cause of application's issue more quickly and resolve the problem. The integrated capabilities cover the five key areas: discovery, end-use experience, transaction tracking, enterprise diagnostics and analytics. It also easily monitors applications to ensure optimal performance to extend your hybrid management environment capabilities, to measure the customer experience from multiple locations and to further eliminate blind spots in your application environment.

IBM

Sample Customers

Clover Health, Eaze, Intercom, Fender

Mibtree, EatDrinkDeals.com, IT Performance Advisor

Buyer's Guide

Honeycomb Enterprise vs. IBM Application Performance Management

December 2025

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