IBM DataPower Gateway vs Windows Server AppFabric comparison

IBM and Microsoft are both solutions in the Application Infrastructure category. IBM is ranked #7 with an average rating of 8.2, while Microsoft is ranked #13 with an average rating of 8.7. IBM holds a 3.3% mindshare in AIS, compared to Microsoft’s 2.2% mindshare. Additionally, 96% of IBM users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Microsoft users who would recommend it.

IBM DataPower Gateway

Read 31 IBM DataPower Gateway reviews

5,122 Views
615 Comparison Views

96% willing to recommend

Windows Server AppFabric

Read 5 Windows Server AppFabric reviews

558 Views
552 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

IBM DataPower Gateway

Windows Server AppFabric

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 5, 2025

IBM DataPower Gateway and Windows Server AppFabric are competing products in the enterprise middleware solutions area. IBM DataPower Gateway takes the upper hand due to its superior security and integration capabilities, although Windows Server AppFabric offers better value for development tools.

Features: IBM DataPower Gateway includes robust integration, advanced data processing, and traffic management capabilities, catering to complex enterprise environments. Windows Server AppFabric offers effective caching, session management, and workflow hosting capabilities, streamlining application development.

Room for Improvement: IBM DataPower Gateway could improve its ease of use and reduce complexity in setup. Enhancements in user interface intuitiveness and a reduction in resource consumption during operations are desired. Windows Server AppFabric could enhance security measures and introduce more sophisticated integration options. Improvements in scalability and supporting more advanced data processing functions are also needed.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: IBM DataPower Gateway provides extensive deployment options but is noted for its complexity impacting setup time. It offers detailed technical support for enterprises with complex needs. Windows Server AppFabric is praised for its ease of setup and straightforward deployment process, backed by reliable customer service for a smoother experience.

Pricing and ROI: IBM DataPower Gateway involves higher upfront costs due to its comprehensive features, with justified ROI in environments needing extensive security. Windows Server AppFabric presents a cost-effective solution with lower initial expenses, offering favorable long-term ROI for businesses focusing on application development. Its pricing model is attractive for small to medium-sized enterprises.

To learn more, read our detailed IBM DataPower Gateway vs. Windows Server AppFabric Report (Updated: December 2025).

Buyer's Guide

IBM DataPower Gateway vs. Windows Server AppFabric

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

IBM DataPower Gateway

Ranking in Application Infrastructure

7th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

6.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Enterprise Service Bus (ESB) (5th), SOA Application Gateways (1st), API Management (11th)

Windows Server AppFabric

Ranking in Application Infrastructure

13th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

6.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Application Infrastructure category, the mindshare of IBM DataPower Gateway is 3.3%, down from 4.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Windows Server AppFabric is 2.2%, up from 0.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Application Infrastructure Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
IBM DataPower Gateway	3.3%
Windows Server AppFabric	2.2%
Other	94.5%

Application Infrastructure

Featured Reviews

AkshaySawant

Manager at CSB Bank Ltd

Security features excel but development limitations emerge

We are using the IBM DataPower Gateway for security purposes. As per the development perspective, there are some limitations with IBM DataPower Gateway because it only supports XML and XSLT language, but it does not support the Java language. This is the only limitation of the IBM DataPower Gateway. For the authentication and authorization purpose, we can use the IBM DataPower Gateway. It's a very good product. We are mostly using the IBM DataPower Gateway for security purposes and load balancing purposes. If we are handling the load for a particular server, then we can use the IBM DataPower Gateway. The IBM DataPower Gateway is mostly used for security purposes. If we have some APIs and we are using some security for those APIs, then we can use it. It can also be used as a load balancer. It's also used for certificate management, user management purposes, authentication, and authorization. For routing, the IBM DataPower Gateway has multiple URL-based routing and content-based routing capabilities. If we have multiple URLs, then we can use an XML script. Using the XSLT language, we can configure multiple URLs and implement URL-based routing. Content-based routing means if we have multiple requests, we can route the request to a particular URL. For this, we need to use the XSLT language only. We can't use XML, Java, or other scripting languages. With IBM DataPower Gateway, we are using all the APIs. All APIs have been configured on the gateway. We have configured the particular TLS profile and some TLS client profiles as well. Using that TLS profile, we have configured the APIs and authentication. We have configured some tokens also, including JWT tokens and different types of auth tokens. There is also a rate limiting feature which we use for handling API loads.

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Dennis Ndegwa

Senior System Administrator at Kentainers

Improved on-premise performance has supported faster, secure apps and clearer server monitoring

One thing I appreciate most about Windows Server AppFabric is because it's widely used; it's easier to get solutions online from other communities when I am stuck. Because it is widely used, it's easier to get solutions and also easier to work with. Especially after I found 2019, I have worked with 2019 and I appreciate it. It's easier to get solutions. After implementing Windows Server AppFabric, I can say I love the speed. The functionality and speed are good. Earlier, when they added more people, I could see some lagging. But now, I have no issue even if I double the users, even if I add 30% of users or any applications, it will still be fast. It increased the speed and also security. I've noticed the new one I have is good and secure. I love the security. The monitoring capabilities of Windows Server AppFabric help me improve service visibility and troubleshooting. In a day, I have to go through a lot of the logs and also the utilization. There, I see the CPU. I have to do the utilization, and I can see what is utilizing the most. By doing this, I can be able to tell what, in case I need to do an upgrade, what I might need to provide the upgrade or maybe increase in users that will not affect the operations.

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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

"The scalability of the solution is good."

"The API Connect gateway service and the SQL injection feature is good."

"It is a scalable solution."

"The solution is very easy to work with."

"The product's most valuable features are AAA policies and security features."

"I like the tool's security. Also, all functionalities are integrated within on platform."

"The performance is good. It's been very stable."

"It is very easy to set up and configure, even for users with no prior experience."

More IBM DataPower Gateway pros

"The ability to seamlessly deploy, image, and patch without causing downtime is extremely helpful and user-friendly."

"The most valuable feature is AppFabric's hosting solution, which is what we need for running workflows."

"The product's deployment phase was very easy."

"It is very usable and easy to understand. Antivirus and VPN are the main features being used now. It allows my clients to access the network from home, which was very crucial because of the pandemic."

"After implementing Windows Server AppFabric, I can say I love the speed."

Cons

"The product's cost for data appliances or hardware is quite high. It needs improvement."

"We are always looking for more features wherein it could be easily integrated with cloud applications. We are looking for either a cloud solution or a cloud integration option."

"IBM DataPower Gateway is quite big for smaller organizations, looking at different types of clients who are virtually assisted in this, I would say it's not really a good product for smaller firms."

"Additional documentation needs to be provided for complex automations."

"For the workloads that are not too high, appliance is a little bit expensive."

"The solution requires a lot of training manuals in order to get to know it better and to be able to use it effectively."

"Making it more user-friendly would be an improvement."

"My experience with the pricing of this product is that pricing is too high and should be reduced."

More IBM DataPower Gateway cons

"The product is unable to connect with different cloud services."

"Its price and licensing policy can be improved. It could be a little cheaper. Licensing is sometimes confusing. There are so many different options. It is difficult to find out what to buy or what to choose for my necessity."

"The most important issue I've found is the blue screen errors, particularly when customers use external displays with a P-type cable."

"Microsoft will stop supporting the product next year, and we can't run unsupported programs in our systems."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The cost of this product varies from customer to customer and the relationship with IBM, including how many offerings from IBM are already being used."

"IBM DataPower Gateway is quite expensive to get resources to work on this product. If the price could be cheaper, I think that will make it a little bit better and easily accessible to smaller clients. Then it could compete with other solutions that are available in the market. There's a whole lot of other solutions available that work well and are cheaper than IBM's products."

"The solution has a return on investment but is a little expensive."

"As far as I know, they have a perpetual license for this product. They are paying perpetual fees rather than an annual subscription or annual pricing."

"The cost is very high and requires all five components in the API management solution."

"The licensing cost is very expensive."

"The product is expensive."

"The solution is expensive in comparison to other products."

More IBM DataPower Gateway pricing and cost advice

"It is expensive, and its licensing is a bit confusing."

"The product is affordable, in my opinion."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

29%

Insurance Company

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

No data available

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	11
Midsize Enterprise	2
Large Enterprise	17

No data available

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about IBM DataPower Gateway?

The MPGW (Multi-Protocol Gateway) is great because it allows you to easily expose services using various protocols – web services, REST (JSON), and others. This flexibility simplifies things.

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IBM DataPower Gateway?

This product is definitely expensive because if any issue occurs in the live environment or production environment, and our organization faces some issue with the IBM DataPower Gateway, then the IB...

See all answers

What needs improvement with IBM DataPower Gateway?

The developer portal should be an integrated part of IBM DataPower Gateway to improve it. I think it is fine as is, and maybe no other additional features should be included in the next release. My...

See all answers

What do you like most about Windows Server AppFabric?

The product's deployment phase was very easy.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Windows Server AppFabric?

I am overall satisfied with the licensing cost of Windows Server AppFabric. It's a reasonable price because I run multiple servers, so we bought the bulk one. I can say the price was fair.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Windows Server AppFabric?

I do not utilize Windows Server AppFabric's workflow management for now because that's a project that we might be looking at in the coming year, in the first or second quarter.

See all answers

Comparisons

IBM API Connect vs IBM DataPower Gateway

Compared 40% of the time

Apigee vs IBM DataPower Gateway

Compared 7% of the time

Kong Gateway Enterprise vs IBM DataPower Gateway

Compared 5% of the time

Amazon API Gateway vs IBM DataPower Gateway

Compared 4% of the time

Microsoft Azure API Management vs IBM DataPower Gateway

Compared 3% of the time

More IBM DataPower Gateway Competitors

InterSystems Ensemble vs Windows Server AppFabric

Compared 38% of the time

IIS vs Windows Server AppFabric

Compared 34% of the time

Apache Web Server vs Windows Server AppFabric

Compared 28% of the time

More Windows Server AppFabric Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

IBM DataPower Gateway

January 2026

Download IBM DataPower Gateway product report

Buyer's Guide

Application Infrastructure

January 2026

Download Windows Server AppFabric product report

Also Known As

WebSphere DataPower, IBM DataPower, IBM WebSphere DataPower

No data available

Overview

IBM DataPower Gateway is a robust, secure next-generation enterprise-grade single multichannel API gateway that supplies dynamic access, integration, control, and outstanding security. The solution is available in a broad range of workload capabilities, including application programming interface (API), service oriented architecture (SOA), B2B, cloud, web, and mobile. These dynamic capabilities ensure users are able to quickly increase the reach of an organization's critical IT resources to new channels, which will provide shareholders, team members, and clients with safe, secure access at all times.

DataPower Gateway is very flexible and is widely available in virtual, cloud, traditional, physical, Docker, and Linux form factors.

IBM DataPower Gateway Features

IBM DataPower Gateway has many value-added features. Some of these features are included below:

Control: The solution provides decision point authorization and authentication for all standards, including Lightweight Direct Access Protocol (LDAP) and Open Authorization (OAuth), which allow for better access control across an organization’s entire network.
DataPower dashboard: The dashboard is specifically designed to enhance performance and determine problematic processes. The solution provides intuitive real-time performance transparency to diagnose operational and performance anomalies and offer repair and restoration recommendations.
Enhanced messaging: Users are able to easily mediate messaging and protocols by incorporating the best of today’s traditional and modern application standards.
Integration: IBM DataPower Gateway offers super fast mainframe connectivity, database connectivity, transport protocol bridging, content-based routing, and any-to-any message transformation, ensuring secure and immediate connect service.

IBM DataPower Gateway Benefits

IBM DataPower Gateway provides many benefits. Some of those benefits include:

Flexibility: The solution is easy to use and configure and provides for a pleasant, intuitive overall user experience. The solution can immediately be used out of the box, which makes overall process management simple.
Protection: The solution provides sturdy continuous service protection and application performance using robust powerful routing and traffic control.
Security: The solution’s enterprise-grade De-Militarized Zone (DMZ) ready gateway enables users to enforce the desired runtime application security across all messaging protocols.
Profitability: The solution’s design ensures significant reduction of development costs in addition to the streamlining of overall operations. Users are able to achieve reduced total cost of ownership (TCO) and experience a near-immediate ROI.

Reviews from Real Users

“My company has a good impression of IBM DataPower Gateway. What I like about it is that because it's an appliance, it's a turnkey solution that's very fast and out of the box. Another valuable feature of IBM DataPower Gateway is that it's easy to integrate with other products.”- Bálint T., Solution Manager at Intalion

“You don't have to have a separate DMC proxy because DataPower Gateway is an appliance and will take care of a lot of security features. These include data validations, encryption, as well as XML or any type of scripting or security threats that are present. From a security point of view, being an appliance in the DMC zone, IBM DataPower Gateway will take care of the entire security angle for the infrastructure.” - Sathyan K., Founder/Director at perfTech Solutions Pvt Ltd

IBM

Windows Server AppFabric extends Windows Server to provide enhanced hosting, management, and caching capabilities for Web applications and middle-tier services. The AppFabric hosting features add service management extensions to Internet Information Services (IIS), Windows Process Activation Service (WAS), and the .NET Framework 4. This includes Hosting Services and Hosting Administration tools that make it easier to deploy, configure, and manage Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) and Windows Workflow Foundation (WF) based services. The AppFabric caching features add a distributed, in-memory object cache to Windows Server that makes it easier to scale out high-performance .NET applications, especially ASP.NET applications.

Microsoft

Sample Customers

RBL Bank, Availity

OSIsoft

Buyer's Guide

IBM DataPower Gateway vs. Windows Server AppFabric

December 2025

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