IBM Db2 Database vs Oracle Database Cloud Service comparison

IBM and Oracle are both solutions in the Relational Databases Tools category. IBM is ranked #5 with an average rating of 8.4, while Oracle is ranked #13 with an average rating of 8.6. IBM holds a 6.6% mindshare in SQL, compared to Oracle’s 1.3% mindshare. Additionally, 90% of IBM users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Oracle users who would recommend it.

IBM Db2 Database

Read 75 IBM Db2 Database reviews

3,607 Views
3,463 Comparison Views

90% willing to recommend

Oracle Database Cloud Service

Read 14 Oracle Database Cloud Service reviews

612 Views
606 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

IBM Db2 Database

Oracle Database Cloud Service

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 4, 2025

IBM Db2 Database and Oracle Database Cloud Service are leading competitors in the enterprise database market, each offering unique strengths. IBM Db2 has the edge in supporting high-volume environments with its robust performance and integration capabilities.

Features: IBM Db2 is known for its flexible SQL dialect, high scalability, and self-tuning memory management. It integrates effectively with IBM Optim and Websphere while supporting Java methods and object tables. Oracle Database Cloud Service excels in cloud capabilities, high availability, and scalability. Its advanced technology and flexible licensing make it appealing for modern cloud infrastructures.

Room for Improvement: IBM Db2 users mention challenges with its complex licensing and steep learning curve. There is a call for better centralized management and performance monitoring tools. Oracle Database Cloud Service faces criticism for pricing concerns and needs better cross-region replication features and customer relationship management.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: IBM Db2 offers versatile deployment options, including on-premises and hybrid cloud settings, but users find its support response time slower. Oracle Database Cloud Service, focused on public and hybrid clouds, is favored for its swift technical support, yet both require enhancements in customer service.

Pricing and ROI: Both IBM Db2 and Oracle Database Cloud Service are considered costly. IBM Db2's complex licensing is noted, though it is seen as more cost-effective for high-volume businesses due to performance benefits. Oracle offers flexible cloud pricing to scale expenses, providing significant ROI despite the high initial investment.

To learn more, read our detailed IBM Db2 Database vs. Oracle Database Cloud Service Report (Updated: December 2025).

Buyer's Guide

IBM Db2 Database vs. Oracle Database Cloud Service

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 Db2 Database

Ranking in Relational Databases Tools

5th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Oracle Database Cloud Service

Ranking in Relational Databases Tools

13th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

5.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Relational Databases Tools category, the mindshare of IBM Db2 Database is 6.6%, down from 6.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Oracle Database Cloud Service is 1.3%, up from 0.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Relational Databases Tools Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
IBM Db2 Database	6.6%
Oracle Database Cloud Service	1.3%
Other	92.1%

Relational Databases Tools

Featured Reviews

reviewer2708292

Associate Director, Data Architecture at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees

Support improves setup and maintenance while pricing influences decision

If you have a similar use case and the same deal with IBM as our company, it is definitely a good option and choice. The company I work with has more than 50,000 people and more than 500 support staff. We are not locked into one database vendor. We typically work with multiple database vendors simultaneously, selecting the top choice based on the deals we make and other considerations. We do not use IBM Db2 Database related to AI at this moment because our AI project PLC is still very small scale. We may consider it in the future if we have enough scale. Overall rating for IBM Db2 Database is 8.5 out of 10.

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BILELBALI

Senior Consultant at NewAge Consulting

Has improved data security and automation while supporting large-scale storage and migration

I do not use the Global Reach feature. Regarding metrics and performance, I don’t recall the exact performance metrics, but we use ETL processes to monitor and manage migration performance and data quality. Oracle Database Cloud Service is strong for data management and storage, as well as for its security features and automation of data dumps and archiving. Overall, Oracle Database Cloud Service is a solid product. It’s well-suited for financial platforms. Oracle provides both its on-premises and cloud-based suites, and the company continues to evolve, offering more components for data storage, data management, and integration with other tools and SaaS solutions. I plan to continue using Oracle Database Cloud Service, particularly for managing SaaS tools in financial contexts.

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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 most valuable feature of the IBM Db2 Database is the ease of use, and the ability to do query writing of any SQL statement and have an output."

"The most valuable features are the simplicity of the database and the access to Db2 and Db2 information."

"It is a scalable solution."

"I have found the most valuable feature to be its availability."

"The solution is very stable, in both hardware and database."

"The setup process has become much easier recently."

"Your iOS, your throughputs, your performance cycles, you cannot touch it with Microsoft or with Oracle scalability-wise. That is far and away the most scalable systems and the highest performing systems of the set of them."

"We had a crash of the backup system and the IBM DB2 was always up and consistent. It's robust, and for us, it was always up and running."

More IBM Db2 Database pros

"Some advantages of Oracle Database Cloud Service are its availability, performance, and affordability."

"I am impressed with the product's partitioning and advanced data card."

"The product’s most valuable feature is affordable pricing compared to other providers."

"Security is the most valuable feature provided by the product."

"Oracle DCS's most valuable features are its high availability and scalability."

"We really like the flexibility of adding more resources and the overall administration interface."

"I recommend Oracle Database Cloud Service as a good technology with excellent support and documentation."

"The most valuable features of Oracle Database Cloud Service are its scalability, advanced technology, cost-effectiveness, and the flexibility it provides with licensing."

More Oracle Database Cloud Service pros

Cons

"They should simplify the management of Db2 as a relational database system. There should be the simplification of management. This is probably one of the most important asks for being successful in the future."

"The GUI interface is not particularly friendly for those who do not have experience with the product."

"The pricing could be improved, it's expensive."

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

"In terms of improvements, IBM Db2 can improve its interface and its functionality. Also, the embedded functions should be much richer than the current ones - the functions which are embedded in the engine itself."

"Performance is something that can be improved with DB2."

"Its process of building up queries could be more accessible."

"I would say that the tool has to be made more cloud-friendly and should have agreements with AWS, Microsoft, or Google to run things on hyperscalers."

More IBM Db2 Database cons

"The implementation process could be easier for customers."

"Oracle Database Cloud Service is a good engine and at the moment, there isn't any new feature I can think of that I'd like added to the service. The only problem I see in Oracle Database Cloud Service is it's more commercial, so it has a relation to how it deals with customers. I don't feel secure in a deal with Oracle because that team changes the conditions each year, and there's no representative from the team that talks to my company about new needs. Oracle needs to improve its relationship with customers and partners in general."

"We encountered connection failures for some of our sites."

"The initial setup is a bit complex for the beginner, so you need a little technical experience to install it."

"In my opinion, the price of Oracle Database Cloud Service should be more affordable. Additionally, the interface of the application could be more user-friendly."

"Oracle Cloud is very strong in the database, but it is not as comprehensive as AWS or Azure."

"We're actually going through licensing issues and are looking to perhaps changing to another solution, something that is perhaps open-source."

"Oracle Database Cloud Service has room for improvement in handling large-scale applications."

More Oracle Database Cloud Service cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It's very expensive."

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

"If I consider the price of IBM Db2 Database, I would say there are cheaper products in the market."

"Clients are required to purchase a license."

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

"The solution's pricing is fine."

"I rate the product pricing a nine out of ten."

"Among Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, and Db2, Microsoft SQL Server is the cheapest one, and Oracle is the most expensive one. Db2 is in the middle. As compared to SQL Server, its price could go down. It will be good for customers."

More IBM Db2 Database pricing and cost advice

"Every year we are increasing the price of the solution. There is hardware licensing available. We pay approximately $20,000 monthly to use the solution."

"Pricing for Oracle Database Cloud Service could be more competitive. Lately, pricing for it has been increasing, so my company may have to review different options to find a solution with competitive pricing. From what I know, there's no additional cost apart from the standard licensing fees for Oracle Database Cloud Service."

"The product has reasonable pricing. I rate its pricing a nine out of ten."

"The tool is not cheap."

"I think the program is rather expensive, so I would like to see it becoming more affordable."

"Price is always higher for all Oracle products."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

18%

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

Government

Financial Services Firm

12%

Non Profit

12%

Retailer

10%

Computer Software Company

10%

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	20
Midsize Enterprise	13
Large Enterprise	48

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	4
Midsize Enterprise	2
Large Enterprise	7

Questions from the Community

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?

The IBM Db2 Database is a good solution, but now there is a high maintenance charge. The IBM Db2 Database needs improved support, and there are many difficulties in using it. We tend to use the clo...

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What needs improvement with Oracle Database Cloud Service?

Oracle Database Cloud Service could improve by adding a native iPaaS (integration platform as a service). While machine learning integration is available with Informatica, it’s not yet built into O...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Oracle Database Cloud Service?

I worked with Oracle Database on-premises as a developer for seven years at Sopra Banking. Later, I used Oracle Database Cloud Service together with Informatica for application and data integration...

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering Oracle Database Cloud Service?

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Comparisons

SQL Server vs IBM Db2 Database

Compared 40% of the time

Oracle Database vs IBM Db2 Database

Compared 17% of the time

SAP HANA vs IBM Db2 Database

Compared 9% of the time

Teradata vs IBM Db2 Database

Compared 9% of the time

MySQL vs IBM Db2 Database

Compared 5% of the time

More IBM Db2 Database Competitors

Amazon Aurora vs Oracle Database Cloud Service

Compared 37% of the time

Oracle Database vs Oracle Database Cloud Service

Compared 22% of the time

Kinetica vs Oracle Database Cloud Service

Compared 19% of the time

MySQL vs Oracle Database Cloud Service

Compared 12% of the time

Oracle Java DB vs Oracle Database Cloud Service

Compared 9% of the time

More Oracle Database Cloud Service Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

IBM Db2 Database

January 2026

Download IBM Db2 Database product report

Buyer's Guide

Relational Databases Tools

January 2026

Download Oracle Database Cloud Service product report

Also Known As

DB2

No data available

Overview

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

Oracle Database Exadata Cloud Service (Exadata Service) delivers the world's best Cloud Database Platform by combining the world's #1 database with Exadata, the most powerful database platform, and adding all the simplicity and cost effectiveness of the public cloud.

Oracle

Sample Customers

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

Kagool, iPoint-Systems

Buyer's Guide

IBM Db2 Database vs. Oracle Database Cloud Service

December 2025

Free Report: IBM Db2 Database vs. Oracle Database Cloud Service

Find out what your peers are saying about IBM Db2 Database vs. Oracle Database Cloud Service and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.

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