IBM Db2 Database vs Oracle Database In-Memory 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 #10 with an average rating of 8.8. IBM holds a 6.6% mindshare in SQL, compared to Oracle’s 1.9% 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 In-Memory

Read 33 Oracle Database In-Memory reviews

1,410 Views
945 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

IBM Db2 Database

Oracle Database In-Memory

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 4, 2025

IBM Db2 Database and Oracle Database In-Memory compete in the enterprise database management category. Based on the comparison, IBM Db2 seems to have an advantage in flexibility and integration, whereas Oracle leads in speed and performance for analytics.

Features: IBM Db2 Database offers a versatile SQL dialect with object tables, Java method support, and user-defined functions. Its broad platform support provides flexibility across diverse environments, and its self-tuning memory management optimizes performance automatically. Oracle Database In-Memory is recognized for real-time analytics capabilities and fast performance in data warehouses due to its columnar format for queries. Its multitenant features facilitate easy database consolidation and cloning.

Room for Improvement: IBM Db2 faces challenges with a steep learning curve and difficulty in finding skilled administrators. Licensing complexity and costs are additional concerns, and there is a need for improvements in the database management interface and backup processes. Oracle Database In-Memory could improve its pricing models and adaptability, making costs lower and more automation in analytics desirable, especially for smaller businesses. AI integration and user interface enhancements are areas for both products to consider.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: IBM Db2 primarily offers on-premises deployments with some hybrid cloud instances. It provides strong technical support but faces availability issues outside North America. Oracle Database In-Memory offers both on-premises and hybrid cloud solutions. While it has reliable customer service, pricing and technical support may lack transparency. IBM's support is praised for its knowledge, whereas Oracle customers appreciate quick issue resolution.

Pricing and ROI: IBM Db2's pricing is high but offers bundled packages for cost-effectiveness, generally costing less than Oracle and providing better ROI through integrated solutions. Oracle Database In-Memory is known for being expensive despite including significant features in its Enterprise edition. While both systems demonstrate substantial ROI, IBM's pricing is more competitive, whereas Oracle delivers speed and performance at a higher cost.

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

Buyer's Guide

IBM Db2 Database vs. Oracle Database In-Memory

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:

ROI

Sentiment score

6.6

IBM Db2 Database offers high ROI with enhanced efficiency and performance, despite initial costs, supporting seamless business projects.

Sentiment score

4.3

Oracle Database In-Memory offers substantial ROI and benefits, though support costs may impact long-term finances for some users.

No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the IBM Db2 Database report

No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the Oracle Database In-Memory report

Customer Service

Sentiment score

6.5

IBM Db2 support is generally reliable yet requires speed improvements; users find response times and expertise occasionally lacking.

Sentiment score

5.5

Oracle Database In-Memory customer service improves in some regions but is inconsistent, with users finding varied support experiences.

We normally receive substantial discounts on the price.

reviewer2708292

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

For more quotes and insights, download the IBM Db2 Database report

Support quality varies across regions, with more advanced solutions from the U.S. and UK compared to Asian region support.

Laksiri Bala

DB Architect / Consultant at Virtusa Global

The technical support from Oracle is very good.

Hosney Osman

Technical Solution Architect at Vodafone

I rate the technical support of Oracle an eight or nine out of ten.

Muhammad Azeem Khan

Sr. Oracle Database Administrator at Shoukat Khanum Memorial Hospital

For more quotes and insights, download the Oracle Database In-Memory report

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score

7.1

IBM Db2 excels in scalability for large companies but faces challenges with horizontal scaling and increasing costs.

Sentiment score

7.7

Oracle Database In-Memory is highly scalable and easily adjustable, effectively managing large datasets and supporting enterprise needs.

No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the IBM Db2 Database report

No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the Oracle Database In-Memory report

Stability Issues

Sentiment score

7.7

IBM Db2 Database is highly rated for stability and reliability, though performance can dip with significant data growth.

Sentiment score

7.6

Users find Oracle Database In-Memory stable and reliable, despite occasional bugs and high maintenance needs for resource-intensive setups.

No quotes available

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Oracle Database In-Memory is stable, which means there are no glitches or issues.

Hosney Osman

Technical Solution Architect at Vodafone

It was very difficult to move data from on-site to cloud in one attempt at the start, because we didn't have sufficient bandwidth to copy the data files to the cloud.

Muhammad Azeem Khan

Sr. Oracle Database Administrator at Shoukat Khanum Memorial Hospital

For more quotes and insights, download the Oracle Database In-Memory report

Room For Improvement

IBM Db2 Database needs usability, integration, and cloud improvements, plus better licensing, analytics, security, and standardization tools.

Oracle Database In-Memory users seek enhancements in cost, installation, integration, security, scalability, interface, and column store support.

It might be slightly slower than other database vendors, but it works well since banks typically do not move quickly with leading-edge technology.

reviewer2708292

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

For more quotes and insights, download the IBM Db2 Database report

Allowing in-memory support features to handle processes without relying heavily on vector databases.

Laksiri Bala

DB Architect / Consultant at Virtusa Global

The area where improvement is required the most in the product is the UI.

Hosney Osman

Technical Solution Architect at Vodafone

For more quotes and insights, download the Oracle Database In-Memory report

Setup Cost

IBM Db2 pricing is complex and expensive, especially in Africa and the Middle East, but offers robust features.

Oracle Database In-Memory is costly, yet offers valuable performance and features, benefiting larger enterprises despite high licensing fees.

No quotes available

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Recent reductions in cloud costs and learning opportunities, such as free portals for students, make the pricing reasonable without hindering access to powerful features and performance.

Laksiri Bala

DB Architect / Consultant at Virtusa Global

The pricing for Oracle Database In-Memory is more affordable.

Muhammad Azeem Khan

Sr. Oracle Database Administrator at Shoukat Khanum Memorial Hospital

For more quotes and insights, download the Oracle Database In-Memory report

Valuable Features

IBM Db2 Database offers SQL, Java integration, scalability, security, and seamless IBM integration for flexible, reliable enterprise applications.

Oracle Database In-Memory enhances performance with real-time analytics, backward compatibility, automated configuration, fast queries, and efficient management.

IBM Db2 Database, because of enterprise performance and support, is why banks still maintain their relationship with it.

reviewer2708292

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

The IBM Db2 Database is trusted, and IT effort is less than any other product.

Mona Mohamed

Network Administrator at GAEB

For more quotes and insights, download the IBM Db2 Database report

The biggest benefit of Oracle Database In-Memory is dealing with a huge amount of information without any latency for our response time.

Hosney Osman

Technical Solution Architect at Vodafone

The valuable features of Oracle Database In-Memory include its capability to bypass disk storage for faster memory operations, which is critical for transactions and analytics.

Laksiri Bala

DB Architect / Consultant at Virtusa Global

For more quotes and insights, download the Oracle Database In-Memory report

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 In-Memory

Ranking in Relational Databases Tools

10th

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Embedded Database (4th)

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 In-Memory is 1.9%, up from 1.3% 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 In-Memory	1.9%
Other	91.5%

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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Hosney Osman

Technical Solution Architect at Vodafone

Real-time analytics have transformed response times and support huge data volumes with compression

I do not have any comment related to the improvement of the solution; for sure, it needs improvement, but for my use cases, it is very sufficient, and I think for the biggest companies, it needs a very powerful infrastructure. The area where improvement is required the most in the product is the UI. The problem with the UI is that it is not complex for understanding, but it needs some training to know what each button does, how it works, and the many variables needed.

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

18%

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

Government

Financial Services Firm

18%

Comms Service Provider

Pharma/Biotech Company

Computer Software Company

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	6
Midsize Enterprise	4
Large Enterprise	23

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.

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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 do you like most about Oracle Database In-Memory?

We can integrate it with any data sources as well.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Oracle Database In-Memory?

The pricing for Oracle Database In-Memory is more affordable.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Oracle Database In-Memory?

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Comparisons

SQL Server vs IBM Db2 Database

Compared 39% of the time

Oracle Database vs IBM Db2 Database

Compared 17% of the time

SAP HANA vs IBM Db2 Database

Compared 10% of the time

Teradata vs IBM Db2 Database

Compared 9% of the time

Amazon Aurora vs IBM Db2 Database

Compared 2% of the time

More IBM Db2 Database Competitors

SAP HANA vs Oracle Database In-Memory

Compared 12% of the time

SQL Server vs Oracle Database In-Memory

Compared 10% of the time

DuckDB vs Oracle Database In-Memory

Compared 10% of the time

Progress OpenEdge RDBMS vs Oracle Database In-Memory

Compared 7% of the time

Exasol Data Warehouse vs Oracle Database In-Memory

Compared 5% of the time

More Oracle Database In-Memory Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

IBM Db2 Database

January 2026

Download IBM Db2 Database product report

Buyer's Guide

Oracle Database In-Memory

January 2026

Download Oracle Database In-Memory 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 In-Memory transparently accelerates analytics by orders of magnitude while simultaneously speeding up mixed-workload OLTP. With Oracle Database In-Memory, users get immediate answers to business questions that previously took hours.

Oracle Database In-Memory delivers leading-edge in-memory performance without the need to restrict functionality, or accept compromises, complexity and risk. Deploying Oracle Database In-Memory with any existing Oracle Database compatible application is as easy as flipping a switch - no application changes are required. Oracle Database In-Memory is fully integrated with the Oracle Database’s renowned scale-up, scale-out, storage tiering, availability, and security technologies making it the most industrialstrength offering on the market.

The ability to easily perform real-time data analysis together with real-time transaction processing on all existing applications enables organizations to transform into Real-Time Enterprises that quickly make data-driven decisions, respond instantly to customer demands, and continuously optimize all key processes.

For more information on Oracle Database In-Memory, visit Oracle.com

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

Shanghai Customs

Buyer's Guide

IBM Db2 Database vs. Oracle Database In-Memory

December 2025

Free Report: IBM Db2 Database vs. Oracle Database In-Memory

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

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