IBM Open Liberty vs IIS comparison

IBM and Microsoft are both solutions in the Application Server category. IBM is ranked #8 with an average rating of 10.0, while Microsoft is ranked #5 with an average rating of 7.9. IBM holds a 0.8% mindshare in AppS, compared to Microsoft’s 6.9% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of IBM users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 89% of Microsoft users who would recommend it.

IBM Open Liberty

Read 1 IBM Open Liberty review

41 Views
43 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

IIS

Read 57 IIS reviews

1,400 Views
1,019 Comparison Views

89% willing to recommend

IBM Open Liberty

IIS

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on May 28, 2025

IIS and IBM Open Liberty compete in the web server and application server market. IBM Open Liberty seems to have the upper hand due to its features aligning with modern technical requirements, though IIS provides advantages in pricing and support.

Features: IIS offers valuable features like strong integration with Windows environments, extensive support for .NET applications, and an intuitive interface for Windows users. IBM Open Liberty offers a lightweight architecture, robust support for microservices, and compatibility with cloud-native development practices.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: IBM Open Liberty's deployment is flexible, supporting cloud and containerized environments backed by detailed documentation and active community forums. IIS offers straightforward deployment on Windows servers with extensive resources and Microsoft's customer service.

Pricing and ROI: IIS is often bundled with Windows Server, providing lower initial setup costs for Windows users with savings on licensing and support within the Windows ecosystem. IBM Open Liberty may require additional licensing, yet its lightweight, scalable nature can offer cost efficiency and substantial ROI for dynamic and modern deployments.

To learn more, read our detailed Application Server Report (Updated: June 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Application Server

June 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 Open Liberty

Ranking in Application Server

8th

Average Rating

10.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

IIS

Ranking in Application Server

5th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Application Infrastructure (1st)

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2025, in the Application Server category, the mindshare of IBM Open Liberty is 0.8%. The mindshare of IIS is 6.9%, up from 6.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Application Server

Featured Reviews

FABIO LUIS VELLOSO DA SILVA

Founder at SouJava

Scalable solution with efficient monitoring features

We use the solution to develop microservices for financial organizations The solution has the best monitoring features. The solution's feature for distributed transaction management could be better. Also, its login feature needs improvement as well. The solution is much more stable compared to…

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DanielWildermuth

Testtool expert at Helvetia Versicherungen

Provides integration with Eggplant but problems with stability

We use Windows Server only for Eggplant Manager. Otherwise, I'm not using it At the moment, we have big problems with stability, and I'm not very happy at the moment. So, the stability could be improved. I have been using it for a few years. The initial setup is complex. We have an…

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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

"It is a stable solution compared to other vendors."

"The interface, simplicity, and ease of management are all good features that make this user-friendly."

"This is definitely a stable solution."

"It is a scalable solution."

"The initial setup of IIS is easy. The process takes only five minutes."

"The tool is very easy to use and efficient."

"The solution is simple and very easy to manage compared to Linux."

"The product's initial setup phase is straightforward."

"Microsoft's technical support has always been very good."

More IIS pros

Cons

"Its support documentation could have detailed information on database integration."

"IIS's memory management could be improved."

"There is an issue with the network. The tool's price is also high."

"Compared to Linux, the solution’s Windows patching is slower. I would like to improve it."

"The tool needs to improve its performance."

"The documentation of IIS could be better. They are not easily accessible. I had to use YouTube and other online resources to learn how to use the solution properly."

"It would be beneficial if you could automate security certificate monitoring with IIS."

"If Microsoft IIS could work well with AppOptics or things like PHP, Python, and other custom languages that run on the webserver, it would be ideal. I think there are cases where people need to use Apache instead of IIS when IIS doesn't work well with other web languages."

"Performance-wise, certain improvements in IIS are needed...IIS is not scalable. Its scalability is less."

More IIS cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is less costly than one of its competitors."

"IIS's pricing is not expensive."

"The price of Windows Server IIS is expensive. They have a large user base, and they charge a little bit too much."

"There is an annual license to use this solution and the price could be better."

"IIS's pricing is reasonable."

"IIS comes along with an OS license from Microsoft. Others can opt for a perpetual-based licensing model to be able to use the system."

"We pay a yearly licensing fee for the solution."

"It is licensed with your Windows installation which makes it relatively cheap if you already have a Windows Server sitting around."

"Users can get a subscription-based license or a perpetual license for IIS."

More IIS pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

51%

Computer Software Company

Manufacturing Company

Insurance Company

Computer Software Company

17%

Financial Services Firm

15%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

Questions from the Community

Which solution do you prefer: Spring Boot or Open Liberty?

Sometimes, Open Liberty is preferred over Spring Boot because Open Liberty is lightweight, scalable, and secure. It is also a good choice for microservices because it supports a wide range of deplo...

See all answers

What do you like most about Open Liberty?

It is a stable solution compared to other vendors.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Open Liberty?

The solution is expensive but worth the investment as it has integration capabilities to manage the overall components. However, it is less costly compared to Spring Boot.

See all answers

Which is better - IIS or NGINX Plus?

IIS is a flexible, secure, and manageable web server to host anything on the web. IIS’s scalable and open architecture can handle the most demanding tasks. From media streaming to web applications,...

See all answers

What do you like most about IIS?

The product is flexible.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IIS?

If you have a Windows license, there is no additional cost for IIS. However, you may need to pay for SSL publishing at times.

See all answers

Comparisons

Spring Boot vs IBM Open Liberty

Compared 88% of the time

Helidon vs IBM Open Liberty

Compared 5% of the time

Eclipse MicroProfile vs IBM Open Liberty

Compared 3% of the time

Spring MVC vs IBM Open Liberty

Compared 3% of the time

Amazon Corretto vs IBM Open Liberty

Compared 2% of the time

More IBM Open Liberty Competitors

NGINX Plus vs IIS

Compared 27% of the time

Apache Web Server vs IIS

Compared 27% of the time

Oracle WebLogic Server vs IIS

Compared 14% of the time

Tomcat vs IIS

Compared 14% of the time

JBoss vs IIS

Compared 6% of the time

More IIS Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Application Server

June 2025

Download IBM Open Liberty product report

Buyer's Guide

IIS

June 2025

Download IIS product report

Also Known As

No data available

Windows Server IIS

Overview

IBM Open Liberty is a highly adaptable and lightweight Java runtime, designed to cater to modern cloud-native applications. Its flexibility and commitment to open source makes it a valuable asset for developers seeking ease of deployment and scalability.

IBM Open Liberty stands out for its ease of integration into cloud environments and its emphasis on developer productivity. It permits quick iterations with minimal overhead, thanks in part to its support for MicroProfile and Jakarta EE. This allows for streamlined deployment processes, making contemporary software development more efficient.

What are the valuable features of IBM Open Liberty?

Lightweight Server: Minimizes resource consumption, enabling faster performance.
Dev Mode: Provides a real-time feedback loop, simplifying development cycles.
MicroProfile Support: Assists in building microservices architecture effectively.
Jakarta EE Support: Ensures compatibility with enterprise standards.

What are the benefits or ROI to consider?

Scalability: Adapts easily to increasing workloads while maintaining performance.
Cost Efficiency: Reduces operational costs by optimizing server usage.
Developer Productivity: Accelerates development through intuitive tooling.
Cloud Readiness: Facilitates seamless integration with cloud platforms.

IBM Open Liberty finds applications across multiple industries. In finance, it supports robust transactional systems. In telecommunications, it enhances service delivery with reliable microservices infrastructure. Health care benefits from its compliance capabilities, facilitating secure data management and faster application delivery.

IBM

Internet Information Services (IIS) provides a secure, easy-to-manage, modular and extensible platform for reliably hosting websites, services and applications. With IIS, you get choice and control without giving up reliability or security.

Microsoft

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

Erste Bank Group, NJVC, Samsung Electronics, Sheraton Hotels and Resorts, Tata Steel Europe, Urban Software Institute

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