IBM Power Systems vs Oracle SPARC Servers comparison

IBM and Oracle are both solutions in the Rack Servers category. IBM is ranked #4 with an average rating of 8.7, while Oracle is ranked #8 with an average rating of 8.0. IBM holds a 9.1% mindshare in Rack Servers, compared to Oracle’s 3.8% mindshare. Additionally, 97% of IBM users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 83% of Oracle users who would recommend it.

IBM Power Systems

Read 69 IBM Power Systems reviews

4,877 Views
3,452 Comparison Views

97% willing to recommend

Oracle SPARC Servers

Read 7 Oracle SPARC Servers reviews

2,145 Views
1,511 Comparison Views

83% willing to recommend

IBM Power Systems

Oracle SPARC Servers

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 23, 2025

Oracle SPARC Servers and IBM Power Systems compete in the high-performance server market. Oracle SPARC Servers offer impressive security and scalability advantages, whereas IBM Power Systems lead in processing power and application flexibility.

Features: Oracle SPARC Servers have robust security, scalability, and built-in virtualization optimized for Oracle applications. IBM Power Systems excel in database management efficiency, adaptability for AI workloads, and operational flexibility across environments.

Room for Improvement: Oracle SPARC Servers can improve their cost-efficiency and broaden support beyond Oracle-centric environments. They also need to enhance integration with non-Oracle applications. IBM Power Systems could improve ease of use in non-traditional IBM environments, reduce complexity in initial setup, and lower entry-point pricing for smaller enterprises.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Oracle SPARC Servers offer integrated system setups for consistent operations and dedicated Oracle-focused support. IBM Power Systems allow versatile deployment in various environments, with extensive customer service options catering to diverse client requirements.

Pricing and ROI: Oracle SPARC Servers involve higher initial costs justified by built-in security, offering significant ROI for Oracle-focused businesses. IBM Power Systems require substantial upfront investment but ensure high ROI through efficient performance and scalability, proving cost-effective in mixed deployments.

To learn more, read our detailed IBM Power Systems vs. Oracle SPARC Servers Report (Updated: April 2025).

Buyer's Guide

IBM Power Systems vs. Oracle SPARC Servers

April 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 Power Systems

Ranking in Rack Servers

4th

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

8.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Oracle SPARC Servers

Ranking in Rack Servers

8th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

8.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Rack Servers category, the mindshare of IBM Power Systems is 9.1%, up from 8.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Oracle SPARC Servers is 3.8%, down from 3.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Rack Servers

Featured Reviews

Omobolaji Olaloku

Senior Enterprise System Engineer at Zenith-bank

Extremely stable, good ROI, and scalable

The most valuable feature of our machines is their ability to replace faulty parts without causing any downtime. Our servers are equipped with advanced technology, making it possible to replace defective parts without having to bring down the servers. This is crucial, as any disruption to our services would result in inconvenience to our customers. Therefore, being able to service the machines and replace parts without causing any downtime is highly beneficial.

Read full review

Abdul-Salam

Sr. Manager - System Analyst (Datacenter Infrastructure) at Sohar International

A rock-solid OS and rich virtualization features for hosting many VMs on one box

Oracle doesn't have a good roadmap for the solution because they are moving to the x86 platform. Oracle is focusing on the cloud platform with a PCA and standard x86 architecture. Linux is their other OS and is mostly in the cloud. We don't see much development happening on Solaris even though it came as an acquisition from Sun Microsystems. Eventually, the solution and its platform will die because there has been no new development on the Solaris end and we haven't seen new servers in the last five years. At this point, we are pretty sure there is no real roadmap or future for the solution. There is a shortage of expert engineers because Oracle is not pushing the technology. It is hard for us to find engineers because the number of people supporting us has considerably reduced.

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

"We've been using it for a long time, and it's stable."

"Power Systems is like a dream solution for every IT person because it has redundancy, and it doesn't stop. It doesn't get affected easily. I don't see any weaknesses in this solution. At the moment, we have Power8. It is stable and runs smoothly. We have a big load, and it is working very well. It can be customized based on our needs. Flash copy is helping us amazingly. We have virtualization for vDisks, which is again very helpful. We are working on this virtualization technology, and we have a team that is working on redundancy and architecture."

"It scales a lot, you can just keep on adding frames, you can add on CPUs, you get capacity on demand, you can tune the machine very easily to handle different workloads."

"It is a very scalable solution."

"The installation is easy."

"The uptime feature is great."

"Power VM gives us the flexibility to increase or decrease machine resources when required."

"From a software developer standpoint, virtualization is really the key, as we can more easily spin up a new partition, virtual instance of IBM i."

More IBM Power Systems pros

"The performance is the best feature."

"The most valuable features of the solution stem from the fact that Oracle Database functions very well with Oracle SPARC Servers."

"Our customers are happy with many features in Oracle SPARC Servers, like the automatic ASR feature."

"I have found the LDAP facilities most valuable. In addition, I like the CPU."

"The processor is very helpful and the licensing is very flexible."

"The Oracle server is very powerful. They are more powerful and durable compared to Intel hardware. Which has been a benefit to our organization."

"The operating system is rock solid and the best I have ever used."

Cons

"There are improvements that can be made on the technical side."

"The number of times IBM refreshes its operating system appears to be very slow."

"The pricing is high."

"The solution is quite expensive."

"Sometimes, the availability of additional services can be a challenge. Certain IBM software takes time to deliver to the client. It can be slow."

"One of the main challenges with IBM Power Systems is the functionality of live partnership mobility."

"The scalability process should be simplified."

"Power Systems' price could always be lower."

More IBM Power Systems cons

"Like IBM, Oracle SPARC Servers should be able to run other open operating systems like Linux."

"The solution could improve by giving a clear roadmap about the future. I'm not seeing a lot of improvements on the OS side of the software. They need to work more on the operating system."

"Oracle doesn't have a good roadmap for the solution because they are moving to the x86 platform."

"They have declared the end of life of the hardware."

"Oracle SPARC Servers should be fine-tuned well enough to work with the other servers and software products in the market, as it is an area where Oracle SPARC Servers lack."

"I would like to see a reduced price point."

"They need some sort of modeling because IBM has different types of models."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"IBM Power is more expensive than other rack-mount servers, and you have to have a license for everything, including cores and memory."

"It's more about the value you get for the price. Considering its stability and performance, the pricing is good."

"Why should I be charged for that use rather than a single CPU, a single socket?"

"The machine is good and has a comparatively good price."

"When there is an error in the SAS drive of 10,000 RPM, my company buys support for 1,500 USD."

"The additional software costs are high."

"IBM Power Systems is a really expensive product."

"Its price is too high."

More IBM Power Systems pricing and cost advice

"The hardware is expensive but it has very rich virtualization features that make it economical."

"Oracle SPARC Servers are expensive to manage, this is because after five years Oracle will increase the support charges for the hardware. The licensing policy for Oracle is different for Intel and Sparc. It will cost you less if you use your Oracle hardware with Oracle SPARC Servers."

"The application running on it is very important to us and this makes the price worth it."

"The licensing is flexible."

"My company makes yearly payments toward the licensing costs attached to the solution."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

17%

Computer Software Company

13%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Financial Services Firm

23%

Computer Software Company

12%

Government

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about IBM Power Systems?

IBM Power Systems provides very good performance and stability compared to other brands or processors.

See all answers

What needs improvement with IBM Power Systems?

IBM should provide a platform where users can learn about the storage and security of IBM Power Systems.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for IBM Power Systems?

In my company, we use the system for the data center and our IBM Cloud Pak System.

See all answers

What do you like most about Oracle SPARC Servers?

The most valuable features of the solution stem from the fact that Oracle Database functions very well with Oracle SPARC Servers.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Oracle SPARC Servers?

My company makes yearly payments toward the licensing costs attached to the solution. My company's clients, who have paid for the licensing costs attached to the solution, have also engaged with so...

See all answers

What needs improvement with Oracle SPARC Servers?

Oracle products are usually fine-tuned with the software of other Oracle products, like Oracle WebLogic Server Services, Oracle Database, and Oracle Core Banking Software and Solutions, as all the ...

See all answers

Comparisons

Intel Server System vs IBM Power Systems

Compared 42% of the time

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers vs IBM Power Systems

Compared 17% of the time

HPE ProLiant DL Servers vs IBM Power Systems

Compared 14% of the time

Lenovo ThinkSystem Rack Servers vs IBM Power Systems

Compared 5% of the time

HPE Apollo Systems vs IBM Power Systems

Compared 2% of the time

More IBM Power Systems Competitors

Intel Server System vs Oracle SPARC Servers

Compared 26% of the time

HPE ProLiant DL Servers vs Oracle SPARC Servers

Compared 11% of the time

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers vs Oracle SPARC Servers

Compared 10% of the time

Dell PowerEdge FX vs Oracle SPARC Servers

Compared 4% of the time

HPE Apollo Systems vs Oracle SPARC Servers

Compared 3% of the time

More Oracle SPARC Servers Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

IBM Power Systems

April 2025

Download IBM Power Systems product report

Buyer's Guide

Rack Servers

March 2025

Download Oracle SPARC Servers product report

Also Known As

IBM OpenPOWER LC

No data available

Overview

IBM Power Systems are built to crush the most advanced data applications - from the mission-critical workloads you run today to the next generation of AI.

IBM

Oracle's SPARC S7, T7, and M7 Servers with always-on memory intrusion protection and comprehensive data encryption secure data with no performance penalty. Security in silicon features and Oracle Solaris protect data in memory from unauthorized access and stop malware before it gets in.

Oracle

Sample Customers

Cipher

University Hospitals Leuven, B&H Photo, Tuscon Electric Power, IS Nordic, Siemens

Buyer's Guide

IBM Power Systems vs. Oracle SPARC Servers

April 2025

Free Report: IBM Power Systems vs. Oracle SPARC Servers

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