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IBM Security Guardium Data Protection vs Oracle Database Vault comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Apr 6, 2025

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 Security Guardium Data ...
Ranking in Database Security
1st
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.6
Number of Reviews
78
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Oracle Database Vault
Ranking in Database Security
6th
Average Rating
7.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
5
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2025, in the Database Security category, the mindshare of IBM Security Guardium Data Protection is 29.2%, down from 32.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Oracle Database Vault is 3.4%, up from 0.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Database Security Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
IBM Security Guardium Data Protection29.2%
Oracle Database Vault3.4%
Other67.4%
Database Security
 

Featured Reviews

Ahmer Faisel Khan - PeerSpot reviewer
Offers mature agents, compliance reporting and reliable database security
The solution should allow the data to shift to a centralized repository with elastic servers and big data infrastructure. If a customer searches for old logs for retention purposes, there are limitations on appliances once they are set with specific hardware, so they can only be changed by uninstalling or reinstalling the hardware. The solution's aggregator feature allows data aggregation, but for instance, if a customer wants a project ready in two years, having an Elasticsearch in DB or the capacity to store huge amounts of data would be beneficial in data investigation or evaluation at an affordable cost. Some AI features should be added to IBM Security Guardium Data Protection. For example, the AI features implemented in the solution can be anomaly detection or suspicious activity identification.
AjayKumar13 - PeerSpot reviewer
Setup challenges and user experience issues persist
I primarily use Oracle Database Vault for encryption during data transit. The data is encrypted as it travels across the network, and I have previously used it for backup purposes I use Oracle Database Vault mainly for encryption at transit. It encrypts data traveling across the network.…

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"I think IMB's technical support is good."
"Audit Process Builder – Workflow generator to enhance audit tasks and compliance workflows."
"The solution supports a lot of databases."
"The reporting side is also very, very good, especially its flexibility which allows you to tailor the reports to whatever information you want."
"The vulnerability assessment is a valuable feature."
"It provides us regulatory compliance proof and evidence for audit."
"I rate Guardium 10 out of 10 for data activity monitoring and nine for vulnerability assessment. It's easy to implement and does its job. But I would rate it seven out of 10 in terms of advanced features."
"We are using it to do a lot of data discovery from a data classification for structured data."
"The product is fairly easy to implement."
"The product is easy to use and provides good performance."
"Oracle Database Vault has been valuable for database security in maritime companies and ports."
"I haven’t seen any other database perform as well as Oracle."
"It encrypts data traveling across the network."
 

Cons

"The installation should be a bit easier."
"Deployment process is very complicated as you need to now all advanced parameters. Almost not possible to figure out for yourself."
"The one thing that I would like to see improved, but I don't think it's going to be in the next release, is its reporting capabilities. I think that's been offloaded to another third-party product that I think IBM actually endorses for that."
"The integration part of the present solution is very complex and tedious. Plus it gives a lot of false positives which need to be eradicated over time."
"The solution lacks control over database security."
"I am struggling getting through to social."
"Guardium could be improved in the area of data encryption."
"Many clients inquire if the solution includes a database firewall, which it doesn’t."
"The solution is excessively expensive. There is a lot of room for improvement, considering the pricing model of the solution."
"The solution is relatively expensive."
"Oracle Database Vault is not easy to set up, and if I lose the key, it can lead to significant issues."
"Oracle's technical support could be improved."
"The product's cost could be better."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Guardium has not saved us time or money."
"Licensing fees are paid on a yearly basis."
"The product's pricing is reasonable and affordable. It is in the moderate range."
"My company purchased IBM Guardium Data Protection in a package, so I'm unable to give its exact licensing cost, but for the package of three IBM solutions, it wasn't very expensive. I'd rate the pricing for all three solutions three out of five. When my team deployed IBM Guardium Data Protection, all features were included."
"The price of Guardium is higher than the main competitor, Imperva. In addition, it's complex as the calculation of the licensing is done by Processor Value Unit (PVU). However, before purchasing a DAP solution, it is important to analyze specific points to evaluate the cost-benefit of each tool. For example: Does the environment to be monitored have mainframes? If so, it's a point for Guardium. If not, a point for Imperva. Note: IBM is looking into a new licensing policy and reducing the price of Guardium."
"The price of the solution could be better."
"​If you are researching this type of solution, work with IBM."
"The tool is not cheap, but it is not expensive."
"The product is more costly than its competitors."
"I rate the product's pricing a ten on a scale of one to ten, where one is a low price, and ten is a high price."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
28%
Computer Software Company
9%
Insurance Company
6%
Manufacturing Company
6%
Financial Services Firm
24%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Computer Software Company
10%
Retailer
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business28
Midsize Enterprise14
Large Enterprise45
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

How does IBM Guardium Data Protection compare with Imperva SecureSphere Database Security?
IBM Security Guardium Data Protection is a solution for database security from IBM that gives complete visibility, control, and analysis to secure sensitive data and comply with regulations. IBM S...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IBM Guardium Data Protection?
I don't remember the exact prices, but Guardium is an expensive tool because it is targeted towards corporate enterprises.
What do you like most about IBM Security Guardium Data Protection?
The features I like are the robust policies, which allow us to create customized monitoring based on specific activities.
What do you like most about Oracle Database Vault?
The product is easy to use and provides good performance.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Oracle Database Vault?
I do not handle pricing, so I am not aware of pricing details related to Oracle Database Vault.
What needs improvement with Oracle Database Vault?
Oracle Database Vault is not easy to set up, and if I lose the key, it can lead to significant issues. A more user-friendly setup process would be beneficial.
 

Also Known As

InfoSphere Guardium, Guardium, IBM Guardium
No data available
 

Overview

Find out what your peers are saying about IBM Security Guardium Data Protection vs. Oracle Database Vault and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.
867,349 professionals have used our research since 2012.