IBM Security Guardium Data Protection vs Oracle Database Vault comparison

IBM and Oracle are both solutions in the Database Security category. IBM is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.7, while Oracle is ranked #6 with an average rating of 7.0. IBM holds a 29.3% mindshare in DS, compared to Oracle’s 3.5% mindshare. Additionally, 85% of IBM users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 80% of Oracle users who would recommend it.

IBM Security Guardium Data ...

Read 79 IBM Security Guardium Data Protection reviews

4,782 Views
3,969 Comparison Views

85% willing to recommend

Oracle Database Vault

Read 5 Oracle Database Vault reviews

418 Views
418 Comparison Views

80% willing to recommend

IBM Security Guardium Data ...

Oracle Database Vault

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Apr 6, 2025

IBM Security Guardium Data Protection and Oracle Database Vault compete in the database security category. IBM Security Guardium is often chosen for data protection capabilities, whereas Oracle Database Vault is seen as more feature-rich and justifies its cost with an extensive feature set.

Features: IBM Security Guardium provides data activity monitoring, anomaly detection, and security insights. Oracle Database Vault offers robust access control, unauthorized access prevention, and tightly integrated features suitable for Oracle environments.

Room for Improvement: IBM Security Guardium could enhance integration with non-IBM environments, simplify its custom policy creation, and expand support for emerging database technologies. Oracle Database Vault may need to streamline deployment processes, improve user interface intuitiveness, and offer better support for databases outside of Oracle.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: IBM Security Guardium is applauded for straightforward setup and effective customer support. Oracle Database Vault, despite its strong integration, involves a complex deployment process, although Oracle's support infrastructure effectively addresses implementation challenges.

Pricing and ROI: IBM Security Guardium is favored for its competitive pricing structure and promising ROI. Oracle Database Vault, although seen as expensive, provides substantial ROI through its advanced features and comprehensive security measures, making its premium pricing justifiable for many.

To learn more, read our detailed IBM Security Guardium Data Protection vs. Oracle Database Vault Report (Updated: September 2025).

Buyer's Guide

IBM Security Guardium Data Protection vs. Oracle Database Vault

September 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 Security Guardium Data ...

Ranking in Database Security

1st

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

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

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Database Security category, the mindshare of IBM Security Guardium Data Protection is 29.3%, down from 33.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Oracle Database Vault is 3.5%, up from 0.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Database Security Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
IBM Security Guardium Data Protection	29.3%
Oracle Database Vault	3.5%
Other	67.2%

Database Security

Featured Reviews

Marylennis Franco

Jefe De Continuidad Operacional at a insurance company with 501-1,000 employees

Has improved data visibility and streamlined compliance reporting across multiple database platforms

The best feature is how many databases we can protect with one solution because it has compatibility with different databases, including Oracle, SQL, and DB2. The data activity monitoring feature is very good because we can check the PDS and have the information for that. We can schedule the reporting and receive it by email, which provides very important information for different areas of the company. We don't need to have a seat and a case or access to the portal, we just receive the report. The user-friendly interface is very good.

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AjayKumar13

Cloud/Data/Database Manager at a government with 10,001+ employees

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.…

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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

"Good data encryption and data masking features."

"Audit Process Builder – Workflow generator to enhance audit tasks and compliance workflows."

"It does not require our involvement to run it. It runs in the background and the people that do the reporting do so. The reports go to the directors who are in charge of the various data areas. It's pretty clean. Clearly there is some setup, but after you get it set up it just goes."

"The most valuable features have been how easy it is to deploy and use, as well as the comprehensive monitoring options. These are a few things that customers like most about this product."

"It protects sensitive data and blocks unauthorized access to the data."

"he solution offers trouble-free access."

"It provides us regulatory compliance proof and evidence for audit."

"The front-end works very well."

More IBM Security Guardium Data Protection pros

"I haven’t seen any other database perform as well as Oracle."

"It encrypts data traveling across the network."

"The product is fairly easy to implement."

"Oracle Database Vault has been valuable for database security in maritime companies and ports."

"The product is easy to use and provides good performance."

Cons

"We are currently facing a challenge because it does not offer data encryption by default, only data masking."

"The technical support is very poor."

"It would be helpful, and convenient to improve the Chat support."

"The documentation could be better."

"IBM should add more database security features to Guardium. They could add user profiling, anomaly detection, and machine learning. IBM has user profiling, but they need to strengthen it. It should make sense for the users. It should remove most of the false positives."

"I would like to see streamlining of some of the agent features, some of the patches; make it a little bit more user-friendly on the documentation."

"An area for improvement would be the user interface - currently, it takes around two to three months to become comfortable using it."

"Deployment process is very complicated as you need to now all advanced parameters. Almost not possible to figure out for yourself."

More IBM Security Guardium Data Protection cons

"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."

"The product's cost could be better."

"Oracle's technical support could be improved."

"Oracle Database Vault is not easy to set up, and if I lose the key, it can lead to significant issues."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"For IBM Guardium, licensing is very simple and straightforward. There are no issues I can speak of."

"The cost depends on the number of databases. You can purchase advanced licenses, but the standard license is calculated based on the number of databases you have to onboard."

"One of the deployments that I know of had three databases, and the yearly fees are approximately $50,000 USD."

"The tool is not cheap, but it is not expensive."

"I would suggest to review the type of data, need for security, and if the organizational structure needs the options IBM Guardium provides."

"If you are researching this type of solution, work with IBM."

"The product's pricing is reasonable and affordable. It is in the moderate range."

"The biggest challenge is the cost associated with the product, and the cost of maintaining. Everything is not translated directly to the benefits we see. There are benefits, yes, but if I were writing the check, would I buy Guardium? No."

More IBM Security Guardium Data Protection pricing and cost advice

"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."

"The product is more costly than its competitors."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

27%

Computer Software Company

Manufacturing Company

Insurance Company

Financial Services Firm

23%

Retailer

Manufacturing Company

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	28
Midsize Enterprise	15
Large Enterprise	45

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...

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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.

See all answers

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.

See all answers

What do you like most about Oracle Database Vault?

The product is easy to use and provides good performance.

See all answers

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.

See all answers

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.

See all answers

Comparisons

Imperva Data Security Fabric vs IBM Security Guardium Data Protection

Compared 52% of the time

Oracle Audit Vault vs IBM Security Guardium Data Protection

Compared 19% of the time

DataSunrise Database Security vs IBM Security Guardium Data Protection

Compared 5% of the time

IBM InfoSphere Optim Data Privacy vs IBM Security Guardium Data Protection

Compared 3% of the time

Informatica Intelligent Data Management Cloud (IDMC) vs IBM Security Guardium Data Protection

Compared 2% of the time

More IBM Security Guardium Data Protection Competitors

Oracle Audit Vault vs Oracle Database Vault

Compared 59% of the time

Imperva Data Security Fabric vs Oracle Database Vault

Compared 13% of the time

More Oracle Database Vault Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

IBM Security Guardium Data Protection

October 2025

IBM Security Guardium Data Protection report

Download IBM Security Guardium Data Protection product report

Buyer's Guide

Database Security

October 2025

Download Oracle Database Vault product report

Also Known As

InfoSphere Guardium, Guardium, IBM Guardium

No data available

Overview

IBM Security Guardium Data Protection automatically discovers and classifies sensitive data from across the enterprise, providing real-time data activity monitoring and advanced user behavior analytics to help discover unusual activity around sensitive data.

Deploy the solution to help discover regulated data in your data stores and use pre-built templates for regulations such as PCI, SOX, HIPAA, CCPA and many more, to streamline and automate compliance workflows.

IBM

Oracle Database Vault enhances security through firewall integration and encryption of data in transit. Known for its performance and user-friendliness, organizations across various industries, such as maritime, utilize it for robust database management and safeguarding sensitive information.

Oracle Database Vault is designed to secure databases with advanced encryption and auditing capabilities. It facilitates organizations in implementing relevant policies for tables and schemas, ensuring protection of critical data assets. While the software excels in security, its initial setup is complex and expensive. Organizations use it for encryption of data and backups with assurance of data integrity, while its operational ease encourages regular monitoring of access to tables and user activities. However, enhancements in interface, documentation, and marketing strategy are needed to improve its usability and visibility in the security software market. Interaction with Oracle MetaLink for technical support is often inefficient, indicating a need for improvement.

What are the main features of Oracle Database Vault?

Advanced Encryption: Protects data during transit and backups.
Firewall Integration: Enhances security with firewall capabilities.
Policy Implementation: Allows creation of customized policies for tables and schemas.
Fine-Grained Auditing: Facilitates detailed monitoring of user activities.

What benefits and ROI should users look for?

Enhanced Security: Provides comprehensive data protection strategies.
Performance: Offers high performance and ease of use in database environments.
Data Integrity: Ensures secured backups and data consistency.
Monitoring Capabilities: Supports continuous access monitoring and auditing.

Companies across numerous sectors, such as maritime, integrate Oracle Database Vault into their database security initiatives. It is extensively used alongside Oracle Cluster, Database Guard, and GoldenGate to implement strong encryption and auditing practices, ensuring the protection and integrity of data as it moves through networks and various database environments.

Oracle

Buyer's Guide

IBM Security Guardium Data Protection vs. Oracle Database Vault

September 2025

Free Report: IBM Security Guardium Data Protection vs. Oracle Database Vault

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