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IBM Security Guardium Data Protection vs Own Data Platform 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
7.2
Number of Reviews
79
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Own Data Platform
Ranking in Database Security
6th
Average Rating
9.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
2
Ranking in other categories
Backup and Recovery (39th), SaaS Backup (12th), Application Testing Services (2nd)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Database Security category, the mindshare of IBM Security Guardium Data Protection is 26.4%, down from 33.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Own Data Platform is 1.3%, up from 0.0% 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 Protection26.4%
Own Data Platform1.3%
Other72.3%
Database Security
 

Featured Reviews

DP
Chief Executive Officer at Kipustec
Ensures data security and compliance with reliable alerts and protections
The manuals should be clearer. There needs to be an online course or tutorial for faster management training. The maintenance was slightly complicated. I had to read the manuals carefully and even failed the Guardium certification exam due to insufficient information or time. Improving the tool learning process would be beneficial.
DS
Salesforce Consultant at Girikon LLCGirikon
Efficient data management with robust restore feature and room for improved anonymization
We manage the customizing and seeding parts for our customers, using Own Data Platform to provide backup and recovery services. We work with exhibition companies that regularly expand their operations Own Data Platform provides a comprehensive backup and recovery solution, allowing us to manage…

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Our main focus for IBM Guardium is to support security initiatives and compliance policies within our organization. We use the DPD product for monitoring, especially for GDPR, SOX regulations and, of course, the vulnerability assessment that we use to make sure we're keeping up with our patches, making sure things are configured, making sure we're following the best practices."
"Easy to set up data activity monitoring solution that provides competent technical support. Scalable, stable, and has good performance."
"Security policy enforcement of policy-based encryption and centralized encryption key management allows us to maintain data in a secure environment."
"From the perspective of analysis and prevention, this product is pretty accurate."
"Ease of deployment is a valuable feature."
"It has automated a bunch of manual tasks, giving us insights into activities that we would not otherwise be able to capture."
"Good data encryption and data masking features."
"The most valuable features are the reporting and data-level access control."
"The most valuable feature for our customers is the restore functionality."
 

Cons

"We've had some issues recently that we're working through, on the agent software that runs on the databases."
"​Overall testing and quality need improvement. It is fairly buggy at times, so it feels like it could use additional staff on the product, testing and trying it out."
"Many clients inquire if the solution includes a database firewall, which it doesn’t."
"IBM Guardium Data Protection is a mature product. There is a lot of encryption that is not owned by IBM and is done by a third party and is not an integral part of the solution."
"The improvement needed relates to encryption capabilities. Currently, it doesn't use encryption for IBM i, because it's impossible."
"The price of this solution is quite high for smaller organizations, so they should release a version that is affordable for small and medium-sized businesses."
"Performance and the ability to use resources could be improved."
"The solution could be improved for NoSQL databases."
"The anonymization feature can be improved."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is not an expensive product. We purchase its yearly license."
"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."
"IBM Guardium Data Protection charges you based on the number of users, e.g. based on the number of licenses, and it's either on a per-license or a per-data basis."
"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."
"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."
"Licensing fees are paid on a yearly basis."
"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."
Information not available
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
26%
Computer Software Company
8%
Manufacturing Company
6%
Insurance Company
6%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Healthcare Company
10%
Insurance Company
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business28
Midsize Enterprise15
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 is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Own Data Platform?
The pricing is somewhat high, rated at an eight out of ten. However, the value provided justifies the cost compared to other tools.
What needs improvement with Own Data Platform?
The anonymization feature can be improved. It’s currently not straightforward and often requires a technical person to operate, which can be challenging for non-technical users.
What is your primary use case for Own Data Platform?
We manage the customizing and seeding parts for our customers, using Own Data Platform to provide backup and recovery services. We work with exhibition companies that regularly expand their operati...
 

Also Known As

InfoSphere Guardium, Guardium, IBM Guardium
Own Data Archiving, Own Data Security, Own Data Seeding
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
Workiva, HR Owen, Tommy Bakama, Kanshoo, NTN, Athena Health, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Arizona State University, Pauley Financial
Find out what your peers are saying about IBM Security Guardium Data Protection vs. Own Data Platform and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.
881,082 professionals have used our research since 2012.