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IBM WebSphere Application Server vs IIS comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Feb 2, 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 WebSphere Application S...
Ranking in Application Server
4th
Ranking in Application Infrastructure
3rd
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
31
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
IIS
Ranking in Application Server
5th
Ranking in Application Infrastructure
1st
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
57
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the Application Server category, the mindshare of IBM WebSphere Application Server is 13.0%, up from 11.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IIS is 6.7%, down from 6.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Application Server
 

Featured Reviews

BharathirajaSukumar - PeerSpot reviewer
Efficient load balancing and the clustering, achieved by using the deployment manager, is valuable
I believe that the system is already good. However, for improvement or enhancement, it is user-friendly, but it could offer better choices on the front end for different aspects or options. Sometimes, I have to search extensively for features, as there are no upfront tabs. There is a lack of visible, easy, user-friendly, and straightforward options for the number of features.
DanielWildermuth - PeerSpot reviewer
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…

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"IBM WebSphere Application Server is easy to use."
"It does integrate well with the Tivoli Federated Identity Management system."
"The solution is very stable and robust."
"The solution has good performance."
"As compared to other applications, it has tremendous support. We have built internal capability so that we use it extensively internally. It is also easier to use with the outside data. You can write in ESQL, Java, or any other technology that you want to use for development. So, it is a lot more flexible in the language that it supports."
"Security: It is compatible with the latest Java 8 security features, supports FIPS 140-2 and NIST SP 800-53 with strong ciphers and cryptography keys, and supports TLS 1.2 completely. Also, configuring client and server certificates is relatively easy."
"WebSphere Application Server's best features include the data subscription and connection viewer."
"IBM WAS is extremely scalable. It is easy to add additional servers and to divide the load over servers in all kinds of ways."
"The solution is simple and very easy to manage compared to Linux."
"IIS is easy to configure in terms of websites and other solutions."
"It is an easy-to-use and secure program."
"IIS works natively with Windows Server without any issues in publishing certificates."
"What I like the most is that it is easy to use."
"It's good and offers good usability."
"The product's most valuable features are performance and security."
"It is a lightweight web host that is easy to configure for simple webpages."
 

Cons

"The solution could improve the integration."
"IBM WebSphere Application Server hasn't changed much. It's still a heavyweight for any company compared to what you get. Unless your code base is deeply linked with it, I don't think it's a great idea to go with this solution. The current trend is toward modularity and containerization, and given the product's requirements, containerization will be difficult. There is a memory requirement as well."
"In spite of the solution's robustness, it is expensive and a bit difficult to support."
"The current trend is to move to Liberty because of the portability of its cloud and its Kubernetes, which containerize the application."
"In the next release of this solution, I would like to see support for the Arabic language."
"The security could be better."
"Sometimes, I feel WebSphere runs a bit slow. It might be loading unnecessary libraries, impacting its performance compared to other application servers."
"What could be improved in IBM WebSphere Application Server is its interconnection with other products, for example, Kafka. What I'd like to see in the next release of the solution is a better graphical user interface."
"The graphical user interface has room for improvement and can be more user-friendly."
"Performance-wise, certain improvements in IIS are needed...IIS is not scalable. Its scalability is less."
"There is an issue with the network. The tool's price is also high."
"Presently, some developers do not have technical knowledge of managing IIS, so that needs to be improved in the next release."
"Scalability issues and security concerns need attention from Microsoft."
"The product could be more compatible with Linux and macOS, particularly when applying user configuration policies."
"Occasionally, we encounter performance issues with IIS where it becomes unresponsive and requires a solution restart."
"The solution must improve the integration between its databases."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It costs more than some of the others, but, you get what you pay for."
"The licensing cost is 1,000 of euros for a 30-year table."
"My company is on a perpetual or permanent license agreement with IBM WebSphere Application Server. There's also a pay-per-use option, but customers rarely choose that option. Most of the customers are on the perpetual license deal that's all-inclusive. As the license cost is quite expensive, I'm rating it two out of five."
"The pricing is a little expensive."
"The licensing policy is based on the PVU base."
"We used to pay about $100,000-$120,000 US or somewhere around there. That was a bit cost-prohibitive for us to continue."
"If your application is just a web app that does not need to scale big, you can obtain a single core license of WAS Express edition, which has almost the same features with limited processing cores. If you manage a very big application farm (i.e. need to run 10 or more WAS servers) it is better to get IBM WAS Hypervisor Edition."
"It's expensive."
"There is no license required for the product as it is role-based. Whenever you go for a Windows platform server, the role has to be installed directly from the server manager. There is no additional cost that has to be paid for that. It is free to use."
"IIS's pricing is reasonable."
"The solution provides multiple licensing options."
"I didn't need to get an additional license for the solution since it was included in my server."
"We purchased a Microsoft Windows license and the license for IIS came in the package."
"They offer a one-time payment model for the product license, and we pay annually for support."
"I think it's part of the Windows Server, so you won't have any other costs to add in order to use the IIS service."
"The price of Windows Server IIS is expensive. They have a large user base, and they charge a little bit too much."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
33%
Computer Software Company
12%
Government
7%
Insurance Company
6%
Computer Software Company
16%
Financial Services Firm
15%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Government
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about IBM WebSphere Application Server?
Network Deployment is the most useful feature for scalability. It has many features within the standard WebSphere Application Server edition.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IBM WebSphere Application Server?
In Korea, when you buy IBM iOS, the WebSphere base version is included with iOS. That means no additional cost.
What needs improvement with IBM WebSphere Application Server?
I find the server okay, however, using the Maker instance, the Moving instance, and the Change instance is a little bit complicated without WebSphere knowledge.
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,...
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.
 

Also Known As

WebSphere Application Server
Windows Server IIS
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

TalkTalk, Property management group, E.SUN Bank, Ohio National Financial Services, Aviarc, Cincom Systems, FJA-US, D+H, Staples, Michigan Municipal League
Erste Bank Group, NJVC, Samsung Electronics, Sheraton Hotels and Resorts, Tata Steel Europe, Urban Software Institute
Find out what your peers are saying about IBM WebSphere Application Server vs. IIS and other solutions. Updated: July 2025.
861,803 professionals have used our research since 2012.