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IBM WebSphere Application Server vs JBoss Enterprise Application Platform comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jul 27, 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 Infrastructure
3rd
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
31
Ranking in other categories
Application Server (4th)
JBoss Enterprise Applicatio...
Ranking in Application Infrastructure
8th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.2
Number of Reviews
8
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2025, in the Application Infrastructure category, the mindshare of IBM WebSphere Application Server is 10.0%, down from 10.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of JBoss Enterprise Application Platform is 7.9%, up from 7.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Application Infrastructure Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
IBM WebSphere Application Server10.0%
JBoss Enterprise Application Platform7.9%
Other82.1%
Application Infrastructure
 

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.
Gustavo Magni - PeerSpot reviewer
Stable solution with an easy initial setup process
We use the solution for the deployment of Java-based applications The solution helps my organization with simple and fast deployments. The solution is easy to configure and deploy. The solution's architecture needs improvement. Also, there could be more integration with container platforms. We…

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The product offers good performance."
"The integration between IBM tools and applications is very well executed, and the support from IBM is quite good, providing a solid support structure."
"WebSphere Application Server's best features include the data subscription and connection viewer."
"It does integrate well with the Tivoli Federated Identity Management system."
"IBM WAS is the backbone for our enterprise content management suite which delivers the primary processes for our customers. Without a good application server, it would be hard to provide a secure layer of midddleware upon which the other applications run. IBM WAS improves the stability of the entire solution and provides a high quality platform for running web-based solutions."
"IBM WebSphere Application Server is the best in terms of scalability and performance, as well as the support for managing distributed transactions."
"The solution is very stable and robust."
"The most valuable features are its user-friendliness and reliability in terms of application hosting."
"JBoss Enterprise Application Platform works very well."
"Its technical support is excellent."
"Stable and easy to handle in terms of hosting applications."
"The solution is quite stable."
"It's convenient and barebone."
"The most valuable features of this solution are scalability and performance."
"The most valuable aspect of JBoss EAP is its support for clustering and load balancing, which is essential for our applications that serve multiple users simultaneously."
 

Cons

"The solution consumes hardware."
"I think that this is a good product but I think that the cloud environment could be improved. I think that the future is in the utilization of the product in a product as a service way which is something that is lacking at this moment."
"The main issue we faced was its limited compatibility with non-Java technologies, which can result in difficulty detecting potential bugs and requiring additional integration efforts."
"WebSphere is very cumbersome and not user-friendly."
"The business logic side of it is sort of missing in the sense that if I want to track and measure velocity, it is not really available. You have to buy another application and embark on a separate implementation. Instead of having different licensing, IBM DataPower should be integrated with WebSphere. It will allow us to build the business layer and rules a lot more efficiently, rather than developing rules within the application. It would be good if we can set up the business layer through parametrization rather than development. IBM DataPower has the business rule and the controls, and if it can be integrated, it would be fantastic. It will help the application in working better in terms of security features and business logic. If you're going to use it for open banking, you will be able to monitor velocity on the total pricing."
"WebSphere Application Server doesn't have an automated deployment option, forcing us to use third-party tools like Jenkins UCD and Palo Automated Deployment."
"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."
"In the next release of this solution, I would like to see support for the Arabic language."
"Lacks some functional requirements."
"This solution needs better management UI."
"A graphic user interface can be added."
"Its architecture needs improvement."
"It's hard to find out the root cause of errors."
"Improvement is needed in the synchronization between cluster nodes, especially under network strain."
"Sometimes, I observe the memory usage at 100% for the server, and this issue could be improved."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"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."
"WebSphere Application Server is expensive, so it may not be a good option for small companies."
"The licensing policy is based on the PVU base."
"It is very expensive."
"The price of this product is higher than that of competitors."
"IBM WAS base is part of the deal when you purchase IBM FileNet P8 Content Engine."
"The solution is quite expensive."
"It's expensive."
"It is an open-source solution."
"While I am not directly involved with the financial aspects, JBoss is known for its reasonable subscription pricing. Potential users should consider whether the cost aligns with their budget and requirements."
"The solution is cost-effective."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
33%
Computer Software Company
11%
Government
7%
Insurance Company
7%
Financial Services Firm
32%
Computer Software Company
8%
Government
8%
Manufacturing Company
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business8
Midsize Enterprise6
Large Enterprise23
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business4
Midsize Enterprise2
Large Enterprise5
 

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.
What needs improvement with JBoss Enterprise Application Platform?
The memory usage and memory RAM could be improved. JBoss Enterprise Application Platform could improve the use of memory on a server. Sometimes, I observe the memory usage at 100% for the server, a...
What is your primary use case for JBoss Enterprise Application Platform?
I deploy the application as .war or .ear, which is part of Java Enterprise. I use it for resources for the server, and I coordinate with the developer for deployment of the web application. In my j...
 

Also Known As

WebSphere Application Server
JBoss EAP, Red Hat EAP
 

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
APD, Banco Azteca, Roche, Tata Sky, Frost Bank
Find out what your peers are saying about IBM WebSphere Application Server vs. JBoss Enterprise Application Platform and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.
867,676 professionals have used our research since 2012.