IBM WebSphere Application Server vs JBoss vs Tomcat comparison

IBM and Red Hat are both solutions in the Application Server category. IBM is ranked #5 with an average rating of 7.8, while Red Hat is ranked #3 with an average rating of 8.4. IBM holds a 12.8% mindshare in AppS, compared to Red Hat’s 17.5% mindshare. Additionally, 88% of IBM users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 95% of Red Hat users who would recommend it.

IBM WebSphere Application S...

Read 31 IBM WebSphere Application Server reviews

2,795 Views
2,022 Comparison Views

88% willing to recommend

JBoss

Read 27 JBoss reviews

3,298 Views
2,916 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

Tomcat

Read 51 Tomcat reviews

4,306 Views
3,427 Comparison Views

94% willing to recommend

IBM WebSphere Application S...

JBoss

Tomcat

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between IBM WebSphere Application Server, JBoss, and Tomcat based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about Oracle, Apache, Red Hat and others in Application Server.

To learn more, read our detailed Application Server Report (Updated: March 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Application Server

March 2025

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Helped 849,963 peers since 2012

Review summaries and opinions

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

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the Application Server category, the mindshare of IBM WebSphere Application Server is 12.8%, up from 11.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of JBoss is 17.5%, up from 17.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Tomcat is 19.9%, down from 20.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Application Server

Featured Reviews

BharathirajaSukumar

Senior Lead Analyst at Radial

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.

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Srinadh Puli

VP at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees

Automation aids installation while management consolidation needs improvement

We are currently using Ansible for Jira installations and all the management tasks. We perform some tasks manually, however, Ansible helps in automating some of these processes I find JBoss to be lightweight and easier to manage compared to WebSphere. It allows for simple modification of…

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Erick Karanja

Technical Lead at Cellulant Kenya

Offers high availability, straightforward deployment and easy to use

Tomcat could be a little bit more innovative. Tomcat could come up with a framework that's more lightweight and purely targeted at Java applications. Some other solutions are doing better right now, maybe because they have come up with MicroProfile, which I think is moving forward. It may actually beat Tomcat because of the lightweight nature of the framework, the MicroProfile. They're coming up with new solutions. So, for the future of Tomcat and to maintain the market share they might be looking for, they need to come up with initiatives to ensure that several of us have a lightweight framework to deploy applications on.

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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

"The scalability of the product is quite good."

"IBM WebSphere Application Server is easy to use."

"This solution is easy to use with a GUI that is intuitive and very helpful."

"Without the Admin Console it would be very hard to configure JVM settings, JDBC datasources, mail session settings, and security providers."

"IBM WAS is extremely scalable. It is easy to add additional servers and to divide the load over servers in all kinds of ways."

"It has good stability of the application server in the long term compared to other solutions."

"The performance is good."

"The solution has good performance."

More IBM WebSphere Application Server pros

"The product's initial setup phase is easy."

"We can deploy the applications on the JBoss server, so it is easy to manage. It's also easy to add new certificates to the config."

"The product integrates well with Java applications."

"The high availability is great."

"The solution has flexibility and stability."

"It is a Java-based product, so it is pretty straightforward. It is pretty easy from a developer's perspective. It is also pretty reliable and scalable."

"The stability is great."

"We use JBoss mainly for application deployments and application servers."

More JBoss pros

"Tomcat is a simple, light environment, whereas the full Red Hat Fuse solution is heavier."

"It is easy to manage at a basic level."

"The scalability overall is good."

"The most valuable feature is how simple it is to deploy the solution."

"The solution is scalable."

"Tomcat's best feature is the open source server. It's a flexible and lightweight solution."

"The product's initial setup phase was simple."

"Tomcat has connectors like REST requests to connect the front end. Also, some parts of the inter-system communication go through REST. External connections with third parties occasionally involve both REST and SOAP protocols. Tomcat is versatile in accommodating these various communication methods."

More Tomcat pros

Cons

"In the next release of this solution, I would like to see support for the Arabic language."

"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."

"The current trend is to move to Liberty because of the portability of its cloud and its Kubernetes, which containerize the application."

"Based on the field and based on the build that was provided, we've noticed a lot of constraints in terms of the performance now."

"The licensing could be improved, and I would like it to give the longevity of the lifespan of the visions. In the next release, I would like to be able to download and extract the files so that I can just use my application server."

"IBM needs to pay attention to market changes more quickly. We now have Java 9 and very soon Java EE8. We do not want to wait for two or three years after their release until they are supported by the new version."

"When we run into memory or locking issues, we resort to using third-party tools. However, it would be preferable to have native tools for debugging this type of problem."

"The footprint could be reduced so that we can use a smaller virtual machine to run the application. We could also use more scripts. I would like this solution to be more script oriented, rather than GUI oriented."

More IBM WebSphere Application Server cons

"The login process could be improved."

"JBoss is not as reliable and stable as WebLogic."

"The documentation could be better. When we have questions, we need to check multiple websites. There isn't one place listing a set of common problems and how to fix them."

"The tool's documentation could be improved to explain its usage and functionalities clearly. Having accessible documentation would save time for leaders like me when juniors seek information about it. The documentation should be self-explanatory and guide users on how to utilize the tool."

"They are trying to make it less heavyweight since app servers often deliver a lot of functionality. Still, if we aren't leveraging them, they can be too much for certain use cases."

"There is not much ability inside of the solution. The world is going beyond different micro and data-type things like Microsoft Office, so we are not seeing much ability within the solution."

"The initial setup is a bit complex."

"The solution sometimes crashed and had some compatibility issues with the DevOps JAR file."

More JBoss cons

"The solution's interface and backup features could be better."

"One way to improve the solution is by making the logging capabilities of Tomcat better by providing a logger within the server itself and making it easy to access and view the server logs. This can be especially useful when debugging issues with applications deployed on the Tomcat server. By having the ability to view both the application logs and the server logs, you can more easily identify the source of any issues and troubleshoot them more efficiently. Providing a connector or other similar feature that allows you to access the server logs from within your application can also be helpful in this regard. Having access to both the application logs and the server logs can be a valuable resource when trying to identify and resolve problems."

"Sometimes, the UI part does not run properly, or the server goes down."

"Technical support is limited."

"The high availability is not as robust as the competition is such as WebLogic and Jboss."

"The disability and memory management is a problem with the solution and has room for improvement."

"Java functions should be built better into the solution."

"I would personally like it if the admin console would show more information specifically about memory being used."

More Tomcat cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"When you purchase Maximo, you get WebSphere for free."

"The licensing cost is 1,000 of euros for a 30-year table."

"We pay around $200,000 annually."

"The pricing is a little expensive."

"IBM WAS base is part of the deal when you purchase IBM FileNet P8 Content Engine."

"Room for improvement would only be in the licensing. As with all IBM products the licensing can be complex and expensive. Bargain well and try to get as much discount as possible. Discounts of 85% are possible. Without the discount, I think the product is overrated."

"The solution is quite expensive."

"The licensing policy is based on the PVU base."

More IBM WebSphere Application Server pricing and cost advice

"We pay for a maintenance license, but it is not expensive."

"It is an open-source solution."

"Despite the price increase after being acquired by IBM, JBoss still maintains its competitiveness. The package provided is more geared towards cloud-based deployments, whereas our setup is more traditional, which makes it slightly more expensive for us. As most vendors are transitioning towards cloud-centric solutions, companies like ours need to adapt accordingly."

"Since the solution is freeware, our customers don't need to pay any licensing fees."

"JBoss is an expensive solution."

"I rate the product price as eight on a scale, where one means it is a very cheap solution, and ten points mean that it is a very expensive tool."

"The solution is cost-efficient compared to other products. Pricing is rated an eight out of ten."

"The pricing of JBoss is more reasonable than that of WebLogic."

More JBoss pricing and cost advice

"We are using the open-source version."

"It's open-source. We don't pay for the license."

"The solution is open source so is free."

"There are no additional costs apart from the standard license."

"The solution is free."

"We are currently using the open-source version."

"Tomcat is an open source solution."

"Tomcat is an open-source server."

More Tomcat pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

32%

Computer Software Company

13%

Insurance Company

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

26%

Computer Software Company

13%

Government

10%

Manufacturing Company

Educational Organization

42%

Financial Services Firm

15%

Computer Software Company

Government

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 App...

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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.

See all answers

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 b...

See all answers

What do you like most about JBoss?

The product's initial setup phase is easy.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for JBoss?

JBoss is the cheaper option out of the three when compared to WebSphere and WebLogic. Though I haven't done a detaile...

See all answers

What needs improvement with JBoss?

They are trying to make it less heavyweight since app servers often deliver a lot of functionality. Still, if we aren...

See all answers

What do you like most about Tomcat?

Tomcat's ease of use has positively impacted project timelines. Tomcat already has high availability – it doesn't go ...

See all answers

What needs improvement with Tomcat?

Resource configuration like JNDI and queue configuration, similar to other servers, should be provided from the admin...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Tomcat?

I am using the solution at running level three. It is for running web applications.

See all answers

Comparisons

JBoss Enterprise Application Platform vs IBM WebSphere Application Server

Compared 27% of the time

Oracle WebLogic Server vs IBM WebSphere Application Server

Compared 9% of the time

IBM DataPower Gateway vs IBM WebSphere Application Server

Compared 6% of the time

IBM BPM vs IBM WebSphere Application Server

Compared 3% of the time

Apache Web Server vs IBM WebSphere Application Server

Compared 3% of the time

More IBM WebSphere Application Server Competitors

Oracle WebLogic Server vs JBoss

Compared 27% of the time

IIS vs JBoss

Compared 5% of the time

TmaxSoft JEUS vs JBoss

Compared 3% of the time

Oracle Fusion Middleware vs JBoss

Compared 2% of the time

Oracle GlassFish vs JBoss

Compared 2% of the time

More JBoss Competitors

Oracle WebLogic Server vs Tomcat

Compared 30% of the time

IIS vs Tomcat

Compared 12% of the time

Oracle GlassFish vs Tomcat

Compared 4% of the time

Caucho Resin vs Tomcat

Compared 4% of the time

TmaxSoft JEUS vs Tomcat

Compared 3% of the time

More Tomcat Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

IBM WebSphere Application Server

April 2025

Download IBM WebSphere Application Server product report

Buyer's Guide

JBoss

April 2025

Download JBoss product report

Buyer's Guide

Tomcat

April 2025

Download Tomcat product report

Also Known As

WebSphere Application Server

No data available

Overview

IBM WebSphere Application Server (WAS) is a middleware platform developed by IBM. It provides a range of services and tools to help organizations develop, deploy, and manage Java-based applications. WAS is part of IBM's WebSphere product family and provides a secure, scalable, and highly available platform for developing and running web-based applications. WAS provides a secure, scalable, and highly available platform, making it an attractive solution for organizations looking to develop and deploy enterprise-grade applications.

IBM WebSphere Application Server Features

IBM WebSphere Application Server has many valuable key features. Some of the most useful ones include:

Application deployment: IBM WAS enables organizations to deploy and manage applications in a secure and scalable environment.

Clustering: The clustering feature can help organizations ensure high availability and improve application performance.

Load balancing: The solution Includes load balancing capabilities to distribute application workloads and improve performance.

Security: IBM WAS offers a range of security features, including authentication, authorization, and encryption, to help organizations secure their applications and data.

Monitoring and management: The solution’s range of tools for monitoring and managing applications, including the IBM WebSphere Administrative Console allows organizations to optimize application performance and resolve issues easily.

Integration: IBM WAS integrates with a range of IBM and third-party products, including IBM WebSphere MQ, IBM DB2, and more, to provide a comprehensive platform for developing and running web-based applications.

IBM WebSphere Application Server Benefits

There are many benefits to implementing IBM WebSphere Application Server. Some of the biggest advantages the solution offers include:

Improved application performance: The IBM WAS platform offers a scalable and secure platform for deploying and managing applications, enabling organizations to improve application performance and reduce downtime.

High availability: IBM WAS provides clustering and load-balancing capabilities to help organizations ensure high availability.

Improved security: With a large range of security features, including authentication, authorization, and encryption, the solution helps organizations secure their applications and data.

Simplified management: IBM WAS is designed with a set of tools for monitoring and managing applications, enabling organizations to optimize performance and resolve issues efficiently.

Increased flexibility: The solution integrates with a range of IBM and third-party products, providing organizations with a flexible platform for developing and running web-based applications.

Improved developer productivity: It supports the latest Java EE specifications, allowing developers to use the latest technologies and development methodologies when building applications.

Better customer experience: Organizations can deliver faster and more reliable applications, improving the overall customer experience.

Scalability: IBM WAS provides a scalable and secure platform for deploying and managing applications, so organizations can quickly respond to changing business requirements.

Reviews from Real Users

IBM WebSphere Application Server is a solution that stands out when compared to many of its competitors. Some of its major advantages are that it is stable, supports many languages, and is resilient.

Princewill O., Head Banking Application Customization and Reporting at a financial services firm, states, “[The solution is] very stable, supports many languages, and helpful for faster time to market.”

"What's most valuable in IBM WebSphere Application Server is its resilience. When you use the solution, you know that after the communication has been done, there will be no doubt that the data has reached its destination,” says Nicolae C., System and Solutions Architect at Seidor.

Another PeerSpot reviewer, an Enterprise Technical Leader at a tech services company mentions, “[It is an] enterprise-level product with extensive console capabilities, including the ability to control multiple JVM containers.”

IBM

Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform (EAP), a market-leading, fully certified Java EE platform, gives you a single platform to quickly develop and deploy applications. Use traditional Red Hat JBoss EAP to gain business agility with your existing applications and reduce the costs of proprietary platforms.

Red Hat

Tomcat is a reliable and efficient web server, popular for hosting and running Java-based applications. It is praised for its scalability, compatibility with different operating systems and development frameworks, and its ability to handle heavy workloads.

Users appreciate Tomcat's ease of use, robust performance, reliable server functionality, seamless integration with various platforms, extensive documentation, and strong community support.

Apache

Sample Customers

TalkTalk, Property management group, E.SUN Bank, Ohio National Financial Services, Aviarc, Cincom Systems, FJA-US, D+H, Staples, Michigan Municipal League

Tata Sky, Nissan, Swedish Board of Agriculture, Novamedia, American Product Distributors, Advanced Micro Devices, Emirates Group, E*TRADE

1. Adobe Systems 2. Amazon 3. Apple 4. AT&T 5. Bank of America 6. Boeing 7. Cisco Systems 8. Citigroup 9. Dell 10. eBay 11. Facebook 12. General Electric 13. Google 14. Hewlett-Packard 15. IBM 16. Intel 17. JPMorgan Chase 18. Microsoft 19. Netflix 20. Oracle 21. PayPal 22. Salesforce 23. Samsung 24. Sony 25. Target 26. Twitter 27. Uber 28. Verizon 29. Visa 30. Volkswagen 31. Walmart 32. Yahoo

Find out what your peers are saying about Oracle, Apache, Red Hat and others in Application Server. Updated: March 2025.

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