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IBM WebSphere Application Server vs Oracle SOA Suite comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 5, 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
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
5.4
Number of Reviews
32
Ranking in other categories
Application Server (5th)
Oracle SOA Suite
Ranking in Application Infrastructure
9th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
66
Ranking in other categories
SOA Governance (1st)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Application Infrastructure category, the mindshare of IBM WebSphere Application Server is 7.3%, down from 11.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Oracle SOA Suite is 3.3%, down from 4.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Application Infrastructure Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
IBM WebSphere Application Server7.3%
Oracle SOA Suite3.3%
Other89.4%
Application Infrastructure
 

Featured Reviews

CF
Senior Manager, MW & DB Automation at a computer software company with 11-50 employees
Has worked seamlessly in complex clustered environments and supports long-term development efforts
IBM WebSphere Application Server is currently at version 9.0.5.23. In recent months, they released fix 23, as they periodically release fixes. Previously, they frequently increased versions, but now they maintain 9.0.5 with different releases. It's based on Java J2EE 7 and Java SDK 1.8. Oracle announced that 2030 will be the last year when Java SDK 1.8 will be supported. Oracle currently deploys Java 2.x in parallel, with the latest being version 25. The future of IBM WebSphere Application Server remains uncertain since it's based on Java 1.8 and Java 7. I haven't found any white papers or official documentation from IBM outlining their trajectory post-2030.
Debjit Ghosh - PeerSpot reviewer
Manager at Cognizant
Has enabled complex data flow management but faces limitations with modern integration needs
There are areas of Oracle SOA Suite I would like to see improved or enhanced in the future, particularly regarding its adapter capabilities. The popularity of Oracle Integration Cloud nowadays arises from its larger set of adapter capabilities, including numerous application adapters. In contrast, Oracle SOA Suite provides a limited number of adapters. I would like to see more REST-based features added to Oracle SOA Suite, currently lacking, along with an enhancement of file size or payload capability, as the existing limitation is a 10 MB payload size. Additionally, Oracle SOA Suite licensing cost tends to be higher, adhering to a fixed pricing model rather than a pay-per-use basis, which might not be suitable for smaller organizations.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The only reason why we're currently using WebSphere is that the integration of the authentication with Azure is very quick. WebSphere has something that can immediately connect with Azure Active Directory."
"The thing about WebSphere, as opposed to other ones that I am aware of such as JBoss and Liberty, is that WebSphere has the most comprehensive scaffolding available to it."
"The most valuable feature of this solution is Portal Virtualization."
"IBM WebSphere Application Server is the best in terms of scalability and performance, as well as the support for managing distributed transactions."
"The integration between IBM tools and applications is very well executed."
"Starting with version 8, WAS provides a special folder called monitor deployment. Once you put the .war or .ear file in there, it is deployed automatically without human intervention. This greatly helps us in our continuous integration server. Once the deployment binary is ready, we write a script to copy it to that folder and then, voila! The application is up and running and accessible from its context root."
"We needed this type of integration and WebShepere is the best tool for it."
"This solution is easy to use with a GUI that is intuitive and very helpful."
"In case there is something that doesn't work out of the box, you have the flexibility to customize it."
"The new product has come out with SOA Cloud Service and Integration Analytics as well, which gives more options for clients to pick their point of requirements."
"The most valuable feature of Oracle SOA Suite is all the platform's capabilities."
"Conceptually, how it integrates a lot of essential enterprise process components. That's the most valuable."
"The most valuable feature of this solution is the option to design, and the development can happen at the same time."
"What I like best about Oracle SOA Suite is Oracle support. I also like the tool features, especially the integration feature."
"The most valuable features for us are the APIs, which we commonly use, as well as the scheduling capabilities and file transfers."
"The integration capabilities of Oracle SOA Suite in connecting disparate systems within the organization are excellent."
 

Cons

"The solution consumes hardware."
"The availability of the solution needs improvement."
"The installation has room for improvement."
"In the next release of this solution, I would like to see support for the Arabic language."
"When compared with WebLogic, Weblogic is lighter and consumes less memory."
"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."
"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."
"WebSphere Application Server doesn't have an automated deployment option, forcing us to use third-party tools like Jenkins UCD and Palo Automated Deployment."
"An area for improvement in Oracle SOA Suite is the cost. It could be lower."
"The solutions can improve the communication or translations between formats, such as JSON and XML. The JSON REST API could improve."
"The Maven integration in JDeveloper is very basic and might be enhanced to allow the proper use of Maven."
"SOA"
"If the disk space expansion can be made more flexible, not requiring a database restart, it would be a major benefit."
"Various parts of SOA, BPEL, and so on, each have their own consoles which need to be accessed individually with different logins. It would be better from an admin perspective if all the consoles were accessible via a single login."
"The deployment could be made easier by including add-ons like Hudson and Maven."
"I want to see easier integration connections with other cloud-based tools."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is very 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."
"The price of IBM WebSphere Application Server could be less expensive and there is an annual license required for this solution."
"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."
"I don't remember the price, but there are no additional costs."
"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."
"When you purchase Maximo, you get WebSphere for free."
"The pricing is not very high as compared to its competitors."
"Oracle pricing is expensive. Support is based on your license. AWS is much better than Oracle in this regard."
"It is necessary to evaluate the requirement regarding the platform usage and what the main operation area of the platform will be."
"This product is WebLogic based, hence it can be both resource hungry as well as expensive from a licensing point of view."
"The product is moderately priced."
"Based on my knowledge, Oracle SOA Suite doesn't have user-based licensing. It has a system-based licensing model, so you pay for whole systems. Oracle SOA Suite is an expensive solution, so it's a four out of ten for me."
"Oracle SOA Suite is an expensive solution."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
34%
Computer Software Company
9%
Insurance Company
7%
Government
6%
Computer Software Company
15%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Government
8%
Performing Arts
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business9
Midsize Enterprise6
Large Enterprise23
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business13
Midsize Enterprise15
Large Enterprise41
 

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?
At Royal Bank, which is a major IBM customer with mainframes and numerous IBM products, they have a specific agreement regarding pricing. The pricing structure for large enterprise customers differ...
What needs improvement with IBM WebSphere Application Server?
IBM WebSphere Application Server is currently at version 9.0.5.23. In recent months, they released fix 23, as they periodically release fixes. Previously, they frequently increased versions, but no...
What do you like most about Oracle SOA Suite?
The solution's XSLT or XSL Transformation feature was very useful.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Oracle SOA Suite?
The setup cost of Oracle SOA Suite is relatively high since various components, including database licenses, WebLogic licenses, VM costs, and SOA licenses based on enterprise and Oracle negotiation...
What needs improvement with Oracle SOA Suite?
There are areas of Oracle SOA Suite I would like to see improved or enhanced in the future, particularly regarding its adapter capabilities. The popularity of Oracle Integration Cloud nowadays aris...
 

Also Known As

WebSphere Application Server
SOA Suite
 

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
7-Eleven, Arcor SAIC, Banca Transilvania, Eaton Corporation, Emdeon, Ferrovial, Griffith University, National Instruments, Pella Corporation, Vodafone Group Plc,
Find out what your peers are saying about IBM WebSphere Application Server vs. Oracle SOA Suite and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.
879,672 professionals have used our research since 2012.