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IBM WebSphere Application Server vs Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform (EAP) 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 Server
4th
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
31
Ranking in other categories
Application Infrastructure (3rd)
Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Ap...
Ranking in Application Server
3rd
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.5
Number of Reviews
28
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2025, in the Application Server category, the mindshare of IBM WebSphere Application Server is 11.1%, down from 11.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform (EAP) is 16.6%, down from 18.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Application Server Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform (EAP)16.6%
IBM WebSphere Application Server11.1%
Other72.3%
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.
Srinadh  Puli - PeerSpot reviewer
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…

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"It has good stability of the application server in the long term compared to other solutions."
"Network Deployment is the most useful feature for scalability. It has many features within the standard WebSphere Application Server edition."
"IBM WebSphere Application Server is one of the best servers due to its stability and paid license."
"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."
"It does integrate well with the Tivoli Federated Identity Management system."
"The scalability of the product is quite good."
"High availability, alert management, and deployments are the most valuable features for us. We have the ND version so we can do deployments."
"This solution is easy to use with a GUI that is intuitive and very helpful."
"The solution's technical support is good."
"I find JBoss to be lightweight and easier to manage compared to WebSphere."
"The solution's support is very good for repairing components."
"I find JBoss to be lightweight and easier to manage compared to WebSphere."
"JBoss is a scalable tool."
"The solution is easy to use."
"The stability is good. I would rate it a nine out of ten."
"We use JBoss mainly for application deployments and application servers."
 

Cons

"Installing or configuring a WAS server instance as a Windows Service causes a lot of problems, especially when the server needs credentials to stop."
"WebSphere is very cumbersome and not user-friendly."
"In the next release of this solution, I would like to see support for the Arabic language."
"Some things are very difficult to do, so the interface and usage could be more intuitive for those."
"The security could be better."
"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."
"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."
"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 solution's documentation could be better."
"Making it lighter and more modular would probably be beneficial."
"The price could be improved. Customers don't want to buy the license easily."
"I would like to see improved booting of applications altogether on one page to manage all data instances from one location, similar to an AWS console."
"The solution could improve by providing more integration."
"The login process could be improved."
"The stability of the solution could improve with Microsoft Windows."
"In general, the support of the ERPC would be really good due to the fact that, so far, I have not seen it."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The pricing is a little expensive."
"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."
"IBM WAS base is part of the deal when you purchase IBM FileNet P8 Content Engine."
"WebSphere Application Server is expensive, so it may not be a good option for small companies."
"The price of IBM WebSphere Application Server could be less expensive and there is an annual license required for this solution."
"The licensing cost is 1,000 of euros for a 30-year table."
"It costs more than some of the others, but, you get what you pay for."
"We pay for a maintenance license, but it is not expensive."
"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."
"The pricing of JBoss is more reasonable than that of WebLogic."
"JBoss is an expensive solution."
"The solution is cost-efficient compared to other products. Pricing is rated an eight out of ten."
"There is no licensing cost. The solution is free to use."
"Since the solution is freeware, our customers don't need to pay any licensing fees."
"It is an open-source solution."
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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
31%
Computer Software Company
10%
Government
10%
Manufacturing Company
7%
 

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 Business9
Midsize Enterprise2
Large Enterprise17
 

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 do you like most about JBoss?
The product's initial setup phase is easy.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for JBoss?
My advice is to carefully review the licensing options before setting up JBoss. While using the free version WildFly, most companies go for the paid Red Hat JBoss version, which comes with extra fe...
What needs improvement with JBoss?
JBoss can be improved significantly, especially regarding deployment overlays that need updates to apply quick fixes or environment-specific changes without redirecting the archive. Enhancements in...
 

Also Known As

WebSphere Application Server
No data available
 

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
Tata Sky, Nissan, Swedish Board of Agriculture, Novamedia, American Product Distributors, Advanced Micro Devices, Emirates Group, E*TRADE
Find out what your peers are saying about IBM WebSphere Application Server vs. Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform (EAP) and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.
867,341 professionals have used our research since 2012.