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IBM WebSphere Application Server vs WebLogic 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)
WebLogic Suite
Ranking in Application Infrastructure
9th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.5
Number of Reviews
35
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Application Infrastructure category, the mindshare of IBM WebSphere Application Server is 9.8%, down from 10.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of WebLogic Suite is 3.2%, up from 3.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Application Infrastructure Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
IBM WebSphere Application Server9.8%
WebLogic Suite3.2%
Other87.0%
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.
SurajShah - PeerSpot reviewer
Enables robust access management while installation time requires patience
One area for improvement in WebLogic Suite is the installation time. Otherwise, there are no other disadvantages, and they have good support from Oracle. The installation time can be an issue. It is not necessarily a disadvantage as it is a heavy application, so it is understandable that it takes time.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The solution has good performance."
"The most valuable features are its user-friendliness and reliability in terms of application hosting."
"WebSphere Application Server's best features include the data subscription and connection viewer."
"Ease of administration: It has an Integrated Solutions Console, what we call the administrative console, with very detailed configurations and Help pages for each configurable item."
"High availability, alert management, and deployments are the most valuable features for us. We have the ND version so we can do deployments."
"I find IBM support to be very nice."
"The most valuable feature of this solution is Portal Virtualization."
"This solution is easy to use with a GUI that is intuitive and very helpful."
"WebLogic Suite provides a stable application server experience."
"The most valuable feature is that it provides one place where you can control all of the services."
"The solution is very scalable. It's easy to add processes even if you are new to the solution."
"A valuable feature is its integration with Oracle Database."
"The program is scalable."
"It easily connects to other Oracle products and services."
"The solution is useful for centralizing data."
"What I've been seeing as the most valuable characteristics of WebLogic Suite include robustness and scalability. It's a really good solution, and I'm not saying this because my company is a partner of WebLogic Suite. I also like that with the newer versions of the solution, you can deploy WebLogic Suite faster. Oracle also provides excellent technical support."
 

Cons

"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."
"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 future of IBM WebSphere Application Server remains uncertain since it's based on Java 1.8 and Java 7."
"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."
"WebSphere is very cumbersome and not user-friendly."
"Sometimes, I feel WebSphere runs a bit slow. It might be loading unnecessary libraries, impacting its performance compared to other application servers."
"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."
"The support is not good."
"There is no need for improvement with WebLogic Suite, although its coherence is a bit more complicated."
"I would like to see the licensing policy simplified."
"The solution needs to share more information in terms of training. There needs to be more documentation involved to help those who are completely new to the product."
"The licensing for the solution is pretty expensive. It may be the most expensive solution, if you were to compare it to the competition."
"The content search is not easy."
"I think the support could be much better."
"This solution would benefit from the inclusion of a ripple start function for clusters."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"We used to pay about $100,000-$120,000 US or somewhere around there. That was a bit cost-prohibitive for us to continue."
"When you purchase Maximo, you get WebSphere for free."
"The pricing is a little expensive."
"I don't remember the price, but there are no additional costs."
"The solution is quite expensive."
"We pay around $200,000 annually."
"It's expensive."
"IBM WAS base is part of the deal when you purchase IBM FileNet P8 Content Engine."
"The product comes bundled with Oracle Premier Support."
"Scaling is costly."
"There is a license required for this solution and the price could be reduced."
"Technical support is very costly."
"The cost of the WebLogic Suite license is a bit high."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
34%
Computer Software Company
10%
Government
7%
Insurance Company
6%
Financial Services Firm
18%
Computer Software Company
10%
Government
9%
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 Business12
Midsize Enterprise3
Large Enterprise24
 

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 WebLogic Suite?
The solution is useful for centralizing data.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for WebLogic Suite?
WebLogic Suite is high-priced, akin to a Lamborghini. Its affordability suits enterprise-level organizations with digital footprints requiring robust financial resources.
What needs improvement with WebLogic Suite?
One area for improvement in WebLogic Suite is the installation time. Otherwise, there are no other disadvantages, and they have good support from Oracle. The installation time can be an issue. It i...
 

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
State Revenue Office Victoria, Colab Consulting Pty. Ltd., Reliance Commercial Finance, Center for Railway Information Systems, Sascar, Banca Transilvania, UL, Chhattisgarh Infotech and Biotech Promotion Society, MCB Bank, Pacfico Seguros Generales
Find out what your peers are saying about IBM WebSphere Application Server vs. WebLogic Suite and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.
872,778 professionals have used our research since 2012.