IBM WebSphere Application Server vs Zenoss Cloud comparison

IBM and Zenoss are both solutions in the Application Infrastructure category. IBM is ranked #3 with an average rating of 7.8, while Zenoss is ranked #30. IBM holds a 11.6% mindshare in AIS, compared to Zenoss’s 0.5% mindshare. Additionally, 88% of IBM users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Zenoss users who would recommend it.

IBM WebSphere Application S...

Read 31 IBM WebSphere Application Server reviews

4,227 Views
1,860 Comparison Views

88% willing to recommend

Zenoss Cloud

Read 8 Zenoss Cloud reviews

1,323 Views
66 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

IBM WebSphere Application S...

Zenoss Cloud

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 5, 2025

Zenoss Cloud and IBM WebSphere Application Server compete in IT infrastructure management and application deployment. Zenoss Cloud is recognized for cost-effectiveness and quicker ROI, while IBM WebSphere is more robust with comprehensive features.

Features: Zenoss Cloud offers real-time IT monitoring, seamless cloud integration, and a user-friendly dashboard. IBM WebSphere provides scalable architecture, enhanced security features with FIPS 140-2 support, and extensive configuration options.

Room for Improvement: Zenoss Cloud can enhance its advanced analytics capabilities, improve documentation for integrations, and expand multi-language support. IBM WebSphere may benefit from simplifying its setup process, improving user interface complexity, and optimizing resource usage for smaller deployments.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Zenoss Cloud boasts a straightforward deployment with effective customer support, facilitating a swift go-to-market strategy. IBM WebSphere demands a meticulous setup but offers extensive support infrastructure to assist complex integrations.

Pricing and ROI: Zenoss Cloud is celebrated for affordable setup costs and flexible pricing structures facilitating swift ROI. IBM WebSphere, although costlier upfront, offers long-term investment returns with its feature richness and scalability, making it valuable for larger enterprises.

To learn more, read our detailed IBM WebSphere Application Server vs. Zenoss Cloud Report (Updated: July 2025).

Buyer's Guide

IBM WebSphere Application Server vs. Zenoss Cloud

July 2025

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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

Ranking in other categories

Application Server (4th)

Zenoss Cloud

Ranking in Application Infrastructure

30th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

7.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Event Monitoring (14th), Network Monitoring Software (77th), Server Monitoring (26th), IT Infrastructure Monitoring (51st), Container Monitoring (10th), Cloud Monitoring Software (39th), AIOps (24th)

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the Application Infrastructure category, the mindshare of IBM WebSphere Application Server is 11.6%, up from 10.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Zenoss Cloud is 0.5%, up from 0.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Application Infrastructure

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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ClaudiaChen

Cloud Architect - Senior Technology Architect at Telstra

Generates close to real-time alerts so users can resolve issues, but needs more integration and public cloud monitoring features

As Zenoss Service Dynamics is more for network-centric devices and you want to monitor, for example, a server, its services, IP addresses, and interfaces, if it's a network and you're going to monitor multiple items, you'll be charged multiple times. This is what Zenoss Service Dynamics needs to improve to make sure that customers pay just one fee to monitor the entire server. What I'd like to see in Zenoss Service Dynamics in the future is a public cloud monitoring feature, particularly for the Azure public cloud. Another additional feature I'd like to see in the next release of the solution is integration with the Azure public cloud because I know that there are some services from Azure that Zenoss Service Dynamics is currently unable to monitor.

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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

"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."

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

"Security: It is compatible with the latest Java 8 security features, supports FIPS 140-2 and NIST SP 800-53 with strong ciphers and cryptography keys, and supports TLS 1.2 completely. Also, configuring client and server certificates is relatively easy."

"WebSphere Application Server's best features include the data subscription and connection viewer."

"The VPN service is quite useful."

"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."

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

"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."

More IBM WebSphere Application Server pros

"The product offers good documentation that helps with initial training."

"The most valuable feature is the flexible discovery mechanism."

"Its Docker Container concept is mind blowing. It is the first monitoring tool which comes with Docker features."

"The custom built integration is one of the most valuable features because you can see all the especially critical items."

"It's easy to use."

"They have also accommodated many state-of-the-art technologies like Docker and ZooKeeper."

"What I like most about Zenoss Service Dynamics is that it monitors the devices and gives close to real-time alerts. For example, in case the device is not available, Zenoss Service Dynamics generates an alert so my team can resolve the issue."

Cons

"The solution consumes hardware."

"WebSphere is very cumbersome and not user-friendly. It used to have its own JVM, which presented challenges such as different architecture and memory leaks."

"While WebSphere mostly supports IBM HTTP Server (IHS) as the web server plugin, I think it would be beneficial if it also supported Apache and NGINX web servers. That would give customers more flexibility in their choices."

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

"The security could be better."

"It should be able to serve more concurrent requests like Oracle. Oracle has more powerful stability, availability, and real-time serving."

"In spite of the solution's robustness, it is expensive and a bit difficult to support."

"The installation has room for improvement."

More IBM WebSphere Application Server cons

"There is room for improvement with the administrative part. They introduced Control Center to manage things in Zenoss 5. The services that Zenoss provides remained the same, but the administrative part, since they introduced Docker, etc., has become a little complex"

"There was a problem with Zenoss and storage monitoring."

"The AI aspect needs to improve."

"It would be ideal if the product offered sound alerts."

"Now it is stable, but they should design threshold parameters in percentage instead of raw values."

"As Zenoss Service Dynamics is more for network-centric devices and you want to monitor, for example, a server, its services, IP addresses, and interfaces, if it's a network and you're going to monitor multiple items, you'll be charged multiple times. This is what Zenoss Service Dynamics needs to improve to make sure that customers pay just one fee to monitor the entire server. What I'd like to see in Zenoss Service Dynamics in the future is a public cloud monitoring feature, particularly for the Azure public cloud. Another additional feature I'd like to see in the next release of the solution is integration with the Azure public cloud because I know that there are some services from Azure that Zenoss Service Dynamics is currently unable to monitor."

"The inclusion of a feature to show a graphical view of the network would be a helpful improvement."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"WebSphere Application Server is expensive, so it may not be a good option for small companies."

"It is very expensive."

"It's expensive."

"We pay around $200,000 annually."

"The price of IBM WebSphere Application Server could be less expensive and there is an annual license required for this solution."

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

"There is an Eclipse Plugin provided by IBM, so no need to buy IBM Rational Application Developer or Rational Software Architect tools."

"My company is on a perpetual or permanent license agreement with IBM WebSphere Application Server. There's also a pay-per-use option, but customers rarely choose that option. Most of the customers are on the perpetual license deal that's all-inclusive. As the license cost is quite expensive, I'm rating it two out of five."

More IBM WebSphere Application Server pricing and cost advice

"It is very cost-effective compared to the tools I worked with in the past. The company is gaining a lot with respect to the cost factor. It provides agentless monitoring and in a very cheap way."

"There are additional costs you'll have to pay apart from the license fee for Zenoss Service Dynamics. I can't remember exactly how much my company is paying because I don't handle the finance part, but the cost is paid annually. On a scale of one to five, with one being the cheapest and five being the most expensive, I'm rating the solution three out of five."

"The pricing depends on the environment, the number of services, and the size of the data center. It can go from $100,000 to a million dollars."

"It depends on the customer, what he wants."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

33%

Computer Software Company

12%

Government

Insurance Company

Computer Software Company

20%

Financial Services Firm

13%

Manufacturing Company

Performing Arts

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 Application Server edition.

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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 bit complicated without WebSphere knowledge.

See all answers

What is the best network monitoring software for large enterprises?

In my experience, I worked with many monitoring software, but the one that gave me the most functionalities of a large-scale company is Zenoss, due to its ability to monitor completely hybrid and a...

See all answers

Comparisons

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Compared 26% of the time

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Compared 22% of the time

Tomcat vs IBM WebSphere Application Server

Compared 17% of the time

Oracle WebLogic Server vs IBM WebSphere Application Server

Compared 8% of the time

IBM DataPower Gateway vs IBM WebSphere Application Server

Compared 6% of the time

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Zabbix vs Zenoss Cloud

Compared 31% of the time

Nagios XI vs Zenoss Cloud

Compared 30% of the time

Nagios Core vs Zenoss Cloud

Compared 12% of the time

SolarWinds AppOptics vs Zenoss Cloud

Compared 11% of the time

Centreon vs Zenoss Cloud

Compared 9% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

IBM WebSphere Application Server

July 2025

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Buyer's Guide

Zenoss Cloud

June 2025

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Also Known As

WebSphere Application Server

Cloud Monitoring, Zenoss Service Dynamics

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

Zenoss Cloud revolutionizes IT infrastructure monitoring with a service-centric approach, prioritizing the overall health of services and applications. Harnessing the power of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AIOps), Zenoss Cloud offers end-to-end visibility across servers, networks, storage, and applications. Real-time monitoring, event correlation, and automated remediation ensure immediate insights and efficient issue resolution. The customizable dashboards empower users to tailor visualizations to their needs, while scalability accommodates diverse infrastructures. Zenoss Cloud guarantees improved application performance, reduced downtime, and enhanced IT efficiency, making it an ideal choice for businesses of all sizes, from small enterprises seeking simplicity to large corporations requiring advanced scalability. Experience unified monitoring and proactive management with Zenoss Cloud, a comprehensive solution that transforms IT infrastructure optimization in today's complex environments.

Zenoss

Sample Customers

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

2degrees, Rackspace, State of North Dakota, El Paso Independent School District, NWN Corporation

Buyer's Guide

IBM WebSphere Application Server vs. Zenoss Cloud

July 2025

Free Report: IBM WebSphere Application Server vs. Zenoss Cloud

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