Oracle Application Express (APEX) vs Oracle Visual Builder Cloud Service comparison

Oracle Application Express (APEX) vs. Oracle Visual Builder Cloud Service

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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

Oracle Application Express ...

Ranking in Rapid Application Development Software

3rd

Ranking in Low-Code Development Platforms

4th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Development Platforms (2nd)

Oracle Visual Builder Cloud...

Ranking in Rapid Application Development Software

19th

Ranking in Low-Code Development Platforms

16th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2026, in the Rapid Application Development Software category, the mindshare of Oracle Application Express (APEX) is 5.9%, down from 8.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Oracle Visual Builder Cloud Service is 1.6%, up from 0.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Rapid Application Development Software Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Oracle Application Express (APEX)	5.9%
Oracle Visual Builder Cloud Service	1.6%
Other	92.5%

Rapid Application Development Software

Featured Reviews

Dominik Grabiński

Oracle APEX Developer at Pretius

Fast low-code web development has transformed how I build complex data-driven business apps

Oracle Application Express (APEX) is a very great tool that is easy to learn but hard to master. The level of entry is very low, but the longer I work with this platform, the more I understand how it works and the great things I can create. For example, I can create report graphs and handle a lot of data across many levels. It's a great application to start with, and when I have experience in Oracle databases, I can utilize Oracle Application Express (APEX) as a front-end tool for the Oracle database. Oracle Application Express (APEX) helps me create reports and graphs by providing a plethora of out-of-the-box solutions that I can use. For example, I can upload data to and from the database, upload photos, create maps, and create various report types such as Interactive Report and Interactive Grid where I can manage, edit, and delete data. I have many solutions that are very helpful and ready to use right away from Oracle Application Express (APEX). My favorite feature of Oracle Application Express (APEX) is the Interactive Report because it's a straightforward report that I can create using a simple query or by selecting a particular table from the database. In the action button behind it, I have many great features that I can use out of the box, including graphs and download options for Excel files. There are many sorting functionalities and accounting features. The Interactive Report is a very great tool for quickly displaying interesting data to clients. Oracle Application Express (APEX) has positively impacted my organization by being very fast compared to other languages and products. For example, I don't have to build a site from the ground up, nor do I have to create tons of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript because Oracle Application Express (APEX) offers many built-in solutions. When I want to create a button, in another language, I would need to create it from scratch. In Oracle Application Express (APEX), I can simply use what's available out of the box. It's a very fast platform with many built-in components that I can utilize right away.

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Sherif Bashar

Head of Digital Solutions at Wind Integrated Solutions

Offers low-code/no-code concept makes development much easier and faster and offers good community support as the development team actively answers questions on the community every day

There are very minor things, like the feature called "action chains," that could use a bit of enhancement. But the team is perfect; they're working on it. An action chain is a sequence of actions triggered by a button or an event. It executes code in order, from top to bottom. For example, it could call a code, call a REST service, and then insert data into a database. It needs enhancement because it can be a bit complex for fresh grads or new developers to understand. It would be better if it was made more readable. That's the main point. But if you have experience, you'll understand it easily. One more thing I want to add about Visual Builder: up until two years ago, it supported native mobile development. That's not available anymore. They replaced native mobile development with progressive web apps, and most customers are complaining about that. We need native mobile development back – the ability to put apps on stores like Google Play or the App Store. That feature is not available right now, and they deprecated it starting in 2024. It's very important. Otherwise, clients go with Flutter or other mobile development tools. It would be good for Oracle to regain that capability. We need the native mobile development feature back.

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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

"You can customize the solution to create a console where only business users can access and download files if they want to extract the data."

"I like that Oracle Application Express (APEX) is powerful and attractive, allowing my organization to modernize forms within two months. I also found its PWA feature very powerful because you can produce substantial mobile applications."

"Personally, I would say that Oracle Application Express (APEX) is a powerful tool...Stability-wise, I rate the solution a nine out of ten."

"One of the most valuable features is the ability to build very fast data-driven UIs."

"Time saved is the most critical benefit that comes to mind when thinking about Oracle Application Express (APEX) because I can develop applications very quickly."

"One of the most valuable features is that we can develop everything locally and deploy it for different kinds of operators in different locations, so we can do our job in one piece."

"Oracle APEX is very easy to use and comes with a lot of ready-made components that speed up the process of creating reports and dashboards."

"The solution's most valuable aspect is its Graphics Form Design."

More Oracle Application Express (APEX) pros

"The tool is very easy to use."

"The most valuable feature was the visual drag and drop on the components."

"VBS is another tool that allows users to create enterprise applications without needing to store their projects in traditional databases like SQL."

"You don't need a dedicated IDE to develop. You can work from any browser, which is very convenient. And, with the cloud concept, your code is stored in the cloud, so you can modify it from anywhere, at any time."

"The initial setup is easy."

"You can avoid costly React developers that are required for building advanced UI."

"The action chains are really helpful, and the trigger event, along with those action chains, has been very helpful."

"The most valuable feature was the visual drag and drop on the components."

Cons

"There is not a lot of Wiki help or in Google, but there is some."

"The solution's layout could be improved for report generation to allow more configuration."

"Being able to only design with HTML and CSS can be limiting as to what can be accomplished."

"An area for improvement in Oracle Application Express (APEX) is the slow reporting because pulling the report for two months, one year, three years, etc., is very slow. It takes more than thirty minutes to download the report. There's also room for improvement in integrating Oracle Application Express (APEX) with other vendors, such as open-source solutions through API integration. I believe Oracle is working on this feature, or the issue could be because my organization is using an older version of Oracle Application Express (APEX). The Oracle database also has to be improved because it's still lacking in some packages, triggers, and indexes."

"The collaboration and the workflow engine could use some improvement."

"Some of the application interfaces of Oracle Application Express are not very attractive and could be improved."

"There is one disadvantage. When facing problems, it can be difficult to find solutions online (Google/YouTube), unlike with Java coding, where solutions are readily available on Google."

"The migration process is difficult in Oracle Application Express."

More Oracle Application Express (APEX) cons

"If you're doing some, for example, extremely responsive applications for the web, it's not as good."

"There are some bugs in VBCS."

"My honest opinion is: do not use this solution — there are plenty of free options out there that will do the trick."

"The initial setup of Oracle VBCS can be challenging for those unfamiliar with DBS."

"The feature called "action chains" could use a bit of enhancement."

"The tool has minor bugs."

"There was an attempt to enable front-end development, it did what it intended to do, but the side effects were too bad."

"I would improve the license structure as, for some companies, it may seem a little bit expensive, depending on what they're doing."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"When buying the data license, APEX is included."

"We have a full Oracle E-Business Suite license, and we use that license to develop applications. There's no license required for developing Oracle applications."

"When you have a licensed database in an Oracle environment, APEX is free."

"The solution is free."

"APEX itslelf is a free product, but you will need to license peripheral components."

"Oracle Express comes with the Oracle license, it is a bundle."

"The solution is free if you are using on Oracle database."

"We have an Oracle basic product license, and then we can use Oracle APEX for free. We have many licenses for Oracle for approximately 20 processors."

More Oracle Application Express (APEX) pricing and cost advice

"It's not expensive when you consider what it provides: low-code/no-code development, faster development time, good quality, and good stability."

"Oracle Visual Builder Cloud Service is much too expensive."

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884,976 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Government

12%

Financial Services Firm

11%

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Healthcare Company

10%

Educational Organization

Construction Company

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	30
Midsize Enterprise	10
Large Enterprise	28

No data available

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Oracle Application Express (APEX)?

The product is fast.

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Oracle Application Express (APEX)?

I don't have a straightforward answer regarding pricing, setup costs, and licensing for Oracle Application Express (APEX) because the clients pay for this, not me. I'm the developer hired by one co...

What needs improvement with Oracle Application Express (APEX)?

I chose to rate it a 9 out of 10 because no application is perfect for everything. For instance, if I want to create an application for mobile or offline use, Oracle Application Express (APEX) migh...

What do you like most about Oracle Visual Builder Cloud Service?

The tool is very easy to use.

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Oracle Visual Builder Cloud Service?

I actually don't have much experience with pricing, so I can't comment on it right now.

What is your primary use case for Oracle Visual Builder Cloud Service?

There was a requirement to build a custom form to raise AI invoices, using Oracle Fusion. We created a form, and another use case was that users wanted to create and update customers.

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Compared 7% of the time

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Compared 6% of the time

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Compared 6% of the time

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Product Reports

Oracle Application Express (APEX)

Download Oracle Application Express (APEX) product report

Oracle Application Express (APEX) report

Oracle Visual Builder Cloud Service

Download Oracle Visual Builder Cloud Service product report

Oracle Visual Builder Cloud Service report

Also Known As

Oracle APEX

No data available

Overview

Oracle Application Express (APEX) is a low-code development platform that enables users to build enterprise apps securely and scalably. APEX, which offers world-class features, can be deployed anywhere. As part of the Oracle Database, developers can develop superior apps 20x more quickly by using all of the tools provided in a single, extensible platform.

Oracle APEX, a cloud platform that has been around for over 20 years, eliminates complexities associated with app building while delivering results faster and at a lower cost. The low-code aspect offers developers a visual approach to app development that accelerates the development process. Oracle APEX also provides a lively, global, and growing community of developers that can connect and share resources with each other.

Features of Oracle Application Express (APEX)

App building requires complexities and expert knowledge in vast web technologies. With Oracle APEX, these complexities involved with multi-faceted applications are reduced, and developers are provided with the rich features they need to fix business problems and create solutions. These features include:

Data: Oracle APEX offers revolutionary functionality to enable developers to turn data into information, no matter where that data is from. Under this functionality, you can display, chart, manipulate, and process data effortlessly and accurately.

Accessibility: Developers can build highly accessible and inclusive web apps for users with various abilities and requirements. Oracle APEX aims to provide a good user experience for everybody, with accessibility bug fixes and continuous improvements of their testing strategies.

Globalization: Oracle APEX provides the ability to create a framework to maintain well-performing applications in multiple languages and environments.

Smart Filters and Search: users can rapidly reduce searched data and remove clutter with search terms and filter suggestions for a more simplified user experience.

Security: Oracle APEX empowers web application builders to develop apps without compromising on security. Despite the constant increase of attacks and modification of web standards, developers can stay focused on their tasks without leaving applications exposed.

Monitoring: Monitoring and logging are built into Oracle APEX, which provides valuable insight into how users interact with your applications, as well as any hacking attempts, application errors, and performance issues.

User Interface: Developers can build modern web applications that are responsive, easily customizable, highly accessible, and simple to maintain with Universal Theme, a user interface for Application Express.

Reviews from Real Users

Oracle Application Express is a favorite among developers looking to create web applications quickly and securely for many reasons, which include its ease of use and the ability to quickly create public applications

A senior database developer at a tech services company notes, "This is a good application for quickly creating public applications."

Alvaro L., an intelligence coordinator at Grupo Orbis, writes, "Oracle Application Express is easy to use, people don't have to be developers to use it."

Oracle

Oracle Visual Builder Cloud Service is a cloud-based software development Platform as a Service (PaaS) and a hosted environment for your application development infrastructure. It provides an open-source standards-based solution to develop, collaborate on, and deploy applications within Oracle Cloud.

Oracle

Sample Customers

Hepart AG, pharmasol, SATLOG, Collège Bois-de-Boulogne

Transcom Worldwide, Latham Pool Products

Oracle Application Express (APEX) vs. Oracle Visual Builder Cloud Service