IBM MQ Reviews

Vendor: IBM

4.2 out of 5

165 reviews
94% willing to recommend

1,734 followers

What is IBM MQ?

IBM MQ is a middleware product used to send or exchange messages across multiple platforms, including applications, systems, files, and services via MQs (messaging queues). This solution helps simplify the creation of business applications, and also makes them easier to maintain. IBM MQ is security-rich, has high performance, and provides a universal messaging backbone with robust connectivity. In addition, it also integrates easily with existing IT assets by using an SOA (service oriented architecture).

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IBM MQ is the #1 ranked solution in top Business Activity Monitoring solutions, top Message Queue Software, and top Message Oriented Middleware (MOM) solutions. PeerSpot users give IBM MQ an average rating of 8.4 out of 10. IBM MQ is most commonly compared to MuleSoft Anypoint Platform: IBM MQ vs MuleSoft Anypoint Platform. IBM MQ is popular among the large enterprise segment, accounting for 73% of users researching this solution on PeerSpot. The top industry researching this solution are professionals from a financial services firm, accounting for 38% of all views.

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Featured IBM MQ reviews

SelvaKumar4

System Analyst at Walmart

We find it scalable for internal applications, but not so much for external integrations. It should support a wider range of protocols, not just a few specific ones. Many other products have broader protocol support, and IBM MQ is lagging in that area. IBM MQ needs to improve the UI for quicker logging. Users should also have a lot more control over logging, with a dashboard-like interface. That's something they should definitely work on.

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Mehdi El Filahi

Co-Founder at tenekit

One of the most crucial aspects for us is ensuring no data loss, and IBM MQ excels in this area, especially in banking environments where reliability is paramount. The feature I find most effective for ensuring message delivery without loss is the backup threshold. This feature allows for automatic retries of transactional messages within a specified threshold. For instance, if the backup threshold is set to five, IBM MQ will automatically retry sending the message up to five times. If unsuccessful, the message is then sent to the backout queue, indicating that it has been attempted multiple times. This flexibility allows us to handle message delivery failures by either discarding, logging, or retrying the message using mediation patterns. The security features of IBM MQ have met our data protection requirements well. We utilize encryption with SSL keys to ensure data encryption. Additionally, many companies prefer using MQ connections with SSL challenges for added security. The integration with operating systems like Linux and authentication with Active Directory or Open Endpoint of Microsoft has made security configuration straightforward.

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Manjunath-V

Senior Member Of Technical Staff at Tata Consultancy Services

The GUI part could be better. The command line part is fine if the person knows the commands. However, we started using it on the GUI. It needs more direction, and it needs to be easier to understand. If the connectivity is not happening between the receiver and sender, it would be ideal to have some kind of a GUI that helps me to find the issue. Right now, whenever the connection is not happening, I use the debug a lot, and I use it to see configurations. I'd rather just have a message in the GUI that can say, for example, "The port is not enabled. The port is wrong." I used to get an issue with the connection. Maybe the configurations are perfect. However, the issue is on the other side, where maybe the component is down. I will only come to know that when I ping or ask the other person. Instead of that step, if there was a GUI that would tell me exactly what the issue is would make troubleshooting clear. In general, they need better visibility and not just the GUI design side. They need something that elaborates to the customer or user where the issue is. Technical support needs to be faster and more knowledgeable.

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IBM MQ mindshare

Product category:

As of April 2025, the mindshare of IBM MQ in the Message Queue (MQ) Software category stands at 25.6%, up from 20.5% compared to the previous year, according to calculations based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Message Queue (MQ) Software

PeerResearch reports based on IBM MQ reviews

Type	Title	Date
Category	Message Queue (MQ) Software	Apr 26, 2025	Download
Product	Reviews, tips, and advice from real users	Apr 26, 2025	Download
Comparison	IBM MQ vs ActiveMQ	Apr 26, 2025	Download
Comparison	IBM MQ vs Amazon SQS	Apr 26, 2025	Download
Comparison	IBM MQ vs MuleSoft Anypoint Platform	Apr 26, 2025	Download

Title	Rating	Mindshare	Recommending
MuleSoft Anypoint Platform	4.0	10.0%	92%	58 interviews Add to research
ActiveMQ	3.9	26.5%	88%	26 interviews Add to research

Valuable Features

IBM MQ excels in reliable, guaranteed message delivery, strong security, scalability, and seamless integration across diverse systems. It efficiently handles large data volumes with robust transactional processing, providing fault tolerance and no data loss. High availability, easy setup, and integration capabilities make it suitable for complex environments. Its strength in clustering and support for various platforms ensures efficient communication. Users appreciate its stability, strong support, and ability to connect disparate systems effectively.

"I would rate the solution ten out of ten because I have been working on it for the past fifteen years."
"IBM MQ processes many thousands of messages in a second, which is efficient for handling high transaction volumes."
"It is easy to create a new queue, and the queue manager connecting to the remote queue works smoothly once the IP and port are included."

Room for Improvement

IBM MQ users suggest improvements in security features, graphical user interfaces, and administration tools. Users express interest in better cloud integration and automated monitoring. Concerns about pricing and mainframe-centric designs are noted, with requests for a more intuitive interface for younger users. Enhancements in interoperability with emerging technologies like API Connect, Kafka, and RabbitMQ are desired. Better documentation, education, and a shift towards open-source adaptation could enhance user experience and market adoption.

"It would be nice to have AI features and an updated graphical user interface."
"Better error handling, such as a default dead message queue for errors, would be beneficial."
"There are no improvements needed at this time."

ROI

Organizations find it challenging to quantify ROI from IBM MQ, yet many report qualitative benefits. They appreciate its reliability and stability, highlighting cost savings in development, implementation, and operation. Users have observed a return within two years due to reduced bugs and data loss. Buffering transaction flows and maintaining performance during peak load are emphasized. Financial message handling generates significant revenue, with many noting lasting usage over a decade without increased costs.

Pricing

IBM MQ's pricing is often perceived as high, with licensing commonly based on CPU usage or Processor Value Unit (PVU) models. While some appreciate the flexibility, many find IBM MQ costly compared to open-source alternatives. Enterprise agreements, such as ELAs, sometimes include IBM MQ as part of bundled services, potentially reducing perceived costs. Some users suggest using lighter versions like Liberty to cut expenses. Overall, IBM MQ's pricing is suitable for large-scale enterprise use but may deter smaller businesses.

"If one is cheap and ten is expensive, I rate the tool's price a seven. The product is expensive."
"The license for IBM MQ is commercial and not cheap. You get a multi-platform solution, which is important because it lets you connect systems on mainframes, personal solutions, Unix, Linux, etc."
"The pricing needs improvement."

Popular Use Cases

IBM MQ is primarily used for guaranteeing message delivery in B2B transactions, reliable integration of diverse applications, and financial transaction handling. Organizations employ IBM MQ for message transmission, clustering across data centers, efficient application communication, integration with core banking systems, and middleware for enterprise service buses. It supports diverse environments, ensuring secure data exchange and high performance. Many users leverage its queue management features for managing asynchronous communication across various platforms and industries.

Service and Support

IBM MQ support is described as efficient and responsive, with many users noting quick resolutions within 24 hours. Some users find technical support average, needing improvement in response time and access to knowledgeable staff. Others appreciate the reliability of IBM MQ, reducing the need for frequent support. While some rate support highly, others mention gaps in technical skills and response time. Many users rely on technical support primarily for upgrades or specific issues.

Deployment

Many users found IBM MQ's initial setup straightforward, noting its ease on platforms like Windows and Linux. Familiarity with IBM products often eased the process. However, complexity arose with integration and configuration, particularly when dealing with complex environments, mainframe components, or clustering. Some required additional support or training due to the need for detailed configuration in complex use cases. Overall, most organizations managed to automate or script the deployment process for efficiency.

Scalability

IBM MQ demonstrates strong scalability on multiple platforms, with users praising its adaptability and ability to handle growing transaction volumes. It performs efficiently in distributed environments and offers features like clustering for enhanced scalability. Users find it easy to add elements such as queues, queue managers, and virtual machines to scale as needed. While some face challenges with cloud integration and requiring manual scaling efforts, many consider IBM MQ to effectively meet their scalability requirements.

Stability

Users reported IBM MQ as highly stable, used continuously without significant interruptions. Many noted its reliability and uptime, although some faced issues due to environmental factors or external applications. Reports showed that once properly configured, MQ maintained consistent stability. Occasionally, minor challenges involved configurations or hardware constraints, but these were not frequent. Users appreciated its robust performance, with some highlighting its efficiency in message handling and CPU utilization. Frequent updates have kept MQ relevant and dependable.

These insights are based on the in-depth reviews provided by peers to help you make a better buying decision.

Download our IBM MQ Buyer's Guide for additional reliable information.

Review data by company size

By reviewers

By visitors reading reviews

Top industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

38%

Computer Software Company

12%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Healthcare Company

Retailer

Insurance Company

Transportation Company

University

Media Company

Educational Organization

Comms Service Provider

Real Estate/Law Firm

Non Profit

Outsourcing Company

Energy/Utilities Company

Hospitality Company

Wholesaler/Distributor

Legal Firm

Construction Company

Pharma/Biotech Company

Logistics Company

Consumer Goods Company

Performing Arts

Compare IBM MQ with alternative products

Learn more about IBM MQ

IBM MQ can be deployed:

On-premises
In the cloud
Hybrid cloud

IBM MQ supports the following APIs:

MQI (Message Queue Interface)
REST
.NET
MQTT
JMS
IBM MQ Light

IBM MQ Features

Some of the most powerful IBM MQ features include:

High availability
Stability and scalability
Flexible deployment options
Uniform clusters
Automated and intelligent workload balancing
Broad language, API, and messaging protocol support
Administrative features that simplify messaging management
Open standards development tools
Simple management tools

IBM MQ Benefits

Some of the benefits of using IBM MQ include:

Multi-style messaging: IBM MQ supports simple multi-style messaging, making it easy to connect diverse systems with support for message queuing, transactions, and more.
Reduced risk: With IBM MQ you will never lose a message, and messages are never delivered more than once.
Cloud-native: Because IBM MQ has a minimal infrastructure, it is suitable to be cloud-native, and therefore has the capability to always remain on.
Available anywhere: Using IBM MQ, you have access to secure messaging anywhere, at any time.
Secure: IBM MQ makes sure to keep your data safe by using TLS secured communications, providing access identity management, message-level security, and more measures to protect your information.
Easy for application programmers: To use IBM MQ, application programmers do not need to have any knowledge of communications programming.
Technical support: IBM MQ has a large user community and also provides support 24/7 as needed.

Reviews from Real Users

Below are some reviews and helpful feedback written by IBM MQ users who are currently using the solution.

PeerSpot user Sunil S., a manager at a financial services firm, explains that they never lose messages are never lost in transit, mentioning that he can store messages and forward them as required: "Whenever payments are happening, such as incoming payments to the bank, we need to notify the customer. With MQ we can actually do that asynchronously. We don't want to notify the customer for each and every payment but, rather, more like once a day. That kind of thing can be enabled with the help of MQ."

Another PeerSpot reviewer, Luis L. who is a solutions director at Thesys Technologies, says that IBM MQ is a valuable solution and is "A stable and reliable software that offers good integration between different systems."

The head of operations at a financial services firm notes that "I have found the solution to be very robust. It has a strong reputation, is easy to use, simple to configure in our enterprise software, and supports all the protocols that we use."

In addition, a Software Engineer at a financial services firm praises the security benefits of it and states that “it has the most security features I've seen in a communication solution. Security is the most important thing for our purposes."

IBM MQ was previously known as WebSphere MQ.