We use the solution as a database, basically. We do not use it for the data warehouse. It's just a few databases.
Enterprise Cloud Architect at UBS Financial
Easy to set up with good performance but is too expensive
Pros and Cons
- "We find the solution to be stable."
- "We're satisfied with the solution."
- "They could improve the scalability a bit. There are other options that are more scalable, for example."
- "The cost of Oracle is far too high. They should work to make it less expensive."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
We're satisfied with the solution. The performance is great.
We find the solution to be stable.
The scalability is very good. You can expand it if you need to.
We don't have any concerns with the data activity and recovery capabilities.
The initial setup is easy.
What needs improvement?
The cost of Oracle is far too high. They should work to make it less expensive. We're going to stop using it for this reason.
They could improve the scalability a bit. There are other options that are more scalable, for example.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for almost 10 years now. It's been a decade. I've used it for a while.
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability is very good and it has very good performance. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It's reliable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We don't have an issue with the solution's scalability. It's expandable.
What we see is Mongo and Cassandra, and many other databases that are extremely scalable and distributed. With Oracle, obviously, there are other types of databases that are performing better in this area. Obviously, they could improve scalability from a scalability perspective.
How are customer service and support?
I've never contacted technical support. I cannot speak to how helpful or responsive they are.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We are using DB2 on mainframes and we do have Microsoft SQL, and then we started using PostgreSQL as well.
How was the initial setup?
We haven't had a problem with the initial setup. It's very simple and straightforward.
I haven't installed it in recent times, however, from what I recall, the actual production upgrade took us probably less than four hours.
Currently, the database team is around 40 or more people from engineering and from operations. It's a full database engineering and operations team so it's covering other databases as well - such as DB2 and SQL and Cassandra and other databases. You can take three to six engineers and have them handle deployment and maintenance, although everyone works on other things.
What about the implementation team?
We handled everything in-house. We did not need the assistance of integrators or consultants.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
It's CPU-based licensing. The cost is far too high. We're looking into other options to avoid having to pay so much. There are both licensing and support costs you need to consider.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We have been looking at less expensive options such as Azure SQL and PostgreSQL.
What other advice do I have?
We're a customer and an end-user.
We use both cloud-based and on-premises deployments.
While I might have recommended Oracle in the past, due to the cost factor, it's hard to recommend it these days.
I'd rate the solution at a seven out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Project Lead Performance Engineer & Automation at Allstate
Scalable, reliable, but installation could be easier
Pros and Cons
- "I have been satisfied with the technical support from Oracle."
- "I have been satisfied with the technical support from Oracle."
- "I have been looking for a virtualization database engine from Oracle. They have third-party vendors that can do it but if Oracle comes with its own virtual engine, it would be helpful. Additionally, the solution could be more user-friendly and improve the Transparent Data Encryption."
- "The installation was not a good experience it took a lot of time."
What is our primary use case?
I work for an insurance organization and we have been using Oracle Database for our application architecture. We store all the user-level information in the Oracle Database that our company deals in, such as policy information. Before I joined this organization, they were only using the Oracle Database but now we are migrating from Oracle to the SQL Server Database. For any new applications that are getting built or designed, we are trying to use SQL Server instead of Oracle.
What needs improvement?
I have been looking for a virtualization database engine from Oracle. They have third-party vendors that can do it but if Oracle comes with its own virtual engine, it would be helpful. Additionally, the solution could be more user-friendly and improve the Transparent Data Encryption.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Oracle Database for approximately 10 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Oracle Database is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is scalable.
We have approximately 2,000 users using this solution.
How are customer service and technical support?
I have been satisfied with the technical support from Oracle.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We use SQL Server.
How was the initial setup?
The installation was not a good experience it took a lot of time.
What about the implementation team?
We have a 10 person technical team which consists of administrators and managers that do the implementation and maintenance of the solution.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We have been paying for an annual enterprise license Oracle Database.
What other advice do I have?
If I had the choice to pick between Orcale Database or SQL Server, I would choose SQL Server.
I rate Oracle Database a seven out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Buyer's Guide
Oracle Database
April 2026
Learn what your peers think about Oracle Database. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: April 2026.
890,027 professionals have used our research since 2012.
President at Advance Consulting Enterprise
Gets the job done, doesn't fail, and suitable for massively scalable applications
Pros and Cons
- "The thing that probably stands out the most about Oracle Database is reliability. I have been working with Oracle Databases for over 25 years, and I have never lost any data due to a machine going down or any events that were not stupid human tricks. I've never lost anybody's data using Oracle. It gets the job done and doesn't fail."
- "It does what I want it to do. It has got a lot of features. Anytime I need a feature, I am able to find it in Oracle Database. It has never happened that I found a feature in any other database, but I was not able to find it in Oracle."
- "The thing that probably stands out the most about Oracle Database is reliability; I have been working with Oracle Databases for over 25 years, and I have never lost any data due to a machine going down or any events that were not stupid human tricks."
- "There is a lot of room for improvement. Ease of use is probably the biggest complaint. They're getting somewhat better, but it is not as easy or intuitive as it could be in terms of maintaining and managing the database."
- "Their support portal requires a person to become well-trained in how to use it. They are pretty good at handling absolute critical emergencies, but with the exception of absolute critical emergencies, getting problems solved from their support system is difficult and takes a long time."
- "Probably about 80% of their online documentation is useless. When you go to the Oracle documentation, you have to plow through page after page of stuff to get to anything that looks anything like an example of what it is that you might actually do. There are lots of other people who have filled that gap, and there are also websites where you can easily find the answers to most of your questions."
- "There is a lot of room for improvement. Ease of use is probably the biggest complaint."
What is our primary use case?
We use it internally for some small odds and ends. Two of our biggest clients use this solution. One client has more or less a data warehousing application. Another one has more of a transactional and pseudo accounting application.
I am currently using 12c, but I have also done some work with version 18. This July, we're going to upgrade most of our main databases from version 12 to version 18, which is fairly current. I believe they have version 20 available at this point.
What is most valuable?
The thing that probably stands out the most about Oracle Database is reliability. I have been working with Oracle Databases for over 25 years, and I have never lost any data due to a machine going down or any events that were not stupid human tricks. I've never lost anybody's data using Oracle. It gets the job done and doesn't fail.
It does what I want it to do. It has got a lot of features. Anytime I need a feature, I am able to find it in Oracle Database. It has never happened that I found a feature in any other database, but I was not able to find it in Oracle.
What needs improvement?
There is a lot of room for improvement. It is not meant for dilettantes. It is not meant for people who don't work on it day in and day out. Ease of use is probably the biggest complaint. They're getting somewhat better, but it is not as easy or intuitive as it could be in terms of maintaining and managing the database. The day-to-day maintenance and the ability to easily do things and keep things up to date can be painful.
Their support portal requires a person to become well-trained in how to use it. I'm sure it has lots of features and capabilities but to try and get support is somewhat painful. They are pretty good at handling absolute critical emergencies, but with the exception of absolute critical emergencies, getting problems solved from their support system is difficult and takes a long time. I had to do an update, and it was not straightforward to get the right patch kit. I'm getting to the point now where I somewhat understand how to use their support website, but it is not intuitive.
Probably about 80% of their online documentation is useless. When I have a question about what to do or how to do something, the things that come up on top when I do a search, of course, are Oracle websites. I always skip right past those and go to other websites. There's an old expression from my youth, "I want to know what time it is. I don't want to know how to build the clock." When you go to the Oracle documentation, you have to plow through page after page of stuff to get to anything that looks anything like an example of what it is that you might actually do. There are lots of other people who have filled that gap, and there are also websites where you can easily find the answers to most of your questions.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with Oracle Databases for over 25 years. The first time I started using Oracle Database was around 1995. It was probably version 3 or 6.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is one of the robust products from a stability point of view. I have not really found bugs or glitches. However, on a test database, I had an issue the other night where Oracle decided to behave badly when I was trying to do a query. The solution was to get the latest patches and install the latest patches. Everything worked fine after that. I did all of that without contacting Oracle support. I needed to get what I was working on done. So, I had to plow through to find the answers. I had found some people making some oblique references to what the problem might be. I then took a chance on doing the update. I found the patch kit, but it was not easy to find the right patch kit on their website.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
In the data warehousing database or application, we have tens of millions of rows in different tables, and we have no problems there. However, in that particular application, we're not dealing with transaction processing. So, I can't answer the scalability in terms of transaction processing. On the hardware platform that I've put together for the main database of this one customer, I am very pleased with the performance of the data warehousing aspects and being able to query data quickly and do bulk inserts and things of that nature. For data warehousing scalability, I can attest to the fact that it is great, but for transaction processing, I don't have the experience to be able to provide information.
Two of our biggest clients are quasi-governmental in the sense that their business is based on government funding. One has 60 users who use the application day in and day out, and their database is relatively small. The other application has about 20 dedicated internal users, and then there is a web interface. It has around 3,000 to 5,000 users, but typically, there are about 20 concurrent users.
How are customer service and technical support?
Their support portal requires a person to become well-trained in how to use it. Getting support is somewhat painful. They are pretty good at handling absolute critical emergencies, but getting other problems solved from their support system is difficult. It takes a long time. I had to do an update, and it was not straightforward to get the right patch kit.
I am the technical resource of last resort for our clients. I work with a number of technical people. When it gets to the point that it wasn't an easy problem to solve, they come to me, and I end up getting all of the tough problems to solve. I like that, and I would rather do that than just working on the same thing day in and day out. I am always trying to solve problems, and that's why I end up having to interface with Oracle support. The ability to solve problems better by using Oracle's support tools would be beneficial for me.
How was the initial setup?
Its initial installation and setup have become better. You can set up something fairly easily these days. If you need to do anything that is not straight out of the box, figuring out how to do it is not easy. If you want to just set up your average everyday database, you can get it up and running with a few mouse clicks.
What other advice do I have?
As a consultant for the last 40 years of my life, the conversation with anyone who wants to use a product would be a lot more in-depth and detailed where I'd be asking, "What is it you want to do? How do you want to do it? Where do you want to go?" It isn't the kind of thing for which I'd say, "Yeah, Oracle's a Swiss army knife, the best thing since sliced bread."
It is one of the more robust products from a stability point of view. There is a bit of a learning curve. From a transaction point of view, if you have the right hardware, Oracle is probably as or more scalable than anybody else. If your application is going to be massively scalable, Oracle is probably your best tool. If you're just going to put together a small application for occasional users, there are easier tools to learn and use. Some of them are even by Oracle.
I would rate Oracle Database an eight out of ten. It is a great product.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Freelance Software Engineer + Director of a company at Peter Krall Consulting
Highly reliable, perfectly stable, and scalable
Pros and Cons
- "It is one of the most reliable database systems."
- "It is one of the most reliable database systems."
- "With the new version, we never came across any important limitations. There was nothing that needed improvement. However, in versions 9 and 10, we sometimes had problems, and big and complicated queries did not get through. In versions 11 and 12, I did not experience any problem. There could be some more information about load balancing and all these things. For me, it was just a part of the infrastructure maintained by other people. So, I cannot really say what they need."
- "There could be some more information about load balancing and all these things."
What is our primary use case?
In the last project, we had a big warehouse. It was a logistics company, and we had all company data stored in this. We also had insurance use cases. We had all contracts, customer data, and all kinds of stuff.
What is most valuable?
It is one of the most reliable database systems.
What needs improvement?
With the new version, we never came across any important limitations. There was nothing that needed improvement. However, in versions 9 and 10, we sometimes had problems, and big and complicated queries did not get through. In versions 11 and 12, I did not experience any problem.
There could be some more information about load balancing and all these things. For me, it was just a part of the infrastructure maintained by other people. So, I cannot really say what they need.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for decades. I worked for a company developing insurance software in the nineties, and we used Db2 and Oracle.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is perfectly stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is scalable. The number of users differed a lot. There were not that many who used it directly. It was mainly was used by programs written by me. There might be around 100 users who used these programs.
How are customer service and technical support?
I have not interacted with them recently. I don't know whether our database administration team contacted Oracle. I just know it was usable from our layout or view.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We have used Oracle, SQL Server, and Db2, and all of them were okay for our purposes. In the new project, we will probably use Oracle, but we might also use SQL Server. I'm pretty neutral this way, as long as it works.
How was the initial setup?
I am not the one who does the database administration and installation.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend this solution. It is certainly a valid option.
I would rate Oracle Database a ten out of ten. It is one of the best solutions.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
ICT officer at Basaba
Has valuable security features, but they could provide ease of data migration
Pros and Cons
- "The platform's security features and stability are commendable."
- "They could provide ease of migration and competitive pricing for the database."
What is our primary use case?
We primarily use the product to store textual data and support applications like our HR and case management systems.
What is most valuable?
The platform's security features and stability are commendable.
What needs improvement?
They could provide ease of migration and competitive pricing for the database.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using Oracle Database since 2005.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate the product's stability a nine. We haven't encountered significant issues.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Around 500 users access Oracle Database regularly in our company. We haven't faced scalability issues; it's more than enough for our current needs.
How was the initial setup?
Once you're familiar with the product, setup becomes easier. Single-node setups are quick, but integrated configurations can take more time.
What about the implementation team?
We get help from integrators to set up the database.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The platform is highly-priced.
What other advice do I have?
I rate the security features an eight or nine.
I would hesitate to recommend Oracle Database solely due to its high cost. If pricing were more competitive, I'd be more inclined to recommend it.
Overall, I rate the product a six out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
IT Project Manager at Nong San Sach online
Has recovery options but pricing is expensive
Pros and Cons
- "If we make a mistake on the development side, we can recover it. However, we don't have this capability with other databases."
- "Oracle Database is expensive."
What is our primary use case?
We use Oracle Database for our Internet ERP. This ERP system encompasses various modules such as HCM, purchasing, inventory management, sales order management, production, finance, and controlling.
What is most valuable?
If we make a mistake on the development side, we can recover it. However, we don't have this capability with other databases.
What needs improvement?
Oracle Database is expensive.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the product for seven years.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Our scalability relies heavily on our deep understanding of data relations. By leveraging this knowledge and adapting it to the Oracle Database, we can align our business processes with our requirements. My company has four users.
How was the initial setup?
The tool's deployment is not complicated and takes 20 minutes to one hour to complete. It maintenance is not hard and requires only one to two resources.
What other advice do I have?
The tool is complex; we can use SQL language to accomplish tasks, similar to other solutions. Most Oracle developers and users are familiar with SQL, so it's not challenging. I rate the product an eight out of ten. The rating of eight instead of ten is because we have a lot of management solutions in place now that are not solely dependent on the database structure.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Independent Consultant at Unaikui
A hybrid solution for ETL and real-time data analytics
Pros and Cons
- "The solution is easy to use. It also offers a Database Vault."
- "The pricing could be improved."
What is our primary use case?
We use the solution for ETL and real-time data analytics.
How has it helped my organization?
We use the solution for the ERP system, which utilizes dynamic APIs, SQL, and ETL processes.
What is most valuable?
The solution is easy to use. It also offers a Database Vault.
What needs improvement?
The pricing could be improved.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Oracle Database for five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The product is stable.
I rate the solution’s stability a ten out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Depending on where you deploy, Oracle is also scalable. Sixteen sites with 50 users each are using this solution.
I rate the solution’s scalability a ten out of ten.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was straightforward and took a couple of weeks. You can set up a new instance, import/export databases, or a new blank database. For on-premise, we use Jenkins. We set it up for the cloud so we can receive alerts using Jenkins or any other suitable tool.
What about the implementation team?
Deployment was done in-house.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution is very expensive.
We had an annual subscription, but Oracle only recognizes certain VMs. Eventually, we had to migrate to Oracle Linux and allocate a specific number of CPUs to a product to reduce the price.
What other advice do I have?
Four people are required to maintain the solution.
Overall, I rate the solution a ten out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Storage Solutions Expert at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
It enables us to comply with our security guidelines
Pros and Cons
- "It enables us to comply with our security guidelines, and it is automated."
- "The product could be cheaper."
What is our primary use case?
Oracle Database is a database for electronic channel. We use the solution to collect transaction data from banks, financial institutions, and potential customers.
How has it helped my organization?
It enables us to comply with our security guidelines, and it is automated.
What needs improvement?
The product could be cheaper.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Oracle Database for 15 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is like a real application cluster.
I rate the solution’s stability a ten out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution’s scalability is good from a technical perspective. We are shifting to other products because of the basic cost.
Around 4,000 users are using this solution.
How are customer service and support?
The organization provide top-notch support.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is neither easy nor complex. With DB experience and product support, it is quite easy. It would be complex for a new guy.
What was our ROI?
Oracle Database is a very expensive solution, but it is very stable. Financial institutions are moving to online channels. It can handle traffic very well.
What other advice do I have?
I recommend leveraging Oracle's logging capabilities, as it can efficiently offload tasks such as reporting, backups, and more. This allows for utilising commodity platforms, reducing reliance on proprietary systems and enabling the adoption of internal IMD platforms.
Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
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