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IBM Db2 Database vs Oracle Database comparison

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IBM Db2 Database
Read 67 IBM Db2 Database reviews
10,870 views|7,336 comparisons
90% willing to recommend
Oracle Logo
Oracle Database
Read 283 Oracle Database reviews
24,911 views|17,360 comparisons
92% willing to recommend
Comparison Buyer's Guide
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Buyer's Guide
IBM Db2 Database vs. Oracle Database
May 2024
Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between IBM Db2 Database and Oracle Database based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out in this report how the two Relational Databases Tools solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.
To learn more, read our detailed IBM Db2 Database vs. Oracle Database Report (Updated: May 2024).
Download the complete report
772,649 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Featured Review
Anonymous User
Researched Oracle Database but chose IBM Db2 Database: A highly scalable solution with unique features that enable efficient management of data
One of the benefits of the solution is efficiency. One of our biggest clients is a bank based out of Brazil. As their data grew, fetching data... Read more →
Anonymous User
It enables us to comply with our security guidelines
It enables us to comply with our security guidelines, and it is automated.
Quotes From Members
We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use.
Here are some excerpts of what they said:
Pros
"The most valuable features are the simplicity of the database and the access to Db2 and Db2 information.""Some of the most valuable features are the scaling from a small very cheap installation to a very large enterprise installation. In addition, the backups and assistance are good.""The solution is easy to install and simple to maintain. The most valuable aspect of the solution is its general user-friendliness for users of all kinds.""The setup process has become much easier recently.""The solution is a very stable relational database and has integration with legacy systems. It is a great product.""Db2 Database has given us good results since we have started to use it. We predominantly use IBM hardware, and this is one of the reasons why we started to use Db2 Database. Db2 Database has a very good HADR capability. High availability resilience is also good in this solution. It also has pureScale, which allows you to upgrade one node to get very good and high-level resilience. If you are using a database on five nodes, you can take one node down, upgrade that, and let that node up. You can then bring the second node down, upgrade that, and so on.""The solution helps secure the database.""The performance of the solution is valuable."

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"It enables us to comply with our security guidelines, and it is automated.""They continue to improve and are always introducing new features.""The features that I have found most valuable are its cloud and API features.""Oracle Database has good performance dynamics with respect to oncoming data and fetching of data which gets loaded.""A really large and very useful language to process data.""The thing two things that I like most about Oracle Database are its scalability and performance.""The solution has great security.""Technical support has been helpful so far."

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Cons
"The command line part of this solution could be much better.""The solution could be more modern and have updated database technology.""The queries can be difficult for beginners because there are so many. I would like to see more use cases for flow analysis that enable us to correlate the flow with events. Adding this feature in a QI format would be good for beginners.""The vendor should offer a free version""GUI needs improvement.""IBM's products tend to be quite costly, especially given the availability of free, open-source alternatives.""Db2 interface could be improved a bit. Comparing it to Oracle, Db2's interfaces could be improved.""Their view of it is they're maintaining it, they're continuing to upgrade it, they're continuing to grow it, however, they don't go out and try and sell that as an architectural solution the way they do Linux and Unix."

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"The pricing is the one sticking point for the solution because it is very expensive.""There are a lot of bugs in the Oracle Database, and it would be better if the bugs would be solved more quickly than they are today.""I have contacted the support from Oracle and they are sometimes slow.""The initial setup can be simplified.""The tool is costly, and migration is hard. We need tools like Database Migration Assistant for Oracle to migrate data between databases. Sometimes, older versions of Oracle are no longer supported, making the transition even more difficult.""Once you start with Oracle you become locked into it.""I believe that the simplicity of installation and configuration for logging in to Microsoft and PostgreSQL could be improved.""The initial setup was very complex - best case, it takes between four and six hours to set up."

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Pricing and Cost Advice
  • "They are competitive and honest (compared to how peer firms approach licensing conversations). ​"
  • "Compared to Oracle, it is so much cheaper."
  • "Licensing fees are on a yearly basis."
  • "We don't see what the specific price of the DB2 license is because we pay for the backup license as a package."
  • "I think that everyone knows that with IBM the standard price is higher than the others."
  • "Db2 is less expensive than Oracle."
  • "We did not buy it. It came with our hardware without any complimentary maintenance. If I compare Db2 Database with Oracle Database, its price is lower than Oracle Database."
  • "There is a license for this solution and we pay every three years."

    • More IBM Db2 Database Pricing and Cost Advice →

  • "Be prepared to pay for consulting services, and do not underestimate the time required to find and hire good quality database administrators."
  • "​The license cost need to be optimized. The licensing cost is very high compared to other RDBMS."
  • "The main issue where I feel that Oracle still has a problem is with the licensing. Licensing is still expensive and the reason why today most startups use other, cheaper databases. Those other databases are much less sophisticated than Oracle."
  • "The price is very expensive for the support."
  • "It is an excellent product, as long as the organization can afford the price tag."
  • "Our licensing costs are between $40,000 and $50,000 per year. Those are the costs that cover maintenance and licensing."
  • "The pricing is something that Oracle should work on to make the product more affordable, especially to businesses in third-world countries."
  • "It is very expensive. We pay in dollars, so the inflation and conversion cost is also there for us. They charge on a yearly basis for the license."

    • More Oracle Database Pricing and Cost Advice →

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    Questions from the Community
    What do you like most about IBM Db2 Database?
    Top Answer:Db2 database scalability and performance capabilities match our database needs. It covers pretty much everything a database administrator or engineer might need.
    Read all 39 answers   →
    What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IBM Db2 Database?
    Top Answer:I would rate the pricing a five out of ten. Since it's a government contract, the rates are negotiated and agreed upon with the government. So, it's not like the standard market price. It's not super… more »
    Read all 27 answers   →
    What needs improvement with IBM Db2 Database?
    Top Answer:Db2 interface could be improved a bit. Comparing it to Oracle, Db2's interfaces could be improved.
    Read all 43 answers   →
    How do you run Oracle Database at your organization and why?
    Top Answer:My company has been using Oracle Exadata Database Service for some years now, and we are happy with it. I will allow myself to answer your questions about why and what benefits it provides us with one… more »
    Read all 2 answers   →
    Do you know of any disadvantages of Oracle Database?
    Top Answer:Undoubtedly, Oracle Database is a top product in its category. But it does have its disadvantages, and for me and my organization, that has been the limitations of the product. When it comes to Oracle… more »
    Read all 2 answers   →
    What is the best use for Oracle Database?
    Top Answer:Oracle Database is flexible and can be used for many things. My company's main use case for this product is for storing data. We benefit from its high level of security as well as from the fact that… more »
    Read all 2 answers   →
    Ranking
    6th
    out of 37 in Relational Databases Tools
    Views
    10,870
    Comparisons
    7,336
    Reviews
    28
    Average Words per Review
    453
    Rating
    8.0
    2nd
    out of 37 in Relational Databases Tools
    Views
    24,911
    Comparisons
    17,360
    Reviews
    19
    Average Words per Review
    367
    Rating
    8.3
    Comparisons
    Also Known As
    DB2
    Oracle 12c, RDBMS
    Learn More
    IBM
    Oracle
    Overview
    DB2 Enterprise for Linux, UNIX, and Windows is the ideal data server for the most demanding workloads. New XML support is designed to help firms minimize the time and effort it takes to persist and use their XML data reducing development costs and improving business agility.

    Oracle Database is a top-ranking multi-model database management system by Oracle Corporation. Through Oracle database services and products, clients receive cost-optimized and high-performing versions of Oracle Database, as well as in-memory, NoSQL, and MySQL databases. The solution is available by several service providers on premises, in the cloud, or as a hybrid installation. It can be run on vendor servers as well as on Oracle hardware, including Exadata on-premise, Oracle Cloud, or Cloud at Customer.

    Users can select from various types of Oracle Database solutions, depending on what they aim to do with this product. Based on their specific needs, they can choose among options that include:

    • Autonomously managed Oracle databases: This type of database eliminates the complexity of operating and securing Oracle Database, while simultaneously ensuring high levels of performance, scalability, and availability for users.

    • Oracle Database on Exadata: Users who seek particularly fast platforms can select this type of running solution. Exadata is a computing platform that is optimized for running Oracle Databases and it serves as the fastest platform for Oracle Database.

    • Oracle Database on-premises deployment: The product allows for deployment on-premises for clients who have data residency and network latency concerns. This option also offers customers the benefit of updated Oracle Cloud technology, including Exadata and Autonomous Database.

    • Oracle Database in the cloud: Organizations can use a specific version of this tool in the cloud, benefiting from complete control over the versions they run and when these versions change.

    Part of this product is a fully automated database service called Oracle Autonomous Database, which facilitates the development and deployment of application workloads for organizations. It is built on Oracle Database as well as on Oracle Exadata. This service supports various data types and simplifies application development and deployment from modeling and coding to extract, transform, load process (ETL), data analysis, and database optimization. The service achieves high results in:

    • Performance
    • Availability
    • Security for online transaction processing (OLTP)
    • Analytics
    • Batch
    • Internet of Things (IoT) workloads

    Oracle Database Features

    Oracle Database has various features which users can utilize in their work with the solution. Among these features are the following:

    • Backup and recovery: Oracle Database ensures the integrity of users' data in system failure situations. This feature utilizes a tool named Recovery Manager (RMAN), which allows administrators to perform cold, hot, and incremental database backups, as well as point-in-time recoveries.

    • Clustering: This feature enables high availability of systems in order to run without interruption of services on occasions when one or more servers in a cluster fail. Included is a tool called Oracle Real Application Clusters.

    • Data dictionary: Through this set of internal tables and views, Oracle Database can be administered more efficiently.

    • Logical data structure: Through its feature for logical data structure, Oracle Database stores data in a way that allows users to interact with the database without knowing where the physical storage of the data is located.

    • Memory catching: Through the memory caching architecture feature, users can scale up very large databases and still perform at a considerably high speed.

    • Partitioning: This feature allows users to divide large tables into different pieces and store the pieces across storage devices.

    Oracle Database Benefits

    Oracle Database offers its users various benefits. Some of these include:

    • The solution decreases costs for organizations and provides a high return on investment (ROI) through the multiple services and features it offers.

    • Oracle Database has high-security protection which includes encryption, key management, data masking, and activity monitoring, that secures organizations' data within the tool.

    • The tool offers users the ability to use a single database for all data types, simplifying the process for them.

    • Oracle Database can be deployed in multiple places, including data centers and public and private clouds, which allows great flexibility for users.

    • The product allows applications from different platforms to communicate with the database through its networking stack.

    • Oracle Database is ACID-compliant, which helps maintain data reliability and integrity.

    Reviews from Real Users

    Paul S., president at Advance Consulting Enterprise, likes Oracle Database because it gets the job done, doesn't fail, and suitable for massively scalable applications.

    An Oracle DBA at a computer software company describes Oracle Database as reliable with good performance and very good stability.

    Sample Customers
    Knorr-Bremse, Mizuho Bank Ltd., Australian Government Department of Defence, SCHWENK Zement, Friedhelm Loh Group, YAZAKI Europe Limited, Ekornes ASA, Baldor Electric, VSN Systemen BV, Lion Brewery (Ceylon) PLC, PLANSEE Group, TE Connectivity, Hansgrohe SE, Openmatics, University of Toronto
    Agncia Nacional de guas, Anbima, Aria Systems, Asiana Airlines, Astelit LLC, Australian Finance Group, Banco Occidental de Descuento, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited, BT, Caja de Seguros S.A., Casas GEO S.A.B. de C.V., Comic Relief UK, Corsair Components Inc., CSAM Health AS, CSOB Group, Datacraft Solutions, DenizBank A.S., Department of Treasury and Finance WA, Office of State Revenue, Deutsche B_rse AG, Deutsche Lufthansa AG, Deutsche Messe AG, Digicel Haiti, DPR COSEA, Essar Group, Essatto Software Pty Ltd, Farmšcia e Drogaria Nissei Ltda., Fomento Econ‹mico Mexicano S.A.B. de C.V. (FEMSA), FundaÊo Petrobras de Seguridade Social, Future Group, GFKL Financial Services AG, Grupo Posadas S.A.B. de C.V., Grupo Sinosserra, Guerra S.A. Implementos Rodovišrios, Hanatour International Service, Hays plc, Henan Mobile Co. Ltd, Hochschule Hof, Hong Kong and China Technology (Wuhan) Co. Ltd (Towngas Technology), Industries Corpa_al C.A., Infrastructure Development Finance Company Limited, Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatstica, Instituto Mexicano de la Propiedad Industrial, Kcell, LinkShare Corporation, MercadoLibre Inc., MetLife Inc., Nextgen Distribution, €BB-IKT GmbH, Octagon Research Solutions, Pacific Lutheran University, Paragon Data GmbH, Ping ltd., PJSC Trustbank, Prodaub _ Processamento de Dados de Uberl_ndia, Purdue University, Redknee Inc., Robi Axiata Limited, Shanghai Infoservice Technology Co. Ltd, Shanghai Sihua Technologies Co. Ltd, Sistema de Aguas de la Ciudad de M_xico, Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council, Suddenlink Communications, Suprajit Engineering Limited, Tallink Grupp, Terminales Ro de la Plata S.A., Therap Services LLC, Think Passenger Inc., Trafigura, Transmed S.A.L Lebanon, ValeShop, VelQuest Corporation, Vodafone Group plc, West Virginia Network, WIND Hellas Telecommunications S.A
    Top Industries
    REVIEWERS
    Financial Services Firm38%
    Computer Software Company15%
    Manufacturing Company10%
    Insurance Company8%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Educational Organization53%
    Financial Services Firm9%
    Computer Software Company5%
    Government4%
    REVIEWERS
    Financial Services Firm18%
    Computer Software Company13%
    Government8%
    Comms Service Provider7%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Financial Services Firm20%
    Computer Software Company12%
    Manufacturing Company8%
    Government8%
    Company Size
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business25%
    Midsize Enterprise18%
    Large Enterprise57%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business8%
    Midsize Enterprise57%
    Large Enterprise35%
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business26%
    Midsize Enterprise19%
    Large Enterprise54%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business17%
    Midsize Enterprise12%
    Large Enterprise70%
    Buyer's Guide
    IBM Db2 Database vs. Oracle Database
    May 2024
    Free Report: IBM Db2 Database vs. Oracle Database
    Find out what your peers are saying about IBM Db2 Database vs. Oracle Database and other solutions. Updated: May 2024.
    DOWNLOAD NOW
    772,649 professionals have used our research since 2012.

    IBM Db2 Database is ranked 6th in Relational Databases Tools with 67 reviews while Oracle Database is ranked 2nd in Relational Databases Tools with 283 reviews. IBM Db2 Database is rated 8.2, while Oracle Database is rated 8.6. The top reviewer of IBM Db2 Database writes "Very scalable with high availability and excellent technical support". On the other hand, the top reviewer of Oracle Database writes "Supports a large volume of transactions compared to other databases". IBM Db2 Database is most compared with SQL Server, SAP HANA, Teradata, MySQL and IBM Informix, whereas Oracle Database is most compared with SAP HANA, SQL Server, MariaDB, Amazon Aurora and MySQL. See our IBM Db2 Database vs. Oracle Database report.

    See our list of best Relational Databases Tools vendors.

    We monitor all Relational Databases Tools reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.