IBM WebSphere Application Server vs Microsoft .NET Framework comparison

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between IBM WebSphere Application Server and Microsoft .NET Framework based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out in this report how the two Application Infrastructure solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.
To learn more, read our detailed IBM WebSphere Application Server vs. Microsoft .NET Framework Report (Updated: May 2024).
771,212 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Featured Review
Quotes From Members
We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use.
Here are some excerpts of what they said:
Pros
"Without the Admin Console it would be very hard to configure JVM settings, JDBC datasources, mail session settings, and security providers.""IBM WAS is extremely scalable. It is easy to add additional servers and to divide the load over servers in all kinds of ways.""High availability, alert management, and deployments are the most valuable features for us. We have the ND version so we can do deployments.""The solution is very stable and robust.""The most valuable feature of this solution is Portal Virtualization.""The solution has good performance.""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."

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"When we talk about .NET development, we use Visual Studio IDE to create these things. In recent years, there have been a lot of improvements in Visual Studio 2022. It would be a daunting task to list all of the features that have benefited us, as it would require a lot of time and effort. However, there are definitely many improvements year after year in .NET development.""When it comes to the user interface, the context is better than other tools because it is easier to use.""The most valuable features are the Domain Controller and the WBFS Manager.""The solution's technical support is very good...The product's initial setup phase was easy.""Microsoft .NET Framework reduces the cost of entry and enables the development of applications with mature and enterprise features, thereby lowering the entry barriers.""The product has a good interface and easy-to-use programming language.""Ease of use, the richness of the libraries and basically very good development tools.""It is a stable solution."

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Cons
"Based on the field and based on the build that was provided, we've noticed a lot of constraints in terms of the performance now.""The main issue we faced was its limited compatibility with non-Java technologies, which can result in difficulty detecting potential bugs and requiring additional integration efforts.""What could be improved in IBM WebSphere Application Server is its interconnection with other products, for example, Kafka. What I'd like to see in the next release of the solution is a better graphical user interface.""They should make the solution more lightweight and not bundle everything into a single product.""The footprint could be reduced so that we can use a smaller virtual machine to run the application. We could also use more scripts. I would like this solution to be more script oriented, rather than GUI oriented.""The current trend is to move to Liberty because of the portability of its cloud and its Kubernetes, which containerize the application.""Sometimes, I feel WebSphere runs a bit slow. It might be loading unnecessary libraries, impacting its performance compared to other application servers.""IBM WebSphere Application Server hasn't changed much. It's still a heavyweight for any company compared to what you get. Unless your code base is deeply linked with it, I don't think it's a great idea to go with this solution. The current trend is toward modularity and containerization, and given the product's requirements, containerization will be difficult. There is a memory requirement as well."

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"The learning curve could be improved.""Difficult to scale this product for large organizations.""The product is nearing its sunset, and we think that by 2028, we won't get support anymore""The product's price is an area of concern, making it an area where improvements are required.""Microsoft could improve .NET Framework by providing more resources to help users understand the solution.""I would want the product to be integrated with the different AI tools in the future since it is one of the areas where the product has certain shortcomings.""They could enhance support for Python within Visual Studio, as integrating Microsoft products with other frameworks can present a steep learning curve.""In my opinion, this solution can be improved by providing out-of-the-box support for different types of libraries."

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Pricing and Cost Advice
  • "IBM WAS base is part of the deal when you purchase IBM FileNet P8 Content Engine."
  • "Room for improvement would only be in the licensing. As with all IBM products the licensing can be complex and expensive. Bargain well and try to get as much discount as possible. Discounts of 85% are possible. Without the discount, I think the product is overrated."
  • "There is an Eclipse Plugin provided by IBM, so no need to buy IBM Rational Application Developer or Rational Software Architect tools."
  • "If your application is just a web app that does not need to scale big, you can obtain a single core license of WAS Express edition, which has almost the same features with limited processing cores. If you manage a very big application farm (i.e. need to run 10 or more WAS servers) it is better to get IBM WAS Hypervisor Edition."
  • "I don't remember the price, but there are no additional costs."
  • "We pay around $200,000 annually."
  • "The price of this product is higher than that of competitors."
  • "We used to pay about $100,000-$120,000 US or somewhere around there. That was a bit cost-prohibitive for us to continue."
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  • "Do your homework. Consider the partnership program."
  • "The product and support for this solution are free for everyone."
  • "The pricing could be cheaper."
  • "There is a Community Edition that can be used free of charge, but the licensing cost for the Enterprise version is quite high."
  • "If you want to develop an enterprise-level application, you have to purchase the enterprise-level development license."
  • "The Microsoft .NET Framework is free of charge, without licensing cost."
  • "For the moment I can only give the product a rating of five out of ten since only some of the customers will be satisfied, those that have the financial resources for hosting a platform on Windows Server."
  • "Microsoft .NET Framework is licensed under the Windows License."
  • More Microsoft .NET Framework Pricing and Cost Advice →

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    Questions from the Community
    Top Answer:Network Deployment is the most useful feature for scalability. It has many features within the standard WebSphere Application Server edition.
    Top Answer:It's expensive. I'd rate the pricing nine out of ten, with one being inexpensive and ten being expensive.
    Top Answer: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… more »
    Top Answer:Microsoft .NET Framework continually innovates, particularly in Visual Studio, which focuses on improving languages, debugging, and .NET functionality.
    Top Answer:Microsoft .NET Framework continually innovates, particularly in Visual Studio, which focuses on improving languages, debugging, and .NET functionality. They could enhance support for Python within… more »
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    Comparisons
    Also Known As
    WebSphere Application Server
    MS .NET Framework
    Learn More
    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.”

    Microsoft .NET Framework is a software development framework for building and running applications for Windows, Windows Phone, Windows servers, XML Web services, and Microsoft Azure. The software is made up of two major components: Common Language Runtime (CLR) and the .NET Framework Class Library. The CLR is the execution engine that handles running apps and the Class Library is a library of tested, reusable code that developers can call from their own apps.

    Microsoft .NET Framework Features

    Microsoft .NET Framework has many valuable key features. Some of the most useful ones include:

    • Memory management: With Microsoft .NET Framework apps, the CLR allocates and releases memory and handles object lifetimes in many programming languages, so programmers are not responsible to do it.
    • Multitargeting: Microsoft .NET Framework targets .NET Standard, allowing developers to create class libraries that work on multiple Microsoft .NET Framework platforms.
    • A common type system: When using Microsoft .NET Framework, basic types are defined by the .NET Framework type system and are common to all languages that target Microsoft .NET Framework as opposed to traditional programming languages where basic types are defined by the compiler.
    • Side-by-side execution: By allowing multiple versions of the common language runtime to exist on the same computer, Microsoft .NET Framework helps resolve version conflicts. In addition, an app can run on the version of Microsoft .NET Framework with which it was built and multiple versions of apps can coexist.
    • Development frameworks and technologies: Microsoft .NET Framework provides libraries for specific areas of app development, such as ASP.NET for web apps, ADO.NET for data access, Windows Communication Foundation for service-oriented apps, and Windows Presentation Foundation for Windows desktop apps.

    Microsoft .NET Framework Benefits

    There are many benefits to implementing Microsoft .NET Framework. Some of the biggest advantages the solution offers include:

    • Language interoperability: With this Microsoft .NET Framework feature, routines written in one language are accessible to other languages, enabling programmers to focus on creating apps in their preferred languages.
    • Version compatibility: Microsoft .NET Framework offers version compatibility for rare occasions when apps that are developed by using a particular version of Microsoft .NET Framework happen to run without modification on a later version.
    • Extensive class library: With Microsoft .NET Framework, programmers have the ability to use a readily accessible Microsoft .NET Framework class library instead of having to write vast amounts of code to handle common low-level programming operations.

    Reviews from Real Users

    Below are some reviews and helpful feedback written by PeerSpot users currently using the Microsoft .NET Framework solution.

    PeerSpot user, Syed A., Principal System Developer at a government, says the solution is a “Great all in one framework with extensive stack for web applications, windows applications and mobile applications.”

    A QA Supervisor at a manufacturing company mentions, “It comes with many features that you can interact with and has all of the libraries readily available, which is not available in the RPA platforms. You can create your own SSIS package. You can integrate with all of the Windows objects, which is not available in Automation Anywhere, and you need to rely on their Object Cloning technologies to interact with them.”

    Brennan G., IS Technical Architect at Avara Foods Holdings Limited, comments, “It is easy to use, and it runs on a Windows platform. The .NET Framework is a very good framework. It does what I need it to do.”

    Sample Customers
    TalkTalk, Property management group, E.SUN Bank, Ohio National Financial Services, Aviarc, Cincom Systems, FJA-US, D+H, Staples, Michigan Municipal League
    Curtin University, Rockwell Automation, Aruba Networks, Insurity Inc., City of Barcelona, Pennsylvania DCNR, University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, A1 Telekom Austria AG, Eastman Chemical Company
    Top Industries
    REVIEWERS
    Financial Services Firm30%
    Computer Software Company26%
    Government13%
    Insurance Company9%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Financial Services Firm29%
    Computer Software Company13%
    Insurance Company7%
    Government7%
    REVIEWERS
    Government19%
    Manufacturing Company15%
    University11%
    Computer Software Company11%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company15%
    Financial Services Firm13%
    Government8%
    Manufacturing Company6%
    Company Size
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business22%
    Midsize Enterprise9%
    Large Enterprise69%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business15%
    Midsize Enterprise11%
    Large Enterprise74%
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business50%
    Midsize Enterprise13%
    Large Enterprise37%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business24%
    Midsize Enterprise14%
    Large Enterprise62%
    Buyer's Guide
    IBM WebSphere Application Server vs. Microsoft .NET Framework
    May 2024
    Find out what your peers are saying about IBM WebSphere Application Server vs. Microsoft .NET Framework and other solutions. Updated: May 2024.
    771,212 professionals have used our research since 2012.

    IBM WebSphere Application Server is ranked 5th in Application Infrastructure with 26 reviews while Microsoft .NET Framework is ranked 4th in Application Infrastructure with 47 reviews. IBM WebSphere Application Server is rated 7.8, while Microsoft .NET Framework is rated 8.4. The top reviewer of IBM WebSphere Application Server writes "Compatible, stable, and scalable". On the other hand, the top reviewer of Microsoft .NET Framework writes "Intuitive, easier to develop, maintain, and migrate from the old framework to newer versions". IBM WebSphere Application Server is most compared with JBoss Enterprise Application Platform, JBoss, Tomcat, Oracle WebLogic Server and Oracle GlassFish, whereas Microsoft .NET Framework is most compared with IIS, Magic xpa Application Platform, JBoss Enterprise Application Platform, Apache Web Server and WebLogic Suite. See our IBM WebSphere Application Server vs. Microsoft .NET Framework report.

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    We monitor all Application Infrastructure 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.