# IBM Db2 Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra > Is IBM Db2 the right Database solution for you? Explore 51 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice. Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/240589/IBM-Db2/reviews --- IBM Db2 4.4 (51) [View alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/240589/IBM-Db2/alternatives/) Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/) * * * Last updated March 25th, 2026 # Reviews of IBM Db2 Ease of use 4.1 Customer Service 4.2 ## Pros and Cons in Reviews Riya J Software EngineerComputer & Network Security, 1,001 - 5,000 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “We are using IBM db2 to store large volume of sensitive user data which scale automatically when required, it allows multiple concurrent transactions with no data redundancy and maintains the isolation property.“ April 1, 2023 AV Alexandra V DevOps DeveloperAutomotive, 201 - 500 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “High cost product and its version upgrades require an outage.“ July 15, 2022 DM Debarpan M StudentMarketing and Advertising, 201 - 500 employeesUsed the software for: Less than 6 months. “IBM DB2 ensured the development of a scalable database solution to cater to the data processing and data cleansing requirements.“ April 12, 2022 SZ Sean Z OwnerInformation Technology and Services, 11 - 50 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “Scaling: for instance it won't run on small machines too well.“ March 17, 2021 Warwick B Executive RecruiterInformation Technology and Services, 1,001 - 5,000 employeesUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “I have been using this product in our company for a long time as Database-as-a-Service on our cloud for different requirements such as storing and even manipulating data safely with timely availability.“ October 18, 2021 Riya J Software EngineerComputer & Network Security, 1,001 - 5,000 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “It is robust No matter how much amount of data is, IBM DB2 will never fail.“ April 1, 2023 ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 1-25 of 51 Reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use Riya J. Software Engineer Computer & Network Security Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Best database for large volume data" April 1, 2023 5.0 We are using IBM db2 to store large volume of sensitive user data which scale automatically when required, it allows multiple concurrent transactions with no data redundancy and maintains the isolation property. Pros IBM DB2 provides the low latency and high data availability, It provides automatic scaling and high security for the large volume of data. It is robust No matter how much amount of data is, IBM DB2 will never fail. Cons IBM Db2 is a bit expensive and not all the SQL standards available in the IBM Db2 Review Source MS Maha S. Assistant Professor Computer Software Used the software for: 2+ years ### "IBM DB2: A high availability Relational Database" July 1, 2023 4.0 Pros The main project that made me involved in working with DB2 is a transactional concurrency benchmark that compares IBM DB2 to Oracle 10g RDBMS. The benchmark results demonstrated high scalability and availability properties in DB2 but the TPS measures showed a better performance of Oracle 10g on HP ML350 servers. DB2 supported better concurrency in bulk data-intensive SQL queries but lagged in computation-intensive tasks. Cons The programming language support is definitely something that needs improvement in addition to cloud integration and deployment tools. Many other commercial RDBMSes (such as Oracle) are leading ahead on this front. OS support, such as testing OS X platforms, can be also better provided in DB2l Switched from [Oracle Database](https://www.capterra.com/p/5938/Oracle-Database/)[MySQL](https://www.capterra.com/p/11482/MySQL/) Doing benchmarking on the different RDBMS configurations and deployment models. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Sr. Business Analyst Insurance Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "IBM D2" February 1, 2019 3.0 I would recommend use of DB2 in modern tech advancements. Light weight DB like MySQL, postgres are much better. Pros Db2 was used in our mainframe application. it accepts standard sql syntax. can handle large amount of data. Cons As data grows in production environment, it becomes slow. Thread hung and application performance degrades. Also it's costly. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer DBA Food & Beverages Used the software for: 2+ years ### "29/5000 Extremely stable and safe" June 2, 2020 5.0 Over 10 years using DB2 I can affirm that it is a very secure bank, with updates that bring new features, high compaction power and geographic contingency features gave us the security to work with SAP. Pros DB2 HAS A SERIES OF TOOLS THAT ARE DIFFERENTIAL, BUT HIGHLIGHTING THE CAPACITY OF SELF-MANAGEMENT (PARAMETERIZATION) AND DATA COMPACTION. ARE STRONG POINTS TO CONSIDER. Cons The acquisition cost can be a hindrance in the acquisition negotiations. Support is also a weakness for the cost, forcing the use of DB2 communities for troubleshooting. Alternatives considered [Microsoft SQL Server](https://www.capterra.com/p/1417/SQL-Server/)[Oracle Database](https://www.capterra.com/p/5938/Oracle-Database/) Reason for choosing IBM Db2 For its ease of management and for being included in the commercial proposal, training and support at an attractive price. Review Source SZ Sean Z. Owner Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Heavy and expensive, but good at what it does" March 17, 2021 5.0 Pros Db2 scales very well AFTER a certain point. Support is excellent, it's easy to get stood up once you have a feel for what you're doing. Cons Scaling: for instance it won't run on small machines too well. This becomes important if you're running a local copy for development or testing. There is a free Community Edition to play with, but can't take advantage of tons of ram or CPU, but good for POC. Reason for choosing IBM Db2 Support almost exclusively Switched from [MySQL](https://www.capterra.com/p/11482/MySQL/) Went from free to paid, MySQL couldn't handle the volume of data and requests, nor could it scale as easily to meet our need. Review Source Martha N. Staff Infrustructure Analyst Oil & Energy Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "DB2 Review" October 11, 2024 5.0 For the first 5yrs of work as a Senior Programmer, at the job, we had lots of systems based on DB2. Pros It was one of the best when I used to work with it. Till Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle & SAP came along. There are many companies still using legacy database systems. What IBM builds, they build to last. Cons I miss DB2. It was one of the most solid products. Review Source Luis Alexis R. Director propietario Used the software for: 2+ years ### "In My professional life I have used DB2 on the AS / 400 and e\_Series platform for more than 15 years" June 27, 2018 5.0 Implementing in record time allowing operating different system projects in the companies where I worked, you can be quiet because the data of the companies are based on a robust database eliminated the level of distress, allows access to your level of user user security to the system users allowing them to elaborate the data of the database in an excel sheet for example. Pros Easy database Implementation easy administration can be managed from any station the level of specialization is much lower than any other database, robust and recovery by indexes, interconnects with other databases such as Sql Server and allows data sharing in Immediately, its level of robustness and integrity is unique. Cons Proprietary database, requires a lot of Hardware for its good performance and its costs are high. Review Source Warwick B. Executive Recruiter Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "The best database software in the marketplace" October 18, 2021 4.0 This tool is effectively and efficiently being used in some specific departments of our organization. Overall, it is a great tool that has been really beneficial for our company. I find the customer support of IBM Db2 the best product support team as whenever we have questions they just respond to them in the quickest way. Pros I have been using this product in our company for a long time as Database-as-a-Service on our cloud for different requirements such as storing and even manipulating data safely with timely availability. This product has been providing services that help in storing and running all the problems in order to evaluate the data. This tool allows us to modify the processing speed of our company’s data just to enhance the overall user experience. Moreover, I am a frequent user of this tool and having great experience of this tool. Cons I felt there is a storage capacity problem which sometimes makes it difficult to check the effectiveness of the entire database. Review Source Richard E. Senior Consultant Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "db2 is the great IBM database manager" May 7, 2018 4.0 I learned how to cluster distributed databases, the use of IBM products, they are very powerful Pros It is very easy to install, use, it can be used for small and large projects, there is a lot of documentation about DB2, and the support they offer is very good, as long as you have a good license. I use it mainly for the execution of databases distributed in a banking project, its performance is very good Cons the bad thing that I see, is that you have to acquire a business license to use your maximum potential, apart from that there is also use IBM hardware, otherwise many conflicts are created Review Source senthamizhselvan E. Associate Insurance Used the software for: 2+ years ### "IBM db2 " January 17, 2019 4.0 Pros This can hold n number of records and easy to access it via online application and updated using the informatica Cons The application looks and query are bit complicated compared to SQL Review Source lC lynda C. DB2 DBA Hospital & Health Care Used the software for: 2+ years ### "DB2 for you!" August 8, 2019 5.0 On the rare occasions I have had to open a ticket with IBM I have had received great help in a timely fashion. Pros I have worked with DB2 as a database manager for over 30 years. It is a great product, robust, lots of flexibility, ever improving and rock solid. Cons Sometimes the number of options are overwhelming but the number of options is part of what makes DB2 great. Like so many things in life, it cuts both ways. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer IT Program Manager Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Db2 - a robust product" January 6, 2019 4.0 Pros 1\. It works well with mainframes which continue to be backbone of heavyweight lifting transaction volume at a decent speed. Cons I don't know about other databases much to list any cons. Would this be able to work well with upcoming technologies, not sure. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Product Management Intern Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Great Database Software" December 7, 2018 5.0 Pros 1\. Excellent support 2. Reliable tool 3. Easy to maintain Cons 1\. Further improvement of online documentation is required Review Source VB Victor B. Software Engineer Banking Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Powerful cloud and local solution for large and reliable project" February 3, 2022 5.0 Straight forward to use, fast, and clean interface Pros Stability and easy cloud interface, quick access to resources Cons For complex process like hot backup could be deal with limitations, some gap between the local interface and the cloud solution Review Source Vahid A. Research Assistant Higher Education Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Good RDBMS " July 21, 2019 4.0 Pros It can be used in the cloud or physical server. I used it in cloud during an educational SQL course and it is easy to learn and use. Cons \- I think the only problem is that It is expensive. Review Source DM Debarpan M. Student Marketing and Advertising Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Excellent Relational Database Management System solution from IBM" April 12, 2022 5.0 IBM DB2 ensured the development of a scalable database solution to cater to the data processing and data cleansing requirements. The query processing performance was fast with minimal disruptions. Debugging was efficient with good community support. A number of drivers are available to connect to external applications. Pros Scalable database to store large scale organisation data Robust application Data security & reliability - ensure strict data compliance Easy to get started - getting started is simple with minimal expert intervention required Excellent community support - resolution of bugs, suggestions, ideas available Cons Analytics capabilities have to be improved Review Source VG Vasu G. Student Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "IBM DB2 support for relational as well as non-relational structures makes it stand out." April 14, 2018 4.0 Pros \* IBM DB2 Cloud services are really good. \* Error Handling feature is really impressive. \* DB2 provides API support for many languages. Cons \* Regular DB 2 fix packs cannot be applied. \* Number of concurrent user connections is not limited. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Technical Architect Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Proven for enterprise workloads" April 16, 2019 5.0 Have used DB2 as a Relational Database (RDBMS) for the past 10 years, primarily to support SAP based enterprise workloads. IBM's development of DB2 has been fuelled by one of its largest customers - SAP. As such this review will be biased towards SAP. I started with DB2 7.5 on IBM's flagship AIX Operating System, and it has come a long way. These days AIX is dead (unfortunately), and IBM's Power platform is leveraging Linux. DB2 of course supports the big-endian based Power platforms, and the little-endian based x86 platforms that run both Linux and Windows. DB2 is very versatile as a database, and supports most features that enterprise-based databases like Oracle support. It really is a matter of choice. DB2 administrators are obviously not as easy to find as Oracle's, but so long as the DBA's have good knowledge they can be cross-trained easily. Pros \- ACID compliant like any good RDBMS (Oracle, MSSQL, SAP HANA) - Runs well and scales well on IBM's Power-based platform, and commodity x86 hardware running Linux/Windows - Various editions to suit customer needs and requirements. For example the Developer Edition is fully featured and is completely free for developers to use, or all the way to Enterprise Edition for state-of-the-art functionality (In-Memory based Columnar Tables thru its BLU functionality, High-Availability, Disaster Recovery etc. to prevent Single-Points-of-Failure). Rivals the existing enterprise RDBMS's Cons \- Even though there is a GUI for point-and-click administration (IBM Data Studio), to really flex the database's features and functionality command-line tools are required (like Oracle :-) Review Source Jeremias E. Associate Professor Education Management Used the software for: 2+ years ### "IBM Db2 on Cloud: Database Need No Installation" May 26, 2020 5.0 We already solved the problem of download/install procedure to use the DBMS. Student need no installation on cloud setup. Pros IBM Db2 on Cloud makes it more easier to use to teach database management in my class. Students need no installation procedure to use it. All you need is a IBM Cloud Account to access the application. Cons Security is tight. Students can not create account if they use school common IP workstation when accessing cloud.ibm.com. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Student Information Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "The reliable RDMS for Legacy systems" December 19, 2021 4.0 Pros Use it if you are using a Mainframe OS. The navigation is not too complex considering a minimalistic UI. Cons The query speed and result retrieval is a pain point. May be they can introduce an instant results UI page on the Mainframes. Review Source SC Steven C. Administrator / dba Financial Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Db2 in financial services" November 19, 2020 5.0 Straightforward to install and manage. Solid deployments but features can be behind. This is acceptable in our organisation, but may not be desirable in cutting edge companies. Pros In my employed role we use DB2 for warehousing, marts and as simple data stores. It is an integral part of back and metadata for Cognos and DataStage. It was simple to install and by default comes as self managed. We also deploy this for hosting customer data and integration with net backup, ha solutions and job scheduling is industry standard. Cons Vendor can be a little hard to work with on issues, getting the required information can be a drawn out process when trying to fix a live issue. This has improved over the years and support is more flexible in investigating while reports are generated. Functionality is competitive, but bleeding edge features (NoSql) can lag behind others. Review Source AG Andrew G. Software Engineer Insurance Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Software Engineers Perspective DB2" August 31, 2022 4.0 I used it every day for years. I still use it from time to time as it is sunset. Pros It served its purpose in its time but I think that time is past. It worked well for our mainframe and from COBOL but has been replaced by bigger and better things. Cons The way the schemas are defined is confusing Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Consultant Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Great product, easy to install and use. Been using it for 6 years in different projects." May 7, 2018 5.0 Pros Installation is very easy and when installed it's ease of use, very convenient. It's also very easy to connect to other tools like DBVisualizer which gives another way of viewing the tables and info. Cons They need to improve the help online to find some commands, and the explanation on the commands as well. Review Source sV shashank V. Software Trainee Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Best RDBMS Software" March 28, 2019 5.0 My experience using this RDBMS software is very good as retrieving of data from the database is very fast. We can execute complex queries in a smooth way. I actually wanted to store XML data inside the database in case of any B2B transactions that I need to store for further processing. DB2 database has the capability to store XML data and store some large files in regards to that transaction details. Pros 1) DB2 is very cheap, easy to install. We don't have to worry about license costs as they wouldn't be more than that in Oracle. 2) It can run on any OS like windows, Linux, Mac. 3) We can use DB2 along with XML data also. 4) The retrieving of data from the db2 database is very fast which is actually a very good feature. 5) Can store large files in the database in an easy way. 6) We can store the data in different locations across the data and the data can be accessed from different locations in a faster way. 7) Index feature is available in DB2 to identify a unique table out of thousands of tables in DB2 database. Cons I didn't find any flaws using this software. Review Source sF syed F. enginner Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "IBM Db2" July 4, 2022 5.0 Pros As of now ibm db2 database is the best provided by IBM technology which have best costumer support and best recovery system where need not to wait long time best resolving any issue are given as fast and can and easy to handle and use Cons there no least in IBMdb2 which has the best over all experience ever has has the best user experience till now Review Source Similar Products Featured ## Related categories [Database](https://www.capterra.com/database-management-software/)[Data Warehouse](https://www.capterra.com/data-warehouse-software/)