IBM Informix vs. Oracle Database

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
IBM Informix
Score 9.6 out of 10
N/A
Informix is an embedded relational database offering from IBM.N/A
Oracle Database
Score 7.9 out of 10
N/A
Oracle Database, currently in edition 23ai, is a converged, multimodel database management system. It is designed to simplify development for AI, microservices, graph, document, spatial, and relational applications.
$0.05
per hour
Pricing
IBM InformixOracle Database
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
Oracle Base Database Service - Standard
$0.0538
per hour
Oracle Base Database Service - Enterprise
$0.1075
per hour
Oracle Base Database Service - High Performance
$0.2218
per hour
Standard Edition
Contact Sales
Enterprise Edition
Contact Sales
Personal Edition
Contact Sales
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
IBM InformixOracle Database
Free Trial
NoYes
Free/Freemium Version
NoYes
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
IBM InformixOracle Database
Considered Both Products
IBM Informix
Chose IBM Informix
IBM Informix creates effective solutions for big data extraction and data transportation functionalities across the entire Cloud services and the Automation ability is the best. The security that IBM Informix provides for all our business data and other project information and …
Chose IBM Informix
IBM Informix unlike the tools above creates effective solutions for big data extraction and data transportation functionalities across the entire Cloud services and the Automation ability is the best. The security that IBM Informix provides for all our business data and other …
Chose IBM Informix
You could use any other relational database, but they will be either expensive to maintain or won't scale as much.
Chose IBM Informix
I have participated in evaluations of Informix versus most of its competing RDBMS engines. In all of those evaluations, when performance, ease of maintenance, ROI, and effort required to train staff to proficiency are the criteria of decision, Informix has always been the choice.
Chose IBM Informix
As a DB Team Leader I have been looking after other platforms (SQLSvr, MySQL, Oracle and PostgreSQL), supporting application changes, and driving their platforms enhancements through lots of projects over many years. The more I have learnt from other platforms, the more I found …
Chose IBM Informix
  • Informix vs. Oracle: although both products are real enterprise-class DBMS, satisfying robustness and scalability criteria, Informix is much more easy and simple to admin. It requires much fewer resources in terms of DBA staffing for an equivalent infrastructure on Oracle. …
Oracle Database
Chose Oracle Database
I have selected Oracle database from other databases as this database is relational database which stored the data in structural and tabular format which is better than any other databases which I have used in my carrier. Also MongoDB is no SQL database where we can use SQL …
Chose Oracle Database
Oracle Database is best in business, consistent, and robust. Even the standard version is sufficient for the best performance. The main thing is I have never seen corruption and in my opinion, it is best when used with Linux.
Chose Oracle Database
In my opinion, Oracle Database is highly reliable, has better performance with large databases and little to no maintenance once everything is setup. Also, recovery of the Oracle database is much simpler and easier.
Chose Oracle Database
Microsoft SQL is just as stable and almost as sellable with a much lower cost of ownership (staff and licensing). But as our primary application doesn't support Microsoft SQL we had to license Oracle.
Chose Oracle Database
Oracle Machine Learning is completely different when compared to HCM or Hyperion. I can say that the data collected from HCM or hyperion enterprise can be used on Oracle Machine Learning to perform an analysis to predict the future business.
Chose Oracle Database
Oracle Database is among the easiest to integrate with, program against, have a reliable cluster with DR, and has the most understood and well-documented databases. It suits really well if the software shop is primarily Java-based, and deals with large volumes of data with a …
Chose Oracle Database
Azure databases is another cloud database that I had used in some .net platform based projects. Both of the cloud database services are identical in nature of usage but very different in scope of usage. But this doesn't mean that the Oracle Database Cloud Service stacks up …
Chose Oracle Database
It depends on the use case. Oracle database is for everyone, but if it's a lightweight application, MySQL might be an easier choice.
Chose Oracle Database
Most are complements to enhance the benefits of the Oracle database. I selected and evaluated Oracle databases because it is the most used suite in the organization and it is important for me to mention strengths and points to improve.
Chose Oracle Database
Oracle is more of an enterprise-level database than Access and SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise isn't getting developed much (some people wonder how close it is to end of life) but SQL Server is miles ahead of Oracle IMO in terms of user experience and comparable in terms of …
Chose Oracle Database
MySQL, Oracle Application Express, Oracle SQL Developer and Oracle Java SE
Chose Oracle Database
We use IBM DB2 in AS400 to handle part of our accounting system and our legacy ERP. We are migrating all functionalities to Oracle Database 12c because it is more secure and stable. We have some applications using SQL Server but we want to handle those systems in it because at …
Chose Oracle Database
We initially looked at MS Dynamics but it would have required a lot of customization and 3rd party solution providers which drove the cost up.
Chose Oracle Database
We looked at MS Dynamics but the licensing costs would have become more expensive and would require adding additional staff to administer Dynamics.
Chose Oracle Database
We initially looked at Dynamics but would have to had to add on a 3rd party provider that would have had to customize a solution and at the end dynamics licensing would have been more in the long run.
Chose Oracle Database
Well, I use all sorts of databases at once as it's part of customer requirement.
Chose Oracle Database
Both have good functionality. Oracle Database runs better on the Oracle engineered systems and provides a better cost model on those servers. Has better security and a more enterprise ready solution.
Chose Oracle Database
Oracle provides better support compared to both DynamoDB and Redshift. It is definitely a way matured product and handles the scale preferably. However, DynamoDB's replication is very impressive and their cost benefits are something oracle should consider and reduce their …
Chose Oracle Database
Oracle Database has a better reputation in quality of the database compared to Amazon Aurora, SAP, Microsoft and IBM DB2. There are also better developer ecosystems available that can be used for issues and hiring DBAs and developers with the experience on Oracle Database. …
Chose Oracle Database
  • Oracle Fusion Middleware
  • Oracle BI
Chose Oracle Database
Oracle Database 12c is head and shoulders above SQL Server for what we need it to do, and the performance is much better. Oracle Database has been in place at our company for a while, and it was really a no brainer going to Oracle Database version 12c instead of another …
Chose Oracle Database
Oracle is in the leader of the pack. It has excellent user community and support is superb. It is widely used by 75% of organizations from small, medium, large to enterprise wide organizations.
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IBM InformixOracle Database
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SQLite
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Score 9.6 out of 10
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Score 7.7 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
SAP HANA Cloud
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Score 8.9 out of 10
InterSystems IRIS
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Score 7.7 out of 10
Enterprises
SAP HANA Cloud
SAP HANA Cloud
Score 8.9 out of 10
SAP IQ
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Score 10.0 out of 10
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User Ratings
IBM InformixOracle Database
Likelihood to Recommend
9.1
(0 ratings)
9.0
(0 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
10.0
(0 ratings)
9.0
(0 ratings)
Usability
10.0
(0 ratings)
7.4
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
10.0
(0 ratings)
7.0
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
-
(0 ratings)
9.6
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
IBM InformixOracle Database
Likelihood to Recommend
Informix is very well suited for either OLTP and OLAP transaction processing. This means that it has the best technology, concentrating both business requirements: transactional and analytical processing at the same time, as well as being able to store and process structured and unstructured data at the same time as well, and able to scale up and out if needed or required. This is why Informix is able to adapt to almost any sort of environment and satisfy almost any sort of requirement, even if the requirement is to be embedded in hardware! This last is possible because it it requires zero support and maintenance, as it can be self tuned and self healed. One of the main scenarios which is nowadays getting promoted for is the IoT one. Starting from mid 90's Informix incorporated the extensibility concept through the datablades it had brought from Illustra. This is why it is pioneer in the TimeSeries and GeoSpatial (tracking moving objects) technology, with the fastest and best storing TimeSeries techniques and GeoSpatial functionalities. The Wire Listener is one of the best features Informix has introduced to its suit of functionalities, can work in three different scenarios API types: MQTT, REST and MONGO, supporting IoT, MongoDB (an application using MongoDB can be redirected as it is to Informix-Mongo without changes) and able to understand HTTP functions (POST, GET, PUT, etc).
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I believe Oracle Database is still the best RDBMS database which is the database to consider for OLTP applications and for Adhoc requests. They are good in Datawarehousing in certain aspects but not the best. Oracle is also a great database for scaling up with their Clusterware solution which also makes the database highly available with services moving to the live instance without much trouble.
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Pros
  • Informix since its conception has a distinct multi-threading architecture no other engine has, it is unique of its kind. This is precisely how the engine is able to scale up like no other, with the lowest footprint, without killing the host and profiting each bit of the hardware. The threads are sub-proceses like any other one, but the difference is that they are are not controlled by the OS process dispatcher. This is why you will never be able to see these threads running at OS level. Informix is an OS itself, on top of the OS.
  • Informix has the best replication techniques. Not many ppl know that MongoDB (the NoSQL engine) scales out because of its data sharding replication technology, and Informix is able to store Mongo BSON documents using the same data partitioning as MongoDB does. This way Informix extends the SQL or structured data with the unstructured data natively, together within the same data repository. This means that it is not only able to store JSON/BSON documents, but the engine is able to behave as it would be the MongoDB engine itself. Any application using MongoDB can be redirected to the Informix Mongo wire listener transparently. What´s more, it also improves the NoSQL (BASE) characteristic, making it ACID by allowing transactions to the CRUD operations. This last is something MongoDB is working on, promised to be delivered next year.
  • As described previously, MongoDB's sharding concept relies on data partitioning, this is how it scales out, and as I also described previously Informix scales up given the described multithreading unique architecture! It implements the data sharding with one of its best replication technologies called Enterprise Replication. This is an Active-Active replication technology that allows replicating even between different platforms. This is actually how I managed to migrate the whole Informix platform from Solaris to Linux, with just a DNS change. There was almost ZERO downtime nor application change - this was really amazing!.
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  • Best thing about it is that it supports PL/SQL which is helpful in writing complex quarries easily.
  • Its storage capacity , backup and recovery features make it the best database storage tool available.
  • Other thing I like about this software is its interface is so good.
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Cons
  • No major on this system just the security setting.
  • Big data transfer slows performance.
  • Ability to manage huge amount of different data type requires a professional.
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  • New (actually it is more than five years old) multi-tenant architecture is not as straightforward as SQL Server, but it has been enhanced in Oracle 12c Release 2 and later 18c and 19c.
  • Many features require additional licensing (either as options or as packs) that increase the total cost
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Likelihood to Renew
Informix is the best RDBMS on the market. Period.
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It is very likely to use this 12c (or next version) of Oracle Database. Nothing close to it in the marketplace in terms of performance, reliability and overall database management efficiency. If Oracle did one thing really good - it is it's OLTP Database I must say.
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Usability
Server management is easy enough to be able to embed the engine in a device and let it run for years without maintenance.
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Many of the powerful options can be auto-configured but there are still many things to take into account at the moment of installing and configuring an Oracle Database, compared with SQL Server or other databases. At the same time, that extra complexity allows for detailed configuration and guarantees performance, scalability, availability and security.
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Support Rating
The Informix product support team has won awards and is appreciated by the entire Informix user community.
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1. I have very good experience with Oracle Database support team. Oracle support team has pool of talented Oracle Analyst resources in different regions. To name a few regions - EMEA, Asia, USA(EST, MST, PST), Australia. Their support staffs are very supportive, well trained, and customer focused. Whenever I open Oracle Sev1 SR(service request), I always get prompt update on my case timely. 2. Oracle has zoom call and chat session option linked to Oracle SR. Whenever you are in Oracle portal - you can chat with the Oracle Analyst who is working on your case. You can request for Oracle zoom call thru which you can share the your problem server screen in no time. This is very nice as it saves lot of time and energy in case you have to follow up with oracle support for your case. 3.Oracle has excellent knowledge base in which all the customer databases critical problems and their solutions are well documented. It is very easy to follow without consulting to support team at first.
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Implementation Rating
No answers on this topic
Overall the implementation went very well and after that everything came out as expected - in terms of performance and scalability. People should always install and upgrade a stable version for production with the latest patch set updates, test properly as much as possible, and should have a backup plan if anything unexpected happens
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Alternatives Considered
IBM Informix unlike the tools above creates effective solutions for big data extraction and data transportation functionalities across the entire Cloud services and the Automation ability is the best. The security that IBM Informix provides for all our business data and other project information and contacts is effective and the reports are very clean and easy to understand.
Read full review
Oracle Database is among the easiest to integrate with, program against, have a reliable cluster with DR, and has the most understood and well-documented databases. It suits really well if the software shop is primarily Java-based, and deals with large volumes of data with a high degree of diversity among the applications by purpose and use. Paid support is recommended as well as planned periodic patching and upgrades.
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Return on Investment
  • Although I do not own nor have visibility on my company's figures:
  • Informix generates consistent savings on DBA staffing, no need for many DBAs as other DBMS require.
  • The replication architecture allowed consistent savings in the infrastructure as well as developments and maintenance, the job is already done, no need to develop complex and costly solutions, it's just a matter of configuring it.
  • The advantages of hybrid development (i.e mixing SQL and NoSQL in the same database) is not just a marketing hype: it allowed us to solve with a brilliant solution, in one afternoon of coding, a functional problem we have been having for more than 10 years!
  • The biggest drawback is that IBM pricing may be constraining, it has too important gaps between the mid range and highrange in terms of pricing
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  • We wasted lots of money (Oracle is crazy expensive), time and effort on the project and were highly relieved when we found a different approach to supporting our aging ERP app that did not include Oracle.
  • Because of the difficulty of using Oracle, we spent a lot of money on consultants to help us over the conversion hump. Also wasted. And it was interesting to see them struggle with the software. Upgrades never went well always requiring multiple site visits, for example.
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