Websphere Liberty vs Wildfly: What are the differences?

Differences Between Websphere Liberty and Wildfly

Websphere Liberty and Wildfly are both popular Java application servers, but they have several key differences.

1. Initial Release and License Model: Websphere Liberty, initially released in 2011, is a proprietary application server developed by IBM and follows a commercial license model. On the other hand, Wildfly, initially released in 2013, is an open-source application server developed by Red Hat and follows the LGPL (Lesser General Public License) or commercial licenses.

2. Supported Java EE Standards: Websphere Liberty supports a wide range of Java EE (Enterprise Edition) specifications, including Java Servlet, JavaServer Pages (JSP), Java Persistence API (JPA), and JavaServer Faces (JSF). Wildfly also supports these Java EE specifications, but it goes a step further by providing support for additional specifications like WebSockets, Batch, and Contexts and Dependency Injection (CDI).

3. Footprint Size: Websphere Liberty focuses on delivering a lightweight and modular application server with a small memory and disk footprint. It allows developers to choose and install only the required features, reducing the overall size of the server. Wildfly, though not as lightweight as Websphere Liberty, still provides a manageable footprint with the flexibility to enable or disable various subsystems.

4. Administration and Configuration: Websphere Liberty provides an administrative console known as the WebSphere Administrative Center, where administrators can centrally manage and configure Liberty servers. Additionally, it offers command-line tools for scripting and automation. Wildfly, on the other hand, offers a web-based management console called the Wildfly Admin Console, which provides a visual interface for server administration. It also supports management through the Command Line Interface (CLI) using the jboss-cli tool.

5. Clustering and High Availability: Websphere Liberty supports clustering and high availability through a feature called Dynamic Routing. It allows for load balancing and fault tolerance across multiple instances of the server. Wildfly also supports clustering and high availability, leveraging technologies like JGroups and Infinispan for communication and data replication among cluster nodes.

6. Integration with Other Technologies: Websphere Liberty integrates seamlessly with other IBM products, such as IBM UrbanCode Deploy for application deployment automation and IBM MQ for messaging. Wildfly, being an open-source platform, offers integration with a wide range of technologies and frameworks, including Docker, Kubernetes, Apache Kafka, and Apache Camel.

In summary, Websphere Liberty is a proprietary, lightweight, and modular application server with excellent integration capabilities. Wildfly, on the other hand, is an open-source application server that provides support for additional Java EE specifications and offers clustering and high availability features.