IBM MQ Reviews

Vendor: IBM

4.2 out of 5

170 reviews
94% willing to recommend

1,559 followers

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What is IBM MQ?

IBM MQ is a middleware product used to send or exchange messages across multiple platforms, including applications, systems, files, and services via MQs (messaging queues). This solution helps simplify the creation of business applications, and also makes them easier to maintain. IBM MQ is security-rich, has high performance, and provides a universal messaging backbone with robust connectivity. In addition, it also integrates easily with existing IT assets by using an SOA (service oriented architecture).

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IBM MQ is the #1 ranked solution in top Business Activity Monitoring solutions, top Message Queue Software, and top Message Oriented Middleware (MOM) solutions. PeerSpot users give IBM MQ an average rating of 8.4 out of 10. IBM MQ is most commonly compared to MuleSoft Anypoint Platform: IBM MQ vs MuleSoft Anypoint Platform. IBM MQ is popular among the large enterprise segment, accounting for 71% of users researching this solution on PeerSpot. The top industry researching this solution are professionals from a financial services firm, accounting for 37% of all views.

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Featured IBM MQ reviews

Md Al-Amin

Senior System Analyst at Thakral

IBM MQ is more reliable and secure than other software. There is a saying that for the last 30 years IBM MQ has never been hacked. It is more secure and reliable. Whenever the configuration is done, I do not have to touch it again. It works fine, it is stable, and its communication is to the point and accurate. All performance-related aspects are better. Performance-wise, it is scalable, and other features such as DR, DC, replication, and active passive mode are complex to configure, but it remains scalable. The pricing model for IBM MQ could be more flexible for clients.

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SelvaKumar4

System Analyst at Walmart

We find it scalable for internal applications, but not so much for external integrations. It should support a wider range of protocols, not just a few specific ones. Many other products have broader protocol support, and IBM MQ is lagging in that area. IBM MQ needs to improve the UI for quicker logging. Users should also have a lot more control over logging, with a dashboard-like interface. That's something they should definitely work on.

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Mehdi El Filahi

Co-Founder at tenekit

One of the most crucial aspects for us is ensuring no data loss, and IBM MQ excels in this area, especially in banking environments where reliability is paramount. The feature I find most effective for ensuring message delivery without loss is the backup threshold. This feature allows for automatic retries of transactional messages within a specified threshold. For instance, if the backup threshold is set to five, IBM MQ will automatically retry sending the message up to five times. If unsuccessful, the message is then sent to the backout queue, indicating that it has been attempted multiple times. This flexibility allows us to handle message delivery failures by either discarding, logging, or retrying the message using mediation patterns. The security features of IBM MQ have met our data protection requirements well. We utilize encryption with SSL keys to ensure data encryption. Additionally, many companies prefer using MQ connections with SSL challenges for added security. The integration with operating systems like Linux and authentication with Active Directory or Open Endpoint of Microsoft has made security configuration straightforward.

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IBM MQ mindshare

Product category:

As of June 2025, the mindshare of IBM MQ in the Message Queue (MQ) Software category stands at 26.8%, up from 20.6% compared to the previous year, according to calculations based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Message Queue (MQ) Software

PeerResearch reports based on IBM MQ reviews

Type	Title	Date
Category	Message Queue (MQ) Software	Jun 12, 2025	Download
Product	Reviews, tips, and advice from real users	Jun 12, 2025	Download
Comparison	IBM MQ vs ActiveMQ	Jun 12, 2025	Download
Comparison	IBM MQ vs MuleSoft Anypoint Platform	Jun 12, 2025	Download
Comparison	IBM MQ vs Amazon SQS	Jun 12, 2025	Download

Valuable Features

IBM MQ excels in reliable data transfer, guaranteeing message delivery, and seamless integration across platforms like Linux, AIX, and iSeries. Its stability, scalability, and high availability make it indispensable for financial and enterprise systems. Users value its messaging capabilities, robust security measures including SSL/TLS support, and ease of setup. IBM MQ's clustering, asynchronous messaging, and transactional support further enhance its appeal for complex data environments, ensuring data integrity and fast processing.

"IBM MQ is a choice to create a relation between the Mainframe and distributed servers, allowing applications running on Linux or Windows to interface with Mainframe applications and enable more development of easier and open applications in a distributed environment."
"The features of IBM MQ that have proven most effective for ensuring message delivery reliability are the stability of the system, the resilience and the product, which is definitely of top quality in this segment."
"On a scale of 1-10, I rate IBM MQ a nine."

Room for Improvement

Users express a desire for IBM MQ to have improved user interfaces, particularly graphical enhancements. They would like more intuitive administration and built-in monitoring features. There are calls for better cloud integration and enhanced security features. Several users find the pricing to be high and want more flexible licensing. Improved high availability and clustering capabilities are also requested. Some users suggest streamlining the learning curve and providing better documentation and training resources.

"The customer service or technical support from IBM is not as good as we expected; it could be better. They don't meet our standards due to the timing to get a person with knowledge."
"The areas of IBM MQ that have room for improvement are its compatibility with the public clouds, specifically its compatibility with Azure or AWS, as there is definitely a lot of scope for improvement there."
"Support can be better because sometimes we need explanations for some behaviors of the product, and it's not easy to reach the proper person in IBM support."

ROI

IBM MQ provides reliable performance with cost efficiency, offering initial cost returns in two years. Users report stable operations, reduced bugs, and significant integration benefits. It handles workload spikes effectively and supports message clustering to scale horizontally. Organizations using IBM MQ for integrating platforms observe favorable results in financial messaging and data protection. It helps minimize development and operational expenses without tracking explicit ROI, proving useful in specific industries like banking despite limited adoption in all applications.

Pricing

IBM MQ pricing is perceived as expensive, with costs influenced by factors like CPU, annual licenses, or usage-based models. Enterprise agreements can offset some costs, but individual licensing remains costly. Users praise its reliability, scalability, and comprehensive support despite high prices. Many hope for more competitive pricing, especially against open-source alternatives. The product’s license model varies across platforms, sometimes bundled with other IBM services. Pricing is often justified by enterprise functionality, though better affordability is desired.

"If one is cheap and ten is expensive, I rate the tool's price a seven. The product is expensive."
"The license for IBM MQ is commercial and not cheap. You get a multi-platform solution, which is important because it lets you connect systems on mainframes, personal solutions, Unix, Linux, etc."
"The pricing needs improvement."

Popular Use Cases

Organizations primarily use IBM MQ for reliable transmission of critical business messages, ensuring asynchronous interactions between applications. It facilitates messaging between systems, integrates diverse applications, supports complex environments, and maintains communication within banking, financial, and international industries. Enterprises leverage IBM MQ to achieve guaranteed message delivery, enable comprehensive data exchange, handle high transaction loads, and organize enterprise-wide messaging. It is highly effective in scenarios requiring persistence in message delivery and integration of legacy systems.

Service and Support

IBM MQ's customer service is frequently rated as efficient and helpful, with quick and satisfactory response times. Users often highlight the responsiveness and detailed assistance provided, particularly in critical situations. However, some users note delays in response times and challenges reaching knowledgeable representatives promptly. While many are content with the support received, there is a mention of room for improvement in terms of accessibility and speed in resolving issues.

Deployment

IBM MQ's initial setup experience varies. Many users find it straightforward, especially those with prior knowledge, describing it as quick and simple. However, others report complexities, particularly with integration or specific configurations like clustering. Some complexities arise when dealing with distributed systems or high availability setups. Users mention that although initial deployments are manageable, ongoing configuration can pose challenges. On-premises setups are often smoother compared to cloud implementations, where additional support was sometimes necessary.

Scalability

IBM MQ scales efficiently across environments, leveraging both vertical and horizontal capabilities. Instances can be added dynamically, enabling seamless expansion for large-scale operations. Some challenges arise with specific components requiring manual scaling due to legacy dependencies. Despite certain concerns, most users find IBM MQ meets high transaction demands with reliability and flexibility, making it suitable for diverse and complex environments. IBM is advancing cloud capabilities, addressing scaling limitations compared to native cloud technologies.

Stability

IBM MQ demonstrates high stability, consistently operating without significant issues. Users report minimal downtime, attributing any disruptions to external factors rather than IBM MQ itself. It maintains performance under large workloads and is praised for its reliability and efficiency. While some mention configuration-related challenges, most agree that once correctly set up, IBM MQ runs smoothly, handling complex environments effectively. Users rate IBM MQ's stability highly, often between eight and ten out of ten.

These insights are based on the in-depth reviews provided by peers to help you make a better buying decision.

Download our IBM MQ Buyer's Guide for additional reliable information.

Review data by company size

By reviewers

By visitors reading reviews

Top industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

37%

Computer Software Company

12%

Manufacturing Company

Healthcare Company

Government

Retailer

Insurance Company

Transportation Company

Educational Organization

Media Company

Comms Service Provider

Real Estate/Law Firm

Non Profit

Construction Company

Energy/Utilities Company

University

Outsourcing Company

Legal Firm

Hospitality Company

Wholesaler/Distributor

Pharma/Biotech Company

Performing Arts

Consumer Goods Company

Logistics Company

Photography Company

Recreational Facilities/Services Company

Compare IBM MQ with alternative products

Learn more about IBM MQ

IBM MQ can be deployed:

On-premises
In the cloud
Hybrid cloud

IBM MQ supports the following APIs:

MQI (Message Queue Interface)
REST
.NET
MQTT
JMS
IBM MQ Light

IBM MQ Features

Some of the most powerful IBM MQ features include:

High availability
Stability and scalability
Flexible deployment options
Uniform clusters
Automated and intelligent workload balancing
Broad language, API, and messaging protocol support
Administrative features that simplify messaging management
Open standards development tools
Simple management tools

IBM MQ Benefits

Some of the benefits of using IBM MQ include:

Multi-style messaging: IBM MQ supports simple multi-style messaging, making it easy to connect diverse systems with support for message queuing, transactions, and more.
Reduced risk: With IBM MQ you will never lose a message, and messages are never delivered more than once.
Cloud-native: Because IBM MQ has a minimal infrastructure, it is suitable to be cloud-native, and therefore has the capability to always remain on.
Available anywhere: Using IBM MQ, you have access to secure messaging anywhere, at any time.
Secure: IBM MQ makes sure to keep your data safe by using TLS secured communications, providing access identity management, message-level security, and more measures to protect your information.
Easy for application programmers: To use IBM MQ, application programmers do not need to have any knowledge of communications programming.
Technical support: IBM MQ has a large user community and also provides support 24/7 as needed.

Reviews from Real Users

Below are some reviews and helpful feedback written by IBM MQ users who are currently using the solution.

PeerSpot user Sunil S., a manager at a financial services firm, explains that they never lose messages are never lost in transit, mentioning that he can store messages and forward them as required: "Whenever payments are happening, such as incoming payments to the bank, we need to notify the customer. With MQ we can actually do that asynchronously. We don't want to notify the customer for each and every payment but, rather, more like once a day. That kind of thing can be enabled with the help of MQ."

Another PeerSpot reviewer, Luis L. who is a solutions director at Thesys Technologies, says that IBM MQ is a valuable solution and is "A stable and reliable software that offers good integration between different systems."

The head of operations at a financial services firm notes that "I have found the solution to be very robust. It has a strong reputation, is easy to use, simple to configure in our enterprise software, and supports all the protocols that we use."

In addition, a Software Engineer at a financial services firm praises the security benefits of it and states that “it has the most security features I've seen in a communication solution. Security is the most important thing for our purposes."

IBM MQ was previously known as WebSphere MQ.