Choosing the right application server is critical for the success of enterprise-grade applications. While Red Hat’s JBoss is a commonly implemented solution, organizations may want to explore alternatives to their current applications servers and runtimes. Sure, migrations can be intimidating, but if JBoss is no longer a perfect fit for a specific application, a move can help meet specific requirements, such as cutting licensing costs or adopting cloud-native approaches, as well as unlock new opportunities or capabilities.  

If you're here, chances are you’re considering your options. In this blog, we’ll discuss what JBoss offers, why businesses look for alternatives as well as what key contenders to look for when exploring alternatives. 

When selecting an application server for your Jakarta EE applications, there are multiple options available. While the Payara Platform, WildFly and JBoss Enterprise Application Platform (EAP) have a number of commonalities, they differ in a number of aspects. The choice of one of these three alternatives can significantly impact your development, deployment and operational strategies. In this blog, we’ll explore their common features, differences and how they compare with each other. 

Migrating applications from WildFly to Payara Server can be a simple and straightforward process because both servers rely on the Jakarta EE (Java EE) specifications. However, there are differences in many areas because many Java EE APIs in WildFly and Payara Server are implemented by different components. Moreover, the configuration of certain aspects like external resources, high-availability and deployment is not covered by any specification and is, in fact, very different in both servers. Although Payara Server offers similar features as WildFly, they are often based on different technologies and concepts, and often also use different terminology. Therefore, before going into migration from WildFly to Payara Server, we’ll provide you with an overview of similar features and concepts that exist in both WildFly and Payara Server.