Db2 database product editions and Db2 offerings

You can choose from a number of Db2 product editions that are designed to scale to your ongoing business needs. For more information about entitlement, rights, and obligations, see the license agreement for your product or offering.

Details of the features that are included in each Db2 database product edition are covered in Functionality in Db2 product editions and Db2 offerings.

Common code base

In Db2, all editions have the same code base. The only technical differences among editions are resource limitations. In this way, applications that are written for any Db2 edition can easily be moved to any other Db2 edition on any operating system platform that is supported by Db2. This flexibility allows users to learn on one edition and be immediately productive on any other Db2 edition.

Table 1. New Db2 editions and their corresponding older editions
New editions Previous editions
Db2 Community Edition Express-C Edition, Developer Community Edition
Db2 Standard Edition Advanced Workgroup Server Edition, Workgroup Server Edition, Direct Standard Edition
Db2 Advanced Edition Advanced Enterprise Server Edition, Enterprise Server Edition, Developer Edition, Direct Advanced Edition
Attention: Db2 version 11.5 is available for both Advanced Enterprise Server Edition and Enterprise Server Edition.
Db2 Advanced Edition
Db2 Advanced Edition provides a comprehensive database solution for the enterprise with a licensing metric to facilitate hybrid cloud deployment. This solution offers data warehousing, transactional, and analytics capabilities in one package.
Db2 Advanced Edition is available both as a perpetual software license and a monthly subscription for unrestricted production and nonproduction use with premium IBM support.
Db2 Advanced Edition provides advanced features for storage optimization, in-memory computing, reliable system availability, and workload management tools. The solution also helps ensure high performance, actionable insight, continuous availability, and reliability, at lower cost. It provides flexible deployment options for either on-premises or on cloud. Db2 Advanced Edition offers these benefits:
  • Improves application performance and analytics for faster decisions.
  • Delivers high availability and disaster recovery capabilities.
  • Provides a secure, flexible environment.
  • Interfaces with various data more efficiently.
  • Improves productivity and reduces administration efforts.
Db2 Advanced Edition can be deployed on Linux®, UNIX, or Windows servers of any size, from one processor to hundreds of processors, and on both physical and virtual servers.
Db2 Advanced Edition is available on per Virtual Processor Core (VPC) charge metric and an Authorized User (AU) metric for nonproduction environments (such as development and test environments).
Db2 Standard Edition
Db2 Standard Edition is a high-performance database for small or midsize businesses, with licensing options for hybrid cloud deployments. Db2 Standard Edition is similar to Db2 Advanced Edition. However, it is restricted in the size of the deployment. Db2 Standard Edition provides flexible deployment options for either on-premises or on cloud. Db2 Standard Edition offers these benefits:
  • Improves application performance and analytics for faster decisions.
  • Delivers high availability and disaster recovery capabilities.
  • Provides a secure, flexible environment.
  • Interfaces with various data more efficiently.
  • Improves productivity and reduces administration efforts.
Db2 Standard Edition is available on a Virtual CPU charge metric and an Authorized User metric for nonproduction environments (also known as development or test environments). You are restricted to 16 virtual processor cores and 128 GB of instance memory. These restrictions apply to each physical or virtual server, unless they are deployed in a pureScale or DPF cluster. In these instances, the restrictions apply to the entire cluster.
Db2 Community Edition
Db2 Community Edition provides all the core capabilities of Db2 at no cost.
Db2 Community Edition is an entry-level edition of the Db2 data server for the developer and partner community. You can install and run it in minutes. It is easy-to-use and embed, includes self-management features, and embodies all of the core capabilities of Db2 for Linux, UNIX, and Windows. Solutions that are developed with Db2 Community Edition can be seamlessly deployed by using more scalable Db2 editions without modifications to the application code.
Db2 Community Edition is restricted to a maximum of 4 virtual processor cores and 16 GB of instance memory. These restrictions apply to each physical or virtual server unless they are deployed in a pureScale or DPF cluster. In these instances, the restrictions apply to the entire cluster.
The Db2 Community Edition is refreshed and updated for free at major release milestones, but does not come with enterprise-level support. However, there is a robust online community where you can post questions and learn from peers. Community support is available through the IBM Db2 Community site or with peers on social media.
You can upgrade your Db2 Community Edition database to a more scalable edition by applying an activation key to your database image. The database is upgraded immediately, providing access to more features like high availability clustering and replication.
Note: Db2 Community Edition is also available as a stand-alone Docker image. For more information, see Db2 Community Edition for Docker.
Db2 deployment options
Db2 has the following deployment options:
  • Db2 On-premise bare metal or VM offering on Windows, Linux and AIX Community, Standard and advanced are available.
  • Db2 Cloud-Native containerized deployment on Red Hat® OpenShift®.
  • Db2 on IBM Cloud Pak for Data (CP4D) Cloud-Native containerized deployment with access to AI Base Services available with CP4D.
All Db2 deployment options are based on the same Db2 core engine and offer the same core functions.
Table 2. Processor and memory limits per Db2 server or pureScale cluster
Db2 edition Processor cores Allowed instance memory
Advanced Unlimited Unlimited
Standard Up to 16 128 GB
Community Up to 4 16 GB
Table 3. Db2 deployment options
Deployment options Description Editions available Charge metrics Licensing models
Db2 On-premises bare metal or VM offerings on Linux, UNIX, Windows, AIX Db2 Community Edition, Db2 Standard Edition, and Db2 Advanced Edition. Virtual Processor Core (VPC) metric for production environments, Authorized User (AU) metric for nonproduction environments. Perpetual and monthly licenses
Db2 Containerized Deployment Red Hat OpenShift Db2 Community Edition, Db2 Standard Edition, and Db2 Advanced Edition. Virtual Processor Core (VPC) metric for production environments, Authorized User (AU) metric for nonproduction environments. Perpetual and monthly licenses
Db2 Cartridge in IBM Cloud Pak for Data (CP4D)* Containerized deployments in Cloud Pak for Data Db2 Standard Edition and Db2 Advanced Edition. Virtual Processor Core (VPC) metric. Perpetual and committed term licenses
Note: * Db2 Cartridge gives customers a dual entitlement to Db2 on-premises offering along with ability to containerize Db2 on Red Hat OpenShift or CP4D. 
Db2 on Red Hat OpenShift
All Db2 editions (Community, Standard, and Advanced) can be deployed on Red Hat OpenShift.
Db2 on IBM Cloud Pak for Data (CP4D)
Both Db2 Advanced Edition and Db2 Standard Edition are available as a Cartridge for IBM Cloud Pak for Data.