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Head-to-head · Application Servers

WildFly vs Azul Payara Server

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 4 checks side by side
Higher score WildFly #2 in Application Servers 9.1/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 3 of 3 features Visit WildFly
Azul Payara Server #4 in Application Servers 8.9/10 Pricing on request ✓ 3 of 3 features Visit Azul Payara

WildFly leads on 1 check, Azul Payara Server on 0, and 3 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 4 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreWildFly · 9.1/10
  • Free planonly WildFly

WildFly scores higher on our rubric for application servers: 9.1 against 8.9 out of 10; our editors rank them #2 and #4.

WildFly offers free plan; Azul Payara Server doesn't. On java standard, Azul Payara Server gives you Both where WildFly offers Jakarta_ee.

WildFly is the better fit for jakarta EE teams wanting a free full server. Azul Payara Server is the better fit for supported Payara deployments needing observability.

  • WildFly fits best

    Jakarta EE teams wanting a free full server

  • Azul Payara Server fits best

    Supported Payara deployments needing observability

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Side by side

Feature WildFly 9.1/10 Visit ↗ Azul Payara Server 8.9/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.1 8.9
Ranking #2 in Application Servers #4 in Application Servers
Best for Jakarta EE teams wanting a free full server Supported Payara deployments needing observability
Pricing model Free Paid
Starting price Free plan —
Free plan ✓ (best) —
Free trial — —
Deployment Self-hosted Cloud, Self-hosted
Support Community, Docs Email, Phone, Docs · 24/7
Built for Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Mid-market, Enterprise
Features WildFly 3/3 · Azul Payara Server 3/3
Clustering ✓ ✓
Admin console ✓ ✓
Container support ✓ ✓
Specs
Java standard Jakarta_ee Both
Deployment model Self_hosted Self_hosted
Supported operating systems Any operating system supporting ZIP or TAR formats Windows; Linux (Ubuntu, Debian, CentOS, RHEL, OpenSUSE, SUSE, Amazon Linux); macOS; IBM AIX
Our review
Pros
  • Jakarta EE 11, MicroProfile, and modular server subsystems
  • Clustering, load balancing, failover, and managed domains
  • Web console, CLI client, and HTTP management API
  • Payara InSight adds monitoring and observability capabilities.
  • Supports clustering, deployment groups, and high availability.
  • Works with Docker, Kubernetes, and major public-cloud platforms.
Cons
  • Self-hosted deployment requires responsibility for infrastructure
  • Not positioned as a managed SaaS application server
  • Operating modes and administration add operational complexity
  • Enterprise pricing is quote-based rather than publicly listed.
  • The product uses a self-hosted deployment model.
  • The free community edition is a separate product.
Our verdict

WildFly is an open-source application server for building and running enterprise Java applications. It targets teams working with Jakarta EE 11 or MicroProfile that need a complete server they can deploy on their own infrastructure.…

Read the review →

Azul Payara Server is a commercially supported application server for Jakarta EE and Java EE workloads. It is designed for enterprise applications running in data centers, containers, and public-cloud environments, including applications…

Read the review →
  1. WildFlyApplication Servers 9.1Free plan
  2. Azul Payara ServerApplication Servers 8.9Pricing on request

Strengths and trade-offs

  • WildFly — where it wins

    • Jakarta EE 11, MicroProfile, and modular server subsystems
    • Clustering, load balancing, failover, and managed domains
    • Web console, CLI client, and HTTP management API

    Where it doesn't

    • Self-hosted deployment requires responsibility for infrastructure
    • Not positioned as a managed SaaS application server
    • Operating modes and administration add operational complexity

  • Azul Payara Server — where it wins

    • Payara InSight adds monitoring and observability capabilities.
    • Supports clustering, deployment groups, and high availability.
    • Works with Docker, Kubernetes, and major public-cloud platforms.

    Where it doesn't

    • Enterprise pricing is quote-based rather than publicly listed.
    • The product uses a self-hosted deployment model.
    • The free community edition is a separate product.

More comparisons

All application servers comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update