Difference between WebSphere Application Server (WAS) and WebSphere Liberty

The main difference between WebSphere Application Server (WAS) and WebSphere Liberty lies in their architecture and deployment models. WebSphere Application Server is a traditional, full-featured Java EE application server with comprehensive capabilities for large enterprise applications. On the other hand, WebSphere Liberty is a lightweight, modular server designed for cloud-native and microservices-based applications.

While WAS offers a wide range of features and tools for complex applications, Liberty focuses on agility and rapid development, making it ideal for modern, dynamic environments. Additionally, Liberty has a smaller footprint and faster startup times compared to WAS, making it more suitable for containerized deployments and scalable applications.

In summary, if you require a robust and feature-rich application server for traditional enterprise applications, WebSphere Application Server is the preferred choice. However, if you are building modern, cloud-native applications that require flexibility and agility, WebSphere Liberty offers a more streamlined and efficient solution.