Alibaba Cloud vs Microsoft Azure comparison

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Comparison Buyer's Guide
Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Alibaba Cloud and Microsoft Azure based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out in this report how the two Infrastructure as a Service Clouds (IaaS) solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.
To learn more, read our detailed Alibaba Cloud vs. Microsoft Azure Report (Updated: March 2023).
686,748 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Featured Review
Quotes From Members
We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use.
Here are some excerpts of what they said:
Pros
"It is easy to set up.""It's easy to use, cheaper than other solutions, and more secure.""Alibaba support is responsive. When we create tickets in the Alibaba portal, they usually respond online or call me in five minutes.""The installation is easy.""Flexibility and costs were probably the most important thing for us. The cost was one of the big factors for choosing Alibaba Cloud relative to other cloud solutions, especially in Asia""What's good about Alibaba Cloud is its database service. It's also good in the virtual machine area."

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"We have found the most valuable feature to be the pricing calculator.""Installation is easy as it's cloud-based. Performance is good. It's stable and scalable.""The performance is good.""The pricing is quite good, and it is designed as pay-per-use.""The solution is very flexible, it is not limited to Microsoft solutions. It integrates well with other solutions, such as Oracle. There are a lot of templates we are able to use allowing us to reduce the time for configuration.""Offers many data security features including securing network access.""The most valuable features I have found to be the auto-scaling feature and the interface.""Azure is stable. I don't have any problems with it."

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Cons
"The flexibility of the solution could be improved.""It is not robust.""Alibaba Cloud's initial setup is somewhat complex.""The solution should have more integration.""A big area for improvement in Alibaba Cloud is its support. Another area for improvement in Alibaba Cloud is SDK-based service because sometimes, the SDKs don't work correctly. Support for API-based services also needs improvement in Alibaba Cloud because, at the moment, it's not that stable.""The majority of the tools and processes, in general, have a lot of room for improvement."

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"You don't get support from Microsoft very easily as compared to other solutions.""With Microsoft, our only concern is exchange rates because we're paying in dollars. It's very expensive for us because of the exchange rates. It would help if they partnered with someone locally so we can pay in our local currency.""We use Microsoft Server 2019 and 2016. And I didn't like the 2019 client, so we had to downgrade back to 2016. The main issue there was its monitoring system. Our client needed an alternative, and if they were using more Windows products, they also needed to make that downgrade.""Its pricing should be better. In terms of features, I am yet to explore the whole solution, and the current features seem okay.""They need to make storage easy and offer more interconnectivity between solutions.""An issue I encountered was around the integration of Identity. I lost some important information and I would like to see improvements with this.""Compared with other cloud solution providers, Microsoft is not good at local support.""The pricing needs to be a bit lower. It's an expensive solution right now."

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Pricing and Cost Advice
  • "I'm not sure about the exact pricing, but let's just say if it cost a dollar for Amazon AWS, it was closer to 70 to 80 cents for Alibaba Cloud."
  • "We cut our costs significantly by migrating our infrastructure to the cloud. Alibaba Cloud employs a pay-as-you-go model, so that minimizes many costs for us."
  • "The cost is better than similar solutions."
  • "Pricing for Alibaba Cloud is a little bit cheaper. It has reasonable pricing."
  • More Alibaba Cloud Pricing and Cost Advice →

  • "The price needs to be lower because they're competing with AWS."
  • "Its price should be optimized so that we can use more features."
  • "I currently use the pay-as-you-go option."
  • "It is affordable, but its subscription price could be cheaper."
  • "It's a metered environment, and it's pay-as-you-go. That's the big challenge with a metered environment."
  • "The long-term cost is higher than if you set up the servers on-premises, which is something that could be improved through more competitive pricing."
  • "The current pricing is on a pay-as-you-go subscription."
  • "It is similar to AWS, where it is on-demand and is billed monthly."
  • More Microsoft Azure Pricing and Cost Advice →

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    Questions from the Community
    Top Answer:Flexibility and costs were probably the most important thing for us. The cost was one of the big factors for choosing Alibaba Cloud relative to other cloud solutions, especially in Asia
    Top Answer:I'm not sure about the exact pricing, but let's just say if it cost a dollar for Amazon AWS, it was closer to 70 to 80 cents for Alibaba Cloud.
    Top Answer:The majority of the tools and processes, in general, have a lot of room for improvement. I think, in general, things are there, but they're not good enough. Customer support could also be better.
    Top Answer:IBM Public Cloud is IBM’s Platform-as-a-Service. It aims to provide organizations with a secure cloud environment to manage data and applications. One of the features we like is the cloud activity… more »
    Top Answer:One of the best features of SAP Cloud Platform is that it is web-based and you can log in from anywhere in the world. SAP Cloud Platform is suitable for companies of any size; it works well with both… more »
    Top Answer:I would recommend Google Firebase instead of Microsoft Azure, simply for the array of features that it has to offer. In particular, the Firebase library grants you access to a shared data structure… more »
    Ranking
    Views
    5,160
    Comparisons
    3,195
    Reviews
    6
    Average Words per Review
    460
    Rating
    7.5
    Views
    57,924
    Comparisons
    50,299
    Reviews
    147
    Average Words per Review
    441
    Rating
    8.4
    Comparisons
    Also Known As
    Windows Azure, Azure, MS Azure
    Learn More
    Overview

    Alibaba Cloud offers a comprehensive suite of cloud computing services to support growing enterprises worldwide, including data storage, relational databases, big-data processing, and content delivery networks.

    Windows Azure is Microsoft's cloud platform, where developers can create, deploy, and maintain their apps. This cloud application platform allows developers to concentrate on the actual applications, while it takes care of all the elements behind the apps.

    Windows Azure works across multiple frameworks and languages. It is fully scalable, localized in that it is hosted globally in many datacenters, and has widespread capabilities with elements of application development, deployment, and management.

    Azure is comprised of several different service modules, including Infrastructure; Web; Mobile; Dev & Test; Big Data; Media;Storage, Backup & Recovery; and Identity & Access Management.

    Microsoft Azure works as a:

    1. Platform as a service (PaaS)
    2. Software as a service (SaaS)
    3. Infrastructure as a service (IaaS)

    Microsoft Azure is available:

    • On-premises
    • Hybrid
    • Multi-cloud
    • At the edge

    Compared to its competitors, Microsoft Azure:

    • Has more affordable features
    • Has easier migration for organizations already using other Microsoft tools
    • Has several educational resources available
    • Provides robust support
    • Is ideal for small and large businesses

    Microsoft Azure Features:

    • Scalability
    • Stability
    • Flexibility
    • Azure Site Recovery
    • Active Directory
    • Monitoring features
    • Cloud-based
    • Automated tasks
    • Change capability cadence
    • Showback capabilities
    • Information protection
    • Azure Data Lake
    • Excellent portal
    • Intuitive user interface
    • Remote desktop
    • Fast provisioning
    • Data security
    • Data resiliency
    • Speed of service
    • Integrated delivery pipeline
    • Disaster recovery
    • Robust templates
    • Flexible coding languages
    • Virtual systems testing

    Benefits of Microsoft Azure:

    • Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): Because Microsoft Azure is an IaaS, organizations can deploy as well as manage applications easily and quickly. Azure also provides you with the ability to customize the cloud software to meet your specific business needs.
    • Seamless integration: Microsoft Azure is built to seamlessly integrate with existing IT departments via hybrid databases, secure private connections, and storage solutions.
    • Cost-effective: Because Azure can harmoniously exist in your business environment with your data center, it is a very cost-effective solution.
    • Analytics support: Azure is designed with built-in support that is used to analyze data and provide key insights. Azure offers Cortana Analytics, Stream Analytics, Machine Learning, and SQL services.
    • Unique storage system: Compared to other cloud services, Microsoft Azure has more data centers and delivery points, which helps create an optimal user experience and also helps deliver content faster. In addition, Microsoft Azure makes it possible for organizations to exchange content across several virtual machines.
    • Enhanced flexibility: Azure provides extreme flexibility by allowing you to choose any level of functionality you require. It also supports many of the same technologies IT teams and developers usually depend on, making it easier for them to manage.
    • Easy implementation: Microsoft Azure is easy and quick to deploy. If necessary, you can change web apps to Azure with almost zero downtime.

    Reviews from Real Users:

    "It is a flexible solution that is straightforward to use," says the principal consultant at a computer software company.

    OmarJ., future datacenter consultant: Microsoft Azure Cloud at a tech company, adds that "The user interface is very nice and makes everything easy to use."

    You can build an environment in minutes. It's very good in terms of being an infrastructure as a service, and I found that really fascinating,” says an information technology consultant at a computer software company.

    "I think Azure's level of automation to achieve efficiency or agility is valuable. I also like the change capability cadence, the showback capabilities, and understanding what our costs are," says an enterprise architect at an energy/utilities company.

    Marco C., Ing. at Wolters Kluwer, says "The valuable features of Microsoft Azure are that it is cloud-based and has good storage. The storage is completely managed by Azure. We do not need to do any patching of security because it is handled by Azure which is a benefit. The solution is fully compatible with the Microsoft technology stack and is very scalable."

    "The most valuable feature of Microsoft Azure is it has everything together in one place. It is one large tool with lots of small tools that are updated often," says the owner of a media company.



    Offer
    Learn more about Alibaba Cloud
    Learn more about Microsoft Azure
    Sample Customers
    Schneider Electric, BorderX Lab, Royal Philips, Catchpoint, Conversant, Blogmint
    BMW, Toyota, easyJet, NBC Sports, HarperCollins, Aviva, TalkTalk Business, Avanade, and Telenor.
    Top Industries
    REVIEWERS
    Computer Software Company38%
    Comms Service Provider25%
    Financial Services Firm25%
    Energy/Utilities Company13%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company13%
    Comms Service Provider12%
    Manufacturing Company8%
    Educational Organization7%
    REVIEWERS
    Computer Software Company25%
    Financial Services Firm12%
    Manufacturing Company9%
    Comms Service Provider8%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company17%
    Financial Services Firm11%
    Comms Service Provider9%
    Manufacturing Company8%
    Company Size
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business40%
    Midsize Enterprise20%
    Large Enterprise40%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business18%
    Midsize Enterprise16%
    Large Enterprise66%
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business39%
    Midsize Enterprise17%
    Large Enterprise44%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business18%
    Midsize Enterprise14%
    Large Enterprise68%
    Buyer's Guide
    Alibaba Cloud vs. Microsoft Azure
    March 2023
    Find out what your peers are saying about Alibaba Cloud vs. Microsoft Azure and other solutions. Updated: March 2023.
    686,748 professionals have used our research since 2012.

    Alibaba Cloud is ranked 9th in Infrastructure as a Service Clouds (IaaS) with 6 reviews while Microsoft Azure is ranked 1st in Infrastructure as a Service Clouds (IaaS) with 144 reviews. Alibaba Cloud is rated 7.6, while Microsoft Azure is rated 8.4. The top reviewer of Alibaba Cloud writes "A flexible and affordable cloud solution, but customer support could be better". On the other hand, the top reviewer of Microsoft Azure writes "Optimized cloud solution with reliable recovery and fail services". Alibaba Cloud is most compared with Google Cloud, Amazon AWS, Google Firebase, Oracle Cloud and DigitalOcean, whereas Microsoft Azure is most compared with Oracle Cloud Platform, Google Firebase, Amazon AWS, SAP Cloud Platform and VMware Tanzu Application Service. See our Alibaba Cloud vs. Microsoft Azure report.

    See our list of best Infrastructure as a Service Clouds (IaaS) vendors.

    We monitor all Infrastructure as a Service Clouds (IaaS) reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.