Azure Stack vs Microsoft Azure VMware comparison

Azure Stack and Microsoft Azure VMware are both solutions in the Hybrid Cloud Computing Platforms category. Azure Stack is ranked #1 with an average rating of 7.8, while Microsoft Azure VMware is ranked #10 with an average rating of 8.7. Azure Stack holds a 24.7% mindshare in HCCP, compared to Microsoft Azure VMware’s 2.9% mindshare. Additionally, 92% of Azure Stack users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Microsoft Azure VMware users who would recommend it.

Azure Stack

Read 66 Azure Stack reviews

3,411 Views
3,343 Comparison Views

92% willing to recommend

Microsoft Azure VMware

Read 3 Microsoft Azure VMware reviews

262 Views
262 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Azure Stack

Microsoft Azure VMware

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 15, 2024

Azure Stack and Microsoft Azure VMware compete within the cloud solutions category. Azure Stack appears to have the upper hand in hybrid cloud environments with cost-effective options, whereas Microsoft Azure VMware is preferred by existing VMware users for its comprehensive cloud capabilities.

Features: Azure Stack provides seamless integration into hybrid cloud infrastructures, data locality for regulatory needs, and flexibility in hybrid solutions. Microsoft Azure VMware offers complete VMware environment support, excellent compatibility for enterprises using VMware, and strong VMware tool integration.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Microsoft Azure VMware is known for its straightforward deployment and robust support for VMware tools, making the transition smoother for existing VMware users. Azure Stack requires more integration effort for hybrid solutions but supports complex hybrid strategies effectively.

Pricing and ROI: Azure Stack is cost-effective for those seeking hybrid solutions without extensive changes to existing systems, often providing a quicker ROI in such scenarios. Microsoft Azure VMware may have higher setup costs due to VMware licensing, but it offers strong ROI through enhanced cloud capabilities for established VMware environments.

To learn more, read our detailed Azure Stack vs. Microsoft Azure VMware Report (Updated: July 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Azure Stack vs. Microsoft Azure VMware

July 2025

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Azure Stack

Ranking in Hybrid Cloud Computing Platforms

1st

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Software Defined Data Center (SDDC) (2nd)

Microsoft Azure VMware

Ranking in Hybrid Cloud Computing Platforms

10th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2025, in the Hybrid Cloud Computing Platforms category, the mindshare of Azure Stack is 24.7%, down from 29.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Azure VMware is 2.9%, up from 1.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Hybrid Cloud Computing Platforms

Featured Reviews

JitenderSingh

Consultant at a tech services company with 11-50 employees

User activities are effectively tracked and managed under one roof

My primary use case for this solution is for cybersecurity and device management I find Cloud App Security and activity alerts particularly valuable. They allow me to track all user activities. Everything is stored under one roof, so there is no need for different licenses for different…

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BachirAbderrahmani

Cloud Architect at CGI

Offers a lot of flexibility during the migration to users

I cannot tell you exactly what will be added except one thing. The tool already did a great job integrating the native Azure SaaS and PaaS solutions. I think the tool can do better integration. We need to have a dedicated network connectivity with a dedicated ExpressRoute circuit. For example, in our experience with this client, we ended up with two circuits for ExpressRoute. If the tool can do better and flawless integration with the native Azure services, it will be a good enhancement. What we have right now is not bad, but it is an area where the tool can do a little bit of enhancements.

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"Azure Active Directory is the most valuable feature."

"The most valuable features are that it is a Hybrid, and we can easily integrate with the Microsoft Public Cloud."

"The solution is pretty stable."

"Azure Stack is easy to use. Its major benefit is that it doesn't need its infrastructure. We didn't face any issues integrating it with our infrastructure."

"The user interface is nice and very simple to use."

"The admin dashboard is the main feature of the solution."

"The solution is cheap and helps consolidate infrastructure to a converged space compatible with medium customers."

"Microsoft support is fast."

More Azure Stack pros

"The capabilities are like a lift-and-shift operation for moving existing VMware environments to the cloud. The time for migration onto the cloud has substantially reduced."

"Regarding stability, it is like a five-star solution."

"For new users, if you have a scalable environment where a VMware data center makes sense for your business, I definitely recommend AVS."

"The integration is very good."

Cons

"The price of the OCR could be more competitive with Google."

"Azure Messaging services are in need of improvement."

"The visibility of its SDN feature needs improvement."

"The licensing model of Azure Stack is complicated."

"There should be more focus on the user interface, specifically for the management console."

"I would only recommend this solution to smaller organizations like ours because I cannot really speculate what big issues that the bigger organizations will face."

"Azure Stack is an expensive product that should be made more cost-effective."

"In the future, I would like to see more machine learning features."

More Azure Stack cons

"The only issue is that a small challenge was found regarding the network...to have extended, smooth VLANs and everything else was a little bit complicated."

"Well, sometimes they release product after product, so it's it's kind of hard to keep an overview of all the different aspects of of the solutions."

"Azure VMware needs to cater to smaller enterprises, as it is currently meant for larger entities. One improvement could be more support for mid-sized or scalable environments."

"Azure VMware needs to cater to smaller enterprises, as it is currently meant for larger entities."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Azure Stack is cheaper than AWS."

"Subscription model customers need not make large expenditures on upfront purchasing."

"The licensing costs are expensive."

"IaaS’s pricing is high."

"We are satisfied with the pricing."

"Azure Stack is not a very costly tool. The pricing is according to the services we buy. When compared with AWS, Azure is a bit more costlier."

"The pricing is reasonable."

"I am using my Microsoft license, and it costs monthly. You need to pay additional costs apart from the standard costs."

More Azure Stack pricing and cost advice

"The solution is very competitive."

"To be honest, the tool comes at a high price."

"The mandatory requirements, such as a minimum of three nodes, make it expensive. The customers need to sign up for approximately $20,000 per month."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

17%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Manufacturing Company

Educational Organization

No data available

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Azure Stack?

For hybrid cloud operations, the seamless transition it enables is key. Most enterprises have a lot of workloads on-premises, and they want a smooth way to move into the cloud. Some things are on...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Azure Stack?

Maintenance is included as part of the overall cost.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Azure Stack?

We would appreciate a more competitive pricing model, as many new features are being introduced that we are not always aware of. The autoscaling functionality could be simplified. Many resources ge...

See all answers

What do you like most about Microsoft Azure VMware?

The integration is very good.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Azure VMware?

The pricing is high, rated around nine to 9.5 out of ten. The mandatory requirements, such as a minimum of three nodes, make it expensive. The customers need to sign up for approximately $20,000 pe...

See all answers

What needs improvement with Microsoft Azure VMware?

Azure VMware needs to cater to smaller enterprises, as it is currently meant for larger entities. One improvement could be more support for mid-sized or scalable environments. The licensing policy ...

See all answers

Comparisons

VMware Cloud Foundation vs Azure Stack

Compared 41% of the time

AWS Outposts vs Azure Stack

Compared 33% of the time

Nutanix Cloud Clusters (NC2) vs Azure Stack

Compared 13% of the time

Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure (NCI) vs Azure Stack

Compared 3% of the time

Google Anthos vs Azure Stack

Compared 1% of the time

More Azure Stack Competitors

Nutanix Cloud Clusters (NC2) vs Microsoft Azure VMware

Compared 49% of the time

Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure (NCI) vs Microsoft Azure VMware

Compared 18% of the time

VMware Cloud on AWS vs Microsoft Azure VMware

Compared 18% of the time

More Microsoft Azure VMware Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Azure Stack

August 2025

Download Azure Stack product report

Buyer's Guide

Hybrid Cloud Computing Platforms

July 2025

Download Microsoft Azure VMware product report

Overview

Information not available

Microsoft

Microsoft Azure VMware provides a seamless integration of VMware environments into Azure, offering enterprises an efficient way to extend workloads and optimize their IT infrastructure. This facilitates a native VMware experience within Azure, ideal for scaling and modernizing services.

Azure VMware enables businesses to leverage existing investments in VMware tools and skills while taking advantage of Azure's scalability and global reach. Users find it valuable for disaster recovery, datacenter extension, and application modernization. It supports consistent operations and reduces complexity by simplifying operations and cutting IT costs. Additionally, users appreciate its ability to integrate with other Azure services for increased functionality and performance.

What are the key features of Microsoft Azure VMware?

Hybrid Platform: Integrates on-premise VMware tools with Azure for consistent management.
Scalability: Easily scale VMware-based applications leveraging Azure's infrastructure.
Disaster Recovery: Offers robust solutions for backup and recovery scenarios, ensuring business continuity.
Flexibility: Supports various VMware workloads, optimizing performance and costs.

What benefits should you evaluate in reviews?

Cost Efficiency: Potential for reduced IT expenses by utilizing cloud resources for scaling.
Time Savings: Streamlines operations time with easy management and deployment.
Seamless Integration: Preserves existing investment in VMware tools and skills.
Enhanced Security: Utilizes Azure's comprehensive security features to protect workloads.

In industries like healthcare and finance, Microsoft Azure VMware is implemented to enhance datacenter capacities and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements. Its ability to integrate with existing resources allows companies to transition workloads without significant disruption, providing a flexible and scalable solution that supports innovation while maintaining operational continuity.

Microsoft

Sample Customers

Weblink, Fathym, Sage, CFD Support Ltd, The UberCloud Inc.

Information Not Available

Buyer's Guide

Azure Stack vs. Microsoft Azure VMware

July 2025

Free Report: Azure Stack vs. Microsoft Azure VMware

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