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Google Cloud Storage Nearline vs Microsoft Azure Block Storage comparison

Google and Microsoft are both solutions in the Public Cloud Storage Services category. Google is ranked #9 with an average rating of 7.5, while Microsoft is ranked #13 with an average rating of 8.4. Google holds a 9.6% mindshare in PCSS, compared to Microsoft’s 1.0% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Google users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 93% of Microsoft users who would recommend it.

Google Cloud Storage Nearline

Read 10 Google Cloud Storage Nearline reviews

1,627 Views
1,611 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Microsoft Azure Block Storage

Read 65 Microsoft Azure Block Storage reviews

599 Views
288 Comparison Views

93% willing to recommend

Google Cloud Storage Nearline

Microsoft Azure Block Storage

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 1, 2024

Google Cloud Storage Nearline and Microsoft Azure Block Storage are two leading cloud storage solutions. Azure Block Storage offers superior features and customer deployment experience, while Nearline is more affordable based on pricing.

Features: Google Cloud Storage Nearline integrates seamlessly with Google’s ecosystem and offers excellent scalability. Microsoft Azure Block Storage provides advanced security features and robust disaster recovery solutions. Azure Block Storage outperforms in security and recovery, whereas Nearline excels in integration and scalability.

Room for Improvement: Google Cloud Storage Nearline needs faster data retrieval speeds and enhanced data management tools. Microsoft Azure Block Storage requires improvements in user guidance and cost transparency. Nearline could benefit from performance enhancements, and Azure from clearer cost and user guidance.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Google Cloud Storage Nearline is easy to deploy but has mixed reviews on customer service responsiveness. Microsoft Azure Block Storage offers comprehensive deployment support and higher customer service ratings. Azure leads in deployment support and service quality compared to Nearline’s fewer deployment issues.

Pricing and ROI: Google Cloud Storage Nearline offers lower entry costs and good ROI for small to medium-sized enterprises. Microsoft Azure Block Storage, despite higher setup costs, is seen as providing better long-term ROI due to advanced features. Nearline is budget-friendly, while Azure presents better value in the long run.

To learn more, read our detailed Google Cloud Storage Nearline vs. Microsoft Azure Block Storage Report (Updated: July 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Google Cloud Storage Nearline vs. Microsoft Azure Block Storage

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

Google Cloud Storage Nearline

Ranking in Public Cloud Storage Services

9th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Microsoft Azure Block Storage

Ranking in Public Cloud Storage Services

13th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2025, in the Public Cloud Storage Services category, the mindshare of Google Cloud Storage Nearline is 9.6%, up from 6.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Azure Block Storage is 1.0%, down from 1.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Public Cloud Storage Services

Featured Reviews

Victor Oladejo

Data Engineer at Electronics Collections Group

A reliable solution for long-term data storage with room for improvement regarding its cost efficiency

The suggestion for improvement primarily revolves around cost efficiency. Currently, Google Cloud Storage Nearline charges a minimum of thirty days for data access. I propose a more flexible approach. Instead of a fixed thirty-day minimum charge, there could be a programmatic adjustment based on data access patterns. For instance, if Google Cloud notices that certain data is no longer frequently accessed, they could automatically adjust the billing. When data isn't actively used, the charges for access to that data should decrease. This approach would ensure that users are billed fairly for the actual access they require, especially when data access patterns vary over time.

Read full review

MatsHagberg Olsson2

Senior Solutions Architect at EQ2 Technology

Empowers secure data management with affordable tools and minimal hassle

The most valuable feature is that it's very affordable in comparison to competitors. The absolute best feature is the Azure Storage Explorer tool. The tool allows me to download to my device, control access, and manage data with ease. Additionally, the joint use of Azure portal further facilitates management depending on my location.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"It provides the necessary support and flexibility to manage data storage effectively, especially during times of variable data flow."

"The data structure and the types of data that are supported are very good."

"It can isolate files and stop them from corrupting other files."

"The best part of Nearline storage is the ability to take backups at optimal costs and its availability across multiple regions."

"Google is always introducing new features and tends to have a new release every month."

"The capacity and space on offer are excellent."

"The most valuable feature of Nearline is the access. It's helpful to move data that is generated once a month, such as salary information, to Nearline."

"The most valuable aspect of Google Cloud Storage Nearline is its integration with the wider Google Cloud ecosystem."

More Google Cloud Storage Nearline pros

"The most valuable features of Microsoft Azure Block Storage are it stores different types of data traditional data and connectivity through FTP. Additionally, we do not need a high-speed fetching system for operations and filesharing works well for us."

"The solution is stable."

"The product is very easy to use."

"The solution has a valuable gearing feature."

"The solution's most valuable feature revolves around the security-wise functionalities of the tool our company gets from using SAS keys."

"The ease of setup is the primary reason we use Azure Block Storage. The setup takes one or two days, and we had help from Microsoft. We had five people on our team."

"The product’s security features are valuable."

"Setting up Microsoft Azure Block Storage was easy."

More Microsoft Azure Block Storage pros

Cons

"One area that needs improvement is the documentation, which I find to be disorganized and not user-friendly."

"The suggestion for improvement primarily revolves around cost efficiency."

"The interface for managing file storage in the buckets could be improved."

"They need a better, more visual, user interface for folders and files."

"The solution needs to offer better System Information and Event Management (SEIM). I'd like to discover how we could implement something like that within Google's cloud."

"Nearline security could be better. The solution could integrate better with SEIM tools."

"The UI could be a little bit more effective."

"They should provide more options or flexibility in terms of pricing."

More Google Cloud Storage Nearline cons

"There needs to be an improvement in overcoming certain limitations, such as adaptability to non-cloud environments."

"It has been a couple of years since I contacted support. However, at that time, it was difficult to get someone on the call even though it was an issue of high severity."

"The initial setup isn’t straightforward, whether on-premise or on the cloud. It involves considerable planning and dependencies, unlike conventional systems where a straightforward CIFS connection might suffice."

"Some big customers have experienced some problems with the stability of the Azure cloud."

"The platform's technical support services could be enhanced. They could provide better resolution and improve the response time."

"Data gathering features could be improved."

"The user interface is very difficult."

"We have not had the best experience with customer service and support."

More Microsoft Azure Block Storage cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Right now, for the number of servers and the storage that I have, I would say I'm charged between $125 and $150 per month."

"Google Cloud Storage Nearline is very inexpensive. It costs us less than $50 a month to store our files. We use approximately 10 terabytes. Overall, I would rate the product a five out of five for affordability."

"The solution is pay as you go, so it depends on the amount of data that is stored and the transactions."

"We pay around $300 to $400 a month for some scenarios where consumption is limited. However, going forward, we're seeing the likelihood of the cost coming to around $2,000 as consumption rises."

"The solution is affordable, and we only pay for what we use."

"Microsoft Azure Block Storage is a pretty cheap and affordable product, so we have not seen any budget issues related to the solution in our company."

"The cost of procuring storage depends on the customer's license availability."

"For the first 50DB, they cost around $50. It's an open solution for everybody. Anybody can go to the Microsoft website and they can get the pricing for it. But the first 50GB of data is a default rate and then it increases for the next 500GB or something like that. It is a pay as you go solution. The more you use, the more you pay. That's normally how you pay for any cloud solutions."

"I use Microsoft Azure Block Storage's free version."

"I would rate the solution’s pricing a nine out of ten and it’s cheaper than Amazon S3."

More Microsoft Azure Block Storage pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

17%

Comms Service Provider

Financial Services Firm

University

Computer Software Company

13%

Manufacturing Company

13%

Healthcare Company

Performing Arts

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Google Cloud Storage Nearline?

The most valuable feature of Nearline is the access. It's helpful to move data that is generated once a month, such as salary information, to Nearline.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Google Cloud Storage Nearline?

The storage and access cost of Nearline are considered optimal compared to other cloud storage solutions, although I lack a clear view of other cloud storage costs.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Google Cloud Storage Nearline?

From a storage standpoint, it would be beneficial if the retrieval cost could be optimized, as it is comparatively higher than storage costs in Nearline.

See all answers

What do you like most about Microsoft Azure Block Storage?

We use the solution to develop SaaS platforms on Azure. We utilize various Microsoft components like block storage and databases for this purpose.

See all answers

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

Our experience with pricing has been positive. The budget for Microsoft Azure services has been within expectations for the last couple of months. The cost for Azure Data Factory ( /products/azure-...

See all answers

What needs improvement with Microsoft Azure Block Storage?

Based on my experience, the feature they need to introduce for Microsoft Azure Block Storage is key rotations and asymmetric keys for access. Though we have solutions, it is lacking in these areas.

See all answers

Comparisons

Amazon S3 Glacier vs Google Cloud Storage Nearline

Compared 94% of the time

Amazon S3 vs Google Cloud Storage Nearline

Compared 6% of the time

More Google Cloud Storage Nearline Competitors

Amazon EBS (Elastic Block Store) vs Microsoft Azure Block Storage

Compared 49% of the time

Azure NetApp Files vs Microsoft Azure Block Storage

Compared 18% of the time

HPE Alletra Storage MP B10000 vs Microsoft Azure Block Storage

Compared 17% of the time

Amazon S3 Glacier vs Microsoft Azure Block Storage

Compared 15% of the time

More Microsoft Azure Block Storage Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Google Cloud Storage Nearline

August 2025

Download Google Cloud Storage Nearline product report

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Azure Block Storage

August 2025

Download Microsoft Azure Block Storage product report

Also Known As

No data available

MS Azure Block Storage

Overview

A low-cost, highly-durable and highly available storage service for infrequently accessed data, data archiving, online backup and disaster recovery. Data is available instantly, not within hours or days. With sub-second average response times and 1 cent per GB/month pricing, Cloud Storage Nearline gives you terrific performance at a low cost.

Google

Massively scalable cloud storage for your applications

Store and help protect your data. Get durable, highly available data storage across the globe and pay only for what you use.

Microsoft

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

Mazda, BlinkBox, Rakuten Showtime, Xbox One, Serko, ChronoDrive

Buyer's Guide

Google Cloud Storage Nearline vs. Microsoft Azure Block Storage

July 2025

Free Report: Google Cloud Storage Nearline vs. Microsoft Azure Block Storage

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