IBM SoftLayer vs Microsoft Azure Block Storage comparison

IBM and Microsoft are both solutions in the Public Cloud Storage Services category. IBM is ranked #23, while Microsoft is ranked #13 with an average rating of 8.4. IBM holds a 0.6% mindshare in PCSS, compared to Microsoft’s 1.0% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of IBM users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 93% of Microsoft users who would recommend it.

IBM SoftLayer

Read 2 IBM SoftLayer reviews

223 Views
134 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Microsoft Azure Block Storage

Read 65 Microsoft Azure Block Storage reviews

645 Views
310 Comparison Views

93% willing to recommend

IBM SoftLayer

Microsoft Azure Block Storage

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 1, 2024

IBM SoftLayer and Microsoft Azure Block Storage are top contenders in cloud storage. Microsoft Azure Block Storage is superior in overall features and user satisfaction.

Features: IBM SoftLayer offers reliable performance, flexibility, and competitive pricing. Microsoft Azure Block Storage provides advanced features, seamless integration, and comprehensive support.

Room for Improvement: IBM SoftLayer needs better documentation, expanded geographic availability, and more optimization tools. Microsoft Azure Block Storage requires enhanced backup and recovery options, improved cost management features, and more intuitive interface upgrades.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: IBM SoftLayer has straightforward deployment and responsive customer service. Microsoft Azure Block Storage users face complex deployment but have access to extensive support resources, with highly rated customer service.

Pricing and ROI: IBM SoftLayer is competitively priced, appealing to cost-conscious buyers. Microsoft Azure Block Storage, despite being more expensive, offers better ROI due to its features and capabilities, justifying the higher cost.

To learn more, read our detailed IBM SoftLayer vs. Microsoft Azure Block Storage Report (Updated: September 2025).

Buyer's Guide

IBM SoftLayer vs. Microsoft Azure Block Storage

September 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

IBM SoftLayer

Ranking in Public Cloud Storage Services

23rd

Average Rating

8.6

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 October 2025, in the Public Cloud Storage Services category, the mindshare of IBM SoftLayer is 0.6%, up from 0.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Azure Block Storage is 1.0%, up from 1.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Public Cloud Storage Services Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Microsoft Azure Block Storage	1.0%
IBM SoftLayer	0.6%
Other	98.4%

Public Cloud Storage Services

Featured Reviews

reviewer1032702

Global Principal Cloud Architect at NTT DATA

Stable with excellent speed and agility

The most valuable aspect of the solution is simply to have the ability to host in a cloud form and out of the data center - the IBM big iron solution. It's the speed and the agility that really sell SoftLayer. The ELT versus ETL extract, transform and load versus extract, load, and then transform, the ELT method is what really sells SoftLayer. The ability to extract act from your current location, load into your future location, with limited change, and then be able to take the transfer actions slowly and methodically after you're in your new location is the part that really makes this awesome. The stability and scalability are quite good.

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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

"The ELT versus ETL extract, transform and load versus extract, load, and then transform, the ELT method is what really sells SoftLayer."

"The stability is the solution's most valuable aspect for our organization."

"The public access with more security available is valuable."

"The scalability of the solution is good."

"The ability to increase and scale out is really easy."

"The solution has a valuable gearing feature."

"We use Microsoft Azure Block Storage to store, upload and download data. We can also use it as a backup."

"The most valuable feature of Microsoft Azure Block Storage is the security and the management of user access from on-premise to the cloud."

"The most valuable part of Microsoft Azure is its scalability and availability, which make it easy to work with."

"The ability to increase and scale out is really easy, allowing us to manage a large amount of data with reduced dependency on scalability issues."

More Microsoft Azure Block Storage pros

Cons

"For us, the versioning was an issue."

"The interface is hard to use for us. It should be simplified."

"The cost of the solution has room for improvement. Microsoft Azure Block Storage is priced higher than alternative solutions."

"There are capacity limitations that could be expanded."

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

"I have used Amazon's solutions which are better than Microsoft's. However, since I have predominately Microsoft solutions it is a better choice for me to use another Microsoft solution."

"The support response time could be quicker."

"They could create more readability of files."

"Uploading of data could be improved. Currently, the only way you can upload your data is by using their storage explorer. You need to use a command line to do that. Then, maybe you can go online and you can use their explorer to check to see if it's there. If they had a third-party application to handle the upload, it would be better. Many people aren't familiar with command lines for uploading data. It makes it more difficult for many users."

"The stability of Microsoft Azure Block Storage is good but could improve."

More Microsoft Azure Block Storage cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available

"Microsoft Azure Block Storage is an expensive solution and I pay monthly."

"The product's pricing is reasonable, but premium applications can be costly."

"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 product is costlier than Amazon S3."

"I would rate the pricing as five out of ten."

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

"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 storage part costs us $223. That's on a monthly basis for 20TB of data storage."

More Microsoft Azure Block Storage pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

No data available

Manufacturing Company

14%

Computer Software Company

13%

Healthcare Company

10%

Performing Arts

10%

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	25
Midsize Enterprise	13
Large Enterprise	24

Questions from the Community

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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.

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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-...

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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

Oracle Cloud Software Appliance vs IBM SoftLayer

Compared 56% of the time

Amazon AWS vs IBM SoftLayer

Compared 44% of the time

More IBM SoftLayer Competitors

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

Compared 41% of the time

Amazon EFS (Elastic File System) vs Microsoft Azure Block Storage

Compared 15% of the time

Amazon S3 Glacier vs Microsoft Azure Block Storage

Compared 15% of the time

Azure NetApp Files vs Microsoft Azure Block Storage

Compared 14% of the time

HPE Alletra Storage MP B10000 vs Microsoft Azure Block Storage

Compared 14% of the time

More Microsoft Azure Block Storage Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Public Cloud Storage Services

September 2025

Download IBM SoftLayer product report

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Azure Block Storage

September 2025

Download Microsoft Azure Block Storage product report

Also Known As

CloudLayer

MS Azure Block Storage

Overview

SoftLayer provides cloud infrastructure as a service from a growing number of data centers and network points of presence around the world. Our customers range from Web startups to global enterprises.

Products and services include bare metal and virtual servers, networking, turnkey big data solutions, private cloud solutions, and more. Our unique advantages include the industry's first Network-Within-a-Network topology for true out-of-band access, and an easy-to-use customer portal and robust API for full remote-access of all product and service management options.

IBM

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

Whogohost Ltd., Skypicker, Infinity Computers and Communications Company, Grace Co. Ltd., Keyword, Uvionics Tech, Tennis Australia, immixGroup, Salesbox, Cxense ASA, Avnet Inc., Komsomolskaya Pravda, Seekr

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

Buyer's Guide

IBM SoftLayer vs. Microsoft Azure Block Storage

September 2025

Free Report: IBM SoftLayer vs. Microsoft Azure Block Storage

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