Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users

IBM Watson Machine Learning vs Microsoft Azure Machine Learning Studio comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 4, 2024

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 Watson Machine Learning
Ranking in AI Development Platforms
13th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
7
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Microsoft Azure Machine Lea...
Ranking in AI Development Platforms
3rd
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
61
Ranking in other categories
Data Science Platforms (4th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the AI Development Platforms category, the mindshare of IBM Watson Machine Learning is 1.8%, down from 2.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Azure Machine Learning Studio is 7.0%, down from 12.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
AI Development Platforms
 

Featured Reviews

Anurag Mayank - PeerSpot reviewer
A highly efficient solution that delivers the desired results to its users
I had not considered how the solution could be improved because I was focused on how it was helping me to solve my issues. If I consider how we want to use it in our organization, certain areas of improvement can be addressed. For instance, we want to use it with Generative AI, not like ChatGPT, but in a way intended for industrial use. It would be beneficial to incorporate more AI into the solution.
Takayuki Umehara - PeerSpot reviewer
Streamlined workflows with drag and drop convenience but needs enhancements in AI
I use Machine Learning Studio for system reselling and integration Machine Learning Studio is easy to use, with a significant feature being the drag and drop interface that enhances workflow without any complaints. It provides a return on investment and cost savings, proving beneficial for…

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"It is has a lot of good features and we find the image classification very useful."
"It has improved self-service and customer satisfaction."
"The most valuable aspect of the solution's the cost and human labor savings."
"We can enable and change developer productivity with artificial intelligence-recommended code based on natural language input or exciting source code."
"Scalability-wise, I rate the solution ten out of ten."
"The solution is very valuable to our organization due to the fact that we can work on it as a workflow."
"I was particularly interested in trying the AutoML feature to see how it handles data and proposes new models. The variety of models it provides is impressive."
"The learning curve is very low. Operationalizing the model is also very easy within the Azure ecosystem."
"I like that it's totally easy to use. They have an AutoML solution, and their machine learning model is highly accurate. They also have a feature that can explain the machine learning model. This makes it easy for me to understand that model."
"The most valuable feature is data normalization."
"MLS allows me to set up data experiments by running through various regression and other machine learning algorithms, with different data cleaning and treatment tools. All of this can be achieved via drag and drop, and a few clicks of the mouse."
"Azure Machine Learning Studio's most valuable features are the package from Azure AutoML. It is quite powerful compared to the building of ML in Databricks or other AutoMLs from other companies, such as Google and Amazon."
"It is very easy to test different kinds of machine-learning algorithms with different parameters. You choose the algorithm, drag and drop to the workspace, and plug the dataset into this component."
"The visualizations are great. It makes it very easy to understand which model is working and why."
"The UI is very user-friendly and that AI is easy to use."
 

Cons

"Scaling is limited in some use cases. They need to make it easier to expand in all aspects."
"Honestly, I haven't seen any comparative report that has run the same data through two different artificial intelligence or machine learning capabilities to get something out of it. I would love to see that."
"They should add more GPU processing power to improve performance, especially when dealing with large amounts of data."
"If I consider how we want to use it in our organization, certain areas of improvement can be addressed. For instance, we want to use it with Generative AI, not like ChatGPT, but in a way intended for industrial use."
"Sometimes training the model is difficult."
"In future releases, I would like to see a more flexible environment."
"The supporting language is limited."
"One area where Azure Machine Learning Studio could improve is its user interface structure."
"I have found Databricks is a better solution because it has a lot of different cluster choices and better integration with MLflow, which is much easier to handle in a machine learning system."
"Improvement in integration is crucial, and it'll be interesting to see how it develops, especially with SAP's move towards cloud-based solutions like SAP Rise and its collaboration with hyper scalers like AWS. Integrating SAP with hyperscaler machine learning solutions could simplify operations, although SAP's environment is complex. SAP has initiated deals with AWS for this purpose, but I'm not as familiar with Microsoft Azure Machine Learning Studio's involvement."
"Overall, the icons in the solution could be improved to provide better guidance to users. Additionally, the setup process for the solution could be made easier."
"Enable creating ensemble models easier, adding more machine learning algorithms."
"I think they should improve two things. They should make their user interface more user-friendly. Integration could also be better. Because Microsoft Machine Learning is a Microsoft product, it's fully integrated with Microsoft Azure but not fully supported for other platforms like IBM or AWS or something else."
"I rate the support from Microsoft as five out of ten. It could be improved."
"Microsoft should also include more examples and tutorials for using this product.​"
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I've only been using the free tier, but it's quite competitive on a service basis."
"The pricing model is good."
"My team didn't deal with the licensing for Microsoft Azure Machine Learning Studio, so I'm unable to comment on pricing, but the money that was spent on the tool was worth it."
"Last year, we paid 60,000 for Microsoft Azure Machine Learning Studio in our department."
"When we got our first models and were ready for the user acceptance testing, our licensing fees were between €2,500 ($2,750 USD) and €3,000 ($3,300 USD) monthly."
"The licensing cost is very cheap. It's less than $50 a month."
"I am paying for it following a pay-as-you-go. So, the more I use it, the more it costs."
"On a scale from one to ten, with ten being overpriced, I would rate the price of this solution at six."
"We pay only the Azure costs for what we use, which involves some subscription costs. But essentially, you pay for what you use. There are no extra costs in addition to the standard licensing fees."
"The solution cost is high."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which AI Development Platforms solutions are best for your needs.
849,686 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
16%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Educational Organization
11%
University
11%
Financial Services Firm
13%
Computer Software Company
10%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Healthcare Company
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about IBM Watson Machine Learning?
I was particularly interested in trying the AutoML feature to see how it handles data and proposes new models. The variety of models it provides is impressive.
What needs improvement with IBM Watson Machine Learning?
Sometimes training the model is difficult. We need to have at least a few different components to evaluate and understand the behavior of different users to have a very, very high accuracy in the m...
Which do you prefer - Databricks or Azure Machine Learning Studio?
Databricks gives you the option of working with several different languages, such as SQL, R, Scala, Apache Spark, or Python. It offers many different cluster choices and excellent integration with ...
What do you like most about Microsoft Azure Machine Learning Studio?
The learning curve is very low. Operationalizing the model is also very easy within the Azure ecosystem.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Azure Machine Learning Studio?
Pricing is considered to be top-segment and should be improved. I rate the pricing as three or four on a scale of one to ten in terms of affordability.
 

Also Known As

No data available
Azure Machine Learning, MS Azure Machine Learning Studio
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
Walgreens Boots Alliance, Schneider Electric, BP
Find out what your peers are saying about IBM Watson Machine Learning vs. Microsoft Azure Machine Learning Studio and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.
849,686 professionals have used our research since 2012.