Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB vs Microsoft Azure DocumentDB comparison

Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB vs. Microsoft Azure DocumentDB

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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

Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB

Ranking in Database as a Service (DBaaS)

3rd

Ranking in NoSQL Databases

1st

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

113

Ranking in other categories

Managed NoSQL Databases (1st), Vector Databases (1st)

Microsoft Azure DocumentDB

Ranking in Database as a Service (DBaaS)

13th

Ranking in NoSQL Databases

15th

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

5.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Featured Reviews

Michael Hasenfang

Director, Platform Engineering - Infrastructure Systems and Automation at a computer software company with 1,001-5,000 employees

Collecting compliance data has become more efficient while managing unstructured inputs for reporting

The features that I find most valuable within Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB are probably the cost, as the cost optimization is good. The storage and queryability are good for what we're doing; it's a lot of unstructured data, so having a platform to put that in and then be able to harvest that data out for the reporting we do is essential. In terms of cost saving, it was probably easily 30 to 40% cheaper than doing a standard SQL, which is what we saw just on piloting and getting in there. We were initially thinking 20 to 25%, but we were probably more at the 35 to 40%. We are using Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB's hybrid search today. The value that it has added to my AI or search workloads is that I think it's optimized that process and made it easier. We have a lot of unstructured data coming from different dissimilar systems and different data sources, so correlating those things together and making sense of it has been very beneficial. Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB has had pretty good performance with searching through large amounts of data; it's been fast, and we haven't seen a lot of performance degradation while building larger queries and bringing in a large set of data. The dynamic auto-scale or serverless model from Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB has helped reduce costs and operational effort; however, it's hard to quantify how that plays out since you're using a shared service. It shifts my focus away from building, managing, and upgrading to adding value.

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Anish-Anand

Performance Test Professional at Happiest Minds

Reporting for global banking stakeholders has become seamless and supports diverse visual formats

All Microsoft applications, whether database or analytics, are a little costlier compared to Google products, and this is a barrier that needs to be crossed so that all its applications become more affordable. For example, startups typically go for free tools. Microsoft should offer these products for free to startups or perhaps free for the first year or two years, so that startups can use these applications, and once they grow bigger and have larger revenue, they can purchase it at a reasonable cost. All Microsoft tools need to cut down on their price and have a better strategy around pricing for the masses. If you sell only to ten customers, your revenue is lesser, but if you give something for free to some customers, two years down the line they will purchase it. Microsoft Azure DocumentDB still needs the ability to connect to other analytics easily without any additional integrator. For example, if I can connect to Google Analytics or other analytics that are not Microsoft tools using this database, that would be a good source of revenue. If I have already purchased Google Analytics in my company and I need a database, and Microsoft Azure DocumentDB can very easily connect or integrate to my Google Analytics, I would not have to think twice. Cross-company application connectivity is something that needs to be worked on.

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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

"The solution is extremely user-friendly and easy to navigate."

"The connectors, such as the MongoDB connector and the integration with SQL, are incredibly valuable."

"The high speed of Azure Cosmos DB compared to other competitors is remarkable."

"Azure Cosmos DB's resiliency is valuable. It is available in every Azure region, allowing quick information storage and retrieval. We can partition it to improve indexing, enabling us to retrieve information and recreate website content quickly."

"The most valuable aspect of Cosmos DB is its performance."

"Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB has helped decrease my company's total cost of ownership; it's easier because we have less to maintain, we're not trying to set up multiple SQL servers with replication and everything, and centralization helps a lot."

"Since it's a managed service, Azure backend handles scalability. From a user's perspective, we don't need to worry about scalability."

"The solution is stable."

More Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB pros

"The most valuable feature of Microsoft Azure DocumentDB in my daily work is the speed."

"Microsoft Azure DocumentDB has positively impacted my organization by allowing us to reduce database costs by 30%."

"We have immeasurable benefits mainly in reduced operational effort and the time saved on routine database administration."

"One of the most appreciated aspects of Microsoft Azure DocumentDB is the elastic scaling feature which has significantly helped manage business growth for two customers who have employed it, experiencing a dramatic rise in improvement."

"Microsoft Azure DocumentDB is never down because of its scalability feature."

"The most beneficial features of Microsoft Azure DocumentDB that I noticed is that it appeared to be straightforward, it was ease of use, it was not complicated compared to some of the other tools that are out there, the teams were familiar with it, and it integrated well with other Microsoft products."

Cons

"While Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB is generally easy to use, it has some limitations."

"For streaming platforms, Azure Cosmos DB could improve efficiency in data storage. Indexing can also be better. Enhanced capabilities are necessary to manage increased data amounts more effectively during searches."

"We had some performance issues with a data segregation query. We worked closely with Microsoft to solve the problem of performance where, for example, one query had a delay of almost two or three minutes for this one use case. Microsoft tried to improve the product, but in the end, the solution was to change to MongoDB. MongoDB had better performance."

"Performance issues do not occur frequently, but I occasionally face performance issues with Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB."

"I would give a low rating to Microsoft support, as whenever I talked to them, I never got a solution. I had to guide them."

"A way Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB could be improved is through the introduction of an access control list on a row and on a specific field within the document, rather than relying on application-level coding to manage different access control lists."

"There were instances where the DB was not responding, and we lost some part of our business due to that."

"Sometimes, the solution's access request takes time, which should be improved."

More Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB cons

"Maybe in the future, I would like to see relationships between one document set and another document set."

"Microsoft gives you the base functionality which you can grow from, but some tools perhaps go a bit further because that is their only focus or niche."

"Microsoft Azure DocumentDB could be improved with more straightforward cost and performance optimization guidance, especially for understanding resource usage and selecting the right configuration for different workloads."

"It is a bit expensive, especially concerning the elastic scale."

"All Microsoft applications, whether database or analytics, are a little costlier compared to Google products, and this is a barrier that needs to be crossed so that all its applications become more affordable."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB pricing is based on RUs. Reading 1 KB document costs one RU, whereas writing one document costs five RUs. Pricing for querying depends on the complexity of the query. If you increase the document size, it will automatically increase the RU cost."

"The cost is the biggest limitation of this solution."

"The customer had a high budget, but it turned out to be a little bit cheaper than what they expected. I am not sure how much they have spent so far, but they are satisfied with the pricing."

"The price of Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB could be a bit lower."

"The tool is not expensive."

"The pricing for Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB is good. Initially, it seemed like an expensive way to manage a NoSQL data store, but so many improvements that have been made to the platform have made it cost-effective."

"Pricing, at times, is not super clear because they use the request unit (RU) model. To manage not just Azure Cosmos DB but what you are receiving for the dollars paid is not easy. It is very abstract. They could do a better job of connecting Azure Cosmos DB with the value or some variation of that."

"Right now, I have opted for the student subscription plan, for which Microsoft charges me around 100 USD. The pricing of the solution depends on the solution's usage."

More Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB pricing and cost advice

Information not available

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

11%

Outsourcing Company

11%

Legal Firm

10%

Manufacturing Company

No data available

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	35
Midsize Enterprise	24
Large Enterprise	59

No data available

Questions from the Community

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

I have knowledge about the pricing, setup cost, and licensing aspect of Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB.

What needs improvement with Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB?

One thing which has troubled us is the cost model for Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB. It is comparatively very difficult to understand. Sometimes without any efficiency, the cost increases. The cost mod...

What is your primary use case for Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB?

I have been working with Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB for two years, and I have been working with the Azure ecosystem for four to five years.We use Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB because it provides a scal...

What needs improvement with Microsoft Azure DocumentDB?

I think perhaps in some aspects the documentation could be better, as well as the integration with Azure Backup to improve Microsoft Azure DocumentDB.

What is your primary use case for Microsoft Azure DocumentDB?

My main use case for Microsoft Azure DocumentDB is when we modernize applications that use MongoDB on-premise and move them to Azure using DocumentDB. By doing this migration to Microsoft Azure Doc...

What advice do you have for others considering Microsoft Azure DocumentDB?

I would rate this product an 8 out of 10.

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Product Reports

Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB

Download Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB product report

Microsoft Azure DocumentDB

Download Microsoft Azure DocumentDB product report

Also Known As

Microsoft Azure DocumentDB, MS Azure Cosmos DB

No data available

Overview

Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB offers scalable, geo-replicated, multi-model support with high performance and low latency. It provides seamless Microsoft service integration, benefiting those needing flexible NoSQL, real-time analytics, and automatic scaling for diverse data types and quick global access.

Azure Cosmos DB is designed to store, manage, and query large volumes of both unstructured and structured data. Its NoSQL capabilities and global distribution are leveraged by organizations to support activities like IoT data management, business intelligence, and backend databases for web and mobile applications. While its robust security measures and availability are strengths, there are areas for improvement such as query complexity, integration with services like Databricks and MongoDB, documentation clarity, and performance issues. Enhancements in real-time analytics, API compatibility, cross-container joins, and indexing capabilities are sought after. Cost management, optimization tools, and better support for local development also require attention, as do improvements in user interface and advanced AI integration.

What are the key features of Azure Cosmos DB?

Scalability: Effortlessly handles scaling for large workloads.
Geo-replication: Provides global data access with low latency.
Multi-model Support: Compatible with diverse data types.
NoSQL Flexibility: Offers a non-relational database experience.
Real-time Analytics: Facilitates data-driven decision-making.
Automation: Simplifies scaling and maintenance processes.

What benefits can users expect from Cosmos DB?

High Performance: Ensures rapid processing and low latency.
Ease of Use: Features a user-friendly interface enhancing deployment speed.
Seamless Integration: Connects effortlessly with Microsoft services.
Security: Offers robust measures to protect data integrity.
Consistent Availability: Ensures continuous access to data worldwide.

Industries use Azure Cosmos DB to support business intelligence and IoT data management, using its capabilities for backend databases in web and mobile applications. The platform's scalability and real-time analytics benefit sectors like finance, healthcare, and retail, where managing diverse datasets efficiently is critical.

Microsoft

Microsoft Azure DocumentDB is a scalable, fully managed NoSQL database service designed to handle demanding workloads through a schema-free document data model.

It is tailor-made for applications requiring scale and performance, supporting JSON documents with rich querying capabilities. The service integrates easily with Azure's ecosystem, offering automatic indexing and multi-region replication, which may be appealing for businesses focused on global reach and real-time analytics. DocumentDB shifts the focus from infrastructure management to application development, highlighting its value for developers.

What are the key features of Microsoft Azure DocumentDB?

Global Distribution: Offers automatic multi-region replication, enhancing data availability.
Schema-Free Data Model: Facilitates handling of dynamic data without predefined schemas.
Rich Querying Support: Enables complex queries with SQL-like syntax.
Automatic Indexing: Saves time by automatically indexing every document added to the database.
High Throughput: Designed to scale horizontally, offering elastic performance levels.

What benefits or ROI should users expect?

Scalability: Supports growth without service interruptions, reducing operational hurdles.
Cost Efficiency: Pricing model aligns with usage, optimizing budget allocation.
Developer Productivity: Emphasis on a development-friendly approach increases focus on value creation.
Security: Advanced measures protect data integrity and access control.

Microsoft Azure DocumentDB is implemented in industries requiring high-throughput workloads and reliable data handling, such as finance, e-commerce, and IoT. By enabling consistent performance and secure data processing, it can meet market demands efficiently. In retail, DocumentDB handles real-time inventory management, while in finance, it supports transaction monitoring, reflecting its versatility across different sectors.

Microsoft

Sample Customers

TomTom, KPMG Australia, Bosch, ASOS, Mercedes Benz, NBA, Zero Friction, Nederlandse Spoorwegen, Kinectify

Information Not Available

Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB vs. Microsoft Azure DocumentDB