Microsoft Azure File Storage vs Nutanix Unified Storage (NUS) comparison

Microsoft and Nutanix are both solutions in the Public Cloud Storage Services category. Microsoft is ranked #4 with an average rating of 8.2, while Nutanix is ranked #5 with an average rating of 8.8. Microsoft holds a 10.0% mindshare in PCSS, compared to Nutanix’s 1.8% mindshare. Additionally, 97% of Microsoft users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 99% of Nutanix users who would recommend it.

Microsoft Azure File Storage

Read 48 Microsoft Azure File Storage reviews

2,796 Views
1,579 Comparison Views

97% willing to recommend

Nutanix Unified Storage (NUS)

Read 103 Nutanix Unified Storage (NUS) reviews

663 Views
187 Comparison Views

99% willing to recommend

Microsoft Azure File Storage

Nutanix Unified Storage (NUS)

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 1, 2024

Microsoft Azure File Storage and Nutanix Unified Storage (NUS) are two popular storage solutions competing in the enterprise storage market. Nutanix Unified Storage (NUS) seems to have the upper hand due to its versatility and overall value based on the data comparisons.

Features: Microsoft Azure File Storage offers seamless integration with Azure services, making it ideal for environments reliant on Microsoft's ecosystem. It includes strong security features and native support for SMB and NFS protocols. Nutanix Unified Storage (NUS) provides scalability, flexibility, and support for multi-cloud environments. It includes a unified storage management console, advanced data deduplication, and comprehensive disaster recovery options.

Room for Improvement: Microsoft Azure File Storage could enhance its performance consistency, expand support for non-Azure services, and improve its analytics features. Nutanix Unified Storage (NUS) could benefit from a more intuitive management console, enhanced analytics capabilities, and better documentation for new users.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Microsoft Azure File Storage benefits from streamlined deployment within the Azure ecosystem but has a steep learning curve for new users. Nutanix Unified Storage (NUS) is noted for its straightforward installation process and robust customer support, making it simpler to deploy and manage.

Pricing and ROI: Microsoft Azure File Storage offers competitive pricing within the Azure ecosystem but can be costly for long-term storage needs. Nutanix Unified Storage (NUS) provides better overall value through its scalability and flexibility, leading to higher ROI for users with varied storage requirements. Nutanix users report more satisfaction with their investments due to the product's adaptability and efficiency.

To learn more, read our detailed Microsoft Azure File Storage vs. Nutanix Unified Storage (NUS) Report (Updated: June 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Azure File Storage vs. Nutanix Unified Storage (NUS)

June 2025

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Helped 856,873 peers since 2012

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 File Storage

Ranking in Public Cloud Storage Services

4th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Nutanix Unified Storage (NUS)

Ranking in Public Cloud Storage Services

5th

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.4

Number of Reviews

103

Ranking in other categories

All-Flash Storage (6th), Software Defined Storage (SDS) (3rd), File and Object Storage (2nd), NVMe All-Flash Storage Arrays (4th)

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2025, in the Public Cloud Storage Services category, the mindshare of Microsoft Azure File Storage is 10.0%, down from 13.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Nutanix Unified Storage (NUS) is 1.8%, up from 0.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Public Cloud Storage Services

Featured Reviews

PrashanthR

Lead Software Engineer at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees

Seamlessly streamlines document processing with advanced file storage and OCR integration

We need to store data over there. We process documents through Kofax Time is a major benefit, as well as ease of processing. With configuration, it happens quite easily, and we can finish tasks early. File storage is complemented by OCR with Azure Cognitive Service. This enhances the processing…

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Vishnu Mohan

Service Delivery Manager Cloud and DCO at a healthcare company with 10,001+ employees

Centralized management and high resiliency streamline data storage with immediate benefits and scalability

The most effective features of Nutanix Unified Storage (NUS) for us are about making multiple copies of our data across hardware nodes, ensuring that if there is a hardware failure, we still don't lose our data, which I think is the most important. Also, they have a file solution that is good for file shares, and that is of value to us. The switch from solutions such as IBM to Nutanix Unified Storage (NUS) was driven by the need for different skill sets for a separate storage team and separate compute team. Maintaining these old devices was getting prohibitively high, so consolidating everything onto Nutanix Unified Storage (NUS) made sense and allowed one set of Nutanix engineers to manage the entire estate.

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 solution is user-friendly and integrates easily with web apps."

"The solution can scale to fit any requirement."

"The product can integrate with all platforms. My team also does data visualization, and Power BI can directly connect with those nodes. We can very conveniently connect with multiple tools for our database. The benefit here is that by utilizing the same storage application, my application is linked with their application through the same server. This setup provides real analytics and data for a holistic purpose, which is advantageous."

"Integration with the entire Azure platform."

"I like that we can copy and download data using Azure. It's not just for file storage; we can also use it for large data sets or to host static web applications."

"This solution supports all file formats."

"The best part is the accessibility to all the files."

"The most significant aspect of Microsoft Azure File Storage is its life cycle functionality, which enables us to transfer files to various storage options, such as hot storage, full storage, and archive. This feature is crucial since we can apply a life cycle method to files that have not been in use for an extended period, and then move them to a cheaper cold storage option to save costs. Since the newest files are stored in the hot storage, it met our specific requirements. Consequently, older files can be transferred to archive and cold storage."

More Microsoft Azure File Storage pros

"We transitioned from a three-tier architecture to Nutanix Unified Storage (NUS). With the Files offering out of Nutanix Unified Storage (NUS), we were able to migrate those shares with a smaller footprint."

"The management interface is great and you have handy access to several details about your file shares."

"We had three racks full of storage and now it is just half a rack."

"The biggest return on investment for me when using Nutanix Unified Storage (NUS) is the management aspect since it's easier to manage."

"We have virtually zero downtime with Nutanix. It updates itself, and we can easily move machines from one cluster to another."

"Customer support for Nutanix Unified Storage (NUS) is top-notch."

"The migration from VMware to Nutanix Unified Storage (NUS) is less complex and less troublesome, and the replication and clustering are very good."

"They have well-documented best practices and the interface is good."

More Nutanix Unified Storage (NUS) pros

Cons

"It would be good if they added some features that make the solution easier to access for everyone."

"Some of the procedures are a bit more complex in Azure than in other providers."

"If the file is large, there may be a delay in download time."

"A lot of things could be better, especially when it comes to accessing File Storage for monitoring. Azure Copy is fine, but there could be additional integration and security features for those who want more privacy and control over access to Azure."

"It would be helpful if we could remove data that we don't frequently access to reduce the cost of the storage."

"It should allow better methods for handling large files."

"Lacks integration with other platforms."

"The product name keeps changing. It can be confusing when product names change frequently, especially with Microsoft. Sometimes, if you refer to a product by a certain name last year, it might have a different name six months later."

More Microsoft Azure File Storage cons

"The pricing could be improved."

"Nutanix needs to improve their cybersecurity options at the storage level."

"Nutanix Unified Storage (NUS) needs improvement, particularly for firmware upgrades, as sometimes updates take a whole day and it can be unclear whether the issue is with Nutanix Unified Storage (NUS) or the hardware, requiring us to reconfigure everything, which is a main point we want consolidated into one solution."

"Another aspect that needs improvement is continuous protection against security threats such as ransomware and potential data leakage."

"There is potential to push this product more since it's not common in the market. They could increase their marketing efforts."

"It could be more user-friendly."

"According to the keynotes announced by Nutanix the previous day or this morning, the data storage for Kubernetes requires improvement as it has a few shortcomings in the area of operations."

"Some of the new features in the tool cannot be used with just one click, as was possible in the past."

More Nutanix Unified Storage (NUS) cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The pricing could be more flexible."

"The licensing cost for Microsoft Azure File Storage comes with an agreement from Microsoft."

"The product's pricing need improvement."

"I give the pricing of the solution a seven out of ten."

"The price of the solution is reasonable. The pricing model is based on usage."

"I would rate the pricing a seven out of ten, with ten being the most expensive. It's not cheap."

"The price of Microsoft Azure File Storage is expensive, we do not know exactly how the price is calculated."

"We have Microsoft Azure File Storage's enterprise license."

More Microsoft Azure File Storage pricing and cost advice

"Nutanix's pricing is definitely much better when compared to other storage providers. That was one of the main reasons we switched to this platform."

"The solution’s pricing could be cheaper."

"I am not the one who makes the calls, but it seems to me that it was very competitive. Other solutions would have required dedicated hardware, so an additional CapEx has to be put in place. In that sense, it was definitely a more competitive option to go with Nutanix Files."

"Licensing-wise, I have no complaints. Their license is pretty simple and easy. It gives us everything we need, so I have no complaints about licensing."

"The cost of Nutanix Unified Storage can be prohibitive for some small and medium-sized businesses, making it challenging for them to adopt the product."

"The licensing model the tool has is cheaper than an HCI storage solution."

"My company is in Brazil, and making the payments in dollars is tough for our organization."

"It is not too high for what we are using."

More Nutanix Unified Storage (NUS) pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

15%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Government

Computer Software Company

32%

Educational Organization

15%

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

Which file storage system is better - Amazon EFS (elastic file storage) or Azure File Storage?

Amazon EFS is easy to set up: you can use the AWS management console, API, or command-line. Amazon EFS can grow to petabytes and deliver consistent low latencies and high levels of throughput. This...

See all answers

What do you like most about Microsoft Azure File Storage?

The product is a reliable cloud solution.

See all answers

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

The pricing for Microsoft Azure File Storage is five out of ten, not so expensive and not so low.

See all answers

What do you like most about Nutanix Unified Storage?

Nutanix has excellent product documentation available on their portals, written in simple, easy-to-understand language.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Nutanix Unified Storage?

Nutanix solutions are often perceived as premium-priced, but they deliver substantial ROI in terms of performance, reliability, and ease of use. Organizations should evaluate the TCO holistically, ...

See all answers

What needs improvement with Nutanix Unified Storage?

Nutanix Unified Storage is already a robust and forward-thinking platform. That said, one area for potential improvement is pricing. While it offers great value through its features and support, mo...

See all answers

Comparisons

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

Compared 46% of the time

Azure NetApp Files vs Microsoft Azure File Storage

Compared 21% of the time

Wasabi vs Microsoft Azure File Storage

Compared 16% of the time

Amazon S3 vs Microsoft Azure File Storage

Compared 7% of the time

More Microsoft Azure File Storage Competitors

Dell PowerScale (Isilon) vs Nutanix Unified Storage (NUS)

Compared 17% of the time

Red Hat Ceph Storage vs Nutanix Unified Storage (NUS)

Compared 16% of the time

MinIO vs Nutanix Unified Storage (NUS)

Compared 9% of the time

Microsoft Storage Spaces Direct vs Nutanix Unified Storage (NUS)

Compared 9% of the time

Amazon S3 vs Nutanix Unified Storage (NUS)

Compared 5% of the time

More Nutanix Unified Storage (NUS) Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Azure File Storage

May 2025

Download Microsoft Azure File Storage product report

Buyer's Guide

Nutanix Unified Storage (NUS)

May 2025

Download Nutanix Unified Storage (NUS) product report

Also Known As

MS Azure File Storage

Nutanix Files Storage, Nutanix Volumes Block Storage, Nutanix Objects Storage

Overview

Fully managed file shares that use the standard SMB 3.0 protocol

Key scenarios:

Share data across on-premises and cloud servers
Migrate file share-based applications to the cloud with no code changes
Integrate modern applications with File storage
Simplify hosting for high availability workload data

Microsoft

Nutanix Unified Storage provides high availability and seamless cloud platform integration, ensuring robust redundancy, scalability, and streamlined management. It supports hybrid cloud connectivity, enhancing storage security and performance.

Nutanix Unified Storage is designed for effective data protection across block, file, and object storage, offering features like ransomware detection and a centralized management interface through Prism Central. Users gain improved SLAs and IT cost savings through its efficient performance. Despite its user-friendly interface, there is a demand for enhanced security measures such as Multi-Factor Authentication and DLP. While its resilience is notable, users seek improvements in protocol compatibility, storage capabilities, pricing, and support processes.

What are the most important features of Nutanix Unified Storage?

User-Friendly Interface: Simplifies storage management and monitoring.
High Availability: Ensures continuous operation and reliability.
Seamless Cloud Integration: Compatible with platforms like Azure and AWS.
Robust Redundancy: Protects data against hardware failures.
Scalable Architecture: Easily adapts to growing data storage needs.
Ransomware Detection: Enhances data protection measures.

What benefits and ROI might users find in reviews?

Improved SLAs: Increased service reliability and performance.
IT Cost Savings: Reduces expenses through efficient resource use.
Enhanced Security: Stronger data protection and reduced risk.
Centralized Management: Easier control and monitoring from one dashboard.

Industries implement Nutanix Unified Storage for tasks such as file storage, database performance improvement, and storage solution consolidation. Companies deploying virtual machines, securing against ransomware, connecting hybrid clouds, and backing up data find it useful. It supports workloads like Citrix VDI, Kubernetes, and research data, assisting many organizations migrating from legacy storage for better cost efficiency and reduced data center footprints.

Nutanix

Sample Customers

Talon, Camden

JetBlue, International Speedway Corporation, Volkswagen SAIC, Brighton and Hove City Council, Foresters Financial, Janus International Group, Cloud Comrade, Serco

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Azure File Storage vs. Nutanix Unified Storage (NUS)

June 2025

Free Report: Microsoft Azure File Storage vs. Nutanix Unified Storage (NUS)

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