Microsoft Azure SQL Database vs Oracle Database as a Service comparison

Microsoft and Oracle are both solutions in the Database as a Service (DBaaS) category. Microsoft is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.7, while Oracle is ranked #5 with an average rating of 8.8. Microsoft holds a 15.7% mindshare in DS, compared to Oracle’s 9.0% mindshare. Additionally, 96% of Microsoft users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 97% of Oracle users who would recommend it.

Microsoft Azure SQL Database

Read 117 Microsoft Azure SQL Database reviews

5,093 Views
2,433 Comparison Views

96% willing to recommend

Oracle Database as a Service

Read 67 Oracle Database as a Service reviews

1,503 Views
1,211 Comparison Views

97% willing to recommend

Microsoft Azure SQL Database

Oracle Database as a Service

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 12, 2024

Microsoft Azure SQL Database and Oracle Database as a Service are competitors in cloud-based database solutions. Users find Azure SQL more economical but note Oracle's advanced features.

Features: Microsoft Azure SQL Database is praised for integration with Microsoft products, scalability, and cost-effectiveness. Oracle Database as a Service is valued for advanced analytics, robust security, and comprehensive feature set.

Room for Improvement: Azure SQL could improve in advanced data analytics, enhanced security features, and user interface. Oracle could streamline the setup process, simplify management, and improve user experience.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Azure SQL users like straightforward deployment and effective customer support. Oracle users face a steeper learning curve initially but benefit from strong customer service and personalized support.

Pricing and ROI: Azure SQL Database is cost-effective with quicker ROI, suitable for smaller budgets. Oracle Database as a Service is more expensive but offers better long-term ROI due to advanced capabilities.

To learn more, read our detailed Microsoft Azure SQL Database vs. Oracle Database as a Service Report (Updated: June 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Azure SQL Database vs. Oracle Database as a Service

June 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

Microsoft Azure SQL Database

Ranking in Database as a Service (DBaaS)

1st

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

117

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Oracle Database as a Service

Ranking in Database as a Service (DBaaS)

5th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2025, in the Database as a Service (DBaaS) category, the mindshare of Microsoft Azure SQL Database is 15.7%, down from 18.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Oracle Database as a Service is 9.0%, up from 8.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Database as a Service (DBaaS)

Featured Reviews

Charley Hanania

Data Platform Specialist at QS2 AG - Quality Software Solutions

It is very easy to implement, manage, and offers great insights into what is happening inside the engine

Microsoft Azure SQL Database is integrated into other Azure capabilities and has a great foundation being on SQL Server with a long history of security, performance, and usability from a DBA perspective. Once you've set up a server, adding databases is easy. There's a minor challenge with having data in separate databases that you want to connect like we do on premises. I'm looking forward to using some of these new AI-driven functions that have come out around vectorization. Having the data closer to my transactional databases or data makes it easy to augment and enhance the Database and applications I currently use. It's great that Azure SQL now seamlessly integrates with Microsoft Fabric. It's a first-tier service in the cloud that connects to web applications and other databases. The data transformation orchestration capabilities within Database Factory and similar capabilities make it effortless to move that stuff forward.

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Duy AnhMai

Product Owner at Heineken

Offers security and good performance

Price-wise, the tool is expensive, and I feel it is an area where improvements are needed. Oracle Database as a Service is not as popular as other tools because we use AWS and GCP. Oracle is okay in terms of performance for banking businesses and some big companies. As I use the tool in Heineken, I know Oracle is an okay security solution. We use and deploy some applications and features from Oracle that are better than what others offer. The data in the tool is actually stored in the production part, so it is always kept a secret. I don't think that AI has been integrated into the tool. The AI used by Oracle is not as strong as that used by AWS. I recommend the tool to others, especially banking, finance, and insurance companies where the security needs to be better. There is maintenance for the tool required, but I don't know which company does it for our organization. I rate the tool a ten out of ten.

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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

"Microsoft is at the forefront of databases, and everyone uses SQL."

"It is very fast in replicating the data from one database to another. We do some extractions from multiple databases to a target database that we use for visualization. It has a good speed."

"The reason we moved to the cloud was for the convenience of not having any physical hardware to maintain."

"Azure SQL Database is very quick and easy to use."

"The stability is good."

"The most valuable aspects of this solution are the integration with the darknet stack especially Microsoft, table groups, supports major capability requirements, and SQL always-on feature."

"The initial setup is very easy. It's extremely straightforward."

"It's easy to work with large amounts of data, query it, and bring it back to a visualization tool to show it to the end users."

More Microsoft Azure SQL Database pros

"The initial setup is not too difficult, and on a scale from one to ten with one being the most difficult and ten being the easiest, I'd rate it at eight. The initial deployment can be done in an hour."

"The most valuable features of the solution are processing, indexing, monitoring, scalability, network, performance of the clustering, clusters, and availability."

"It effortlessly hosts applications for months and exhibits exceptional reliability."

"It is very easy to use."

"The customer service for this solution is very good. I would rate them a nine out of ten."

"The solution is scalable, has support & right incident, and allows easy data recovery."

"What I found most valuable about Oracle Database as a Service is its fast transactions and materialized views."

"The encryption level, resilience, and secure features from both clients, particularly the resilience aspect of Oracle Database, are highly valuable."

More Oracle Database as a Service pros

Cons

"If we need to deploy data management or services with SQL Azure we need InterSecure."

"The solution could improve by allowing the export of the data more seamlessly. It is difficult to copy and back up data."

"Azure SQL can improve by adding more machine learning features like other databases, such as Cassandra or Cosmos DB."

"They could improve Azure SQL by adding some of the features available on-prem, such as cross-database queries and the ability to run particular jobs. We need to migrate those to something else, like a function or logic app."

"One area for improvement is setting up logs, especially for servers like VM SQL. It was also tricky to connect services on VNets to on-premise."

"The customer support is hard to reach, with Microsoft’s technical support being difficult to get in touch with."

"I feel that the price is high and it could be reduced."

"The problem is the automated configuration."

More Microsoft Azure SQL Database cons

"One of the things that I have noticed is that there are some services that will give you a hard time during implementation if you are looking at the documentation of Oracle. Sometimes the documentation information is quite limited. It's an aspect of the solution they could improve."

"The licensing model is complicated and should be simplified."

"The interface can be difficult and there may be so many features that users and even vendors are unaware that they exist."

"Oracle Database as a Service is very convenient to use. However, we need to know to which schema we want it to connect specifically, and what are the username and password. The solution requires some basic knowledge of SQL RP and SQL Oracle to use it."

"I would like to see improvements in the license cost. The solution is subscription-based for PaaS services. You need to buy your own authorized license."

"Pricing for Oracle Database as a Service could be cheaper, so this is an area for improvement."

"When migrating to a different instance, the internal machine learning is lost."

"The solution needs more certifications for other products and applications because migration to the cloud is difficult without them."

More Oracle Database as a Service cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"SQL Azure is an expensive solution."

"The price of the solution is reasonable."

"The price could be slightly cheaper."

"Its price can definitely be lower. It is pretty pricey."

"Microsoft Azure SQL Database is not cheap."

"SQL Azure's licensing cost is expensive."

"We have the licensing fee, and we are also paying a third party to maintain it with an SLA. There is no infrastructure cost, but its running costs are higher than expected. There is the cost of the Azure cloud, which is pricier than expected, but it is not specific to SQL Azure. It is specific to the cloud. You expect it to be cheaper, but it is more expensive to run it."

"I have an annual spend number, and it is in the hundred thousand dollar range. There are no additional costs to the standard licensing fees. Even though you have to look at the cost numbers of what you're going to be charged on a monthly basis, what you have to also remember is that your application may need a lot of rewriting and things like that. You get charged not just for the monthly costs but also for the transactions that occur. If your access to the data layer is not so efficient, your costs will go up because you're pulling far more data than you potentially need. These are hidden costs that nobody ever considers. If your application is not written very efficiently, you may actually increase your costs over on-prem versus cloud."

More Microsoft Azure SQL Database pricing and cost advice

"What has been done is that an annual subscription model has been launched, which includes the payment of both the AML (Annual Maintenance Fee) and the subscription fee, paid on a yearly basis."

"For on-premises, a perpetual license is a standard $17,500 plus 22% for one year of support."

"In my opinion, it's not cheap, but every business can decide for itself."

"The cost for Oracle Database as a Service is higher than that for other similar solutions."

"The tool's licensing is on an yearly basis."

"The pricing is a little bit expensive."

"This is an expensive solution."

"Oracle Database is less expensive than the previous solution we used."

More Oracle Database as a Service pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Educational Organization

62%

Financial Services Firm

Computer Software Company

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

25%

Computer Software Company

14%

Manufacturing Company

Retailer

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about SQL Azure?

The automated scalability feature of SQL Azure has proven to be highly beneficial, particularly when deployed in the cloud.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SQL Azure?

The pricing of Microsoft Azure SQL Database is not cheap, affecting user uptake. A gradual reduction in price could improve accessibility and user numbers, making it easier for users to adopt the s...

See all answers

What needs improvement with SQL Azure?

Pricing could be improved to make Microsoft Azure SQL Database ( /products/microsoft-azure-sql-database-reviews ) more accessible. A reduction in price might encourage more users and bring more pro...

See all answers

What do you like most about Oracle Database as a Service?

It has significantly enhanced our application development process by introducing substantial time savings and streamlining routine tasks.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Oracle Database as a Service?

Prices are high. Technical support from Oracle tends to be high in quality.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Oracle Database as a Service?

It would be beneficial if Oracle could offer features similar to those provided by open-source platforms like Postgres, such as a multi-core-based platform and a shared node database. While Oracle ...

See all answers

Comparisons

Google Cloud SQL vs Microsoft Azure SQL Database

Compared 35% of the time

Amazon RDS vs Microsoft Azure SQL Database

Compared 24% of the time

MongoDB Atlas vs Microsoft Azure SQL Database

Compared 16% of the time

Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB vs Microsoft Azure SQL Database

Compared 4% of the time

vCloud Air vs Microsoft Azure SQL Database

Compared 3% of the time

More Microsoft Azure SQL Database Competitors

Amazon RDS vs Oracle Database as a Service

Compared 47% of the time

Oracle Exadata Cloud at Customer vs Oracle Database as a Service

Compared 14% of the time

Google Cloud SQL vs Oracle Database as a Service

Compared 11% of the time

Google Cloud Spanner vs Oracle Database as a Service

Compared 5% of the time

MongoDB Atlas vs Oracle Database as a Service

Compared 4% of the time

More Oracle Database as a Service Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Azure SQL Database

May 2025

Download Microsoft Azure SQL Database product report

Buyer's Guide

Oracle Database as a Service

May 2025

Download Oracle Database as a Service product report

Also Known As

No data available

Oracle DBaaS, Oracle Database Cloud

Overview

Microsoft Azure SQL Database is a relational database-as-a-service that delivers predictable performance, scalability, business continuity, data protection, and near-zero administration to cloud developers and solution architects. This is the deep technical library for Azure SQL Database.

Microsoft

Oracle Database Cloud Service combines the power of Oracle Database, with the unique capabilities of the Oracle Cloud. The service provides a secure, automated data management platform that leverages on demand Oracle Cloud Infrastructure services via a simple web based user interface and RESTful API. Oracle Database Cloud Service provides elastic database services for development, test, and production environments of custom and packaged online transaction processing (OLTP), data warehousing, and mixed workload applications. It enables businesses to reap all Oracle Platform as a Service (PaaS) benefits including subscriptionbased, self-service access to reliable, scalable, and elastic cloud environments and accelerates time to value by simplifying the provisioning and administration of Oracle databases.

Oracle

Sample Customers

adnymics GmbH, LG CNS, Centrebet, netfabb GmbH, MedPlast, Accelera Solutions, Sochi Organizing Committee, realzeit GmbH

Solution-Soft, DX Marketing, Suredell and Partners, Frontiers, SettleOurEstate.com, Demand Analysis Ltd, endlich IT & Projekt Service OHG

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Azure SQL Database vs. Oracle Database as a Service

June 2025

Free Report: Microsoft Azure SQL Database vs. Oracle Database as a Service

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