Microsoft Azure SQL Database vs SAP HANA Cloud comparison

Microsoft and SAP are both solutions in the Database as a Service (DBaaS) category. Microsoft is ranked #2 with an average rating of 8.7, while SAP is ranked #14 with an average rating of 8.7. Additionally, 96% of Microsoft users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 75% of SAP users who would recommend it.

Microsoft Azure SQL Database

Read 117 Microsoft Azure SQL Database reviews

4,175 Views
2,249 Comparison Views

96% willing to recommend

SAP HANA Cloud

Read 4 SAP HANA Cloud reviews

69 Views
25 Comparison Views

75% willing to recommend

Microsoft Azure SQL Database

SAP HANA Cloud

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jun 15, 2025

Microsoft Azure SQL Database and SAP HANA Cloud are cloud-based database solutions. SAP HANA Cloud appears superior in functionality due to its advanced analytical features, whereas Microsoft Azure SQL Database is more favorable for cost-effectiveness and reliability.

Features: Microsoft Azure SQL Database is known for automatic scalability, threat detection capabilities, and seamless integration with Microsoft services. SAP HANA Cloud offers high-performance real-time analytics, advanced data processing, and superior performance in scalability and analytics.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: SAP HANA Cloud facilitates streamlined deployment and offers strong customer support with comprehensive onboarding. Microsoft Azure SQL Database excels in ease of integration with robust support and extensive documentation, focusing on broader compatibility.

Pricing and ROI: Microsoft Azure SQL Database provides a budget-friendly setup with predictable costs, ensuring better cost management and ROI for long-term use. SAP HANA Cloud requires a higher initial investment, justified by its advanced capabilities and substantial returns through analytical strength.

To learn more, read our detailed Database as a Service (DBaaS) Report (Updated: June 2025).

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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)

2nd

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

117

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

SAP HANA Cloud

Ranking in Database as a Service (DBaaS)

14th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

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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reviewer2686500

SAP BI Architect at a government with 10,001+ employees

Flexibility and performance meet real-time analytics but documentation needs improvement

Currently, we don't have any AI-driven features, but that's something we are exploring. SCC is one of the computers, and we are looking into Machine Learning and predictive analytics from the user-base perspective. Regarding SAP HANA Cloud, one significant pain point is the lack of access to the database from the HANA Studio for developers. HANA Studio allows us to work with tables, whereas with SAP HANA Cloud, there isn't direct visibility of any tables. Documentation is another concern. There isn't much documentation compared to what we used to get in the past, including best practices. In the last few years, their documentation has not been up to the mark at all.

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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 quite straightforward to set up."

"They have good documentation. It's concentrated information."

"The initial setup was straightforward. It took less than one day for deployment."

"The scalability and simple management of the infrastructure are the most valuable features."

"The most valuable aspect of Microsoft Azure SQL Database is its accessibility."

"We primarily and generally use it only for DB purposes. When it comes to the Azure part, we can easily provision, scale up, and scale down the generator machine. This kind of flexibility is the USP of SQL Azure. Its interface and ease of use are also valuable. It is very easy to use and integrate with multiple databases. If I need to pull in or import some data from my on-premises database, the ease with which you can connect and pull the data, not only from SQL Server but also from other flavors of MySQL or even Oracle, is very good."

"Shifting our corporate programs to the cloud is more or less the same due to the ease of implementation. We've cut costs by around 70 percent."

"It's the type of product that doesn't need much technical support assistance as it works seamlessly."

More Microsoft Azure SQL Database pros

"The best features of SAP HANA Cloud are that its software is effective because it has tight integration between other functions, such as finance, materials, and sales."

"I would rate SAP HANA Cloud nine to ten out of ten."

"Using SAP HANA Cloud, we can replicate the data into HANA and use live data, which improves our business decision-making."

Cons

"There is so much information that it becomes confusing at times. The information can be more friendly. They could also provide additional training, especially at the beginning."

"One of the nice features in Microsoft SQL Server is the SQL Server CLR, which we sometimes need to use to protect our procedures using C# or CLR. This is not available in the SQL Azure database."

"There is probably more functionality in our on-prem SQL Server than SQL Azure."

"There is room for improvement regarding the pricing structure."

"Lacking in technical documentation."

"It's not a feature, but the solution only offers a certain amount of memory and that's limiting. The scalability should be extended to more than two terabytes."

"We've had many concurrency issues with it, particularly with applications that do a lot of parallel processing."

"I think that the cost management in SQL is not clear because we may use some tax to identify products, but in some cases identifying the transactions in SQL is not easy for some financial cost centers."

More Microsoft Azure SQL Database cons

"I see some weaknesses in SAP HANA Cloud regarding innovations, as they take their own time compared to what the market brings in with new features."

"Regarding SAP HANA Cloud, one significant pain point is the lack of access to the database from the HANA Studio for developers."

"The technical support from SAP is inadequate. We don't get timely responses, with support tickets taking more than 25 days to process."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution is expensive."

"Compared to other providers, the pricing is definitely on the affordable side."

"It requires a license. As compared to its competitors, such as Oracle, it is affordable and reasonable."

"If we use a smaller or free-sized Microsoft Azure SQL Database, it is extremely cost-effective and much cheaper than on-premise enterprise licenses, which are expensive."

"When you go with SQL Azure Database, you can create a small database, which is around $4 to $5 per month for development purposes."

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

"It is beneficial in terms of cost because you are charged per data unit instead of licensing."

"I recommend considering a pay-as-you-go pricing model initially."

More Microsoft Azure SQL Database pricing and cost advice

Information not available

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Educational Organization

49%

Financial Services Firm

Computer Software Company

Manufacturing Company

No data available

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

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...

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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...

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What needs improvement with SAP HANA Cloud?

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What is your primary use case for SAP HANA Cloud?

I worked with SAP products including BPC, SAP HANA, SAP BW for HANA, and Business Objects. We are on Azure Cloud. Our BW system is on SAP HANA Cloud and our S/4 is on the HANA Cloud itself. We have...

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering SAP HANA Cloud?

We are in the government sector, which has a more structured approach. We are aligned based on mandated requirements, which might not be relevant for private industry where changes happen more dras...

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Comparisons

Google Cloud SQL vs Microsoft Azure SQL Database

Compared 33% of the time

Amazon RDS vs Microsoft Azure SQL Database

Compared 24% of the time

MongoDB Atlas vs Microsoft Azure SQL Database

Compared 15% of the time

Oracle Database as a Service vs Microsoft Azure SQL Database

Compared 7% of the time

Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB vs Microsoft Azure SQL Database

Compared 5% of the time

More Microsoft Azure SQL Database Competitors

No data available

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Azure SQL Database

June 2025

Download Microsoft Azure SQL Database product report

Buyer's Guide

Database as a Service (DBaaS)

June 2025

Download SAP HANA Cloud product report

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

SAP HANA Cloud offers a robust platform for managing data in real-time, making it ideal for businesses looking to enhance their analytics and database capabilities. It efficiently supports complex data environments, providing scalability and high performance for enterprises.

SAP HANA Cloud integrates data management and advanced analytics in a single solution, optimizing operations for businesses through real-time insights and flexible scalability. It is designed to handle high volumes of data and complex queries while supporting cloud native development. Users benefit from its capability to drive intelligent applications, streamline decision-making processes, and enhance data-driven strategies across industries. Evaluating SAP HANA Cloud involves considering its real-time data processing power, strong security measures, and support for hybrid environments.

What are the most important features of SAP HANA Cloud?

Real-Time Analytics: Enables immediate decision-making based on live data
Scalability: Allows businesses to easily adjust resources depending on demand
Data Security: Offers robust protection measures to safeguard sensitive information
Hybrid Cloud Support: Facilitates seamless integration with on-premise systems

What benefits or ROI should users look for?

Cost Efficiency: Reduces overall operating expenses by streamlining processes
Enhanced Performance: Improves system speed and reliability for critical operations
Business Flexibility: Adapts quickly to changing business needs and market conditions
Data-Driven Insights: Provides valuable insights that help in strategic decision making

SAP HANA Cloud is implemented across industries such as finance, retail, manufacturing, and healthcare, where real-time data processing and analytics are critical. In finance, it assists with risk management and financial forecasting; in retail, it supports personalized customer experiences and inventory optimization; while in manufacturing, it enhances supply chain management and production efficiency.

SAP

Sample Customers

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

Information Not Available

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