Microsoft Azure vs SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud comparison

Microsoft and SAP are both solutions in the Infrastructure as a Service Clouds (IaaS) category. Microsoft is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.3, while SAP is ranked #12 with an average rating of 9.1. Microsoft holds a 10.8% mindshare in ISI, compared to SAP’s 1.4% mindshare. Additionally, 95% of Microsoft users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 89% of SAP users who would recommend it.

Microsoft Azure

Read 323 Microsoft Azure reviews

18,565 Views
9,839 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud

Read 25 SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud reviews

1,305 Views
1,227 Comparison Views

89% willing to recommend

Microsoft Azure

SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 16, 2024

Microsoft Azure and SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud are both leading solutions in the cloud computing market. Azure's strength lies in its versatility and extensive global infrastructure, making it a compelling choice for businesses seeking a flexible cloud environment. Conversely, SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud stands out for its deep integration capabilities specifically tailored for SAP applications, providing an edge for enterprises dependent on the SAP ecosystem.

Features: Microsoft Azure provides comprehensive integration with various programming languages and frameworks, extensive global data centers enhancing customer proximity, and a robust PaaS platform. It also includes reliable distributed caching and scalability, addressing the needs of large organizations and developers. SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud excels in offering a secure, managed environment for SAP workloads with seamless SAP application integration, which is vital for organizations with significant SAP investments.

Room for Improvement: Microsoft Azure could enhance its pricing transparency, improve debugging tools and integration capabilities for non-Microsoft platforms. Additionally, security in multitenant settings and complex cost estimates need attention. SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud requires improvement in customization flexibility, cost management, and data center localization. Enhancing update and configuration flexibility would also benefit users.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Microsoft Azure is praised for its deployment ease due to extensive documentation and public cloud reach. However, its customer service quality can vary, although business-tier support is often reliable. SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud focuses on strong SAP-specific deployment support, which is generally effective but potentially expensive, offering integrated deployment dedicated to SAP suite challenges. This suggests a balance between Azure's broader support and SAP's dedicated enterprise support.

Pricing and ROI: Microsoft Azure offers competitive pricing with flexible pay-as-you-go options, yet costs may rise with increased use and complex pricing models can lead to unexpected expenses. Its ROI is strengthened by eliminating physical infrastructure needs and enabling scalable cost-efficient solutions. SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud provides substantial SAP-integrated value, albeit at higher costs with annual contract structures and additional integration fees, making it favorable for large enterprises.

To learn more, read our detailed Microsoft Azure vs. SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud Report (Updated: December 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Azure vs. SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud

December 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

Ranking in Infrastructure as a Service Clouds (IaaS)

1st

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

323

Ranking in other categories

PaaS Clouds (1st)

SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud

Ranking in Infrastructure as a Service Clouds (IaaS)

12th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Infrastructure as a Service Clouds (IaaS) category, the mindshare of Microsoft Azure is 10.8%, down from 19.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud is 1.4%, down from 1.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Infrastructure as a Service Clouds (IaaS) Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Microsoft Azure	10.8%
SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud	1.4%
Other	87.8%

Infrastructure as a Service Clouds (IaaS)

Featured Reviews

Syed Abid

Snr. Infrastructure Architect (Data Centre) at LogicEra

Versatile integrations and reliable customer satisfaction elevate cloud service experience

For Microsoft Azure improvement, they need to enhance their support system. The first level of support should be improved in terms of quality and response time. They need more technical support at the first level, as there are currently only one or two technical people among five to ten staff members at this level. They should ensure that the first level support is more technical because we normally provide services to technical users ourselves. When an issue arises, it usually escalates to the second or third level. When facing first level support, they may have limited knowledge and only collect screenshots to forward to their seniors. They should ensure that the first level support is aligned with L2 and L3 to better assist us, especially since we mention in the ticket that our issues are related to specific problems and require that sort of support.

Read full review

Salman Mukhtar Baig

SAP Technical Manager at VS Furniture Middle East

Cloud access has improved reporting and sales operations across global locations

I cannot say anything about what areas of SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud could be improved or enhanced because so far, we are happy with this implementation. We are not facing any problem, or I cannot say that this can be improved. Although SAP keeps improving themselves day by day, we cannot say that SAP needs to improve anything. One thing which we face, not as a problem, is the pricing. SAP pricing is a bit higher day by day. Before, it was not too much higher, but I don't know why they are increasing their price. They should see this thing, so other customers, such as SMBs customers or small and mid-sized customers, can also avail this thing. Otherwise, we don't have any problem. First, there is the limitation. If you are a SAP user, you don't feel any problem with the limitation because if you know how to use the product, you can easily implement this thing. Otherwise, if you don't know the business process or how to integrate and implement, it could be a problem. We have a limitation, but we developed some add-ons for this. So we fulfilled these requirements.

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

"We use the cognitive service, virtual machines, and customer DB. Microsoft Azure is also scalable and easy to install."

"The most valuable features are the interface and customizability."

"The solution is useful for handling large amounts of data."

"It's very easy to build a new service and get it into production."

"The ability to scale down is a big thing."

"With the Azure solution, you can get more value from your cloud investment no matter what your future goals are. It depends on your level of familiarity with the cloud you are using or with your computing. Azure helps you with every stage of the cloud."

"The redundancy across different regions is the most valuable. It provides a big value for cloud services, especially for Microsoft."

"Reliable with ease of provisional services."

More Microsoft Azure pros

"The processes and the way we take advantage and use assistance are good."

"The solution is stable and we have never had a problem. We started with one terabyte of data when the solution was first implemented and today we have around almost 600 gigabytes of data, which means means the compression works properly. Before migrating from ECC, we had nine terabytes of data."

"I am impressed with how the solution integrates with the ME system and ALE IDocs."

"We have a wide range of use cases for SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud. These include production planning, materials management, sales management, treasury, finance, appliance maintenance, real estate, and warehouse management."

"There's a minimum amount of downtime when using the solution. This platform is very effective."

"Fiori is the most valuable feature, as well as the the integration between S/4 and another solution as an extension."

"What I like the most is that we can convert databases into a proper multi-dimensional model, and then we can project with the integration with Power BI."

"Companies have gained more productivity because users take less time to finalize tasks as the data is correct, eliminating the need to double-check information constantly."

More SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud pros

Cons

"We need more security to be available on our smartphones and mobile devices."

"The permissions and controls in the product are not easy to use."

"When we check with Microsoft, they tell us it is working as per design, and we have to work through various PowerShell scripts to get those details."

"The subscriptions are complicated."

"If you compare it with AWS, it is not very friendly to use. I find the UI better to work with on AWS."

"Because it has a lot of features, a person just coming into Microsoft Azure might feel that it is a bit complex."

"The local support is fair but it is sometimes limited, the service could be better."

"Technical support could be improved."

More Microsoft Azure cons

"Enterprise Cloud's reporting could be more automated to improve content accountability, especially regarding BI reports."

"The main thing is that SAP needs to give better response times for support tickets."

"The product must provide more details of the errors."

"The stability needs to be improved to be able to handle large amounts of data."

"Customization is an area of concern in SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud, where improvements are required."

"The licensing model for SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud has changed, and it is not entirely clear for final customers. Instead of named users, they now have to calculate FUEs."

"SAP support isn't on par with products like Microsoft Azure or AWS. It's nowhere close to the competitors."

"One thing which we face, not as a problem, is the pricing. SAP pricing is a bit higher day by day."

More SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Make use of Azure pricing calculator and you will find out that Azure Is still more reasonable that the competition and do your research, when unclear speak with your MS support."

"Related to pricing and licensing, you have to be careful how you operate with the concept."

"It is not an expensive product and is adaptable to various requirements. It offers a free tier for small-scale usage and the ability to scale up as needed when requirements grow."

"Keep to PaaS to gain the optimal benefits from an OPEX finance and resource perspective."

"Microsoft Azure's pricing is reasonable. We pay around 5000 dollars per annum."

"We pay for the license on a monthly basis."

"Microsoft Azure is not expensive. You pay for what you use. If you are using it everything could be expensive."

"I believe that we have a three-year license, and I'm happy with the pricing."

More Microsoft Azure pricing and cost advice

"I rate the product's price a five out of ten."

"It's very, very expensive."

"Our pricing is based on a yearly contract."

"SAP may not be the most cost-effective option, but it does offer a comprehensive set of tools and features. When you have the right information, structure, and dashboard in place, it can provide excellent value. Additionally, competition with Oracle might be a factor to consider."

"The price is high compared to other databases, which is why HANA is still not widely used. Some enterprises prefer Sybase, Oracle, or other traditional databases because HANA is a little pricey. Cost is one factor SAP needs to work on to make it more competitive with other databases. Otherwise, they'll never be able to develop a mass customer base."

"The solution could be less expensive."

"If you choose the minimum, it will probably cost around $1,000 USD per month if you take a contract for a year or two."

"The licensing of the solution is on a yearly basis. The normal price of the solution is quite high, but I received a special discount by making a purchase near the end of the year."

More SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud pricing and cost advice

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Aug 14, 2013

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Answers from the Community

Harraj Saraon

Financial Guidelines Specialist at Nestle

Sep 21, 2021

SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud (HEC): how to migrate to Microsoft Azure?

Hi, It could be easy as Azure is one of the partners of SAP HEC. Please contact your SAP HEC technical account manager who can guide you on this.

2 out of 3 answers

Evgeny Belenky

Director of Community at PeerSpot (formerly IT Central Station)

Aug 3, 2021

Hi @Abdul-Rasool, @RamakrishnanRamanathaiah and @Ramakrishna Potluri. It seems you should be able to provide some assistance to @Harraj Saraon with this question.

Read full answer

Michael-Bell

Vice President of Sales at Coforge

Aug 5, 2021

@Harraj Saraon, did you get your answer?

Read full answer

See all 3 answers

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

13%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Computer Software Company

University

Manufacturing Company

16%

Healthcare Company

University

Computer Software Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	140
Midsize Enterprise	53
Large Enterprise	150

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	8
Midsize Enterprise	4
Large Enterprise	16

Questions from the Community

Which is preferable - IBM Public Cloud or Microsoft Azure?

IBM Public Cloud is IBM’s Platform-as-a-Service. It aims to provide organizations with a secure cloud environment to manage data and applications. One of the features we like is the cloud activity ...

See all answers

Which is better - SAP Cloud Platform or Microsoft Azure?

One of the best features of SAP Cloud Platform is that it is web-based and you can log in from anywhere in the world. SAP Cloud Platform is suitable for companies of any size; it works well with bo...

See all answers

How does Microsoft Azure compare to Google Firebase?

I would recommend Google Firebase instead of Microsoft Azure, simply for the array of features that it has to offer. In particular, the Firebase library grants you access to a shared data structure...

See all answers

What do you like most about SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud?

It has significantly streamlined our operations.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud?

SAP HANA Cloud can be quite costly compared to other solutions. The high licensing costs make it an expensive option, particularly for smaller customers. However, they offer solutions for mid-sized...

See all answers

What needs improvement with SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud?

See all answers

Comparisons

Alibaba Cloud vs Microsoft Azure

Compared 11% of the time

Amazon AWS vs Microsoft Azure

Compared 9% of the time

Pivotal Cloud Foundry vs Microsoft Azure

Compared 9% of the time

Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) vs Microsoft Azure

Compared 8% of the time

Red Hat OpenShift vs Microsoft Azure

Compared 7% of the time

More Microsoft Azure Competitors

Amazon AWS vs SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud

Compared 22% of the time

SAP S4HANA on AWS vs SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud

Compared 16% of the time

Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) vs SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud

Compared 10% of the time

Media Temple IaaS Cloud vs SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud

Compared 8% of the time

Google Cloud vs SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud

Compared 6% of the time

More SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Azure

January 2026

Download Microsoft Azure product report

Buyer's Guide

SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud

December 2025

Download SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud product report

Also Known As

Windows Azure, Azure, MS Azure

No data available

Overview

Microsoft Azure integrates services and offers flexibility, ensuring compatibility with diverse environments. Its scalability, security, and cost-efficient features enhance deployment and management, making it ideal for infrastructure services and application hosting.

Azure provides a comprehensive suite of tools for application deployment, virtual machine management, and data analytics. It allows seamless integration with Power BI and offers a user-friendly interface supported by detailed documentation and technical support. Though users appreciate its capabilities, they sometimes face challenges with costs, setup, and interface complexity, alongside integration and performance issues. Frequent updates and a learning curve are also noted, though Azure's cloud-based security and scalability remain critical for disaster recovery and business continuity.

What are Azure's key features?

Integrated Services: Ensures compatibility with Microsoft and non-Microsoft environments.
Scalability: Supports growing business demands with flexible computing power.
Security: Offers robust cloud-based security features for data protection.
Cost Efficiency: Provides options that optimize costs for diverse requirements.
Application Deployment: Facilitates quick rollout of apps and services.

What benefits should users expect from Azure?

Operational Optimization: Allows companies to streamline processes effectively.
Innovative Efficiency: Empowers businesses to innovate with powerful tools.
Reliable Support: Backed by strong technical support and comprehensive documentation.
Flexible Cloud Solutions: Offers a range of options for cloud migrations and infrastructure management.

Microsoft Azure is widely implemented in industries like financial services, healthcare, and logistics for hosting enterprise applications and vital services. Companies utilize its capabilities for IoT applications, DevOps, and Kubernetes clusters, benefiting from its cloud migrations, data analytics, and active directory support.

Microsoft

SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud is a fully scalable and secure private managed cloud solution. It empowers organizations to unlock the full value of SAP HANA in the cloud - accelerating growth and innovation, driving IT and business transformation, quickly delivering business outcomes, and reducing risk.

SAP

Sample Customers

BMW, Toyota, easyJet, NBC Sports, HarperCollins, Aviva, TalkTalk Business, Avanade, and Telenor.

FC Bayern Munich, Reuters News Agency, MEMEBOX

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Azure vs. SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud

December 2025

Free Report: Microsoft Azure vs. SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud

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