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Microsoft Azure vs SAP S4HANA on AWS vs Virtustream xStream comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the Infrastructure as a Service Clouds (IaaS) category, the mindshare of Microsoft Azure is 17.3%, down from 18.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SAP S4HANA on AWS is 3.7%, up from 3.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Virtustream xStream is 0.2%, down from 0.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Infrastructure as a Service Clouds (IaaS)
 

Featured Reviews

Nicolas Chabrier - PeerSpot reviewer
Promotes clear, logical structures preventing impractical configurations and offers seamless integration
The only thing is regarding the management of multi-cloud environments. That's not really possible. So basically, it's wonderful if you manage Microsoft clearly and if you manage Microsoft Azure, but if you need to consume external services and have a global overview of all your consumption, it's not the case. Google, for instance, has tools that help you manage multiple environments, which makes sense because Google is really the cloud provider. So that's why they need to be compliant with the others. But for sure, Microsoft's approach is different, and it's wonderful when you're one hundred percent on Azure. But if you'd like to have something more of a multi-cloud strategy, that's a bit of a gap where they could improve.
AtifNajam - PeerSpot reviewer
Strong integration in manufacturing and enhances flexibility with useful workflow management
Installation is very straightforward, however, implementation takes years or months based on the project's size. In manufacturing, the requirement might go from ten to 12 people. If I'm a sales-oriented company, such as an FMCG or something else, then I might need around seven or eight people at the very minimum. It is not an easy task to migrate. If I'm moving from a different ERP to S/4HANA, I need a proper project that probably spans several months, with significant engagement from both the business side and the technical side. I need an opportunity partner on it. Processing to SCE S/4HANA takes a bit of effort.
RH
Improves efficiencies, has encryption, and great mission-critical customer support
Previously we had an amateur solution where we were managing on our own data center but we had the management in-house. It was a strategic move to give people who were more competent and with business focus other core initiatives. It was a strategic outsource model. The equipment we were using was out date and at the end of its life cycle, we had to make some transitions, do a hardware replacement, or move on. We moved on to this solution.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"We've found the solution to be extremely flexible."
"The solution is easy to manage within the cloud application, has good performance, and is secure."
"I have found Microsoft Azure to be stable. We have large corporate customers and it is working great."
"In terms of computer resource management and reduced cost, it is very, very effective. In large environments, it gives you a lot of flexibility to provide different services, like disaster recovery and business continuity with simple and great options because you don't have to spend a lot of time for maintenance, upgrades, and security."
"The pricing is quite good, and it is designed as pay-per-use."
"The ability to quickly create and manage resources is critical to getting things done, Azure just makes getting things done a lot simpler."
"The data factory feature."
"The solution is completely scalable."
"After the implementation phase of the product, it becomes a very stable tool."
"The HANA database is a valuable feature"
"The most valuable feature of SAP S4HANA is Fiori. It allows users to access information quickly and easily, without having to navigate through unnecessary screens or transactions. Additionally, the ability to retrieve data more efficiently is helpful. Furthermore, the pre-delivered videos and functionalities within the solution allow for easier application building."
"This solution has one of the most modern databases and it is very stable."
"The solution is scalable."
"I recommend SAP S4HANA if your team is well-prepared and your internal organization is educated before implementation."
"SAP S4HANA's most valuable features include backup, security, storage, infrastructure, and enabling AI."
"The solution adds great value to any organization."
"The solution has encryption which we did not have before."
 

Cons

"The solution needs to offer more data analysis services."
"While integrating services from different vendors, the perceived costs are high, with occasional confusion about specific charges, especially in data transfer scenarios between regions."
"Auto ML could be improved technically."
"If you compare it with AWS, it is not very friendly to use. I find the UI better to work with on AWS."
"Microsoft Azure needs to be simplified to make it better understood for users."
"We have faced some challenges trying to deploy a new ESP application."
"The solution could always work to reduce its costs."
"Microsoft's technical support could be improved."
"This solution is very resource-intensive, including high memory and CPU utilization."
"SAP S4HANA on AWS could improve by having the entire solution available as a web solution. They only have Fiori right now, and it's a solution for certain modules, but not for all the modules that SAP currently has. We would like to see the GUI removed, it is not very good. We want it to be web-based."
"Currently, we have some integration areas like Concur and Ariba that could be improved. Having these integrations as a single source rather than working in silos would be beneficial for customers."
"The platform's front-end user interface needs improvement compared to other applications."
"I would like to see a lower price for the solution."
"The solution needs a warehouse management feature. Right now, there's a built-in WM, but they don't have an EWM extended warehouse management built-in, in S/4HANA. It's a separate product. So if they can add that, that would be great."
"Sometimes, the tool has bugs."
"SAP S4HANA on AWS could improve by having more data centers because there are limited data centers in the region I am in. Amazon AWS has announced a few more data centers to be added, but they're still not 100 percent operational for SAP solutions."
"Our account representative was inexperienced, they could improve on how they are managing accounts."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"There is a license for the solution."
"It's a pay-as-you-go subscription."
"The pricing is cheap."
"Microsoft always provides the entry-level solution with a cheap license. Once you start to like the product, then you have to pay for the full package, which is more expensive than the entry-level solution. Every feature comes with a license and a cost. Some licenses have multiple features, and some features require a specific license."
"If you are not aware of costs, pricing, etc., you can end up with a hefty bill. However, I found that the Azure price calculator is a valuable tool to use before starting to deploy VMs in Azure. This tool will give you an overview of the costs you should expect on a monthly, quarterly or yearly basis."
"It's a metered environment, and it's pay-as-you-go. That's the big challenge with a metered environment."
"The licensing is pay per usage, so it can be both monthly and yearly."
"Everything involves an annual commitment with a monthly charge."
"We pay an annual subscription fee for the solution, which is slightly expensive."
"Compared to its competitors, SAP S4HANA on AWS is a costly solution."
"The pricing is on the higher end."
"The licensing of the product is reasonable but the cost of the hardware is exorbitant."
"The price of SAP S4HANA on AWS is reasonable, given how much it costs to maintain a scratch-built system. To upgrade the support there is a fee."
"On a scale of one to ten, where ten is the highest price, I rate the solution's pricing an eight."
"There are additional modules-wise, it's needed for modules, and also for any new functions."
"SAP S4HANA on AWS has reasonable pricing."
"The solution is a bit expensive, we are still negotiating the price."
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Comparison Review

it_user8586 - PeerSpot reviewer
Aug 14, 2013
Amazon vs Rackspace vs Microsoft vs Google: Cloud Hosting Services Comparison
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
13%
Educational Organization
11%
Computer Software Company
11%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Computer Software Company
14%
Manufacturing Company
12%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Educational Organization
7%
No data available
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

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 ...
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....
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. ...
What do you like most about SAP S4HANA on AWS?
With extensive data and a sizable client base, this ensures seamless operations, responsiveness, and overall reliabil...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SAP S4HANA on AWS?
The initial setup required a higher investment, but the return on investment has justified the cost.
What needs improvement with SAP S4HANA on AWS?
Currently, we have some integration areas like Concur and Ariba that could be improved. Having these integrations as ...
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Also Known As

Windows Azure, Azure, MS Azure
SAP S/4HANA on AWS
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

BMW, Toyota, easyJet, NBC Sports, HarperCollins, Aviva, TalkTalk Business, Avanade, and Telenor.
Brigade Group, DoHome, Royal FloraHolland
Continental, Domino Foods, Florida Crystals, Intel, Lanx, UOL Group
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Akamai and others in Infrastructure as a Service Clouds (IaaS). Updated: July 2025.
862,514 professionals have used our research since 2012.