Microsoft Azure vs SAP S4HANA on AWS vs Virtustream xStream comparison

Microsoft and Amazon Web Services (AWS) are both solutions in the Infrastructure as a Service Clouds (IaaS) category. Microsoft is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.4, while Amazon Web Services (AWS) is ranked #11 with an average rating of 9.2. Microsoft holds a 9.9% mindshare in ISI, compared to Amazon Web Services (AWS)’s 2.4% mindshare. Additionally, 95% of Microsoft users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 97% of Amazon Web Services (AWS) users who would recommend it.

Microsoft Azure

Read 323 Microsoft Azure reviews

20,175 Views
10,895 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

SAP S4HANA on AWS

Read 42 SAP S4HANA on AWS reviews

2,400 Views
2,376 Comparison Views

97% willing to recommend

Virtustream xStream

Read 1 Virtustream xStream review

389 Views
377 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Microsoft Azure

SAP S4HANA on AWS

Virtustream xStream

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Download the report

Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Microsoft Azure, SAP S4HANA on AWS, and Virtustream xStream based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Akamai and others in Infrastructure as a Service Clouds (IaaS).

To learn more, read our detailed Infrastructure as a Service Clouds (IaaS) Report (Updated: March 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Infrastructure as a Service Clouds (IaaS)

March 2026

Download the complete report

Helped 885,728 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:

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2026, in the Infrastructure as a Service Clouds (IaaS) category, the mindshare of Microsoft Azure is 9.9%, down from 19.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SAP S4HANA on AWS is 2.4%, down from 3.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Virtustream xStream is 0.6%, up from 0.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Infrastructure as a Service Clouds (IaaS) Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Microsoft Azure	9.9%
SAP S4HANA on AWS	2.4%
Virtustream xStream	0.6%
Other	87.1%

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

Jayakrishna Amm

Associate Manager at a manufacturing company with 1,001-5,000 employees

End-to-end accounting has been streamlined and secures data with automated controls

SAP S4HANA on AWS is mostly well secured because you need a VPN of the company you are working in to log in and view only with the VPN. It is not possible to connect to a random network, and it is very safe. In terms of usage and automation, SAP S4HANA on AWS is very good at automation, where instead of manually punching entry by entry as with Tally, Zoho, or NetSuite, you can do a bulk upload and close it from one GL to another GL entry from one T-code to another T-code. These are all the options and features, and it is user-friendly. Once you learn SAP S4HANA on AWS, you tend to know how to customize things and what features you want. You can add in features by working closely with the SAP team, whether it is a direct SAP team or through a contract with some agent. There are numerous things you can do; it is not limited to only one function. You can have end-to-end control, and back-dated entries are not possible as in Tally or Zoho, which is very good in terms of security and safety. There are no accounting frauds; we can even identify who has done an entry by name. It is very secure; a password gets locked automatically after two incorrect attempts, and you have to contact the SAP team for that. Data privacy is very good, and overall, it is a better option. Regarding real-time analytics features in SAP S4HANA on AWS, you can integrate with Qlik or Power BI, and I believe there is also an analytics component within SAP itself. SAP S4HANA on AWS provides one analytics tool, and these tools can be integrated and customized however you want. It is very easy to do analytics; you can download reports or integrate those reports with Power BI. It is very convenient that way. When it comes to AI capabilities integrated with SAP S4HANA on AWS, I am not certain because most of it comes via tools such as Qlik and Power BI. There are multiple other things that can help you integrate and work on it. For example, integrating Power BI with N28 or Cloud is convenient with tools such as Copilot. However, I am unsure how it works in SAP S4HANA on AWS because most organizations do not allow integrating AI with SAP S4HANA on AWS.

Read full review

RONNIE HENRY

Business Systems Manager at a consultancy with 1,001-5,000 employees

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.

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 most important thing is we don't have to maintain any physical infrastructure. With typical conventional on-premise solutions, we have to maintain many things like the hardware, clusters, etc. With this cloud platform, you don't have to worry about all those things. We have the service always available, and this is the main advantage. I like that we use everything on our standard Active Directory on on-premises on Azure. The key advantage is that you can have the sole indication based on the cloud. This isn't possible with an on-premise Active Directory. This enables work from home and at the office because it's on the cloud."

"The ability to kick start a new web application or website and having them up and running in matter of minutes still amazes me."

"I like the ExpressRoute because that makes it easy to configure connectivity to Azure-hosted services."

"We are using Microsoft Azure for the UAT environment and data warehousing purposes."

"It is quick and easy to deploy, it is flexible, and we can deploy a resource anytime."

"In terms of managing and configuring infrastructures, Azure is fairly good."

"The ability to quickly create and manage resources is critical to getting things done, Azure just makes getting things done a lot simpler."

"Active Directory is a good feature. The infrastructure features that Azure provides are also good."

More Microsoft Azure pros

"The internal integration within departments and integration with third parties is simplified in the system."

"I have found a lot of the features that SAP S4HANA provides are very good."

"There are two main features that we find very valuable. One is the interface and the new user experience. That's really, really helpful for the end-user. The second is the HANA database itself because it speeds up the process. In other solutions, like Oracle, there is a lot of redundancy that slows things down."

"My advice to someone looking to implement this solution would be to just do it."

"SAP has an auto-scaling feature, but Azure doesn't."

"The solution is very stable, it's reliable, there aren't bugs or glitches, it doesn't crash or freeze, and with HANA they had much fewer problems with the database, resulting in a more stable landscape."

"The product’s high availability is its best feature."

"It is indeed a stable solution, but it depends on how you architecture the component in AWS. If the component has the right architecture and is properly provisioned and placed, then it will be a stable platform."

More SAP S4HANA on AWS pros

"The solution has encryption which we did not have before."

"Once we made the move to this solution, we received efficiencies, 100%, 200%, even up to 1000%, depending on some processes."

Cons

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

"We work with Azure, which is okay, but very clunky and complex."

"Dashboards and reporting could be improved."

"Onboarding customers is a challenge. Sometimes our customers don't know how to deal with the cloud environment."

"When we work with Microsoft Azure we deploy it in a hybrid system. We do many operations with the open stack and I used it for APIs connected to Microsoft Azure. The reduction is because those APIs and our tools that are required to connect are not for the Microsft Azure solution. It has a bit of complexity, nothing to do with Microsoft Azure as a CSP."

"Technical support could be improved."

"The cost of the product is too high. It would be ideal if they could lower it a bit for their customers."

"Azure calculator could be improved, there are issues with login synchronization."

More Microsoft Azure cons

"Not just S4 but for SAP in general, the price is a little high because they have implemented a new licensing scheme on a number of connections."

"SAP S4HANA could be improved by adding a click-to-deploy model."

"The solution's weakest area is technical support, which needs to be improved quite a bit."

"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."

"The GUI is age-old, the pricing is too high for hardware and older customizations are not working consistently."

"If you go to AWS's site they offer training programs that are very good. SAP does not do the same, if SAP could provide some training that would be great."

"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."

"This solution is very resource-intensive, including high memory and CPU utilization."

More SAP S4HANA on AWS cons

"Our account representative was inexperienced, they could improve on how they are managing accounts."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The pricing model is subscription-based and it's not an expensive solution."

"The cost of the solution could be reduced. However, I am using the free version."

"Microsoft Azure comes with a long-term license and trial licenses as well."

"I would rate the pricing a seven out of ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive. For an SME, spending roughly 5,000 euros per month becomes interesting, indicating a significant infrastructure setup in the cloud."

"The price of the solution is reasonable."

"With adequate knowledge, I think you can come up with a good model where the pricing won't be a constraint."

"The price of the solution could be cheaper."

"Its costing can be improved. Its licensing is monthly. In addition to the standard license fee, there is a transactional cost."

More Microsoft Azure pricing and cost advice

"Compared to its competitors, SAP S4HANA on AWS is a costly solution."

"SAP S4HANA's pricing model should be more flexible and transparent - there's a lot of negotiation and internal factors, and some customers get better value and services for the same product."

"The pricing is a little bit high."

"The vendors have different pricing, ways of serving, security, and providing the service. You go and compare the offerings. Some might be better with smaller companies. For example, Microsoft Azure can handle small and medium-sized companies best but still can cover some large companies. Whereas Amazon AWS and IBM are going to cover sized companies. There's no clear advantage. Probably Amazon AWS may have been the first to be certified by SAP as a cloud-hosting partner. Then Microsoft Azure and IBM were certified at the same time. You have to partner up and be certified by the software."

"I rate the product price a six on a one to ten scale, where one is cheap, and ten is expensive."

"Licensing fees are on an annual basis."

"On a scale of one to ten, where ten is the highest price, I rate the solution's pricing an eight."

"We pay an annual subscription fee for the solution, which is slightly expensive."

More SAP S4HANA on AWS pricing and cost advice

"The solution is a bit expensive, we are still negotiating the price."

See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Infrastructure as a Service Clouds (IaaS) solutions are best for your needs.

See recommendations

885,728 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Comparison Review

it_user8586

Engineer at a tech consulting company with 51-200 employees

Aug 14, 2013

Amazon vs Rackspace vs Microsoft vs Google: Cloud Hosting Services Comparison

Amazon Web Services, Rackspace OpenStack, Microsoft Windows Azure and Google are the major cloud hosting and storage service providers. Athough Amazon is top of them and is oldest in cloud market, Rackspace, Microsoft and Google are giving tough competition to each other and to Amazon also for…

Read full review

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

11%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Computer Software Company

University

Manufacturing Company

13%

Construction Company

11%

Computer Software Company

University

No data available

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	140
Midsize Enterprise	54
Large Enterprise	149

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	19
Midsize Enterprise	8
Large Enterprise	16

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 ...

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....

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. ...

See all answers

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.

See all answers

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 ...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for SAP S4HANA on AWS?

We transitioned from being an existing Business One ( /products/sap-business-one-reviews ) user to using SAP S4HANA o...

See all answers

Ask a question

Earn 20 points

Comparisons

Amazon AWS vs Microsoft Azure

Compared 9% of the time

Google Firebase vs Microsoft Azure

Compared 8% of the time

Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) vs Microsoft Azure

Compared 8% of the time

Alibaba Cloud vs Microsoft Azure

Compared 8% of the time

Salesforce Platform vs Microsoft Azure

Compared 4% of the time

More Microsoft Azure Competitors

Amazon AWS vs SAP S4HANA on AWS

Compared 18% of the time

Google Cloud vs SAP S4HANA on AWS

Compared 11% of the time

Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) vs SAP S4HANA on AWS

Compared 7% of the time

SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud vs SAP S4HANA on AWS

Compared 6% of the time

Utho vs SAP S4HANA on AWS

Compared 2% of the time

More SAP S4HANA on AWS Competitors

Amazon AWS vs Virtustream xStream

Compared 21% of the time

CloudSimple vs Virtustream xStream

Compared 18% of the time

SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud vs Virtustream xStream

Compared 14% of the time

More Virtustream xStream Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Azure

March 2026

Download Microsoft Azure product report

Buyer's Guide

SAP S4HANA on AWS

March 2026

Download SAP S4HANA on AWS product report

Buyer's Guide

Infrastructure as a Service Clouds (IaaS)

March 2026

Download Virtustream xStream product report

Also Known As

Windows Azure, Azure, MS Azure

SAP S/4HANA on AWS

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 customers of all sizes can fully realize all the benefits of the SAP S/4HANA, on-premise edition on the AWS Cloud. With SAP S/4HANA, on-premise edition on the AWS Cloud you can:

Achieve faster time to value with the AWS on-demand infrastructure
Rapidly provision infrastructure for SAP S/4HANA with no upfront cost or long-term commitment
Pay for only what you need Don't spend upfront costs purchasing hardware for what you can't forecast
Test and evaluate SAP S/4HANA, on-premise edition with a free trial offering from SAP on AWS

Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Virtustream's xStream Management Platform provides a unified, cloudagnostic control plane that integrates infrastructure orchestration, enterprise application automation and a suite of business intelligence and service management tools.

Virtustream

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

Buyer's Guide

Infrastructure as a Service Clouds (IaaS)

March 2026

Download Free Report

Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Akamai and others in Infrastructure as a Service Clouds (IaaS). Updated: March 2026.

DOWNLOAD NOW

885,728 professionals have used our research since 2012.