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Microsoft Azure SQL Database vs Oracle Database as a Service comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 12, 2024

Review summaries and opinions

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

ROI

Sentiment score
6.7
Organizations using Azure SQL Database report cost savings, enhanced efficiency, and reduced data center needs with pay-per-use models.
Sentiment score
4.1
Oracle Database as a Service provides high ROI due to productivity, deployment speed, and security advantages, despite higher costs.
It is ensuring we receive what we pay for through the blend of price, performance, and features.
Senior Manager, Information Technology of Data Strategies at a hospitality company with 5,001-10,000 employees
If you're managing your own data center, you always have to overprovision your systems and pay for storage space you're not using.
Senior AI Specialist at Nedbank
We've reduced costs by about 20 percent after two or three years.
Azure Cloud Engineer at a computer software company with 201-500 employees
In Bangladesh, digital banking is becoming prominent within a couple of years, so all banking systems will be digital.
Associate at Eict ltd.
I see a return on investment with Oracle Database as a Service solution.
Solutions Architect at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.4
Microsoft Azure SQL Database's customer service is effective but varies; larger accounts receive better support than smaller users.
Sentiment score
7.2
Oracle Database support receives mixed reviews, praised for responsiveness but criticized for speed, communication, costs, and language barriers.
Microsoft played a significant role, even from a training perspective, and provided resources that directed us toward the right deployment path.
Senior AI Specialist at Nedbank
Once I reach the right people, the support is incredibly knowledgeable and thorough.
CTO at 2W Technologies, INC
Microsoft provides excellent service and is always available to support us.
Sr. Principal Database at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees
Oracle provides expert support globally, not just in South Asia -- also in Europe and America.
Associate at Eict ltd.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
6.2
Microsoft Azure SQL Database offers flexible scalability, easy workload management, seamless tier transitions, and supports user expansion with robust infrastructure.
Sentiment score
6.1
Oracle Database as a Service is praised for scalability and flexibility, though cost and complexity can be challenging.
Scaling the solution is incredibly simple and involves just clicking a button or dragging a slider.
Senior Manager, Information Technology of Data Strategies at a hospitality company with 5,001-10,000 employees
Azure's scalability features like Elasticity are essential.
Solutions Architect at ITCON SERVICES, LLC
Microsoft Azure SQL Database is cloud-based, so it's great for scaling workloads.
System Engineer at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.2
Microsoft Azure SQL Database is praised for reliability, excellent uptime, and improved performance, with minor latency issues reported.
Sentiment score
6.9
Oracle Database as a Service is praised for its stability, strong performance, and compatibility, despite some scalability concerns.
We can't tell the difference between running on-prem or Azure because we no longer have those latency issues.
Senior AI Specialist at Nedbank
SQL never crashes or suddenly becomes unavailable.
Cloud Engineer at Med Tech Solutions
I would assess the reliability of Microsoft Azure SQL Database in terms of maintaining uptime and availability as being excellent with zero complaints.
Ai Team Lead at Phoenix Software
The solution is stable, resilient, and doesn't crash under pressure.
Associate at Eict ltd.
I rate the stability and technical support as nine.
Solutions Architect at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
 

Room For Improvement

Azure SQL Database needs enhanced security, scalability, clear pricing, better documentation, broader compatibility, and improved user interface and automation.
Oracle Database as a Service needs simplified documentation, better compatibility, improved pricing, and enhanced user-friendly features for optimum performance.
It would be helpful if CPU performance were not pinned to the amount of storage you're using, and we could scale different properties of the Azure SQL database independently.
Azure Cloud Engineer at a computer software company with 201-500 employees
As a customer, I believe something which has been established, stable, and rugged for a very long time also needs cost optimization.
Assistant Vice President at a tech services company with 1,001-5,000 employees
I could not get an accurate quote on what my monthly costs would be based on my needs.
Senior Manager, Information Technology of Data Strategies at a hospitality company with 5,001-10,000 employees
With the advent of generative AI, adding functionality where current administrative activities could be automated would be beneficial.
Presales Manager | Global at a tech vendor with 5,001-10,000 employees
The issue with licensing is the price and the way they license through partners.
Client CTO at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
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.
Associate at Eict ltd.
 

Setup Cost

Microsoft Azure SQL Database offers flexible pricing but is perceived as moderately expensive, requiring careful budget considerations.
Oracle's database service is costly but valued for quality, catering primarily to large enterprises needing comprehensive solutions.
Azure Hybrid Benefit reduced costs by facilitating an easy transition of on-premises databases to the cloud.
Data Platform Specialist at QS2 AG - Quality Software Solutions
Microsoft Azure SQL Database is not cheap.
Software Architect at Dynaxti
It greatly reduces the total cost of ownership through efficient licensing depending on the client, the cost savings, and hybrid benefits.
Cloud Engineer at Med Tech Solutions
Prices are high.
Associate at Eict ltd.
My thoughts on their pricing are that it is reasonable pricing.
Solutions Architect at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
 

Valuable Features

Microsoft Azure SQL Database provides seamless scalability, dynamic resource management, high efficiency, and cost-effective integration with Microsoft applications.
Oracle Database as a Service provides robust security, scalability, and efficiency with advanced data management and easy cloud deployment.
The simplicity in usability, along with improved organizational productivity where we no longer need to maintain on-premises SQL servers, is invaluable.
Software Engineer at a financial services firm with 51-200 employees
The Software as a Service model is more effective and easier to access in terms of security, as Azure provides security at the security layer, reducing the risk of breach.
Specialist Datacenter and Server at IHS Towers
Using Microsoft Azure SQL Database is very easy; it's much easier than SQL on-premise because I don't have to worry about deploying infrastructure, and I can rapidly deploy via infrastructure as code.
Executive Director, Platform Architecture at Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation – SMBC Group
The encryption level, resilience, and secure features from both clients, particularly the resilience aspect of Oracle Database, are highly valuable.
Associate at Eict ltd.
Oracle Database as a Service has improved my organization by reducing the administration cost.
Solutions Architect at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
The valuable features include availability, agility, and scalability.
Presales Manager | Global at a tech vendor with 5,001-10,000 employees
 

Categories and Ranking

Microsoft Azure SQL Database
Ranking in Database as a Service (DBaaS)
1st
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
134
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Oracle Database as a Service
Ranking in Database as a Service (DBaaS)
6th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.4
Number of Reviews
70
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2026, in the Database as a Service (DBaaS) category, the mindshare of Microsoft Azure SQL Database is 9.5%, down from 15.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Oracle Database as a Service is 7.1%, down from 9.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Database as a Service (DBaaS) Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Microsoft Azure SQL Database9.5%
Oracle Database as a Service7.1%
Other83.4%
Database as a Service (DBaaS)
 

Featured Reviews

Thomas Sawyer - PeerSpot reviewer
Executive Director, Platform Architecture at Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation – SMBC Group
Automatic tuning and multi-region availability have reduced manual workloads and improved performance management
The features of Microsoft Azure SQL Database that I like the most are easy scaling and high availability. I appreciate those features because it's easy to make Microsoft Azure SQL Database readily available in a multi-region infrastructure. Using Microsoft Azure SQL Database is very easy; it's much easier than SQL on-premise because I don't have to worry about deploying infrastructure, and I can rapidly deploy via infrastructure as code. I am using the automatic tuning feature in Microsoft Azure SQL Database. We are using the new feature of data encryption in Microsoft Azure SQL Database with customer-managed keys only. The reliability and stability of Microsoft Azure SQL Database platform are rock-solid; it's as good, if not better, than what our on-premise stability has been from an uptime perspective.
reviewer2154465 - PeerSpot reviewer
Solutions Architect at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
Cloud database service has reduced admin workload and delivers reliable automated operations
There are no managed detection response solutions or backup and recovery and point detection response. Flash storage is not available as Flash Creek store. Robotics process automation and application security testing are not available; I went to the working solutions, but most of the time it did not work. Oracle Database as a Service in particular is the Oracle business suite or the Oracle data access. As far as working with it as a service, I have not even received a reply yet from the relational database service. I do not know how many people are using Oracle Database as a Service in my organization. For the diabetes service, I have used some of the perks from Arkin. I rate Oracle Database as a Service at a nine overall.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
14%
Outsourcing Company
8%
Marketing Services Firm
7%
Manufacturing Company
6%
Financial Services Firm
15%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Construction Company
6%
Computer Software Company
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business60
Midsize Enterprise17
Large Enterprise61
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business23
Midsize Enterprise18
Large Enterprise34
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SQL Azure?
I would say I am at a basic experience level with the pricing, setup costs and licensing because while I am the administrator for the service, I do not provision the services and worry about the co...
What needs improvement with SQL Azure?
I have no comments at the moment on how Microsoft Azure SQL Database can be improved. I have no comments on additional features that I would like to see released in the next release. I do not have ...
What is your primary use case for SQL Azure?
My main use cases for Microsoft Azure SQL Database are third-party applications.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Oracle Database as a Service?
I am familiar with the pricing for licenses for running Oracle Database as a Service in AWS. My thoughts on their pricing are that it is reasonable pricing.
What needs improvement with Oracle Database as a Service?
I cannot comment on what can be improved in Oracle Database as a Service sensors. An additional feature I would like to see added is automatic disaster recovery fill scenarios; we do have a disaste...
What is your primary use case for Oracle Database as a Service?
I use Oracle Database as a Service for some of the custom home-grown applications. I chose Oracle Database as a Service based on the requirements; the applications requirements are also to avoid so...
 

Also Known As

No data available
Oracle DBaaS, Oracle Database Cloud
 

Overview

 

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
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft Azure SQL Database vs. Oracle Database as a Service and other solutions. Updated: April 2026.
896,803 professionals have used our research since 2012.