We use the solution to store critical files of clients. I also use it to link with Kubernetes.
Azure Integration Engineer at a computer software company with 10,001+ employees
Helps to store critical files and link with Kubernetes
Pros and Cons
- "The tool offers a secure way to access storage. You can also easily share the files securely across Azure."
- "I have had issues migrating my data to another subscription."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
The tool offers a secure way to access storage. You can also easily share the files securely across Azure.
What needs improvement?
I have had issues migrating my data to another subscription.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for a couple of years.
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Microsoft Azure File Storage
May 2025

Learn what your peers think about Microsoft Azure File Storage. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: May 2025.
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What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
My company has less than 50 users for the solution.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate the product a seven out of ten.
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Microsoft Azure
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:

Senior Information Technology Officer at Ravi Exchange
Secure and reliable storage solution providing quick access to data
Pros and Cons
- "First of all, the solution is very secure. Secondly, the solution is very fast. It is reliable and available all the time."
- "Firewall rules should be introduced to secure the access date from any virus attacks. Anti-virus should be introduced in the work filtering and document filtering."
What is our primary use case?
We use it to easily access data from the user side into our network. Like, we have some remote sites, and we have the user on the remote site who can easily access all the data as per the permissions and our requirements.
What is most valuable?
First of all, the solution is very secure. Secondly, the solution is very fast. It is reliable and available all the time. In the backup, it allows us to create the rate servers to save our data and use our data in multiples.
What needs improvement?
Firewall rules should be introduced to secure the access date from any virus attacks. Anti-virus should be introduced in the work filtering and document filtering.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Microsoft Azure File Storage for three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is a stable solution because we don't need to care about hardware or electricity. We need a strong internet connection to access our data everywhere, logging in with our password.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is a scalable solution. The number of users depends on our requirements. Sometimes it can be ten, sometimes hundred or fifty. I rate it eight out of ten.
How are customer service and support?
The technical team is good and responsive.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was easy from the user's side. They could quickly get access to the data. The deployment takes some time. First, we need to buy the storage and implement the policies per our network design. Whether it will take one week, two weeks, or one month depends on the network design. If we are on-premises, we must buy hardware according to our requirements. For the deployment, we had a technical team consisting of an assistant manager for network, system, or micro administrators. Also, there is a network engineer or system engineer. The solution is deployed on the cloud and on-premises.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We pay for both yearly and monthly licenses. The yearly one is cheaper than the monthly one.
What other advice do I have?
I recommend the solution to those planning to use it. I rate the overall solution an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Azure File Storage
May 2025

Learn what your peers think about Microsoft Azure File Storage. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: May 2025.
856,873 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Senior Engeener at a consultancy with 51-200 employees
Easy to deploy solution with application integration functionality
Pros and Cons
- "Implementing Microsoft Azure has meant that we are using the same solution as our customers who use Azure Public Cloud. This allows us to integrate our application, as well as provide the solution to them."
- "It would be helpful if we could remove data that we don't frequently access to reduce the cost of the storage."
What is our primary use case?
We use Azure File storage to both store and analyze our data. We also provide our customers with data storage and analysis facilities using this solution.
How has it helped my organization?
Implementing Microsoft Azure has meant that we are using the same solution as our customers who use Azure Public Cloud. This allows us to integrate our application, as well as provide the solution to them.
Through this solution, we are also able to visually represent data for our customers, and give them clear metrics using their data.
What needs improvement?
It would be helpful if we could remove data that we don't frequently access to reduce the cost of the storage.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using this solution for the last two and a half years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
We have found it to be stable during the time we have used it.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is a scalable solution.
How are customer service and support?
The support team is responsive because we are one of their premium customers. They will generally respond to our requests for support within five to ten minutes, but we pay for this level of service.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
How was the initial setup?
The public cloud service makes the initial setup easy and straightforward.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend that new users begin with an on-premises, private cloud setup, as mistakes on the public cloud are costly to rectify. Once they are familiar with the solution, they can then move to public cloud hosting. I rate this solution a seven out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
IT Solution Specialist at a construction company with 10,001+ employees
Excellent file storage and scalable with no issues or incidents
Pros and Cons
- "The storage in this solution is excellent."
- "If the file is large, there may be a delay in download time."
What is our primary use case?
We use this solution for storing our log data from SIM. We store our files and map our server to have an archive on all the logs generated for SIM.
What is most valuable?
The storage in this solution is excellent.
What needs improvement?
We don't have anything that we would improve. We are happy with how it has worked and have not encountered any challenges.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using this solution for five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is a stable product, and we have had no issues or incidents.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is a scalable solution, and we have about 500 users with 250 in each office using Microsoft Azure File Storage daily.
If the file is large, there may be a delay in download time.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We have not used any other cloud solution.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Our costs are only related to space, and the price is comparable to other competitive solutions. Customers always want to pay less too.
What other advice do I have?
I rate the product a ten out of ten. I would recommend file storage because there are no issues. It is simple, easy, and stable. It is suitable for medium-sized and enterprise companies.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
IT Analyst at Evapco, Inc.
Fast, secure, and reliable
Pros and Cons
- "It was easy to set up."
- "It's not very intuitive."
What is our primary use case?
I primarily use the solution for my backup files. It's for copies. I use it as a backup that connects with the cloud and one account of Microsoft.
What is most valuable?
The solution is very secure.
It's very fast and connects quickly between my files and the cloud.
It was easy to set up.
The solution is stable.
I find the product to be scalable.
What needs improvement?
Next year, I will likely change my equipment to update everything. That would be better.
It's not very intuitive. I'd like the screen to be more user-friendly. The usability is not good.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It's a stable product. I haven't dealt with bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It is reliable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution scales well. It's not a problem.
We have around 50 people using the solution.
How are customer service and support?
Technical support has been good. It's very fast. I've been happy with it.
How was the initial setup?
The setup itself is straightforward. It's not difficult to implement.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I'm not sure of the exact pricing. I'd have to look at the sales documentation to refresh my memory.
What other advice do I have?
We're a Microsoft reseller.
I am not sure if I am using the latest version of the solution.
I'd recommend the solution to others.
I'd rate the solution ten out of ten.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
Manager - IT at a computer software company with 201-500 employees
Good performance, stable interface, and different storage mounting options
Pros and Cons
- "We have not explored the desktop performance analysis of the file storage, but the user interface, API, and the response that we receive over the file storage are very good. We have a lot of customers that connect to the client-side, click the images, and upload them. The beauty of the solution is that we can mount the file storage into a critical server as well as an external drive. The speed that we receive with the images is pretty good."
- "In our use cases, we see the weakness in mobile internet connectivity."
What is our primary use case?
We have a hybrid Microsoft Azure File Storage deployment. One of the models is running onto the cloud where all the images and KYC data is uploaded onto the cloud platform, and that is stored onto the file storage.
We have developed our own payment solutions on a mobile platform, where we have two modules for our solutions. In the first model, we host it as an entire SaaS solution where clients will bring their merchants and will use our solutions. The second model is where we sell this solution to the clients, offshore, and the client will host it on their premises or onto the cloud. My clients are Indian banks and overseas banks
Another model of the solution we sell is for offshore clients, the client will host it on their infrastructure or onto the cloud. My clients are Indian banks and overseas banks. Many banks are connected and are using our solutions over the cloud. For example, if a customer with the corporation wants to onboard their own merchant to use these solutions, they have to onboard the merchants and confirm the KYC.
We have developed a digital platform where sales and the other staff can go to the merchants, and upload their KYC data, such as identity verification and address verification. All this data will go out through the mobile phones by clicking the pictures. All of the images will be uploaded via the API calls at the backend application, which is Microsoft Azure File Storage, and all those images get stored, encrypted onto the file storage.
What is most valuable?
We have not explored the desktop performance analysis of the file storage, but the user interface, API, and the response that we receive over the file storage are very good. We have a lot of customers that connect to the client-side, click the images, and upload them. The beauty of the solution is that we can mount the file storage into a critical server as well as an external drive. The speed that we receive with the images is pretty good.
What needs improvement?
In our use cases, we see the weakness in mobile internet connectivity.
When the user clicks the pictures of the identification and verification, addresses, those images have different sizes. If you click via the HD camera, it takes four to six Mbps. The issue is not with the Microsoft Azure File Storage, but the issue is at the front end when it is uploaded from the mobile network. This is the main pain area for us, and we are looking for a way to compress the images to the best possible minimum size, to allow them to be uploaded without any issues, without any dependencies on the external network.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Microsoft Azure File Storage for approximately two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
We have not seen any problems with the stability of the solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Microsoft Azure File Storage is scalable. Using the cloud, the entire model is scalable.
By using the load balancer, we have our in-built APIs for all the applications, which are Microsoft Azure File Storage, which is very scalable. We are using Microsoft Azure File Storage to receive and to have access at very fast speeds globally. The backend, modules, and the application on virtual machines, which is again scalable. We find it's very easy to host it on the cloud, because when it's already an on-premise server, they have many constraints, such as time, hardware, availability, and labor force. The solution is very easy to scale, you can scale out or scale in on demand. It can even be automated on the cloud.
We have many customers that are using our solution which uses Microsoft Azure File Storage. For example, there are five overseas banks that are using their own solutions, the Commercial Bank of Qatar, the National Bank of Dubai, RAKBANK Dubai, and Network International Dubai. Our solution is one of the very first solutions in India where you can accept your payments on NFC-enabled mobiles using our applications. We have approximately 10 to 15 Indian banks that are using the solution.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Our payment solution, it's a complete hybrid model. There are many models running on-premise, and many models running on the cloud, such as AWS and Azure. My payment application is not hosted in one vertical. There are many verticals to it and different product portfolios. The core payment application is on-premise, and certain verticals are hosted onto the AWS platform, but the digital merchant onboarding platform is on the Microsoft Azure File Storage.
The main difference between AWS and Microsoft Azure File Storage which we have found from our compliance perspective since we are in the highly regulated payment industry is that AWS only has the presence in the Mumbai region in India, but Azure has two presence in Chennai and in Mumbai. From the compliance point of view, we found that since our on-premise is again in Mumbai region, we cannot have disaster recovery in the Mumbai region. This is one of the cons for AWS, for which we hosted the merchant onboarding platform on Azure.
How was the initial setup?
The initial installation of Microsoft Azure File Storage was straightforward. The process was not difficult for the implementation of the solution with the module, it took approximately 30 minutes.
I rate the initial installation of Microsoft Azure File Storage a four out of five.
What about the implementation team?
There was a team that was doing the implementation of the Microsoft Azure File Storage. The team consisted of system administrators.
What was our ROI?
We have not seen a return on investment with Microsoft Azure File Storage because we are running a small infrastructure with this project. We have not increased to the level where we have seen a return on investment. However, we have seen a return on investment for the AWS platform.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
In Microsoft Azure File Storage we only pay for what we use. We don't have to pay for what we are expecting to use or what we are locating, we only pay for what we are using. This is the advantage of the cloud.
One of the major benefits for AWS is that they have a very large customer representative base where clients can be picked from, they offer large discounts and credit. We were not able to receive the same kind of offers from Microsoft Azure File Storage. We tried to approach Azure while hiring for our disaster recovery discussion, but we didn't receive anything from Azure.
If we use a Microsoft Windows computer we will have to pay additional fees for the license for Microsoft Windows.
I rate the price of Microsoft Azure File Storage a five out of five.
What other advice do I have?
We are focused on the Indian market and we have a lot of SMEs and enterprise customers. The most difficult aspect of capturing more customers is for Microsoft Azure File Storage to offer higher discounts and credits. They do not provide enough discounts.
I rate Microsoft Azure File Storage an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Cloud Engineer at a tech consulting company with 51-200 employees
Convenient and effective but costly
Pros and Cons
- "What I like about Microsoft Azure File Storage is its convenience for customers, cost-effectiveness, and high availability."
- "There is room for improvement in helping customers understand and integrate Azure File Storage into their operations."
What is our primary use case?
As a Microsoft Azure File Storage integrator, I present the solution and its services to our company's customers.
What is most valuable?
What I like about Microsoft Azure File Storage is its convenience for customers, cost-effectiveness, and high availability. It's easy for customers to manage which makes it a practical choice.
What needs improvement?
There is room for improvement in helping customers understand and integrate Azure File Storage into their operations. Additionally, adding more AI capabilities and innovation could make it even better for customers in the future.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for a year.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I would give it an eight out of ten for stability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I would rate the scalability of Azure File Storage an eight out of ten. It's quite scalable. We have not had issues with it. It is suitable for enterprise businesses.
How are customer service and support?
The technical support is good. I would rate it an eight out of ten.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
While I have experience working with Oracle's products, Microsoft's products outperform them. Microsoft offers cloud services, and customers prefer Microsoft for their overall service requirements, even though there may not be a significant difference in the cloud itself.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is fairly simple. If a customer needs help with the integration, we will re-do the whole process with them.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
In terms of pricing, I've noticed that Oracle Cloud has lower rates than Microsoft Azure File Storage, especially regarding data transfer costs. Oracle doesn't charge for data transfer like Azure. So, price-wise, I find Oracle Cloud more affordable.
What other advice do I have?
Different cloud providers offer similar services but the choice should align with the customer's overall requirements. For example, if a customer deploys in Oracle Cloud, we use Oracle File Storage. If they opt for Azure, then Azure File Storage is used. The key is to match the storage solution to the chosen cloud environment. Additionally, you can use a multi-cloud approach to deploy workloads in various environments. Tools like Cloudify, Morpheus, or Aviatrix help manage these multiple cloud platforms for the organization. Overall, I would rate Microsoft Azure File Storage a seven out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Microsoft Azure
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
Founder & CEO at a government with 201-500 employees
A scalable solution that is easy to operate across different environments and provides quality customer service
Pros and Cons
- "It helps us with geo-redundancy."
- "The product must provide better security functions."
What is our primary use case?
We use the solution to store server data.
What is most valuable?
Cloud file storage is easy to operate across different environments. It helps us with geo-redundancy.
What needs improvement?
The product must provide better security functions.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for three to four years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate the product’s stability a ten out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I rate the tool’s scalability a ten out of ten. Around 50 to 100 people use the solution in our organization.
How are customer service and support?
We contacted support for a few cases. The response time and quality of support were good.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is simple.
What about the implementation team?
We deployed the solution ourselves.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I rate the pricing a six or seven out of ten. The pricing could be more flexible.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Both AWS and Microsoft Azure File Storage are the same. The functionalities are similar. How they integrate with different features might vary.
What other advice do I have?
New features might be introduced in the future, but the solution is already good from our perspective. Overall, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.

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