Microsoft Azure SQL Database Reviews

Our organization utilizes Microsoft Azure SQL Database to support our Dynamics 365 business suite, and we also leverage Azure Virtual Machines for deploying SQL Server instances to accommodate other applications.

Microsoft Azure SQL Database runs naturally, allowing us to use it as a service without worrying about infrastructure or deploying servers. This has improved deployment speed as it's one less server to deploy, freeing up time for us.

We utilize Azure Hybrid Benefit daily as it provides a framework for deploying business applications within cloud-based virtual machines. This approach significantly reduces deployment time, requiring only a few clicks and a few hours of waiting before the virtual machine is ready for development and testing.

Azure SQL Database integrates well with other Microsoft products, which is critical.

Azure SQL Database offers strong performance, effectively managing tasks like tuning and indexing, which eliminates manual optimization and frees up our time for other priorities.

Azure SQL Database has significantly reduced our total cost of ownership. By utilizing it as a service, we have eliminated the need for physical servers and their redundant counterparts, which were previously necessary.

We use SQL Server as the back end for indexing performance.  

We appreciate that Microsoft Azure SQL Database supplies reliability and efficiency with its infrastructure, which is very beneficial to our organization. Furthermore, by using it as a service, we improve load scalability without experiencing major performance issues.

In terms of improvement, making Microsoft Azure SQL Database faster would cater to big companies that require speed. Additionally, having more statistics to help improve queries would be beneficial.

I have been using Microsoft Azure SQL Database for ten years.

We have not encountered any stability issues with Microsoft Azure SQL Database. Our relatively small customer base may contribute to this positive experience, but so far, the Azure SQL Database has performed excellently with no latency issues.

Azure SQL Database's ability to scale loads is a significant benefit.

We had a physical server with a redundancy server in the past, and now with Microsoft Azure SQL Database, that requirement is lessened.

The deployment of the Microsoft Azure SQL Database required additional configuration to establish connections and access data due to enhanced security measures. However, once operational, it functions similarly to a standard SQL Server.

Microsoft Azure SQL Database is not cheap.

I would rate Microsoft Azure SQL Database an eight out of ten. We should get more statistics to improve query performance. The SQL database is tied with Dynamics, so no other databases are viable.

We are not using Azure SQL Database much with AI, but it looks promising, and we are looking forward to those capabilities. 

Public Cloud

Our primary use cases are logging for behavioral analysis similar to Google Analytics and transaction logging for our web pages for customers.

We use Azure Hybrid Benefit because we're a legacy company, and we have a SQL database from many years ago. We are migrating some databases to the cloud have seen a nice reduction in costs using this hybrid benefit. Shifting our corporate programs to the cloud is more or less the same due to the ease of implementation. We've cut costs by around 70 percent. 

Azure SQL is easy and feels similar to on-premise systems. The cloud solution is effortless to set up.

One area for improvement is setting up logs, especially for servers like VM SQL. It was also tricky to connect services on VNets to on-premise. We also had difficulty integrating some Azure resources. For example, app services in Azure Kubernetes may be difficult to integrate if these servers are on a VNet.  Semantic search or vector search should be enabled by default.

We have been using Azure SQL Database for about two years.

Azure SQL's latency was amazing with local data storage, but we had challenges using external tables in packets and delta tables. We're facing some high latencies, about one or five seconds for small packets delta tables. This could be improved.

We haven't utilized workloads for Azure SQL Database's scalability. We employ stored procedures for processing alongside database externals, making scalability less tested on our end.

The Microsoft support plan has a one-hour SLA, which was crucial in our decision-making process regarding database options.

Positive

We previously used VM SQL and have SQL Managed Instance now. We are not using Azure SQL database to power AI applications. We use NetGood Database SQL 2025 to search.

We had to migrate some legacy SQL databases to the cloud. The process went smoothly.

We reduced our TCO using Azure SQL.

I would rate Microsoft Azure SQL Database eight out of 10. If VNet integration was improved, I would rate it higher. The integration with VNets was a critical issue.

Hybrid Cloud

Microsoft Azure

I am a system integrator using Microsoft Azure SQL Database for my customers. The major use case for Microsoft Azure SQL Database is that most of my clients have a lot of applications, so they are using SQL as a database.

I speak about reduction in operational costs when using Microsoft Azure SQL Database. I have worked with Azure Hybrid Benefit, which does provide benefits on operations and helps to reduce costs because customers often need VMs or workloads temporarily. When we create a hybrid setup with temporary VMs on Azure connected to their on-premises environment, they only incur costs while using it.

Cloud database options are certainly important to my clients. The main reason cloud databases are important is that SQL performance issues often stem from the platform, such as Windows servers and certain patches causing connectivity issues. Using Azure as a service helps eliminate these dependencies on hardware.

As a system integrator, the biggest advantage of Microsoft Azure SQL Database is that I am primarily working within the Microsoft environment, and the enterprise feature I get is essential for replication, creating a DR, or a process of SQL. I am happy with Microsoft Azure SQL Database. That is the main reason people want to use it. Additionally, if I buy under the OVL or software assurance, I get direct support from Microsoft.

Integration with Microsoft applications regarding Microsoft Azure SQL Database is good; it is really awesome because both are in the Microsoft environment, making it really easy to integrate with SQL. In general, I find Microsoft Azure SQL Database easy to use.

On the security side, the security features of Microsoft Azure SQL Database are fine. Backup and restore are important functionalities because I cannot rely on one copy of data. I need multiple copies, which is why backup is required.

The automatic tuning feature in Microsoft Azure SQL Database impacts database performance sometimes. What happens with Microsoft Azure SQL Database's automatic tuning is that when SQL queries are executed, the automatic tuning creates some performance dump because the process behaves differently from what is expected, which is the main reason I disable this automatic tuning.

Regarding areas for improvement in Microsoft Azure SQL Database, since it is Windows-based, it has its pluses and minuses. Sometimes it behaves unexpectedly, and when I need to restart, I have to restart the entire server, not just the SQL service. I often face such issues.

I started working with Microsoft Azure SQL Database almost three years ago or more. I do have experience with SQL database, so I started with Azure also.

I agree Microsoft Azure SQL Database is stable and reliable, with no significant glitches.

Regarding scalability of Microsoft Azure SQL Database, it is easy to scale workloads. If I have dynamic requirements, there are no issues at all.

I do not like customer service from Microsoft; it is very bad. Their response is very poor; it takes too much time to reach the right engineer who can actually solve issues, and the internal process is too long. If I had to rate Microsoft Azure SQL Database support subjectively, I would give them a six.

Regarding installation, I think it is fine. All the open material is available, and I have not encountered any difficulties.

I believe that Microsoft Azure SQL Database helps to reduce Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) because people with long-term experience using Windows SQL are not buying any support. When using Azure, it is provided as a service, so they do not need extra support from Microsoft or anywhere. Most other databases like Oracle are very costly, and with open databases requiring 24/7 support, that also adds cost. I receive a better ROI on SQL databases.

I see value for money and ROI with Microsoft Azure SQL Database because any solution requires manpower resources. With Microsoft Azure SQL Database, any issue that arises can be resolved without depending solely on Microsoft or expert help. Combining license cost, operational cost, and manpower resources cost gives a better ROI.

I think Microsoft Azure SQL Database is affordable, not expensive. Regarding migration, I am just keeping a professional service charge for that.

Regarding Microsoft Azure SQL Database compared to other solutions, I cannot say it is the most advanced. It is more about the user's knowledge. If I tune my database and know how to connect it with applications, it can compete with any database.

Regarding the ability of Microsoft Azure SQL Database to power next-generation AI applications, I still have not done that. However, I am using OpenAI and other functionalities on Azure, but I do not know about AI integration with Microsoft Azure SQL Database. As for deployment, I use both on-cloud, on-premises, and hybrid environments. I would rate Microsoft Azure SQL Database a nine out of ten.

Hybrid Cloud

Microsoft Azure

Our primary use case for Microsoft Azure SQL Database is storage configuration. We store all our connector configurations in the database, ensuring seamless operational integration.

Microsoft Azure SQL Database is easy to use and allows for rapid deployment.

While integrating the AI app with Azure SQL Database is a consideration, it's more for configurations. I believe the next steps should involve exploring search indices and technologies like Fabric.

This solution has had a certain impact on our organization. It has reduced our total cost of ownership because we don't have to spin up an environment just to contain SQL. All our databases now run in Azure, eliminating the need for on-premises instances.

Microsoft SQL Server seamlessly integrates with other Microsoft applications and is the central repository for all our connector configurations.

Microsoft Azure SQL Database has significantly reduced our total cost of ownership by eliminating the need for a dedicated environment to host SQL. Migrating all databases to Azure and removing on-premises instances has resulted in approximately a 70 percent reduction in TCO.

Valuable features of Microsoft Azure SQL Database include its quick deployment capabilities, the ability to spin up an environment easily, and seamless integration with Microsoft products. The transition to Azure SQL has certainly reduced our organization's total cost of ownership as it negates the need for on-premises infrastructure. The recent announcement about Copilot spinning up and creating SQL tables and stored procedures indicates the continuous improvement and added value it brings.

There needs to be a hybrid model for situations where not all customers want a cloud-based SQL solution. This model would facilitate transitions from on-premises instances to cloud-based versions.

I have been using Microsoft Azure SQL Database for about 15 years.

The overall stability is good as it functions smoothly for our organization's needs.

The latency and availability of Microsoft Azure SQL Database can be problematic when connecting to an instance in a geographically distant location. For example, connecting from New York to an instance in Australia can result in network issues. Therefore, it is preferable to provision an instance local to the connection point to optimize performance and minimize latency.

Microsoft Azure SQL Database allows easy scaling up and across without the need for physical infrastructure adjustments.

We did not switch from another solution because we are a Microsoft-oriented company and have seamlessly used Microsoft products for many years.

Azure SQL Database has helped reduce our total cost of ownership because we don't have to spin up an environment just to contain SQL.

I would rate Microsoft Azure SQL Database as a solid eight out of ten due to the room left for improvement. Microsoft has potential areas for enhancement and always seeks growth.

The migration of our database to Microsoft Azure SQL proceeded smoothly without challenges. This strategic business decision to transition from on-premises to Azure SQL was proactively incorporated into our roadmap.

Public Cloud

Microsoft Azure

I use Azure SQL for reporting on data that I've collected for administration purposes.

Azure SQL improves my personal productivity because I can have a larger database.

The toolset is familiar to me since I've used SQL Server on-premises for quite a few years. Azure SQL Server integrates with other Microsoft applications very well.

Azure SQL had a bit of a learning curve to start, but it was fairly simple once I understood how to develop it. I was using PowerShell to connect to it, and I've never connected to online databases through Azure using PowerShell. Scripting the PowerShell connections could be simpler. The coding is familiar, but figuring out how to use it initially can be easier.

I have been using Azure SQL for about a year.

It seems like the stability is getting there.

I have not seen any issues with scalability. My database is not huge, but it's not small. It handles it quite well and is pretty fast.

I used some product documentation for PowerShell scripting. Other than that, I didn't reach out to support or any of our TAMs.

Positive

Familiarity was the reason for choosing SQL. I knew SQL, so that's what I preferred to do. SQL seemed to be the one with familiarity and price as key factors.

Our environment has a lot of security, so we have to open channels and configure the prerequisites for connectivity. Before you start implementing, you need everything to be set up. 

I'd give Microsoft Azure SQL Database a nine out of ten.

Public Cloud

Microsoft Azure

We use it primarily as a data warehouse. We receive a lot of data from external vendors, and our goal is to consolidate all the information. Using data from various sources, we generate reports to support internal teams in the organization, mainly for operational tasks.

Microsoft Azure SQL Database has greatly improved maintainability by eliminating the need to manage on-premises SQL servers. The ease of scaling the server up and down by simply pressing a few buttons in a dropdown menu has made our lives significantly more comfortable, especially as we aim to process more data this year by utilizing the cloud.

It has helped to reduce our organization's total cost of ownership when it comes to our IT team who don't spend as much money on hardware, cooling, monitoring temperatures, and tasks like that. I know that IT people don't have to come into the office on weekends to make upgrades, do maintenance, or if there are alerts, and tasks like that.

It is easy to use. We interface with it using SQL Server Management Studio, which only requires a change in connection, so the interface remains consistent. This simplicity in usability, along with improved organizational productivity where we no longer need to maintain on-premises SQL servers, is invaluable. Scaling up and down the server with ease is a significant benefit, particularly as we aim to handle an increased data workload this year. Additionally, the integration of multiple services within Azure simplifies our operations. 

My company is in the early stages of exploring its ability to power next-generation AI applications. We've tried AI Studio. It's a little too data science-y for what our team does. Trying to connect our data with AI has a high learning curve.

It's been really easy to integrate with other Microsoft applications. We're currently in the middle of migrating a bunch of ETL packages and processes to Azure Data Factory. Everything living in Azure makes it really easy. 

Maintainability has increased a lot. We don't have to maintain the on-prem SQL Server because we don't have to maintain anything anymore. Maintainability has increased a lot in terms of the amount of time needed to do that. It's been really nice being able to scale the server up and down. It's made our lives a lot easier, especially since we're trying to ingest much more data this year.

We're trying to manage our costs better. We've noticed an unexpected increase in the cost of running the server over the past few months. Addressing pricing clarity and alignment would help us. Also, incorporating AI functionalities like Copilot into SQL Server Management Studio could enhance productivity by assisting with query writing and troubleshooting.

Professionally, I have been using SQL for about five years. At my company, we used on-premises databases for a long time, and in January of this year, we migrated to Microsoft Azure SQL Database. We have been running it for eleven months now.

So far, there have been no issues reported with latency and availability.

The experience has been positive. It is easy to scale up when needed and scale back down if required.

We used on-premises SQL servers. The switch to Microsoft Azure SQL Database was influenced by the elimination of maintenance required for on-premises systems and the desire to manage all technologies under one umbrella within Azure, considering our existing cloud footprint.

The initial setup was straightforward. It involved changing the connection string within SQL Server Management Studio, maintaining consistency in interfacing.

The team that migrated struggled with replication in the very beginning where replicating our database for redundancy seemed like it was over replicating. The amount of storage that it was taking up was four to five x our actual database size. We had to increase the capacity of it and that increased cost for a little bit until we shut down the replication. 

The price for running the server increased more than expected in recent months, and better alignment of pricing expectations is needed. Notably, costs related to IT staff coming into the office on weekends or monitoring hardware have presumably decreased.

During our evaluation, pricing was a key consideration, and Microsoft Azure's pricing model was more appealing compared to other competitors. The extensive cloud footprint we already had in Azure contributed to our choice.

On a scale from one to ten, I rate the overall product an eight.

Public Cloud

Microsoft Azure

I provision the database, perform all the necessary security checks, and then provide access to the application teams that will consume it.

Microsoft Azure SQL Database is effective for availability, scalability, and security. 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. Autoscaling is fantastic, automatically scaling up or down depending on usage parameters set. The database's security features depend on the pricing tiers chosen.

Pricing could be improved to make Microsoft Azure SQL Database more accessible. A reduction in price might encourage more users and bring more profit. Instead of a 20% or 30% reduction immediately, a gradual reduction could attract more users.

I have worked with Microsoft Azure SQL Database for approximately six years.

I haven't encountered any downtime issues. Changing parameters automatically scales up or down the database without any interruptions.

I have never encountered any challenges regarding stability. The database is very stable and straightforward.

The database is extremely scalable, allowing seamless scaling up or down with a simple change in parameters. It's a perfect ten out of ten in terms of scalability.

During my years of experience, I've never encountered an issue with Microsoft Azure SQL Database that I couldn't resolve, so I haven't needed to contact customer support.

Positive

The initial setup is very easy, given that all parameters and requirements from the application units are in place.

The pricing of Microsoft Azure SQL Database is not cheap, affecting user uptake. A gradual reduction in price could improve accessibility and user numbers, making it easier for users to adopt the solution.

I have previous experience with 3PAR and StoreOnce from HPE.

I advise users to adopt Microsoft Azure SQL Database, as it simplifies life for users and applications. Applications can connect from anywhere, and it reduces headaches for administrators and infrastructure teams. The disaster recovery plan and backup features are easily enabled. The overall rating is nine out of ten, considering pricing concerns.

Public Cloud

Microsoft Azure

The primary use case is working for a government client that receives a lot of data and information from all the states. They process these documents using Azure and Power Virtual Agents to retrieve information and store it in Azure SQL. Previously, we used it for .NET applications, and some of our core applications involved SharePoint, which has an SQL back end. The solution has a broad range. 

Due to the continuous influx of data, we chose Azure SQL for faster processing. SQL Server has significantly improved organizational operations. Previously, managers had to manually review and manage thousands of records weekly, which is a slow process. 

SQL Server's ability to automate data processing and validation through virtual agents and integration with other Microsoft applications like Power Virtual Agents and Azure SQL has dramatically improved efficiency. It has expedited the data processing and validation, allowing managers to focus on strategic tasks.

The Power Virtual Agents help us go through documents and load data into SQL.

The next stage is to create chatbots for customers to send us information. This automation has been a fantastic improvement over previous manual processes

The document storage is primarily relational, which is not ideally suited for SQL. If there were better integration with SharePoint for document handling in SQL, it would greatly benefit the organization. Moreover, the current on-premise limitations prevent direct file pulling, limiting certain capabilities.

We have used Azure SQL for around four years.

One reason we chose Azure SQL was its scalability. We started with a few gigabytes of data, but we anticipate growth once we integrate chatbots and AI features, making Azure's scalability features like Elasticity essential.

We had a positive experience with Microsoft support during implementation.

Positive

The installation was smooth. We faced a few minor challenges on the government level with opening the firewalls for SQL to communicate with our applications. The cloud implementation is straightforward. 

The Microsoft FastTrack team played an integral role in the implementation, providing valuable guidance and expertise.

Data from SQL was previously pulled for different applications built on Java by creating APIs. We also prefer SQL because we have existing enterprise licenses with the government.

I would rate Microsoft Azure SQL Database nine out of 10.

Our primary use case is for Power Platform apps.

Azure SQL doesn't require any maintenance because Azure handles all that. is handled in Azure. Our team can focus on other activities instead of database management, and we save around two to three days a month.

Azure SQL connects directly to our Power Platform apps, making it easy to use. The integration with AI apps will be good because all the Azure AI apps are in the cloud, making it seamless. You don't need to connect to any on-premises or external sources to address integration. It will also speed up our data processing.

SQL's native connection and efficiency in scaling workloads are quite beneficial, and the ability to integrate well with other Microsoft applications adds significant value.

A potential area for improvement could be integrating with third-party clouds. Adding a feature to bring Azure SQL in Azure with SQL on-premises would be helpful.

I have used Azure SQL for three to four years.

We haven't noticed any latency since we do not have mission-critical solutions on the cloud yet, and the stability has been good so far.

If more space is needed in a specific moment of time, Azure SQL can grow and downsize quickly, demonstrating good scalability.

I have found Microsoft's resources and support particularly helpful as they provide a big environment to work with.

Positive

The initial setup was straightforward. We did not migrate from an existing system but implemented it from scratch and did not require Microsoft support. We were building Power Platform apps using SharePoint databases and Excel. And after that, we realized that we had to integrate it with SQL. It wasn't too hard, and our partners have people with experience. 

We did the implementation ourselves without involving Microsoft support.

While I think there has been a reduction in our total cost of ownership, I have not measured it.

We did not evaluate other cloud databases as we preferred to maintain a standardized SQL environment.

I rate Microsoft Azure SQL Database eight out of 10 because I believe nothing is perfect.

Public Cloud

Microsoft Azure

I use Azure SQL for data storage and querying for applications.

Azure SQL works well. Our applications are hosted in AKS, and we can easily do the security and authentication. It's easer to set up than an on-premise SQL database, so that has had a positive effect on our productivity. 

We've saved time setting up the databases. While I'm not involved in the maintenance, I'm sure that's also a big factor. It's hosted in the cloud, so we don't have to maintain the servers. 

Azure SQL is really straightforward to use. It's nice that it's just SQL but in the cloud. We've switched from the on-premise SQL databases we use and have Azure SQL for some of our more recent stuff. It's seamless.

The AI applications sound neat. We haven't really gotten to do that yet, but we like that it works so well with Fabric. It seems like something we could easily connect.

One thing we struggled with was the network stuff. We had to figure out how to ensure we were secure. That part took a bit, but we're in a great spot now. We had to work with security to figure out our network policies. We're in a private instance, so you can only connect to it from our VPN. We've made some progress, and it's much easier to use now. Some more documentation and suggestions for network policies could be helpful.

We have used Azure SQL for a couple of years at this point.

The stability is great. I haven't noticed any problems with it so far.

The scalability is useful. Unlike our on-premise SQL Database, which is not easily scalable, Azure SQL allows us to increase the tier and get more performance as needed.

We switched from on-premise SQL databases to Azure SQL for more recent projects because it's easier to set up in the cloud without dealing with complex network rules.

We have a lot of people who are experts in Microsoft SQL stuff, so switching to Azure SQL was just a piece of cake for them because it's basically the same thing. 

We used our internal team, who are experts in Microsoft SQL, to switch to Azure SQL, finding it to be a seamless transition.

I rate Microsoft Azure SQL Database 10 out of 10.

Private Cloud

Microsoft Azure