IBM Public Cloud vs Microsoft Azure comparison

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Comparison Buyer's Guide
Executive Summary
Updated on May 29, 2022

We performed a comparison between IBM Public Cloud and Microsoft Azure based on our users’ reviews in five categories. After reading all of the collected data, you can find our conclusion below.

  • Ease of Deployment: Most IBM Public Cloud reviewers agree that the installation is a straightforward process. Some Microsoft Azure users say the setup is straightforward, while others say it can be complex depending on the scope of the deployment.

  • Features: Users of both products are happy with their stability and scalability. IBM Public Cloud users say it performs well, is straightforward to integrate, and creates serverless functions easily, but they also say it could be more secure. Microsoft Azure users like its UI and say it is flexible, secure, and powerful.
  • Pricing: Most IBM Public Cloud users say it is reasonably priced. In contrast, most Microsoft Azure feel that it is an expensive solution.
  • ROI: IBM Public Cloud users do not mention ROI. Microsoft Azure users report a significant ROI.

  • Service and Support: Reviewers of both solutions give mixed reviews regarding the level of support they receive. Some users are satisfied, but others say that the support could be improved.

Comparison Results: Microsoft Azure is the winner in this comparison. It is a robust and reliable solution with a good user interface and a proven ROI. Microsoft Azure does come out on top in the ease-of-deployment and pricing categories, however.

To learn more, read our detailed IBM Public Cloud vs. Microsoft Azure Report (Updated: March 2024).
763,955 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Featured Review
Quotes From Members
We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use.
Here are some excerpts of what they said:
Pros
"There is no installation for this product because it is a cloud product.""An advantage of IBM Public Cloud is the bare metal server. We can take the bare metal server. It's not shared with anyone. We can deploy our applications without sharing them with anyone. That is an advantage of IBM Public Cloud.""The availability is second to none. Customer support is very good.""For non-complex applications, the IBM Cloud works fine and the price is much lower than the competitors.""The price of IBM Cloud is most valuable for us. The service is personable and gives us a good rapport. I can't say it's the best, but it was enough for our needs.""This product is very good because it is accessible in remote locations, and anyone can deploy from any place.""The most valuable feature of IBM Public Cloud is the AI integrations.""It is a scalable product. You can scale it up and down."

More IBM Public Cloud Pros →

"Microsoft Azure provides good performance and support.""The initial setup is simple.""It's easy to use, and it's scalable. If we want to grow our product more, we can do it.""It is a stable solution because it depends on the workload you expect. Based on that data, you can configure how many users it can handle.""The solution is secure and easy to use.""Azure has the best website amongst all cloud computing platforms. It is simple to utilize, and one can release nearly anything, from app services to host sites.""We use Microsoft Azure for operations, email, and office applications.""The application services are the most valuable in Microsoft Azure. I'm not using them directly but I am using the function and the web applications. I don't need to pay a lot for the maintenance. I do not need to have a DevOps employee."

More Microsoft Azure Pros →

Cons
"An area for improvement in IBM Public Cloud is getting up-to-date information on how to set up everything. It's hard to find new documentation.""I would like to see a more user-friendly deployment process in the next release of this solution.""The deployment can be a bit of a pain. There are a lot of packages and a lot of options and it can require complex configuration to get it right.""The product should offer more computing, similar to Amazon.""Recently, we just faced some issues with the operating system due to the end of life of CentOS 6...So, then the client wanted to try it out under AWS instead of IBM. In short, it has some complexities.""It will be challenging to implement if you do not have any experience.""They could improve on customizing reporting capabilities.""Maybe performance enhancers and reports could be better improved. If they do so, it would be better. Of all the drawbacks I saw, this would be the biggest enhancement."

More IBM Public Cloud Cons →

"From a security perspective, it could be improved.""I would like to see all of the cloud providers be more compatible with each other.""I would recommend some enhancement regarding integration features.""The initial setup could be simplified.""There should be more language options for the Azure Functions apps. It supports programming languages, but there are only a few options. It could have more programming languages.""They are a bit closed on the customization side. If they open the customization then it will be very good.""The interface for configuring the environment is not very intuitive. Certain things are at different places, and it is not easy to navigate. They should have a more transparent licensing model. Currently, Microsoft's licensing is a bit clunky, and it keeps changing depending on the type of subscription you have. Different features are included, and sometimes, it is very hard to figure out the right licensing. So, the commercial aspect of the licensing can be improved, and they can make it easier to understand all the features that are included.""Sometimes performance takes a hit on a slow network."

More Microsoft Azure Cons →

Pricing and Cost Advice
  • "We are using the trial version of this solution, so we have not paid anything."
  • "The price of IBM Cloud is very cheap compared to competitors AWS and Azure."
  • "The licensing fees are straightforward and predictable."
  • "Pricing is not as fair as Amazon or Azure."
  • "In order to be competitive, you have to commit to a contract for at least one year, but you pay a fixed monthly fee."
  • "IBM Public Cloud is pretty cheap. They have an ongoing free tier that basically won't expire, so as long as your solution is small enough, you can have a test set that you can use for demos, which will cost you almost nothing."
  • "It pretty much has a standard price. There is no hidden price with IBM Public Cloud."
  • "IBM has a lesser price compared to other cloud service providers like Azure and AWS."
  • More IBM Public Cloud Pricing and Cost Advice →

  • "Related to pricing and licensing, you have to be careful how you operate with the concept."
  • "Be careful with Azure Cool storage accounts; if you are dealing with high object counts, then it can be more economical to use Hot storage because of the high storage access costs associated with Cool."
  • "Make use of Azure pricing calculator and you will find out that Azure Is still more reasonable that the competition and do your research, when unclear speak with your MS support."
  • "It’s necessary to use third party products or to use good self-management economic tools"
  • "Keep to PaaS to gain the optimal benefits from an OPEX finance and resource perspective."
  • "Several thousand dollars and counting, we haven't needed to upgrade on premises hardware (In fact we eliminated all of the old on-premises hardware and run 100% on Azure) or pay for it's maintenance, power etc."
  • "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."
  • "Pricing is very difficult to guesstimate. With so many a la carte options and individual pricing it can be a hassle to understand."
  • More Microsoft Azure Pricing and Cost Advice →

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    Questions from the Community
    Top Answer:IBM Public Cloud is IBM’s Platform-as-a-Service. It aims to provide organizations with a secure cloud environment to manage data and applications. One of the features we like is the cloud activity… more »
    Top Answer:The front end is not pervasive, so it is very difficult get the status of your current services or account from a mobile device. 
    Top Answer:The most valuable feature of IBM Public Cloud is the AI integrations.
    Top Answer: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. SAP Cloud Platform is suitable for companies of any size; it works well with both… more »
    Top Answer:I would recommend Google Firebase instead of Microsoft Azure, simply for the array of features that it has to offer. In particular, the Firebase library grants you access to a shared data structure… more »
    Top Answer:Microsoft’s Windows Azure platform is not easy or intuitive to deploy. The difficulty will be impacted by the type of application that you are trying to use the platform to build. Organizations that… more »
    Ranking
    9th
    out of 33 in PaaS Clouds
    Views
    9,891
    Comparisons
    7,134
    Reviews
    6
    Average Words per Review
    742
    Rating
    8.0
    1st
    out of 33 in PaaS Clouds
    Views
    37,026
    Comparisons
    29,563
    Reviews
    27
    Average Words per Review
    417
    Rating
    8.3
    Comparisons
    Also Known As
    IBM Bluemix
    Windows Azure, Azure, MS Azure
    Learn More
    Overview

    IBM Cloud is a full-stack cloud platform that spans public, private and hybrid environments. Build with a robust suite of advanced data and AI tools, and draw on deep industry expertise to help you on your journey to the cloud.

    Windows Azure is Microsoft's cloud platform, where developers can create, deploy, and maintain their apps. This cloud application platform allows developers to concentrate on the actual applications, while it takes care of all the elements behind the apps.

    Windows Azure works across multiple frameworks and languages. It is fully scalable, localized in that it is hosted globally in many datacenters, and has widespread capabilities with elements of application development, deployment, and management.

    Azure is comprised of several different service modules, including Infrastructure; Web; Mobile; Dev & Test; Big Data; Media;Storage, Backup & Recovery; and Identity & Access Management.

    Microsoft Azure works as a:

    1. Platform as a service (PaaS)
    2. Software as a service (SaaS)
    3. Infrastructure as a service (IaaS)

    Microsoft Azure is available:

    • On-premises
    • Hybrid
    • Multi-cloud
    • At the edge

    Compared to its competitors, Microsoft Azure:

    • Has more affordable features
    • Has easier migration for organizations already using other Microsoft tools
    • Has several educational resources available
    • Provides robust support
    • Is ideal for small and large businesses

    Microsoft Azure Features:

    • Scalability
    • Stability
    • Flexibility
    • Azure Site Recovery
    • Active Directory
    • Monitoring features
    • Cloud-based
    • Automated tasks
    • Change capability cadence
    • Showback capabilities
    • Information protection
    • Azure Data Lake
    • Excellent portal
    • Intuitive user interface
    • Remote desktop
    • Fast provisioning
    • Data security
    • Data resiliency
    • Speed of service
    • Integrated delivery pipeline
    • Disaster recovery
    • Robust templates
    • Flexible coding languages
    • Virtual systems testing

    Benefits of Microsoft Azure:

    • Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): Because Microsoft Azure is an IaaS, organizations can deploy as well as manage applications easily and quickly. Azure also provides you with the ability to customize the cloud software to meet your specific business needs.
    • Seamless integration: Microsoft Azure is built to seamlessly integrate with existing IT departments via hybrid databases, secure private connections, and storage solutions.
    • Cost-effective: Because Azure can harmoniously exist in your business environment with your data center, it is a very cost-effective solution.
    • Analytics support: Azure is designed with built-in support that is used to analyze data and provide key insights. Azure offers Cortana Analytics, Stream Analytics, Machine Learning, and SQL services.
    • Unique storage system: Compared to other cloud services, Microsoft Azure has more data centers and delivery points, which helps create an optimal user experience and also helps deliver content faster. In addition, Microsoft Azure makes it possible for organizations to exchange content across several virtual machines.
    • Enhanced flexibility: Azure provides extreme flexibility by allowing you to choose any level of functionality you require. It also supports many of the same technologies IT teams and developers usually depend on, making it easier for them to manage.
    • Easy implementation: Microsoft Azure is easy and quick to deploy. If necessary, you can change web apps to Azure with almost zero downtime.

    Reviews from Real Users:

    "It is a flexible solution that is straightforward to use," says the principal consultant at a computer software company.

    OmarJ., future datacenter consultant: Microsoft Azure Cloud at a tech company, adds that "The user interface is very nice and makes everything easy to use."

    You can build an environment in minutes. It's very good in terms of being an infrastructure as a service, and I found that really fascinating,” says an information technology consultant at a computer software company.

    "I think Azure's level of automation to achieve efficiency or agility is valuable. I also like the change capability cadence, the showback capabilities, and understanding what our costs are," says an enterprise architect at an energy/utilities company.

    Marco C., Ing. at Wolters Kluwer, says "The valuable features of Microsoft Azure are that it is cloud-based and has good storage. The storage is completely managed by Azure. We do not need to do any patching of security because it is handled by Azure which is a benefit. The solution is fully compatible with the Microsoft technology stack and is very scalable."

    "The most valuable feature of Microsoft Azure is it has everything together in one place. It is one large tool with lots of small tools that are updated often," says the owner of a media company.



    Sample Customers
    Uvionics Tech, Komsomolskaya Pravda, Alpha Modus, Inventive, Web Business Consulting, FindBrok, SilverHook Powerboats, United Way of Allegheny County
    BMW, Toyota, easyJet, NBC Sports, HarperCollins, Aviva, TalkTalk Business, Avanade, and Telenor.
    Top Industries
    REVIEWERS
    Financial Services Firm13%
    Program Development Consultancy13%
    Political Organization13%
    Computer Software Company13%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company13%
    University12%
    Financial Services Firm10%
    Educational Organization9%
    REVIEWERS
    Computer Software Company22%
    Financial Services Firm13%
    Comms Service Provider9%
    Manufacturing Company8%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Educational Organization35%
    Computer Software Company9%
    Financial Services Firm9%
    Manufacturing Company7%
    Company Size
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business63%
    Midsize Enterprise13%
    Large Enterprise25%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business22%
    Midsize Enterprise16%
    Large Enterprise62%
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business41%
    Midsize Enterprise15%
    Large Enterprise44%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business14%
    Midsize Enterprise40%
    Large Enterprise46%
    Buyer's Guide
    IBM Public Cloud vs. Microsoft Azure
    March 2024
    Find out what your peers are saying about IBM Public Cloud vs. Microsoft Azure and other solutions. Updated: March 2024.
    763,955 professionals have used our research since 2012.

    IBM Public Cloud is ranked 9th in PaaS Clouds with 6 reviews while Microsoft Azure is ranked 1st in PaaS Clouds with 40 reviews. IBM Public Cloud is rated 8.0, while Microsoft Azure is rated 8.4. The top reviewer of IBM Public Cloud writes "Reliable, easy to set up, and has helpful support". On the other hand, the top reviewer of Microsoft Azure writes "Promotes clear, logical structures preventing impractical configurations and offers seamless integration ". IBM Public Cloud is most compared with Amazon AWS, Oracle Cloud Platform, Google Cloud, Heroku and Salesforce Platform, whereas Microsoft Azure is most compared with Oracle Cloud Platform, Google Firebase, Amazon AWS, Pivotal Cloud Foundry and SAP S4HANA on AWS. See our IBM Public Cloud vs. Microsoft Azure report.

    See our list of best PaaS Clouds vendors.

    We monitor all PaaS Clouds reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.