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IBM Db2 on Cloud vs Microsoft Azure SQL Database comparison

IBM and Microsoft are both solutions in the Database as a Service (DBaaS) category. IBM is ranked #12 with an average rating of 8.0, while Microsoft is ranked #2 with an average rating of 8.7. IBM holds a 1.2% mindshare in DS, compared to Microsoft’s 15.4% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of IBM users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 96% of Microsoft users who would recommend it.
IBM Db2 on Cloud
Read 2 IBM Db2 on Cloud reviews
  • 204 Views
  • 125 Comparison Views
100% willing to recommend
Microsoft Azure SQL Database
Read 117 Microsoft Azure SQL Database reviews
  • 4,175 Views
  • 2,249 Comparison Views
96% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 12, 2024

Microsoft Azure SQL Database and IBM Db2 on Cloud are leading cloud database solutions with distinct strengths. Users are more satisfied with the pricing and support of Microsoft Azure SQL Database, while IBM Db2 on Cloud is praised for its robust features, making it a preferred choice for complex database requirements.

Features: Microsoft Azure SQL Database impresses users with its scalability, automated backups, and advanced security features. IBM Db2 on Cloud is highly valued for its seamless integration capabilities, powerful analytics, and high availability. The main difference lies in IBM Db2 on Cloud's superior data analytics and integration.

Room for Improvement: Users of Microsoft Azure SQL Database desire better query performance optimization and more comprehensive documentation. For IBM Db2 on Cloud, users request more intuitive configuration options and enhanced customer support. Both products could improve their user education and support services.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Microsoft Azure SQL Database is commended for its straightforward deployment and reliable customer support. IBM Db2 on Cloud offers strong deployment options but occasionally falls short in timely customer service responses. Microsoft Azure SQL Database is preferred for its ease of use.

Pricing and ROI: Microsoft Azure SQL Database is praised for its cost-effectiveness and good ROI, especially for small to medium enterprises. IBM Db2 on Cloud, while more expensive, is seen as worth the investment for larger organizations needing advanced features. Microsoft Azure SQL Database offers better initial value, whereas IBM Db2 on Cloud provides long-term benefits for specific use cases.

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To learn more, read our detailed IBM Db2 on Cloud vs. Microsoft Azure SQL Database Report (Updated: June 2025).
Buyer's Guide
IBM Db2 on Cloud vs. Microsoft Azure SQL Database
June 2025
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Review summaries and opinions

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

Categories and Ranking

IBM Db2 on Cloud
Ranking in Database as a Service (DBaaS)
12th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.3
Number of Reviews
2
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Microsoft Azure SQL Database
Ranking in Database as a Service (DBaaS)
2nd
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
117
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the Database as a Service (DBaaS) category, the mindshare of IBM Db2 on Cloud is 1.2%, up from 0.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Azure SQL Database is 15.4%, down from 18.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Database as a Service (DBaaS)
 

Featured Reviews

FM
Multi-node architecture and it is good from a security point of view
I would rate the stability a seven out of ten. Most of the issues we faced during troubleshooting were due to specific bugs in the environment, and the only solution was to upgrade the database environment or services. But it is not easy to upgrade the database level when third-party applications are involved, as they are not always comfortable with upgrading. There should be some cumulative solution provided by IBM for their customers, just like other vendors. Upgrading to a certain version doesn't always resolve the issue. It might get resolved at the database level, but what about the other applications integrated with that database that are only compatible with older versions?
Read full review
Charley Hanania - PeerSpot reviewer
It is very easy to implement, manage, and offers great insights into what is happening inside the engine
Microsoft Azure SQL Database is integrated into other Azure capabilities and has a great foundation being on SQL Server with a long history of security, performance, and usability from a DBA perspective. Once you've set up a server, adding databases is easy. There's a minor challenge with having data in separate databases that you want to connect like we do on premises. I'm looking forward to using some of these new AI-driven functions that have come out around vectorization. Having the data closer to my transactional databases or data makes it easy to augment and enhance the Database and applications I currently use. It's great that Azure SQL now seamlessly integrates with Microsoft Fabric. It's a first-tier service in the cloud that connects to web applications and other databases. The data transformation orchestration capabilities within Database Factory and similar capabilities make it effortless to move that stuff forward.
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

"Multiple business departments rely on reports and predictive analysis to make decisions for future business based on their data warehouse and Db2 network analytics tool. It helps our business department make decisions."
"The reliability is the most valuable feature. It is also user-friendly."
"The initial setup was straightforward. It took less than one day for deployment."
"The on-premise SQL Server licenses can be used since it is on Azure, so it's a significant savings for the customers."
"Its technical support team is good."
"It is good for scalability and high availability. It is also secure because of Microsoft's cloud investment. It is easy to use because it is on the cloud. Creation or making it available through web services is super easy. Azure SQL can be quickly published as web services for APIs to connect with other applications. Because it is in Microsoft Cloud, you can easily integrate with Microsoft stack."
"Customers can benefit from a lot of cost savings if they go for Azure."
"I am very happy with this solution; right now, I don't think there is anything I would change."
"Microsoft Azure SQL Database is fairly easy to use and set up for our DBA teams, who use it for various applications and tools like RabbitMQ."
"It's user-friendly. Compared to other solutions, it's based more on clicks, not on scripts. It's easy to manage."
More Microsoft Azure SQL Database pros
 

Cons

"In other environments like Oracle or Teradata, they provide their own solutions for troubleshooting issues. They provide built-in AI services or autonomous databases, which I don't see in the Db2 environment."
"I would give their support a ten if they had more tutorials available."
"In terms of support, they don't give much support."
"If the product could support applications requiring an SQL server for installation, by using SQL Azure as a backend, that would be useful."
"It should have better profiling capabilities."
"Support isn't that great. They need to work on this aspect of their service. It can be challenging to reach them."
"The problem is the automated configuration."
"There are some limitations for cross-database queries and features. The migration of data from older systems should be easier. For deployment, there are too many options, which sometimes makes it difficult to figure out the best option. There is not enough information to help you to find the best option for deployment. There should be more documentation about this."
"From a security perspective, although their features are decent, they can always be improved upon, updated, and refined to help protect clients better."
"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."
More Microsoft Azure SQL Database cons
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available
"We pay less than $1000 monthly in licensing fees. There are no additional costs."
"The solution is more cost-effective than Google BigQuery. Compared to Google BigQuery, downloading data can be more expensive."
"I have an annual spend number, and it is in the hundred thousand dollar range. There are no additional costs to the standard licensing fees. Even though you have to look at the cost numbers of what you're going to be charged on a monthly basis, what you have to also remember is that your application may need a lot of rewriting and things like that. You get charged not just for the monthly costs but also for the transactions that occur. If your access to the data layer is not so efficient, your costs will go up because you're pulling far more data than you potentially need. These are hidden costs that nobody ever considers. If your application is not written very efficiently, you may actually increase your costs over on-prem versus cloud."
"There is no licensing cost for the solution."
"In terms of the cost, SQL Azure is a pay-per-use solution, particularly because it's a cloud subscription, so you pay as much as you use it."
"I recommend considering a pay-as-you-go pricing model initially."
"The solution is moderately expensive."
"When looking at the long-term expenses associated with running software on an on-premises server, the costs are almost equivalent but when we include insurance for devices, onsite fees for servers, and other related costs, we may find that this is a cost-effective solution."
More Microsoft Azure SQL Database pricing and cost advice
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
No data available
Educational Organization
49%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Computer Software Company
7%
Manufacturing Company
4%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with IBM Db2 on Cloud?
In other environments like Oracle or Teradata, they provide their own solutions for troubleshooting issues. They provide built-in AI services or autonomous databases, which I don't see in the Db2 e...
See all answers
What advice do you have for others considering IBM Db2 on Cloud?
Since I have worked with almost every product, including IBM, Teradata is far better than any other data warehouse product. It's a separate database with its own features, architecture, and working...
See all answers
What is your primary use case for IBM Db2 on Cloud?
It's a multi-node logical database clustered in three physical nodes. We use a lot of services already provided in our private cloud environment. It's a multi-node architecture.
See all answers
What do you like most about SQL Azure?
The automated scalability feature of SQL Azure has proven to be highly beneficial, particularly when deployed in the cloud.
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SQL Azure?
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 s...
See all answers
What needs improvement with SQL Azure?
Pricing could be improved to make Microsoft Azure SQL Database ( /products/microsoft-azure-sql-database-reviews ) more accessible. A reduction in price might encourage more users and bring more pro...
See all answers
 

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Compared 2% of the time
More Microsoft Azure SQL Database Competitors
 

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
Database as a Service (DBaaS)
June 2025
IBM Db2 on Cloud reportDownload IBM Db2 on Cloud product report
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Azure SQL Database
June 2025
Microsoft Azure SQL Database reportDownload Microsoft Azure SQL Database product report
 

Overview

A fully-managed cloud SQL database. Powered by a turbo-charged Db2 engine.

IBM

Microsoft Azure SQL Database is a relational database-as-a-service that delivers predictable performance, scalability, business continuity, data protection, and near-zero administration to cloud developers and solution architects. This is the deep technical library for Azure SQL Database.

Microsoft
 

Sample Customers

Owens-Illinois, KONE Corp., Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue, Canon Europe, Delhaize America, Wimbledon
adnymics GmbH, LG CNS, Centrebet, netfabb GmbH, MedPlast, Accelera Solutions, Sochi Organizing Committee, realzeit GmbH
Buyer's Guide
IBM Db2 on Cloud vs. Microsoft Azure SQL Database
June 2025
Free Report: IBM Db2 on Cloud vs. Microsoft Azure SQL Database
Find out what your peers are saying about IBM Db2 on Cloud vs. Microsoft Azure SQL Database and other solutions. Updated: June 2025.
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