Microsoft Azure SQL Database vs Oracle Database as a Service comparison

Microsoft and Oracle are both solutions in the Database as a Service (DBaaS) category. Microsoft is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.7, while Oracle is ranked #5 with an average rating of 8.8. Microsoft holds a 15.9% mindshare in DS, compared to Oracle’s 8.8% mindshare. Additionally, 96% of Microsoft users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 97% of Oracle users who would recommend it.

Microsoft Azure SQL Database

Read 117 Microsoft Azure SQL Database reviews

5,959 Views
2,686 Comparison Views

96% willing to recommend

Oracle Database as a Service

Read 67 Oracle Database as a Service reviews

1,579 Views
1,312 Comparison Views

97% willing to recommend

Microsoft Azure SQL Database

Oracle Database as a Service

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 12, 2024

Microsoft Azure SQL Database and Oracle Database as a Service are competitors in cloud-based database solutions. Users find Azure SQL more economical but note Oracle's advanced features.

Features: Microsoft Azure SQL Database is praised for integration with Microsoft products, scalability, and cost-effectiveness. Oracle Database as a Service is valued for advanced analytics, robust security, and comprehensive feature set.

Room for Improvement: Azure SQL could improve in advanced data analytics, enhanced security features, and user interface. Oracle could streamline the setup process, simplify management, and improve user experience.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Azure SQL users like straightforward deployment and effective customer support. Oracle users face a steeper learning curve initially but benefit from strong customer service and personalized support.

Pricing and ROI: Azure SQL Database is cost-effective with quicker ROI, suitable for smaller budgets. Oracle Database as a Service is more expensive but offers better long-term ROI due to advanced capabilities.

To learn more, read our detailed Microsoft Azure SQL Database vs. Oracle Database as a Service Report (Updated: April 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Azure SQL Database vs. Oracle Database as a Service

April 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

Microsoft Azure SQL Database

Ranking in Database as a Service (DBaaS)

1st

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

117

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Oracle Database as a Service

Ranking in Database as a Service (DBaaS)

5th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the Database as a Service (DBaaS) category, the mindshare of Microsoft Azure SQL Database is 15.9%, down from 18.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Oracle Database as a Service is 8.8%, up from 8.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Database as a Service (DBaaS)

Featured Reviews

Charley Hanania

Data Platform Specialist at QS2 AG - Quality Software Solutions

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.

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Duy AnhMai

Product Owner at Heineken

Offers security and good performance

Price-wise, the tool is expensive, and I feel it is an area where improvements are needed. Oracle Database as a Service is not as popular as other tools because we use AWS and GCP. Oracle is okay in terms of performance for banking businesses and some big companies. As I use the tool in Heineken, I know Oracle is an okay security solution. We use and deploy some applications and features from Oracle that are better than what others offer. The data in the tool is actually stored in the production part, so it is always kept a secret. I don't think that AI has been integrated into the tool. The AI used by Oracle is not as strong as that used by AWS. I recommend the tool to others, especially banking, finance, and insurance companies where the security needs to be better. There is maintenance for the tool required, but I don't know which company does it for our organization. I rate the tool a ten out of ten.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Because the solution is cloud-based it's highly manageable, it makes maintenance of logs, space, storage and backups much easier compared to a traditional SQL server installation."

"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."

"The most valuable feature is PolyBase."

"The stability is good and the performance is fantastic. Even when we try to do an inquiry into issues we can do it easily."

"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."

"The data availability and speed are impressive, especially compared to legacy systems. The loading speeds are much faster on Azure SQL."

"The ability to maintain different environments, such as development and production databases, is valuable."

"Azure SQL is easy to integrate and simplifies things from a licensing perspective. We're comfortable with SQL versus other types of databases, so we feel better talking to Microsoft."

More Microsoft Azure SQL Database pros

"Not only does it provide a mature, reliable solution for DR. It also helps if application owners need to look into data which is a couple of hours old, using Flashback Database on the standby database."

"The most valuable feature of Oracle Database as a Service is that it is managed by the vendor and you do not have to purchase on-premise hardware."

"Oracle Database as a Service is a scalable and robust solution."

"The solution's scalability and flexibility are very good and implementation is easy."

"The Oracle Multitenant feature of 12c is awesome. This feature enables us to consolidate disparate databases under one container database and eases manageability of the databases. It also allows us to scale."

"It has significantly enhanced our application development process by introducing substantial time savings and streamlining routine tasks."

"The solution is scalable, has support & right incident, and allows easy data recovery."

"The solution is stable."

More Oracle Database as a Service pros

Cons

"There are compatibility issues that prevent Azure SQL Database from being a direct replacement for SQL Server running on a virtual machine."

"Microsoft Azure SQL Database could improve by having better tooling in terms of connecting to other database platforms and better capabilities around programmable interfaces. There should be more fine-tuning on the storage layer. I would like to see T-SQL improvements to automatically translate features from other database platforms for easier migration, as well as some improvements around column store and native capabilities like those in Iceberg and PowerK built into the SQL Server product."

"It is a little bit expensive for us. They can improve the price. It would also be very helpful if they can offer some free trial."

"Their support is nice but their responses aren't effective."

"Improvement could be made in the performance tools, offering a better overview of core issues like process activity and latency, as we currently rely on third-party tools and SQL jobs for monitoring and alerts. A comprehensive built-in solution for performance analysis would be beneficial."

"There are compatibility issues that prevent Azure SQL Database from being a direct replacement for SQL Server running on a virtual machine. For instance, handling application-initiated DBCC commands is a challenge."

"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."

"If we need to deploy data management or services with SQL Azure we need InterSecure."

More Microsoft Azure SQL Database cons

"An 8GB download for software is far too big. Nowadays it should be possible to simply use RPM packages on Linux/Unix."

"Pricing for Oracle Database as a Service could be cheaper, so this is an area for improvement."

"Oracle Database as a Service could improve the provisioning. You have to recreate on-premise hardware environments in the cloud, it was not very intuitive."

"I would like to see improvements in the license cost. The solution is subscription-based for PaaS services. You need to buy your own authorized license."

"The solution needs more certifications for other products and applications because migration to the cloud is difficult without them."

"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."

"I would like the tool to improve the setup because it is complex."

"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. While Oracle offers these features, they come at a high cost for clientele in the South Asian market."

More Oracle Database as a Service cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price in general of Azure SQL could improve."

"We have a three-year contract. The cost was somewhere around $70-80,000 for the original deployment, which was about two years ago"

"We pay less than $1000 monthly in licensing fees. There are no additional costs."

"Offers options for paying the license on a yearly or a monthly basis."

"If we use a smaller or free-sized Microsoft Azure SQL Database, it is extremely cost-effective and much cheaper than on-premise enterprise licenses, which are expensive."

"I would like it to be cheaper, but comparatively, it is reasonably priced."

"SQL Azure's licensing cost is expensive."

"Microsoft services are costly, which is the only problem we face. So, pricing is an area of improvement."

More Microsoft Azure SQL Database pricing and cost advice

"The solution's price is reasonable but depends upon the negotiation."

"Oracle Database is less expensive than the previous solution we used."

"The pricing is a little bit expensive."

"Customers need to pay extra costs for the solution based on their scope and business."

"The solution is expensive."

"The price of Oracle Database as a Service is expensive."

"The price of Oracle Database as a Service is expensive compared to other similar solutions."

"What has been done is that an annual subscription model has been launched, which includes the payment of both the AML (Annual Maintenance Fee) and the subscription fee, paid on a yearly basis."

More Oracle Database as a Service pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Educational Organization

71%

Computer Software Company

Financial Services Firm

Healthcare Company

Financial Services Firm

27%

Computer Software Company

15%

Manufacturing Company

Retailer

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

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

What do you like most about Oracle Database as a Service?

It has significantly enhanced our application development process by introducing substantial time savings and streamlining routine tasks.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Oracle Database as a Service?

Prices are high. Technical support from Oracle tends to be high in quality.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Oracle Database as a Service?

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. While Oracle ...

See all answers

Comparisons

Google Cloud SQL vs Microsoft Azure SQL Database

Compared 38% of the time

Amazon RDS vs Microsoft Azure SQL Database

Compared 25% of the time

MongoDB Atlas vs Microsoft Azure SQL Database

Compared 17% of the time

vCloud Air vs Microsoft Azure SQL Database

Compared 3% of the time

Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB vs Microsoft Azure SQL Database

Compared 3% of the time

More Microsoft Azure SQL Database Competitors

Amazon RDS vs Oracle Database as a Service

Compared 48% of the time

Oracle Exadata Cloud at Customer vs Oracle Database as a Service

Compared 16% of the time

Google Cloud SQL vs Oracle Database as a Service

Compared 10% of the time

MongoDB Atlas vs Oracle Database as a Service

Compared 4% of the time

Azure Database for PostgreSQL vs Oracle Database as a Service

Compared 4% of the time

More Oracle Database as a Service Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Azure SQL Database

May 2025

Download Microsoft Azure SQL Database product report

Buyer's Guide

Oracle Database as a Service

May 2025

Download Oracle Database as a Service product report

Also Known As

No data available

Oracle DBaaS, Oracle Database Cloud

Overview

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

Oracle Database Cloud Service combines the power of Oracle Database, with the unique capabilities of the Oracle Cloud. The service provides a secure, automated data management platform that leverages on demand Oracle Cloud Infrastructure services via a simple web based user interface and RESTful API. Oracle Database Cloud Service provides elastic database services for development, test, and production environments of custom and packaged online transaction processing (OLTP), data warehousing, and mixed workload applications. It enables businesses to reap all Oracle Platform as a Service (PaaS) benefits including subscriptionbased, self-service access to reliable, scalable, and elastic cloud environments and accelerates time to value by simplifying the provisioning and administration of Oracle databases.

Oracle

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

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Azure SQL Database vs. Oracle Database as a Service

April 2025

Free Report: Microsoft Azure SQL Database vs. Oracle Database as a Service

Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft Azure SQL Database vs. Oracle Database as a Service and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.

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