Microsoft Azure SQL Database vs Redis comparison

Microsoft Azure SQL Database

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Microsoft Azure SQL Database and Redis based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out in this report how the two Database as a Service (DBaaS) solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.

To learn more, read our detailed Microsoft Azure SQL Database vs. Redis Report (Updated: July 2024).

Microsoft Azure SQL Database vs. Redis

July 2024

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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:

ROI

Sentiment score

6.7

Organizations using Azure SQL Database report cost savings, enhanced efficiency, and reduced data center needs with pay-per-use models.

Sentiment score

6.5

Implementing Redis improved transaction efficiency, reduced costs, enhanced performance, increased developer effectiveness, and supported scalability for organizations.

It is ensuring we receive what we pay for through the blend of price, performance, and features.

Michael Hamlett

Senior Manager, Information Technology of Data Strategies at a hospitality company with 5,001-10,000 employees

If you're managing your own data center, you always have to overprovision your systems and pay for storage space you're not using.

Maanda Ambani

Senior AI Specialist at Nedbank

We've reduced costs by about 20 percent after two or three years.

reviewer2595777

Azure Cloud Engineer at a computer software company with 201-500 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Azure SQL Database report

No quotes available

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Customer Service

Sentiment score

6.4

Microsoft Azure SQL Database's customer service is effective but varies; larger accounts receive better support than smaller users.

Sentiment score

1.0

Users rarely contact Redis support, but those who do find it knowledgeable, with satisfaction levels ranging from moderate to excellent.

Microsoft played a significant role, even from a training perspective, and provided resources that directed us toward the right deployment path.

Maanda Ambani

Senior AI Specialist at Nedbank

Once I reach the right people, the support is incredibly knowledgeable and thorough.

Tom Geairn

CTO at 2W Technologies, INC

Microsoft provides excellent service and is always available to support us.

reviewer2595303

Sr. Principal Database at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees

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No quotes available

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Scalability Issues

Sentiment score

6.2

Microsoft Azure SQL Database offers flexible scalability, easy workload management, seamless tier transitions, and supports user expansion with robust infrastructure.

Sentiment score

7.7

Redis excels in scalability, efficiently handling large datasets with ease, making it ideal for enterprise-level operations and demands.

Scaling the solution is incredibly simple and involves just clicking a button or dragging a slider.

Michael Hamlett

Senior Manager, Information Technology of Data Strategies at a hospitality company with 5,001-10,000 employees

Azure's scalability features like Elasticity are essential.

Kiran Chintala

Solutions Architect at ITCON SERVICES, LLC

Microsoft Azure SQL Database is cloud-based, so it's great for scaling workloads.

reviewer2595312

System Engineer at a tech services company with 11-50 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Azure SQL Database report

Data migration and changes to application-side configurations are challenging due to the lack of automatic migration tools in a non-clustered legacy system.

For more quotes and insights, download the Redis report

Data Engineer at a photography company with 1,001-5,000 employees

Stability Issues

Sentiment score

7.2

Microsoft Azure SQL Database is praised for reliability, excellent uptime, and improved performance, with minor latency issues reported.

Sentiment score

7.7

Redis is stable, reliable under heavy loads, supports high availability, and user ratings reflect strong performance, needing load improvements.

We can't tell the difference between running on-prem or Azure because we no longer have those latency issues.

Maanda Ambani

Senior AI Specialist at Nedbank

SQL never crashes or suddenly becomes unavailable.

Fredrick Weinshenk

Cloud Engineer at Med Tech Solutions

I would assess the reliability of Microsoft Azure SQL Database in terms of maintaining uptime and availability as being excellent with zero complaints.

Matthew Parker

Ai Team Lead at Phoenix Software

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Azure SQL Database report

Redis is fairly stable.

For more quotes and insights, download the Redis report

Data Engineer at a photography company with 1,001-5,000 employees

Room For Improvement

Azure SQL Database needs enhanced security, scalability, clear pricing, better documentation, broader compatibility, and improved user interface and automation.

Enhancements in documentation, user-friendliness, scalability, security, cloud integration, and support are desired improvements for Redis.

It would be helpful if CPU performance were not pinned to the amount of storage you're using, and we could scale different properties of the Azure SQL database independently.

reviewer2595777

Azure Cloud Engineer at a computer software company with 201-500 employees

As a customer, I believe something which has been established, stable, and rugged for a very long time also needs cost optimization.

Varun Agrawal

Assistant Vice President at a tech services company with 1,001-5,000 employees

I could not get an accurate quote on what my monthly costs would be based on my needs.

Michael Hamlett

Senior Manager, Information Technology of Data Strategies at a hospitality company with 5,001-10,000 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Azure SQL Database report

Data persistence and recovery face issues with compatibility across major versions, making upgrades possible but downgrades not active.

For more quotes and insights, download the Redis report

Data Engineer at a photography company with 1,001-5,000 employees

Setup Cost

Microsoft Azure SQL Database offers flexible pricing but is perceived as moderately expensive, requiring careful budget considerations.

Redis's open-source core is cost-effective, but enterprise features require a license; managed services start at $5/month.

Azure Hybrid Benefit reduced costs by facilitating an easy transition of on-premises databases to the cloud.

Charley Hanania

Data Platform Specialist at QS2 AG - Quality Software Solutions

Microsoft Azure SQL Database is not cheap.

Fabricio Noriega

Software Architect at Dynaxti

It greatly reduces the total cost of ownership through efficient licensing depending on the client, the cost savings, and hybrid benefits.

Fredrick Weinshenk

Cloud Engineer at Med Tech Solutions

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Azure SQL Database report

Since we use an open-source version of Redis, we do not experience any setup costs or licensing expenses.

For more quotes and insights, download the Redis report

Data Engineer at a photography company with 1,001-5,000 employees

Valuable Features

Microsoft Azure SQL Database provides seamless scalability, dynamic resource management, high efficiency, and cost-effective integration with Microsoft applications.

Redis provides fast data access with caching, geolocation, JSON, and supports scalability, high availability, and efficient event-driven applications.

The simplicity in usability, along with improved organizational productivity where we no longer need to maintain on-premises SQL servers, is invaluable.

reviewer2596431

Software Engineer at a financial services firm with 51-200 employees

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.

Fatai Akinwande

Specialist Datacenter and Server at IHS Towers

Using Microsoft Azure SQL Database is very easy; it's much easier than SQL on-premise because I don't have to worry about deploying infrastructure, and I can rapidly deploy via infrastructure as code.

Thomas Sawyer

Executive Director, Platform Architecture at Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation – SMBC Group

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Azure SQL Database report

It functions similarly to a foundational building block in a larger system, enabling native integration and high functionality in core data processes.

For more quotes and insights, download the Redis report

Data Engineer at a photography company with 1,001-5,000 employees

Categories and Ranking

Microsoft Azure SQL Database

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

134

Ranking in other categories

Database as a Service (DBaaS) (1st)

Redis

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

5.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

NoSQL Databases (5th), Managed NoSQL Databases (9th), In-Memory Data Store Services (1st), Vector Databases (3rd), AI Software Development (17th)

Mindshare comparison

While both are Database Services solutions, they serve different purposes. Microsoft Azure SQL Database is designed for Database as a Service (DBaaS) and holds a mindshare of 11.3%, down 16.6% compared to last year.
Redis, on the other hand, focuses on In-Memory Data Store Services, holds 23.1% mindshare, up 12.6% since last year.

Database as a Service (DBaaS) Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Microsoft Azure SQL Database	11.3%
Amazon RDS	14.8%
MongoDB Atlas	12.7%
Other	61.2%

Database as a Service (DBaaS)

In-Memory Data Store Services Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Redis	23.1%
Amazon ElastiCache	18.6%
Google Cloud Memorystore	14.5%
Other	43.8%

In-Memory Data Store Services

Featured Reviews

Thomas Sawyer

Executive Director, Platform Architecture at Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation – SMBC Group

Automatic tuning and multi-region availability have reduced manual workloads and improved performance management

The features of Microsoft Azure SQL Database that I like the most are easy scaling and high availability. I appreciate those features because it's easy to make Microsoft Azure SQL Database readily available in a multi-region infrastructure. Using Microsoft Azure SQL Database is very easy; it's much easier than SQL on-premise because I don't have to worry about deploying infrastructure, and I can rapidly deploy via infrastructure as code. I am using the automatic tuning feature in Microsoft Azure SQL Database. We are using the new feature of data encryption in Microsoft Azure SQL Database with customer-managed keys only. The reliability and stability of Microsoft Azure SQL Database platform are rock-solid; it's as good, if not better, than what our on-premise stability has been from an uptime perspective.

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KarimGarchi

Database Admin and Architect at D-EDGE Hospitality Solutions

Performance shines with seamless session caching and minimal configuration

The best features of Redis, from my personal perspective, are the performance, which is very quick, and it's very simple to implement. Since I started using Redis, I feel that the product is saving me some performance tuning time. It's very easy, I have few parameters to tune, and it seems to have performance without a lot of working on the performance, compared to Cassandra, where you have to configure the memory and many other settings. The integration capability of Redis is excellent. Redis is very affordable because it's free.

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881,114 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

14%

Computer Software Company

Manufacturing Company

Retailer

Financial Services Firm

26%

Computer Software Company

10%

Comms Service Provider

University

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	59
Midsize Enterprise	17
Large Enterprise	61

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	11
Midsize Enterprise	3
Large Enterprise	8

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.

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SQL Azure?

I would say I am at a basic experience level with the pricing, setup costs and licensing because while I am the administrator for the service, I do not provision the services and worry about the co...

What needs improvement with SQL Azure?

I have no comments at the moment on how Microsoft Azure SQL Database can be improved. I have no comments on additional features that I would like to see released in the next release. I do not have ...

What do you like most about Redis?

Redis is better tested and is used by large companies. I haven't found a direct alternative to what Redis offers. Plus, there are a lot of support and learning resources available, which help you u...

What needs improvement with Redis?

The disadvantage of Redis is that it's a little bit hard to have too many clusters or too many nodes and create the clusters. The sync between the nodes is easier to implement with Couchbase, for e...

What is your primary use case for Redis?

Redis is used for a part of a booking engine for travel, specifically for the front part to get some sessions and information about the sessions. If a customer or user is using the sites in differe...

Google Cloud SQL vs Microsoft Azure SQL Database

Comparisons

Compared 20% of the time

Amazon RDS vs Microsoft Azure SQL Database

Compared 16% of the time

MongoDB Atlas vs Microsoft Azure SQL Database

Compared 13% of the time

Azure Database for PostgreSQL vs Microsoft Azure SQL Database

Compared 9% of the time

EDB Managed DBaaS Service vs Microsoft Azure SQL Database

Compared 3% of the time

More Microsoft Azure SQL Database Competitors

Oracle Coherence vs Redis

Compared 8% of the time

Upstash vs Redis

Compared 7% of the time

Red Hat Data Grid vs Redis

Compared 7% of the time

Chroma vs Redis

Compared 6% of the time

Couchbase Enterprise vs Redis

Compared 4% of the time

More Redis Competitors

Product Reports

Microsoft Azure SQL Database

January 2026

Download Microsoft Azure SQL Database product report

Download Redis product report

January 2026

Also Known As

No data available

Redis Enterprise

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

Redis offers high-speed, in-memory storage, renowned for real-time performance. It supports quick data retrieval and is used commonly in applications like analytics and gaming.

Renowned for real-time performance, Redis delivers high-speed in-memory storage, making it a favorite for applications needing quick data retrieval. Its diverse data structures and caching capabilities support a broad array of use cases, including analytics and gaming. Redis ensures robust scalability with master-slave replication and clustering, while its publish/subscribe pattern renders it reliable for event-driven applications. The solution integrates smoothly with existing systems, minimizing performance tuning needs. Although documentation on scalability and security could be improved, Redis remains cost-effective and stable, commonly utilized in cloud environments. Enhancing integration with cloud services like AWS and Google Cloud and refining GUI may improve usability.

What are the key features of Redis?

High Speed: In-memory data storage for swift access.
Scalability: Master-slave replication and clustering for growth.
Data Structures: Supports diverse types for varied uses.
Persistence: RDB snapshots and AOF logs ensure durability.
Integration: Seamless integration reduces tuning efforts.

What should users look for in Redis reviews?

Performance: Real-time data retrieval boosts efficiency.
Cost-Effectiveness: Stable, budget-friendly implementation.
Versatility: Suitable for diverse environments and platforms.
Reliability: Ensures data persistence and high availability.

Redis finds application across industries for tasks like caching to improve application performance and speed, minimizing database load. It enables real-time processing for session storage, push notifications, and analytics. As a messaging platform, Redis handles high traffic and supports replication and clustering for cross-platform scalability.

Sample Customers

adnymics GmbH, LG CNS, Centrebet, netfabb GmbH, MedPlast, Accelera Solutions, Sochi Organizing Committee, realzeit GmbH

1. Twitter 2. GitHub 3. StackOverflow 4. Pinterest 5. Snapchat 6. Craigslist 7. Digg 8. Weibo 9. Airbnb 10. Uber 11. Slack 12. Trello 13. Shopify 14. Coursera 15. Medium 16. Twitch 17. Foursquare 18. Meetup 19. Kickstarter 20. Docker 21. Heroku 22. Bitbucket 23. Groupon 24. Flipboard 25. SoundCloud 26. BuzzFeed 27. Disqus 28. The New York Times 29. Walmart 30. Nike 31. Sony 32. Philips