Microsoft Azure vs Virtustream xStream comparison

Microsoft and Virtustream are both solutions in the Infrastructure as a Service Clouds (IaaS) category. Microsoft is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.4, while Virtustream is ranked #29. Microsoft holds a 16.6% mindshare in ISI, compared to Virtustream’s 0.2% mindshare. Additionally, 96% of Microsoft users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Virtustream users who would recommend it.

Microsoft Azure

Read 316 Microsoft Azure reviews

20,523 Views
10,877 Comparison Views

96% willing to recommend

Virtustream xStream

Read 1 Virtustream xStream review

192 Views
190 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Microsoft Azure

Virtustream xStream

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Microsoft Azure and Virtustream xStream based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Akamai and others in Infrastructure as a Service Clouds (IaaS).

To learn more, read our detailed Infrastructure as a Service Clouds (IaaS) Report (Updated: August 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Infrastructure as a Service Clouds (IaaS)

August 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

Ranking in Infrastructure as a Service Clouds (IaaS)

1st

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

316

Ranking in other categories

PaaS Clouds (1st)

Virtustream xStream

Ranking in Infrastructure as a Service Clouds (IaaS)

29th

Average Rating

9.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2025, in the Infrastructure as a Service Clouds (IaaS) category, the mindshare of Microsoft Azure is 16.6%, down from 18.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Virtustream xStream is 0.2%, down from 0.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Infrastructure as a Service Clouds (IaaS)

Featured Reviews

Nicolas Chabrier

Cloud Strategy B2B leader at Sunrise UPC

Promotes clear, logical structures preventing impractical configurations and offers seamless integration

The only thing is regarding the management of multi-cloud environments. That's not really possible. So basically, it's wonderful if you manage Microsoft clearly and if you manage Microsoft Azure, but if you need to consume external services and have a global overview of all your consumption, it's not the case. Google, for instance, has tools that help you manage multiple environments, which makes sense because Google is really the cloud provider. So that's why they need to be compliant with the others. But for sure, Microsoft's approach is different, and it's wonderful when you're one hundred percent on Azure. But if you'd like to have something more of a multi-cloud strategy, that's a bit of a gap where they could improve.

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RONNIE HENRY

Business Systems Manager at a consultancy with 1,001-5,000 employees

Improves efficiencies, has encryption, and great mission-critical customer support

Previously we had an amateur solution where we were managing on our own data center but we had the management in-house. It was a strategic move to give people who were more competent and with business focus other core initiatives. It was a strategic outsource model. The equipment we were using was out date and at the end of its life cycle, we had to make some transitions, do a hardware replacement, or move on. We moved on to this solution.

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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

"It's a great solution. It's so customizable. Every user can create dashboards to suit their needs. We can create and share them with our teammates easily, too."

"One of the most valuable features of Microsoft Azure is the compatibility with all of our Windows applications and other Microsoft technologies"

"The scalability is good."

"The pricing is quite good, and it is designed as pay-per-use."

"It's very scalable. We can scale up to 80-85% without issues."

"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 user interface is very good for administrators."

"The user interface is very nice and makes everything easy to use."

More Microsoft Azure pros

"The solution has encryption which we did not have before."

Cons

"The diagnostics should have more logs."

"One area where Microsoft Azure could improve is in offering a broader range of pre-built plugins and tools compared to AWS."

"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."

"Microsoft Azure is so complicated inside. If you should do something internally, if you have to configure something, the opinion about Azure is that it is a little complicated inside. That's why the end users and clients are looking for help and why we help them configure and do anything inside of Azure. That is why we offer other tools to optimize the Azure environment."

"They should include a cybersecurity feature to improve the protection of the systems. They could do better in terms of the pricing model. Its price keeps on changing. Their technical support can also be better."

"The pricing could be better."

"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."

"While integrating services from different vendors, the perceived costs are high, with occasional confusion about specific charges, especially in data transfer scenarios between regions."

More Microsoft Azure cons

"Our account representative was inexperienced, they could improve on how they are managing accounts."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It's a very expensive machine and I would like for them to improve the price. There are smaller sized competitors who offer cheaper prices."

"The cost of Microsoft Azure depends on the services that are used and there can be a discount at a corporate level from Microsoft."

"Microsoft Azure is a cost-effective solution where you use it as per your requirement and pay for it."

"The price of the solution could be cheaper in general. We are on a monthly subscription to the solution."

"Its price can be cheaper. Price is always an issue. We pay around $10,000 per month for all resources."

"The license is on a monthly basis."

"The cost is more or less the same across all cloud service providers."

"The cost of the solution could be reduced. However, I am using the free version."

More Microsoft Azure pricing and cost advice

"The solution is a bit expensive, we are still negotiating the price."

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Comparison Review

it_user8586

Engineer at a tech consulting company with 51-200 employees

Aug 14, 2013

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

13%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Computer Software Company

10%

University

No data available

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

Questions from the Community

Which is preferable - IBM Public Cloud or Microsoft Azure?

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 ...

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Which is better - SAP Cloud Platform or Microsoft Azure?

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 bo...

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How does Microsoft Azure compare to Google Firebase?

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...

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Comparisons

Alibaba Cloud vs Microsoft Azure

Compared 12% of the time

Pivotal Cloud Foundry vs Microsoft Azure

Compared 9% of the time

Amazon AWS vs Microsoft Azure

Compared 9% of the time

Red Hat OpenShift vs Microsoft Azure

Compared 9% of the time

SAP Cloud Platform vs Microsoft Azure

Compared 8% of the time

More Microsoft Azure Competitors

No data available

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Azure

August 2025

Download Microsoft Azure product report

Buyer's Guide

Infrastructure as a Service Clouds (IaaS)

August 2025

Download Virtustream xStream product report

Also Known As

Windows Azure, Azure, MS Azure

No data available

Overview

Microsoft Azure integrates services and offers flexibility, ensuring compatibility with diverse environments. Its scalability, security, and cost-efficient features enhance deployment and management, making it ideal for infrastructure services and application hosting.

Azure provides a comprehensive suite of tools for application deployment, virtual machine management, and data analytics. It allows seamless integration with Power BI and offers a user-friendly interface supported by detailed documentation and technical support. Though users appreciate its capabilities, they sometimes face challenges with costs, setup, and interface complexity, alongside integration and performance issues. Frequent updates and a learning curve are also noted, though Azure's cloud-based security and scalability remain critical for disaster recovery and business continuity.

What are Azure's key features?

Integrated Services: Ensures compatibility with Microsoft and non-Microsoft environments.
Scalability: Supports growing business demands with flexible computing power.
Security: Offers robust cloud-based security features for data protection.
Cost Efficiency: Provides options that optimize costs for diverse requirements.
Application Deployment: Facilitates quick rollout of apps and services.

What benefits should users expect from Azure?

Operational Optimization: Allows companies to streamline processes effectively.
Innovative Efficiency: Empowers businesses to innovate with powerful tools.
Reliable Support: Backed by strong technical support and comprehensive documentation.
Flexible Cloud Solutions: Offers a range of options for cloud migrations and infrastructure management.

Microsoft Azure is widely implemented in industries like financial services, healthcare, and logistics for hosting enterprise applications and vital services. Companies utilize its capabilities for IoT applications, DevOps, and Kubernetes clusters, benefiting from its cloud migrations, data analytics, and active directory support.

Microsoft

Virtustream's xStream Management Platform provides a unified, cloudagnostic control plane that integrates infrastructure orchestration, enterprise application automation and a suite of business intelligence and service management tools.

Virtustream

Sample Customers

BMW, Toyota, easyJet, NBC Sports, HarperCollins, Aviva, TalkTalk Business, Avanade, and Telenor.

Continental, Domino Foods, Florida Crystals, Intel, Lanx, UOL Group

Buyer's Guide

Infrastructure as a Service Clouds (IaaS)

August 2025

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We monitor all Infrastructure as a Service Clouds (IaaS) 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.