Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB Reviews

We use different Azure services in the development of our solutions. Some of the services we use are Azure Cognitive Services, ADB2C, and SignalR.

For most of the solutions, we use a mixture of Azure SQL Database and Cosmos DB. We use Cosmos DB when the data size is huge, and we need to scale.

Currently, only two people in my organization are working on this solution: one developer and myself. In the future, I think once the system gets deployed, we will have thousands of users. 

Cosmos DB solves certain problems that relational databases cannot handle. It's a multimodal NoSQL database, and it's very scalable. One of the nice features is the ability to auto-scale, plus Cosmos DB's API is easy to use. 

I hope they improve the service. Before last year, improvements on Cosmos DB were very slow. I didn't see many changes in the functionality.

I have been using this solution for four years.

I would rate the stability as nine out of ten.

It's very scalable and fast.

I had developer support with Microsoft Azure. I faced a problem a few years ago, and they helped me solve it.

It's very easy to set up Cosmos DB. First, you decide what type of API to use, like SQL, Graph, etc., or if you want support for MongoDB or Cassandra APIs. I usually use SQL API. Once you choose the type of API, you create an account and a database. Then you create containers, and you can easily write queries.

I believe there will be a return on investment because using cloud solutions will remove all capital expenses. Cosmos DB's auto-scaling options minimize the cost. Choosing "pay as you go" services cuts costs especially when users are not using the system.

I hope Microsoft lowers the cost further.

We evaluated MongoDB and Cassandra, 

I would rate this solution as eight out of ten.

The APIs are improving and are easy to use. It is easy to set up a new database, and the auto scalability and support for different models are good features.

We use the product to input data that doesn't require structuring. 

Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB's most valuable feature is latency. 

The tool's pricing is expensive. 

I have been using the product since November 2021. 

Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB is stable. 

The product is scalable. My company has eight users. 

Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB's tech support is okay. 

Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB's deployment is straightforward. 

Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB's licensing costs are monthly. 

I rate the tool a nine out of ten. 

We normally use Cosmos DB for data storage.

There are a lot of security features that can be integrated with Cosmos DB. The solution is easy to use, and it is also easy to integrate with several things for database use cases.

I would like the speed of transferring data to be improved.

I’ve been using it for two to three years, and I’m working on the latest version.

The solution is stable.

The solution is very scalable. We have more than 1,000 users in our company.

The initial setup is straightforward. We deploy Cosmos DB once or twice a quarter. We have three or four teams handling deployment and maintenance, which is about 38 members.

We implement the solution in-house.

We are receiving an ROI with this solution.

Cost isn’t a big hurdle for us right now. The solution is not costly.

I recommend Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB to anyone who wants to use it. If you are using Azure Stack, it is a good solution to use

We handle JSON data and it is compatible with Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB. 

I have found Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB different from other SQL databases like RDBMS. It is non-SQL and helps to manage and manipulate data from the coding, rather than direct data and complex queries. It is quite flexible and offers a complete concentration on the coding part only. Even if one lacks expertise in complex queries, JSON and Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB are quite compatible with each other and makes the database options more enhanced and easy to operate. The additional SQL features allow you to go to Azure's portal and get the queries solved. 

I have been a devoted Microsoft fan, but Redis DB's memory caching capabilities are really making progress. Even if Cosmos DB is continuously improving and is quite advanced in the field of internal memory optimization, I would still recommend Redis DB to a customer. My dilemma still lies in the price of both solutions. I believe if Redis DB is superior and pricier than Cosmos DB, customers will be reluctant to use Redis DB.  

Memory streaming and various optimizations contribute to higher costs but also increased speed. Currently, there's nothing specific I can pinpoint that needs to be added – I haven't made any purchases yet. However, I am inclined to recommend working with it. 

I have worked with Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB for one year.

It is a stable solution. I rate the stability a nine out of ten.

It is a scalable solution. I rate the scalability a nine out of ten. 

We haven’t faced any issues that would make us contact service support or raise tickets

Positive

The solution's initial setup is easy. The deployment took almost one day. We migrated the services from the CRM system, converted them into JSON, and deployed it. I would rate the initial setup an eight out of ten. 

If a customer needs to store JSON data, and the solution doesn't require complex structure and reporting like BI reports and RDBMS, opting for a NoSQL database could be ideal. NoSQL databases are suitable when data isn't structured in a relational manner and when extensive normalization isn't a priority. For efficiently handling JSON data for UI purposes or other needs, a NoSQL database like Cosmos DB is the way to go.

However, in the NoSQL landscape, various options like Redis DB, CouchDB, MongoDB, and Cosmos DB exist. If a preference leans towards Microsoft technologies, then Cosmos DB becomes a logical choice. Comparing Cosmos DB with alternatives like Redis DB is advisable before making a final decision. Thus, my typical recommendation involves considering these factors.

I would Cosmos DB a nine out of ten.

I use Cosmos DB for geolocation identification.

If you pass by a market on the street, it sends me your location. My application will then send you a personalized notification about relevant products you can buy at the market.

The best feature is the velocity of making queries. 

I would like to see better documentation for this solution. 

The pricing of the solution should be reduced. 

I have been using Cosmos DB for one year. 

I would rate stability an eight out of ten. 

I would rate scalability a five out of ten. 

I would rate technical support a ten out of ten. 

The initial setup is straightforward. It's very easy to start a function or application with Azure. 

The solution is very expensive. 

I would overall rate the solution an eight out of ten.

We use Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB for faster databases.

The most valuable feature of the solution is that it is scalable with multiple master files. The performance of the solution is also good.

Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB's pricing model is complicated, which people don't understand. So, the pricing model should be improved.

I have been using Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB for five years.

Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB is a stable solution.

Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB is a highly scalable solution, and 15 to 20 people use the solution in my organization.

I rate Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB’s technical support an eight out of ten. They do take some time to get to the root of a problem.

Positive

The initial setup is straightforward and needs a few tools to upload.

We have had an ROI with the solution.

The pricing model of Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB is a bit complex.

We are using Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB as a cloud-based solution. Two admins and one manager are required for the deployment and maintenance of the solution.

New users must keep an eye on its pricing models and configure them properly.

Overall, I rate Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB an eight out of ten.

Primarily, people do not have a clear understanding of the cloud and cloud services. Customers are a little bit scared about taking their data onto the cloud, and they think and they assume that it is not safe. So we just make them understand that databases or services on the cloud are more secure than on-premises infrastructure.

The performance point can be improved because when we run a search query on our on-premises machine and develop connectivity, a response comes in. But sometimes, the response gets delayed, and it can be due to network latency or something else we are yet to figure out.

Performance and high availability are two features I want to be added in the next release because that is the basic requirement of customers. Mostly, we have customers with the bank and banking institutions, and they want their databases perfectly integrated with the high availability feature.

I have been using Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB for less than a year.

It is a stable product. I would give it an eight out of ten. 

It is a quite scalable product. I give it a nine out of ten. There are more than ten users using this product. 

The initial setup was difficult. I would give it a six or seven out of ten.

The pricing depends on the budget allocated to the client; for some, it can be high, and for some not high. But mostly, when the prices are moderate, they are not very high. I would rate it a seven out of ten.

It's a highly scalable, highly robust, and very user-friendly solution. It is easy to set up; the most important point is that it is on a cloud. The solution is also very easy to deploy. Only some connectivity features need to be developed.

I give it an eight out of ten.

At the end of the day, Cosmos DB is a database. It is a wrapper over different APIs.

We use Cosmos DB both internally and with our customers. Our internal use is quite extensive. The usage with our customers depends on whether it is an approved technology within their ecosystem.

Because Cosmos DB uses multiple APIs, it is the go-to database for us internally.

Cosmos DB makes life easier because if we want to use Mongo-type data, or Cassandra-type data, or maybe even just a simple cable storage-type data, then graph, there are multiple ways to do this. With Cosmos DB, we can put together a holistic solution when it comes to Azure security policies, Azure Monitor, and access control.

By design, Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB provides multiple APIs. You have to decide where to write to. Will you write to Excel, Word, PPT, or OneNote? You have to do the homework properly. If there is no tool, then there will be no provision, then there is no database.

I would like to see Cosmos DB introduce a feature that would convert machine language to human-readable queries. For example, if we want to generate a simple diagram that shows the relationship between devices and how frequently have they failed at various locations, we have to consider that the IoT data that is put into Cosmos DB, called byte codes, is not readable to humans. This is a machine language type of data. So when we push that type of data it looks like gibberish, because it is not meant for us, meaning we can't write a normal query. We have been asking for years for them to work with the IoT partner to provide a feature to convert the machine language to readable human queries.

I have been using Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB for three years.

The solution is stable. I would give it a five out of five for reliability.

The architectural decisions will tell you how the scaling will happen. 

Scalability is based on the requirements that are set. Configuration decisions can be implemented pretty fast, so the solution scales well. We are predominantly in the US and India, so it is easy to decide which geographies we need to have and which data we need to synchronize. 

For some of our customers, there are data residency rules like the UAE for example, where patient data must stay within the UAE, making it only one geography. When this is the case, we go for multiple replicas. 

Internally, we have more than 150 developers who use Cosmos DB. Overall, the scalability of the solution is a five out of five.

Product support is pretty good. They have a very good roadmap and the team provides regular patches and regular service updates, and they have a very good release plan.

Microsoft's technical support is good, I rate it a five out of five.

Positive

The initial setup depends on the type of setup you require. You have to design it properly. The architects need to do some homework to ensure the purpose and the requirements are clear. There are many design decisions that must be made first. Once those decisions are made, the initial setup is quite easy. 

Deployment of the solution was completed within a week.

Overall, I would give the solution a four out of five for ease of setup.

The deployment of Cosmos DB was completed internally, we managed it ourselves.

The cost is intricate, the calculator is complex because the cloud is all about counting every penny. It may look like small numbers, $0.001 per GB per day, but when we are talking of terabytes of data per day and the numbers will stack up. One month, we had over 500 terabytes. That's why you need a database expert to design it carefully and spend ample time number crunching. If done properly, the ROI will be good.

I would rate Cosmos DB a four out of five in terms of ROI.

Cosmos DB is expensive compared to any virtual machine based on conventional RDBMS like MySQL or PostgreSQL. The reason it is expensive is that it is scalable, reliable and there is no latency. So while Cosmos DB is considered expensive, what a lot of people miss is that the cost includes reliability, scalability, and responsiveness.

Cost also depends on the number of databases, number of replica locations, synchronization, number of queries per minute, and storage. Every client will have a different usage pattern. 

Overall, I would rate Cosmos DB a three out of five in terms of affordability. It is easy to over-provision, and it is easy to under-provision the solution.

Prior to choosing Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB, we did try other tools extensively. Because we have servers, we tried MongoDB, SQL Server, MySQL, and PostgreSQL. We settled on Cosmos DB internally because we didn't want to go for machines and trojaning. We wanted to adopt a platform as a service.  

Cost also ended up being a driving factor.

Overall, I would rate Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB a 10 out of 10.

We have a massive quantity of data that we need to maintain, and we can't put it in a relational database since we need all of the data and want it to be queried quickly.

We maintain it in non-relational databases such as Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB.

It's not a specific feature that I value, but the scalability of this system is the most impressive aspect.

The UI should be improved since if you provide the option to query directly when signing into the Azure portal, it makes no sense if you have such a poor UI for querying that you can't even feed the reports correctly. 

It should offer a simple user interface for querying Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB.

I have been using Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB for a long time, almost forever.

We are always working with the latest version.

It's fairly stable. I have no complaints about the stability of Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB.

Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB is fully scalable.

Users do not connect to Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB directly. Our APIs connect to Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB and are then used by the front end. 

Estimating the number of users is impossible.

Because our complete setup is in Microsoft, we have access to the most premium Microsoft assistance, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We have never had a problem with technical support.

The initial setup is straightforward.

The RU's use case determines our license fees. It fluctuates based on how many RUs we have. It's not a fixed-line.

Because our whole solution was hosted on Azure, this was the default option for us. We didn't look into any other possibilities.

I would recommend this solution to others who are interested in using it.

I would rate Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB a seven out of ten.

The company is using Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB for business intelligence information, specifically for demand management.

What I like about Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB is that it's easy to do data ingestion and use the data in different applications. If you talk about business intelligence such as the Power BI tool, it's easy to connect because both are Microsoft products. With Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB, it's easy to connect and do data ingestion.

At the moment, because I'm still new in terms of using Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB, I don't have any feedback regarding areas for improvement in the product. So far, it has met all the expectations and needs of my company.

It would be nice to have more options to ingest the data, for example, more file options or more search options. Currently, you can use JSON, but if there were other file types you can use for data ingestion, that would be nice. This is the additional feature I'd like to see in the next release of Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB.

I've been using Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB for the past six months.

Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB is a stable product.

Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB is a scalable product.

We have a partnership with Microsoft, so the response time of the technical support team for Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB is really good at the moment.

Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB was easy to set up.

I've been using Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB, a cloud DB solution. It's deployed in a cloud environment, on a public cloud with security for ourselves.

My company is a partner of Microsoft and also a reseller.

My advice to people looking into implementing Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB is that it would be good for them to use, specifically if they are looking for a NoSQL database to ingest the data and do data discovery using the data in a BI tool. It's easy to ingest the data and work with the data in Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB and understand that, because it is not a SQL database, which means it's not as structured. You can add data, and then do a data discovery, and use it the best way for you. I would recommend Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB.

My rating for Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB is eight out of ten.