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reviewer1159494 - PeerSpot reviewer
Advisory Software Engineer at a tech services company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Jan 19, 2022
User-friendly, good performance for large volumes of data, but it is more expensive than some competitors
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature is the level of processing power, and being able to complete tasks in parallel."
  • "Integration with other products is an area that can be improved."

What is our primary use case?

We have a huge amount of data, and we need a platform where we can process the data using Spark clusters. We wanted an environment that included databases that are capable of parallel processing, and Azure Synapse was one of the best for that.

How has it helped my organization?

This product has given us a lot of processing power with the database, and at the backend as well.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature is the level of processing power, and being able to complete tasks in parallel. This is the feature that attracts us the most because we have a lot of data that we need to process in a short time.

This is a user-friendly environment.

What needs improvement?

Integration with other products is an area that can be improved.

Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Azure Synapse Analytics
January 2026
Learn what your peers think about Microsoft Azure Synapse Analytics. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: January 2026.
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For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with Microsoft Azure Synapse Analytics for between five and six months.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Synapse definitely seems like a stable product.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Synapse Analytics is deployed in a cloud environment and one of the best advantages of this is that it provides scalability.

How are customer service and support?

I have not had any experience with Microsoft technical support.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I also have experience with the services available on AWS.

How was the initial setup?

Configuring this solution was easy.

What about the implementation team?

We implemented it with our in-house team. I was part of the team, one of my colleagues was the solution architect, and we have some engineers that assisted us. It was a team effort.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The costs are billed such that we pay for what we use, which is a good thing. For example, we have an environment where we don't need access to certain services, so we don't have to pay for them.

Compared to the services available on AWS, this solution is a little bit pricey.

What other advice do I have?

At this point, Synapse Analytics is fulfilling all of our requirements for the use cases that we have.

I would rate this solution a seven out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Private Cloud

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Microsoft Azure
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. partner
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reviewer1748685 - PeerSpot reviewer
President at a tech company with self employed
Real User
Jan 15, 2022
Good analytics, and has good technical support
Pros and Cons
  • "I have been working with Microsoft, and they have been very helpful."
  • "If I'm looking for something good in the cloud, I would want it to have better standard connectors."

What is our primary use case?

We use Microsoft Azure Synapse Analytics for analytics.

What needs improvement?

If I'm looking for something good in the cloud, I would want it to have better standard connectors.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with Microsoft Azure Synapse Analytics for two years.

We are up-to-date with the latest version.

How are customer service and support?

I have been working with Microsoft, and they have been very helpful.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

It's the only product I've used. I'm not sure what's wrong or what could be done better.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

I don't know about the price, but I'm trying to get a sense of the cost. I believe having a good comparison would help.

What other advice do I have?

This is the only product I've ever used, as such, it's extremely difficult for me to say anything about it. For example, if I needed a bike, and now I have one and am riding it. If you ask me some questions, it's difficult for me to say, "Oh, I really missed this one on my first bike," unless I've ridden a few bikes. I'm not sure why everything is the way it is. I had a need, and I'm only using it now.

I'm trying to understand what else is out there and how it compares to what is out there.

I am able to use it. If I am able to use it, I would rate Microsoft Azure Synapse Analytics an eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Azure Synapse Analytics
January 2026
Learn what your peers think about Microsoft Azure Synapse Analytics. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: January 2026.
881,082 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Chief Data Architect - Europe at a computer software company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Jan 13, 2022
Seamlessly integrates with Azure services, but should support cross-database queries
Pros and Cons
  • "Its seamless integration with Azure services is most valuable. If somebody wants to use all Azure services, it is the best solution."
  • "Its stability is an issue. They have been releasing a version every six months to one year, which means that there are many versions available, and clients are not up to speed on the latest one that they're offering. From a stability point of view, they could do better. They're still upgrading their Synapse Analytics workspace, and it is not that stable. Its scalability can also be better."

What is our primary use case?

It is useful for Azure services. I am using its latest version.

What is most valuable?

Its seamless integration with Azure services is most valuable. If somebody wants to use all Azure services, it is the best solution.

The ability to integrate with different Azure services from within the Synapse Analytics workspace is also valuable.

What needs improvement?

Its stability is an issue. They have been releasing a version every six months to one year, which means that there are many versions available, and clients are not up to speed on the latest one that they're offering. From a stability point of view, they could do better. They're still upgrading their Synapse Analytics workspace, and it is not that stable. Its scalability can also be better.

I would like to see support for cross-DB queries.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with this solution for three years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Its stability is an issue because they're still upgrading the Synapse Analytics workspace.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is scalable to a certain limit. It is not as scalable as Snowflake, but it is scalable.

What other advice do I have?

There are many available versions of Azure Synapse, such as Azure Synapse SQL Datawarehouse, Azure Synapse Analytics, and Azure Synapse Analytics workspace. You need to be aware of the features that you are looking for and accordingly choose the offering.

I would rate it a five out of 10.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Intwgrator
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reviewer1711455 - PeerSpot reviewer
Data Warehouse Architect and Developer at a wholesaler/distributor with 51-200 employees
Real User
Dec 22, 2021
Overall operates well and reliable
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution has been working well overall."

    What is our primary use case?

    I am using Microsoft Azure Synapse Analytics with Snowflake.

    What is most valuable?

    The solution has been working well overall.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using Microsoft Azure Synapse Analytics for approximately four years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    Microsoft Azure Synapse Analytics is stable.

    How are customer service and support?

    I have not needed to contact the support, everything seems to work.

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    The solution could improve by having better costing information.

    What other advice do I have?

    I rate Microsoft Azure Synapse Analytics a nine out of ten.

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    Public Cloud

    If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

    Microsoft Azure
    Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
    PeerSpot user
    Data Platform Architect at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
    Real User
    Dec 7, 2021
    Scalable and comprehensive, with easy Microsoft integration
    Pros and Cons
    • "Fills the gap between big data and classic data warehouses."
    • "Comes with a pretty steep learning curve."

    What is our primary use case?

    My primary use case of this solution is as a data warehouse.

    What is most valuable?

    The most valuable feature of this solution is its filling of the gap between big data and classic data warehouses. As a solution, Synapse allows you to do almost everything. 

    What needs improvement?

    An area for improvement would be advanced analytics. The product also comes with a pretty steep learning curve, which could be improved. In the next release, I would like an improvement in internal security, which currently doesn't work at all.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I've been working with this solution for about two years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    Initially, the product had some issues with stability, but these seem to have improved with time.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    Scalability is one of the main advantages of this solution.

    How are customer service and support?

    Tech support is ok but more difficult tickets can take a long time to solve.

    How was the initial setup?

    The setup was complicated because the data must be organized differently from the classic SQL database. There are also different techniques for query performance and managing caches, which makes the process more complicated.

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    Synapse is a very costly solution, and other products are available for less.

    What other advice do I have?

    One of the main pros of Synapse is the ability to work with the classic data warehouse and the big data. Another is the ability to use the Spark engine for preparation. Before implementing this product, consider whether it will provide the results you want. If you are already using Microsoft products, Synapse is easy to integrate. I would score this solution as eight out of ten.

    Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
    PeerSpot user
    BI Consultant at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
    Consultant
    Oct 27, 2021
    Straightforward installation, beneficial dedicated SQL pooling, but performance could improve
    Pros and Cons
    • "The integrated workspace in Microsoft Azure Synapse Analytics where everything comes together, such as Power BI and Data Factory, is very good. Additionally, the ability to do dedicated SQL pooling is a benefit."
    • "In the future, Microsoft Azure Synapse Analytics could improve the performance, there are other solutions that are better, such as Databricks."

    What is our primary use case?

    Microsoft Azure Synapse Analytics can be used for analytics and brings together data integration.

    What is most valuable?

    The integrated workspace in Microsoft Azure Synapse Analytics where everything comes together, such as Power BI and Data Factory, is very good. Additionally, the ability to do dedicated SQL pooling is a benefit.

    What needs improvement?

    Microsoft Azure Synapse Analytics can improve querying. I have recently used Microsoft Azure Synapse Analytics to connect to the Delta Lake file and I have noticed some issues. It has not been able to read the latest version of the Delta Lake file and I have found this to be a disadvantage that they can improve.

    In the future, Microsoft Azure Synapse Analytics could improve the performance, there are other solutions that are better, such as Databricks.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using Microsoft Azure Synapse Analytics for approximately six months.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    On the client's side, there are approximately 100 users of this solution.

    How are customer service and support?

    Have I reached out to Microsoft technical support in a few instances and we have raised a couple of tickets. A couple of agents have been knowledgeable, but not everyone is.

    How was the initial setup?

    The installation of Microsoft Azure Synapse Analytics was easy. It was not complicated, but I have not explored the VNet Injection or the Private Endpoint though I think it would be straightforward.

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    We are on a monthly payment plan for the use of Microsoft Azure Synapse Analytics.

    Which other solutions did I evaluate?

    We have done some comparisons between Microsoft Azure Synapse Analytics in many areas, such as processing queries, versus Databricks. We have found Databricks to be better in performance.

    What other advice do I have?

    I would recommend this solution to others. The client that I am working for, their preferred database is Synapse.

    I rate Microsoft Azure Synapse Analytics a seven out of ten.

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    Public Cloud
    Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
    PeerSpot user
    reviewer1679379 - PeerSpot reviewer
    Practice Director at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
    MSP
    Oct 2, 2021
    Scalable with okay technical support but could be more user-friendly
    Pros and Cons
    • "Technical support is okay in terms of the help they provide."
    • "The product could be more feature-rich."

    What is our primary use case?

    The solution is generally used as more of an Analytical Data Warehouse. It's more of an offline enterprise scale. Sometimes I've used it from a marketing perspective, as a marketing data platform. I've not really used it from a risk and the enterprise center as it tends to be more back office, and therefore less around the customer, and more around the finance procurement of HR risk and that type of thing.

    What is most valuable?

    The solution is scalable.

    It's better than a similar solution offered by Amazon.

    Technical support is okay in terms of the help they provide.

    What needs improvement?

    The product could be easier to use. For example, I find Snowflake more user-friendly. They should offer simpler operations.

    The initial setup could be faster.

    Technical support can get expensive as they charge per use. The product could do more around crowdsourcing to help users find answers or answer questions without having to resort to contacting technical support directly.

    The product could be more feature-rich.

    They should look at some of what AWS and Snowflake are doing. They've both got a feature stack and also push the integration of things. This is a little bit lacking with Azure.

    The analytics side of the solution is pretty weak right now. 

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have used this solution for a while. I used it before it was even called Synapse - when it was just Azure SQL Data Warehouse. It's been three or four years.

    How are customer service and support?

    Technical support is okay, however, it can get expensive. The more you use it, the more it costs. I do not like this particular model.

    Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

    I also have experience using Snowflake. I use both products. I originally started using Snowflake in 2017.

    How was the initial setup?

    The solution takes longer to set up than I would like. There are a lot of questions that need to be addressed with the customer, and this can draw out the process. 

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    You do have to pay more the more you use technical support.

    Clients have had a free year and then a monthly cost that they need to pay for licensing and access.

    What other advice do I have?

    I don't use it personally, as I'm a consultant. However, if I implement it for clients, I do use it.

    I'd rate the solution at a seven out of ten. There's still some work that needs to be done on the product that can make it a lot better.

    I would recommend the solution to a company if they were a Microsoft shop. In that case, it's the obvious thing for them to do and it's a good choice.

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    Public Cloud

    If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

    Microsoft Azure
    Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Implementer
    PeerSpot user
    it_user1670214 - PeerSpot reviewer
    Sr. Principal, Vice President - Digital Transformation & Strategic Pursuits Leader at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
    Real User
    Sep 18, 2021
    User-friendly, scalable, and reliable
    Pros and Cons
    • "We've had a good experience with technical support in general."
    • "Right now, we are really struggling with the performance. it's not as good as we had hoped."

    What is our primary use case?

    We have implemented our data warehouse on Synapse.

    What is most valuable?

    The solution has been reliable so far.

    The product is scalable, or, at least, that is my understanding. 

    We've had a good experience with technical support in general. They are helpful. 

    The solution has proven to be very user-friendly.

    What needs improvement?

    Right now, we are really struggling with the performance. it's not as good as we had hoped. 

    I cannot recall coming across any missing features. 

    One problem is that getting the query cost is not easy. I need to use multiple tools. It can be accessed through the web, or we have Azure Data Studio, or SSMS, and I only get the query cost in SSMS, the SQL Server Management Studio. In other tools, I'm not getting it. For example, in the web version or in Azure Data Studio, it is not available. They need to make it accessible in both of those places as well. 

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I haven't used the solution for very long. 

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    The performance on offer is lackluster. We were hoping for better. 

    That said, it is reliable, and if I get the required performance, I am happy with it. 

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    While I haven't really tested the scalability, it is my impression that the solution can scale and it shouldn't be an issue for any company to do so.

    How are customer service and technical support?

    Technical support is good. They are helping us in improving the performance. We're quite satisfied with the level of service they are offing us. They are helpful and responsive. 

    How was the initial setup?

    I did not handle the initial setup. That was handled by another party. Therefore, I don't have any insights into the process or how easy or difficult it was to implement. 

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    I don't have any insights into the licensing process. It is implemented on our client's side, and therefore, I'm not involved in that.

    What other advice do I have?

    We're just customers and end-users. My company does not have any relationship. It's our client who has a relationship with Microsoft.

    I'm not sure which version we are using, however, I would guess it is the latest version. I'm not 100% sure.

    Since the solution is still new to me, and I am having issues with performance, it's too early to say if I would recommend the solution to other users or companies. 

    I'd rate the solution at an eight out of ten.

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    Public Cloud
    Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
    PeerSpot user
    Buyer's Guide
    Download our free Microsoft Azure Synapse Analytics Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
    Updated: January 2026
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    Buyer's Guide
    Download our free Microsoft Azure Synapse Analytics Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.