Google Cloud Storage Nearline vs Microsoft Azure Block Storage comparison

Google and Microsoft are both solutions in the Public Cloud Storage Services category. Google is ranked #9 with an average rating of 7.5, while Microsoft is ranked #11 with an average rating of 8.4. Google holds a 6.1% mindshare in PCSS, compared to Microsoft’s 2.2% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Google users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 94% of Microsoft users who would recommend it.

Google Cloud Storage Nearline

Read 10 Google Cloud Storage Nearline reviews

1,582 Views
1,566 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Microsoft Azure Block Storage

Read 67 Microsoft Azure Block Storage reviews

990 Views
644 Comparison Views

94% willing to recommend

Google Cloud Storage Nearline

Microsoft Azure Block Storage

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 1, 2024

Google Cloud Storage Nearline and Microsoft Azure Block Storage are two leading cloud storage solutions. Azure Block Storage offers superior features and customer deployment experience, while Nearline is more affordable based on pricing.

Features: Google Cloud Storage Nearline integrates seamlessly with Google’s ecosystem and offers excellent scalability. Microsoft Azure Block Storage provides advanced security features and robust disaster recovery solutions. Azure Block Storage outperforms in security and recovery, whereas Nearline excels in integration and scalability.

Room for Improvement: Google Cloud Storage Nearline needs faster data retrieval speeds and enhanced data management tools. Microsoft Azure Block Storage requires improvements in user guidance and cost transparency. Nearline could benefit from performance enhancements, and Azure from clearer cost and user guidance.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Google Cloud Storage Nearline is easy to deploy but has mixed reviews on customer service responsiveness. Microsoft Azure Block Storage offers comprehensive deployment support and higher customer service ratings. Azure leads in deployment support and service quality compared to Nearline’s fewer deployment issues.

Pricing and ROI: Google Cloud Storage Nearline offers lower entry costs and good ROI for small to medium-sized enterprises. Microsoft Azure Block Storage, despite higher setup costs, is seen as providing better long-term ROI due to advanced features. Nearline is budget-friendly, while Azure presents better value in the long run.

To learn more, read our detailed Google Cloud Storage Nearline vs. Microsoft Azure Block Storage Report (Updated: December 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Google Cloud Storage Nearline vs. Microsoft Azure Block Storage

December 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

Google Cloud Storage Nearline

Ranking in Public Cloud Storage Services

9th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Microsoft Azure Block Storage

Ranking in Public Cloud Storage Services

11th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

5.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2026, in the Public Cloud Storage Services category, the mindshare of Google Cloud Storage Nearline is 6.1%, down from 9.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Azure Block Storage is 2.2%, up from 0.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Public Cloud Storage Services Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Google Cloud Storage Nearline	6.1%
Microsoft Azure Block Storage	2.2%
Other	91.7%

Public Cloud Storage Services

Featured Reviews

reviewer2662839

Works

Seamless integration with cloud services improves workflows but documentation needs enhancement

One area that needs improvement is the documentation, which I find to be disorganized and not user-friendly. The lack of comprehensive walkthrough guides for specific use cases makes it difficult to follow. To enhance the experience, more detailed examples, guides, and tutorials from start to finish would be beneficial. Additionally, the cost compared to other providers like Amazon could be regarded as a downside.

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Ajai Jayakumar

Solution Architect at a computer software company with 501-1,000 employees

Has supported secure file sharing and data automation with minimal setup effort

The encryption feature in Microsoft Azure Block Storage is very good, and the security is excellent. It is easy to map the storage to the virtual servers and user desktops, which is also very beneficial. I can perform automations on the data, such as moving hot data and cold data, and I can select storage based on performance. The security provided by Microsoft around Microsoft Azure Block Storage is a very good function. The replication feature in Microsoft Azure Block Storage is a very good function. The analytic capabilities of Microsoft Azure Block Storage can help optimize resources. I usually work with a third-party tool; our data analytics team uses some custom-made tools for analytics data and dashboards, so we do not use the Microsoft dashboard; we are using a third-party dashboard. It is very easy to manage Microsoft Azure Block Storage. If you have good knowledge of it, it is very easy to manage. Microsoft Azure Block Storage service is a very good, 100% reliable service. It is highly scalable, and performance-wise and reliability-wise, it does not go down. It provides 99.9% uptime without downtime, so it is a very good feature. The backup and restoration efficiency of Microsoft Azure Block Storage is good.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"It provides the necessary support and flexibility to manage data storage effectively, especially during times of variable data flow."

"Nearline is highly stable."

"The most valuable aspect of Google Cloud Storage Nearline is its integration with the wider Google Cloud ecosystem."

"The data structure and the types of data that are supported are very good."

"The capacity and space on offer are excellent."

"The most valuable aspect of Google Cloud Storage Nearline is its integration with the wider Google Cloud ecosystem."

"The most valuable feature of Nearline is the access. It's helpful to move data that is generated once a month, such as salary information, to Nearline."

"The best part of Nearline storage is the ability to take backups at optimal costs and its availability across multiple regions."

More Google Cloud Storage Nearline pros

"The ability to increase and scale out is really easy, allowing us to manage a large amount of data with reduced dependency on scalability issues."

"The most valuable part of Microsoft Azure is its scalability and availability, which make it easy to work with."

"The public access with more security available is valuable."

"It is very easy to manage Microsoft Azure Block Storage; if you have good knowledge of it, it is very easy to manage, and Microsoft Azure Block Storage service is a very good, 100% reliable service that provides 99.9% uptime without downtime."

"One can easily scale with this program."

"It provides secure cloud storage."

"The initial setup is very simple and straightforward."

"The solution is easy to purchase and is a Microsoft product, making procurement straightforward."

More Microsoft Azure Block Storage pros

Cons

"One area that needs improvement is the documentation, which I find to be disorganized and not user-friendly."

"The interface for managing file storage in the buckets could be improved."

"They need a better, more visual, user interface for folders and files."

"From a storage standpoint, it would be beneficial if the retrieval cost could be optimized, as it is comparatively higher than storage costs in Nearline."

"The UI could be a little bit more effective."

"The pricing is quite high."

"One area that needs improvement is the documentation, which I find to be disorganized and not user-friendly."

"Nearline security could be better. The solution could integrate better with SEIM tools."

More Google Cloud Storage Nearline cons

"Microsoft Azure Block Storage could improve the SFTP. The SFTP can be used for exchanging data between two parties and it works but Microsoft is new to this market and they could be a lot better in this area with its features."

"The solution’s user interface could be improved."

"I want to see my region added to the data center. I'm in Africa, and if a data center is specifically added under Central Africa, that will reduce data latency when accessing data."

"The cache issue needs to be addressed to ensure that the correct file is downloaded, especially when it's done manually into the local storage."

"It is also costly and not cheap compared to Internet-based networks."

"The platform's technical support services could be enhanced. They could provide better resolution and improve the response time."

"Licensing costs are pretty high."

"Support is an area where improvements can be made, particularly in response time for enterprise support."

More Microsoft Azure Block Storage cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Google Cloud Storage Nearline is very inexpensive. It costs us less than $50 a month to store our files. We use approximately 10 terabytes. Overall, I would rate the product a five out of five for affordability."

"Right now, for the number of servers and the storage that I have, I would say I'm charged between $125 and $150 per month."

"We pay around $300 to $400 a month for some scenarios where consumption is limited. However, going forward, we're seeing the likelihood of the cost coming to around $2,000 as consumption rises."

"I use Microsoft Azure Block Storage's free version."

"The pricing for Microsoft Azure Block Storage is high because of MSA and SBA contracts, where Microsoft takes care of the security aspects, apart from the maintenance, and Microsoft has service level agreements with the customers."

"Microsoft Azure Block Storage is a pretty cheap and affordable product, so we have not seen any budget issues related to the solution in our company."

"The price of Microsoft Azure Block Storage has a fair price. However, the price could be lower."

"The solution requires an input-output operations fee as well as pay per gigabyte of storage."

"I would rate the solution’s pricing a nine out of ten and it’s cheaper than Amazon S3."

"The cost of procuring storage depends on the customer's license availability."

More Microsoft Azure Block Storage pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

15%

University

10%

Comms Service Provider

Financial Services Firm

Marketing Services Firm

18%

Manufacturing Company

12%

Performing Arts

Non Tech Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	5
Midsize Enterprise	1
Large Enterprise	2

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	26
Midsize Enterprise	14
Large Enterprise	24

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Google Cloud Storage Nearline?

The storage and access cost of Nearline are considered optimal compared to other cloud storage solutions, although I lack a clear view of other cloud storage costs.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Google Cloud Storage Nearline?

From a storage standpoint, it would be beneficial if the retrieval cost could be optimized, as it is comparatively higher than storage costs in Nearline.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Google Cloud Storage Nearline?

I mostly use Google Cloud Storage Nearline ( /products/google-cloud-storage-nearline-reviews ) for backing up data that is not needed for daily activities. It is ideal for files that need to be sto...

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What do you like most about Microsoft Azure Block Storage?

We use the solution to develop SaaS platforms on Azure. We utilize various Microsoft components like block storage and databases for this purpose.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Azure Block Storage?

Our experience with pricing has been positive. The budget for Microsoft Azure services has been within expectations for the last couple of months. The cost for Azure Data Factory ( /products/azure-...

See all answers

What needs improvement with Microsoft Azure Block Storage?

For improvement in Microsoft Azure Block Storage, they can provide tiered level storages, maybe low-cost storages for storing archive data, but it is already there. I do not think there is much to ...

See all answers

Comparisons

Amazon S3 Glacier vs Google Cloud Storage Nearline

Compared 79% of the time

Amazon S3 vs Google Cloud Storage Nearline

Compared 13% of the time

Microsoft Azure File Storage vs Google Cloud Storage Nearline

Compared 5% of the time

More Google Cloud Storage Nearline Competitors

Amazon EBS (Elastic Block Store) vs Microsoft Azure Block Storage

Compared 18% of the time

Rackspace Cloud Block Storage vs Microsoft Azure Block Storage

Compared 15% of the time

Amazon EFS (Elastic File System) vs Microsoft Azure Block Storage

Compared 12% of the time

Amazon S3 Glacier vs Microsoft Azure Block Storage

Compared 11% of the time

Wasabi vs Microsoft Azure Block Storage

Compared 7% of the time

More Microsoft Azure Block Storage Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Google Cloud Storage Nearline

January 2026

Download Google Cloud Storage Nearline product report

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Azure Block Storage

January 2026

Download Microsoft Azure Block Storage product report

Also Known As

No data available

MS Azure Block Storage

Overview

A low-cost, highly-durable and highly available storage service for infrequently accessed data, data archiving, online backup and disaster recovery. Data is available instantly, not within hours or days. With sub-second average response times and 1 cent per GB/month pricing, Cloud Storage Nearline gives you terrific performance at a low cost.

Google

Massively scalable cloud storage for your applications

Store and help protect your data. Get durable, highly available data storage across the globe and pay only for what you use.

Microsoft

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

Mazda, BlinkBox, Rakuten Showtime, Xbox One, Serko, ChronoDrive

Buyer's Guide

Google Cloud Storage Nearline vs. Microsoft Azure Block Storage

December 2025

Free Report: Google Cloud Storage Nearline vs. Microsoft Azure Block Storage

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