Google Cloud Storage Nearline vs Microsoft Azure File Storage comparison

Google and Microsoft are both solutions in the Public Cloud Storage Services category. Google is ranked #12 with an average rating of 7.7, while Microsoft is ranked #4 with an average rating of 8.3. Google holds a 9.6% mindshare in PCSS, compared to Microsoft’s 12.0% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Google users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 97% of Microsoft users who would recommend it.

Google Cloud Storage Nearline

Read 9 Google Cloud Storage Nearline reviews

1,721 Views
1,513 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Microsoft Azure File Storage

Read 47 Microsoft Azure File Storage reviews

3,607 Views
2,952 Comparison Views

97% willing to recommend

Google Cloud Storage Nearline

Microsoft Azure File Storage

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 1, 2024

Google Cloud Storage Nearline and Microsoft Azure File Storage both offer cloud storage solutions with distinct advantages. Google Cloud Storage Nearline seems to have the upper hand in cost-effectiveness for less frequently accessed data, while Microsoft Azure File Storage excels in versatility and integration with Windows environments.

Features: Google Cloud Storage Nearline provides cost-effective storage for infrequently accessed data, seamless integration with Google Cloud services, and robust data reliability. Microsoft Azure File Storage offers strong file sharing capabilities, SMB access, and easy integration with Windows environments.

Room for Improvement: Google Cloud Storage Nearline could improve its retrieval times, offer more comprehensive documentation, and enhance customer support. Microsoft Azure File Storage could better support larger-scale deployments, reduce latency periods, and simplify deployment in non-Windows environments.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Google Cloud Storage Nearline offers straightforward deployment processes but needs better customer service support. Microsoft Azure File Storage provides smooth deployment within Windows-based systems and reliable customer service, although it faces complexities in non-Windows environments.

Pricing and ROI: Google Cloud Storage Nearline has a highly competitive pricing model, making it ideal for cold data storage. Microsoft Azure File Storage, priced higher, delivers better ROI through its array of features and integration capabilities, justifying the cost for organizations needing these functionalities.

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

Buyer's Guide

Google Cloud Storage Nearline vs. Microsoft Azure File Storage

January 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

12th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Microsoft Azure File Storage

Ranking in Public Cloud Storage Services

4th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2025, in the Public Cloud Storage Services category, the mindshare of Google Cloud Storage Nearline is 9.6%, up from 4.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Azure File Storage is 12.0%, down from 12.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Public Cloud Storage Services

Featured Reviews

AmitKumar36

Solution Architect at HCL Technologies

Flexible, seamless, and scalable document storage with AI and analytics integration, providing reliable support

The solution is very flexible in terms of scalability. It is an online service, so we can scale it anytime with some pre-planning. I rate the scalability a nine out of ten. As for the users using this solution in our organization, that varies according to what time of the day and what day it is, but it goes around 2,000 to 3,000 users. The maximum is about 3,000. On average, it stays somewhere between 2,000 and 1,800.

Read full review

PrashanthR

Lead Software Engineer at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees

Seamlessly streamlines document processing with advanced file storage and OCR integration

We need to store data over there. We process documents through Kofax Time is a major benefit, as well as ease of processing. With configuration, it happens quite easily, and we can finish tasks early. File storage is complemented by OCR with Azure Cognitive Service. This enhances the processing…

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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

"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."

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

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

"The capacity and space on offer are excellent."

"I find the flexibility in storing documents or data and the ease of retrieval valuable with this solution."

"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."

More Google Cloud Storage Nearline pros

"It's a stable product."

"The functionality is easy."

"I like that Microsoft Azure File Storage works fine and is quick to deploy. It's also easy to connect to it, particularly when connecting it with my on-premise file servers."

"The most significant aspect of Microsoft Azure File Storage is its life cycle functionality, which enables us to transfer files to various storage options, such as hot storage, full storage, and archive. This feature is crucial since we can apply a life cycle method to files that have not been in use for an extended period, and then move them to a cheaper cold storage option to save costs. Since the newest files are stored in the hot storage, it met our specific requirements. Consequently, older files can be transferred to archive and cold storage."

"Azure File Storage gives us easy access to cloud solutions at the storage level."

"Very user-friendly and intuitive."

"Implementations with other products are easy."

"The initial setup is straightforward and takes approximately twenty minutes."

More Microsoft Azure File Storage pros

Cons

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

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

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

"The suggestion for improvement primarily revolves around cost efficiency."

"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."

"The solution needs to offer better System Information and Event Management (SEIM). I'd like to discover how we could implement something like that within Google's cloud."

More Google Cloud Storage Nearline cons

"It’s a challenge to find the right support person."

"Maybe Microsoft can make it more economical because it is a costly affair."

"The solution is not user-friendly."

"Lacks integration with other platforms."

"I have had issues migrating my data to another subscription."

"The product must provide better security functions."

"Firewall rules should be introduced to secure the access date from any virus attacks. Anti-virus should be introduced in the work filtering and document filtering."

"Microsoft Azure File Storage needs more integrations. In the future, I also want to see GRC added to the portal. If you enroll or sign up for Azure services, your country may not have GRC available in the portal, so you may have to choose a strange country, for example, Kenya, to activate credit."

More Microsoft Azure File 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."

"There are fewer hidden costs involved compared to other solutions, and when our customer is already a Microsoft partner, they typically have access to more affordable fees."

"For one terabyte of data, we are spending about 150 Euro every month."

"The price of Microsoft Azure File Storage is expensive, we do not know exactly how the price is calculated."

"The solution is a bit pricey compared to AWS and Google."

"The product's pricing need improvement."

"The price is comparable to other competitive solutions."

"One needs to pay according to the storage they plan to use in the solution. The payments are to be made yearly. It is usually monthly, but we opted for yearly subscriptions in our company."

"We have Microsoft Azure File Storage's enterprise license."

More Microsoft Azure File Storage pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

22%

University

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

16%

Financial Services Firm

11%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Google Cloud Storage Nearline?

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.

See all answers

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

The pricing of the different storage classes is hard to compare. The higher the zone, the higher the price. The advantage is that you can access the data frequently, and the speed of the response i...

See all answers

What needs improvement with Google Cloud Storage Nearline?

The UI could be a little bit more effective. Now, the UI is just a white background, but it's really helpful if there are options to change the theme. I prefer that.

See all answers

Which file storage system is better - Amazon EFS (elastic file storage) or Azure File Storage?

Amazon EFS is easy to set up: you can use the AWS management console, API, or command-line. Amazon EFS can grow to petabytes and deliver consistent low latencies and high levels of throughput. This...

See all answers

What do you like most about Microsoft Azure File Storage?

The product is a reliable cloud solution.

See all answers

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

The price is almost the same as the competition. I would rate it three or three and a half out of ten on the pricing scale.

See all answers

Comparisons

Amazon S3 Glacier vs Google Cloud Storage Nearline

Compared 97% of the time

Amazon S3 vs Google Cloud Storage Nearline

Compared 3% of the time

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

Compared 48% of the time

Azure NetApp Files vs Microsoft Azure File Storage

Compared 18% of the time

Wasabi vs Microsoft Azure File Storage

Compared 15% of the time

Amazon S3 vs Microsoft Azure File Storage

Compared 8% of the time

Amazon S3 Glacier vs Microsoft Azure File Storage

Compared 6% of the time

More Microsoft Azure File Storage Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Google Cloud Storage Nearline

February 2025

Download Google Cloud Storage Nearline product report

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Azure File Storage

February 2025

Download Microsoft Azure File Storage product report

Also Known As

No data available

MS Azure File 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

Fully managed file shares that use the standard SMB 3.0 protocol

Key scenarios:

Share data across on-premises and cloud servers
Migrate file share-based applications to the cloud with no code changes
Integrate modern applications with File storage
Simplify hosting for high availability workload data

Microsoft

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

Talon, Camden

Buyer's Guide

Google Cloud Storage Nearline vs. Microsoft Azure File Storage

January 2025

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

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