IBM Db2 on Cloud vs Microsoft Azure SQL Database comparison

IBM and Microsoft are both solutions in the Database as a Service (DBaaS) category. IBM is ranked #11 with an average rating of 8.0, while Microsoft is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.7. IBM holds a 1.0% mindshare in DS, compared to Microsoft’s 17.1% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of IBM users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 96% of Microsoft users who would recommend it.

IBM Db2 on Cloud

Read 2 IBM Db2 on Cloud reviews

214 Views
175 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Microsoft Azure SQL Database

Read 116 Microsoft Azure SQL Database reviews

8,141 Views
3,439 Comparison Views

96% willing to recommend

IBM Db2 on Cloud

Microsoft Azure SQL Database

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 12, 2024

Microsoft Azure SQL Database and IBM Db2 on Cloud are leading cloud database solutions with distinct strengths. Users are more satisfied with the pricing and support of Microsoft Azure SQL Database, while IBM Db2 on Cloud is praised for its robust features, making it a preferred choice for complex database requirements.

Features: Microsoft Azure SQL Database impresses users with its scalability, automated backups, and advanced security features. IBM Db2 on Cloud is highly valued for its seamless integration capabilities, powerful analytics, and high availability. The main difference lies in IBM Db2 on Cloud's superior data analytics and integration.

Room for Improvement: Users of Microsoft Azure SQL Database desire better query performance optimization and more comprehensive documentation. For IBM Db2 on Cloud, users request more intuitive configuration options and enhanced customer support. Both products could improve their user education and support services.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Microsoft Azure SQL Database is commended for its straightforward deployment and reliable customer support. IBM Db2 on Cloud offers strong deployment options but occasionally falls short in timely customer service responses. Microsoft Azure SQL Database is preferred for its ease of use.

Pricing and ROI: Microsoft Azure SQL Database is praised for its cost-effectiveness and good ROI, especially for small to medium enterprises. IBM Db2 on Cloud, while more expensive, is seen as worth the investment for larger organizations needing advanced features. Microsoft Azure SQL Database offers better initial value, whereas IBM Db2 on Cloud provides long-term benefits for specific use cases.

To learn more, read our detailed IBM Db2 on Cloud vs. Microsoft Azure SQL Database Report (Updated: January 2025).

Buyer's Guide

IBM Db2 on Cloud vs. Microsoft Azure SQL Database

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

IBM Db2 on Cloud

Ranking in Database as a Service (DBaaS)

11th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Microsoft Azure SQL Database

Ranking in Database as a Service (DBaaS)

1st

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

116

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2025, in the Database as a Service (DBaaS) category, the mindshare of IBM Db2 on Cloud is 1.0%, up from 0.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Azure SQL Database is 17.1%, down from 18.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Database as a Service (DBaaS)

Featured Reviews

FarhanFarhan

Database Engineer at Meezan Bank

Multi-node architecture and it is good from a security point of view

I would rate the stability a seven out of ten. Most of the issues we faced during troubleshooting were due to specific bugs in the environment, and the only solution was to upgrade the database environment or services. But it is not easy to upgrade the database level when third-party applications are involved, as they are not always comfortable with upgrading. There should be some cumulative solution provided by IBM for their customers, just like other vendors. Upgrading to a certain version doesn't always resolve the issue. It might get resolved at the database level, but what about the other applications integrated with that database that are only compatible with older versions?

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Charley Hanania

Data Platform Specialist at QS2 AG - Quality Software Solutions

It is very easy to implement, manage, and offers great insights into what is happening inside the engine

Microsoft Azure SQL Database is integrated into other Azure capabilities and has a great foundation being on SQL Server with a long history of security, performance, and usability from a DBA perspective. Once you've set up a server, adding databases is easy. There's a minor challenge with having data in separate databases that you want to connect like we do on premises. I'm looking forward to using some of these new AI-driven functions that have come out around vectorization. Having the data closer to my transactional databases or data makes it easy to augment and enhance the Database and applications I currently use. It's great that Azure SQL now seamlessly integrates with Microsoft Fabric. It's a first-tier service in the cloud that connects to web applications and other databases. The data transformation orchestration capabilities within Database Factory and similar capabilities make it effortless to move that stuff forward.

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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

"Multiple business departments rely on reports and predictive analysis to make decisions for future business based on their data warehouse and Db2 network analytics tool. It helps our business department make decisions."

"The reliability is the most valuable feature. It is also user-friendly."

"SQL Server's ability to automate data processing and validation through virtual agents and integration with other Microsoft applications like Power Virtual Agents and Azure SQL has dramatically improved efficiency."

"The solution has become easier to use over time and it's also reasonably priced."

"The most valuable feature is PolyBase."

"Our productivity is the same as that of on-prem SQL."

"It's easy to use and maintain. If we look at the development of the maintenance team, we are not directly responsible for any infrastructure issues. We have too many positive sides to that. No maintenance, easy to use, and we'll know the limits very well."

"The most valuable aspects of this solution are the integration with the darknet stack especially Microsoft, table groups, supports major capability requirements, and SQL always-on feature."

"SQL Azure can integrate well with other Microsoft Windows services."

"The most valuable aspect of SQL Azure is the SQL language itself. It's open and everybody can use it at my company. Also, we thought in the beginning that the response time would be inadequate, but it's actually decent. It's much better than expected. Then again, I'm not a programmer, but that's what I hear from our development team."

More Microsoft Azure SQL Database pros

Cons

"I would give their support a ten if they had more tutorials available."

"In other environments like Oracle or Teradata, they provide their own solutions for troubleshooting issues. They provide built-in AI services or autonomous databases, which I don't see in the Db2 environment."

"I need something which is in one place so I can automate the Azure data factory, but it's a different tool. It's not easy and in one place, so I can't switch to the other tool and do something there, automate everything there in the on-prem infrastructure, and then have everything in the agent. I can just pick one packet and use it. However, I want to be able to click it and run it."

"The solution could be less expensive. They need to work on their pricing model."

"The solution’s pricing needs improvement because it is too high."

"Service Broker should be added in Azure Cloud. Service Broker is currently available only in the on-premises version."

"One area for improvement is setting up logs, especially for servers like VM SQL. It was also tricky to connect services on VNets to on-premise."

"There is so much information that it becomes confusing at times. The information can be more friendly. They could also provide additional training, especially at the beginning."

"Microsoft could improve its documentation and support."

"I feel that the price is high and it could be reduced."

More Microsoft Azure SQL Database cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available

"The solution is more cost-effective than Google BigQuery. Compared to Google BigQuery, downloading data can be more expensive."

"There is a license required to use the solution and it cost $30 to do the installation."

"Microsoft services are costly, which is the only problem we face. So, pricing is an area of improvement."

"The price could be slightly cheaper."

"The solution is moderately expensive."

"There is no licensing cost for the solution."

"In terms of the cost, SQL Azure is a pay-per-use solution, particularly because it's a cloud subscription, so you pay as much as you use it."

"Microsoft Azure SQL Database is not cheap."

More Microsoft Azure SQL Database pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

No data available

Educational Organization

72%

Computer Software Company

Financial Services Firm

Healthcare Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with IBM Db2 on Cloud?

In other environments like Oracle or Teradata, they provide their own solutions for troubleshooting issues. They provide built-in AI services or autonomous databases, which I don't see in the Db2 e...

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering IBM Db2 on Cloud?

Since I have worked with almost every product, including IBM, Teradata is far better than any other data warehouse product. It's a separate database with its own features, architecture, and working...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for IBM Db2 on Cloud?

It's a multi-node logical database clustered in three physical nodes. We use a lot of services already provided in our private cloud environment. It's a multi-node architecture.

See all answers

What do you like most about SQL Azure?

The automated scalability feature of SQL Azure has proven to be highly beneficial, particularly when deployed in the cloud.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SQL Azure?

The price for running the server increased more than expected in recent months, and better alignment of pricing expectations is needed. Notably, costs related to IT staff coming into the office on ...

See all answers

What needs improvement with SQL Azure?

We're trying to manage our costs better. We've noticed an unexpected increase in the cost of running the server over the past few months. Addressing pricing clarity and alignment would help us. Als...

See all answers

Comparisons

Google Cloud SQL vs IBM Db2 on Cloud

Compared 39% of the time

Amazon RDS vs IBM Db2 on Cloud

Compared 30% of the time

More IBM Db2 on Cloud Competitors

Google Cloud SQL vs Microsoft Azure SQL Database

Compared 43% of the time

Amazon RDS vs Microsoft Azure SQL Database

Compared 28% of the time

MongoDB Atlas vs Microsoft Azure SQL Database

Compared 16% of the time

Oracle Database as a Service vs Microsoft Azure SQL Database

Compared 7% of the time

Google Cloud Spanner vs Microsoft Azure SQL Database

Compared 2% of the time

More Microsoft Azure SQL Database Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Database as a Service (DBaaS)

January 2025

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Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Azure SQL Database

January 2025

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IBM

Microsoft

Overview

A fully-managed cloud SQL database. Powered by a turbo-charged Db2 engine.

Microsoft Azure SQL Database is a relational database-as-a-service that delivers predictable performance, scalability, business continuity, data protection, and near-zero administration to cloud developers and solution architects. This is the deep technical library for Azure SQL Database.

Sample Customers

Owens-Illinois, KONE Corp., Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue, Canon Europe, Delhaize America, Wimbledon

adnymics GmbH, LG CNS, Centrebet, netfabb GmbH, MedPlast, Accelera Solutions, Sochi Organizing Committee, realzeit GmbH

Buyer's Guide

IBM Db2 on Cloud vs. Microsoft Azure SQL Database

January 2025

Free Report: IBM Db2 on Cloud vs. Microsoft Azure SQL Database

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