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 8.6. IBM holds a 0.9% mindshare in DS, compared to Microsoft’s 17.3% 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

222 Views
185 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Microsoft Azure SQL Database

Read 115 Microsoft Azure SQL Database reviews

8,417 Views
3,609 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: December 2024).

Buyer's Guide

IBM Db2 on Cloud vs. Microsoft Azure SQL Database

December 2024

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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

115

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of December 2024, in the Database as a Service (DBaaS) category, the mindshare of IBM Db2 on Cloud is 0.9%, down from 1.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Azure SQL Database is 17.3%, down from 19.0% 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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Adam Carlson

Senior Technical Lead (Sharepoint) at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees

Integrates with other Microsoft applications very well

Azure SQL had a bit of a learning curve to start, but it was fairly simple once I understood how to develop it. I was using PowerShell to connect to it, and I've never connected to online databases through Azure using PowerShell. Scripting the PowerShell connections could be simpler. The coding is familiar, but figuring out how to use it initially can be easier.

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

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

"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."

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

"It's easy to use in terms of their portal, which is very nicely organized."

"The initial setup was straightforward. Deployment takes about one hour."

"Microsoft Azure SQL Database has significantly improved our operations by allowing us to extract data and generate comprehensive reports in Power BI."

"Some of the best features of Microsoft Azure SQL Database are its scalability, pricing, and ease of setup."

"The product's initial setup phase is very easy."

"The solution is quire more stable than other tools."

"In terms of stability, because Microsoft is the underlying technology, they are much more stable than say Oracle. Since 2014 they did a great job in offering stability, performance and high visibility on the solution, especially in comparison to the other competitors."

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."

"We've had many concurrency issues with it, particularly with applications that do a lot of parallel processing. We noticed that sometimes the Azure SQL databases would spike and peak their CPU units, causing some performance issues for us. It would be helpful if CPU performance were not pinned to the amount of storage you're using, and we could scale different properties of the Azure SQL database independently."

"The solution could improve by supporting more operating systems."

"Microsoft Azure SQL Database would benefit from enhanced documentation, along with ongoing improvements to scalability and cost-effectiveness."

"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."

"The pricing is very high."

"The solution has to scale up its expertise for hosting Oracle."

"I would like to see integration with Snowflake."

"Although the solution integrates well into Azure’s ecosystem, it has limited capability and is incompatible with many third-party applications or tools."

More Microsoft Azure SQL Database cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available

"The pricing is flexible and can be adapted based on our requirements but the pricing options are complex especially if we are using a VM."

"It is reasonable."

"The cost is around $2,000 per month."

"It is quite expensive. I would definitely recommend not using the pay-as-you-go model because this will just mean all your money will go to Microsoft. So, really make sure to control resource usage as much as possible."

"I am not aware of the exact pricing, but our monthly bill for Azure is around 80,000. It is less expensive than using SQL Server. It has the pay-as-you-go model, and the charges are based on the usage."

"SQL Azure is an expensive solution."

"When looking at the long-term expenses associated with running software on an on-premises server, the costs are almost equivalent but when we include insurance for devices, onsite fees for servers, and other related costs, we may find that this is a cost-effective solution."

"It requires a license. As compared to its competitors, such as Oracle, it is affordable and reasonable."

More Microsoft Azure SQL Database pricing and cost advice

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Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Database as a Service (DBaaS) solutions are best for your needs.

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824,053 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

No data available

Educational Organization

71%

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?

While the pricing of Microsoft Azure SQL Database is good, obtaining an estimate of monthly costs based on specific needs was challenging. Initially, Microsoft asked us to sign up and use the servi...

See all answers

What needs improvement with SQL Azure?

One area for improvement is the need for accurate cost estimates. When I initially tried to set it up, I could not get an accurate quote on what my monthly costs would be based on my needs.

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 28% of the time

More IBM Db2 on Cloud Competitors

Google Cloud SQL vs Microsoft Azure SQL Database

Compared 41% 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 8% of the time

vCloud Air 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)

December 2024

Download IBM Db2 on Cloud product report

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Azure SQL Database

December 2024

Download Microsoft Azure SQL Database product report

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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

December 2024

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

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824,053 professionals have used our research since 2012.

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