Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB vs Redis comparison

Microsoft and RedisLabs are both solutions in the NoSQL Databases category. Microsoft is ranked #3 with an average rating of 8.2, while RedisLabs is ranked #7 with an average rating of 8.8. Microsoft holds a 2.9% mindshare in ND, compared to RedisLabs’s 5.7% mindshare. Additionally, 95% of Microsoft users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of RedisLabs users who would recommend it.

Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB

Read 84 Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB reviews

448 Views
160 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

Redis

Read 22 Redis reviews

374 Views
323 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB

Redis

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 5, 2025

Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB and Redis compete in the cloud database market, with Cosmos DB offering a comprehensive approach to data management, while Redis focuses on in-memory operations. Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB seems to have the upper hand with its robust feature set and global integration capabilities, though Redis excels in simplicity and speed.

Features: Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB includes multi-model support, global distribution, and seamless integration with Microsoft products. It efficiently manages unstructured data and offers stability and scalability. Redis is known for its in-memory operation speed, ideal for caching, session management, and real-time analytics. It provides simplicity and quick data retrieval with its diverse data structure support.

Room for Improvement: Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB could enhance integration documentation, API compatibility with MongoDB, and simplify its pricing model. Users suggest improvements in UI and cost optimization. Redis could benefit from better cluster management tools, enhanced documentation for security, and new GUI tools to enrich user experiences.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Both Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB and Redis are primarily deployed in public cloud environments. Cosmos DB’s technical support varies, being highly responsive at times and delayed in complex issues. Redis offers straightforward deployment, particularly on AWS and Azure, with well-regarded customer service through managed services though less extensive than Microsoft’s offerings.

Pricing and ROI: Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB’s pricing is considered high by some users due to its extensive features and scalability. Its usage-based model can increase costs, but the reduction in DevOps overhead leads to positive ROI. Redis, as an open-source solution, is praised for cost-effectiveness without licensing fees. Managed Redis services may incur additional costs depending on infrastructure requirements.

To learn more, read our detailed Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB vs. Redis Report (Updated: February 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB vs. Redis

February 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

Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB

Ranking in NoSQL Databases

3rd

Ranking in Vector Databases

3rd

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Database as a Service (DBaaS) (6th), Managed NoSQL Databases (1st)

Redis

Ranking in NoSQL Databases

7th

Ranking in Vector Databases

4th

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

8.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

In-Memory Data Store Services (1st)

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the NoSQL Databases category, the mindshare of Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB is 2.9%. The mindshare of Redis is 5.7%, up from 0.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

NoSQL Databases

Featured Reviews

MichaelJohn

Director | Data & AI at a tech services company with 11-50 employees

Very efficient for application-facing scenarios

There are several areas for improvement. Firstly, having a local development emulator or simulator for Azure Cosmos DB would be beneficial. It would be very handy to have a Docker container that developers can use locally. Although, I know there is a free tier and so on and so forth, having a local environment would be nice. For example, SQL Server is very portable. You can even install it on your machine. That is the number one thing that is missing in Azure Cosmos DB. The second improvement area is the IDE of choice. That means how you interact with Azure Cosmos DB. For example, with SQL Server, you have SQL Server Management Studio. I know there is a little bit of support for Azure Cosmos DB in Azure Data Studio, but it is not heavily advertised or it does not feel like first-class citizen support. Developer experience or developer tooling is missing in terms of interacting with the database. Better developer tools or an IDE for interacting with Azure Cosmos DB would enhance the developer experience. Lastly, there is some mixed messaging about what Azure Cosmos DB is, given its multiple APIs. There are so many Azure Cosmos DB APIs available. There is NoSQL. There are MongoDB, Gremlin, and others. There is still some mixed messaging for others who are new to Azure Cosmos DB about what Azure Cosmos DB is. Is this like MongoDB, but then there is also MongoDB in Azure Cosmos DB? I know it well, and I know that the default one is just NoSQL, but others I have interacted with over the last ten years or so get confused.

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Yaseer Arafat

.Net Developer at Freelance

Unmatched Performance and Scalability for Modern Applications

Redis has room for improvement in a few areas. Enhanced tools for managing and monitoring clusters would be beneficial, as would built-in security mechanisms like advanced encryption and granular access controls. Simplifying setup and configuration could make Redis more accessible to new users. Introducing more enterprise-grade features, such as better multi-tenancy support and improved backup and restore capabilities, would also be advantageous. For the next release, it would be great to see enhanced cluster management tools, native multi-region supports for better data redundancy, integrated analytics for deeper insights, AI and ML integration features, and improved developer experience through enhanced SDKs and tools.

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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

"I like the scalability. There aren't any constraints for posting in the geolocation. I also like the SQL architecture."

"Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB is very fast. Data retrieval and data storage are very quick."

"The connectors, such as the MongoDB connector and the integration with SQL, are incredibly valuable."

"The high speed of Azure Cosmos DB compared to other competitors is remarkable."

"It is one of the simpler databases to work with in terms of code management, tracking, and debugging due to its straightforward data storage and retrieval mechanisms."

"The most valuable features include the global write capability, which allows customers to read and write across different regions simultaneously, enhancing performance and availability."

"The solution is extremely user-friendly and easy to navigate."

"It is a scalable product."

More Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB pros

"It is particularly efficient for cloud-based storage and operations."

"The most valuable features of Redis are its ease of use and speed. It does not have access to the disc and it is fast."

"The product offers fast access to my database."

"Redis is better tested and is used by large companies. I haven't found a direct alternative to what Redis offers. Plus, there are a lot of support and learning resources available, which help you use Redis efficiently."

"The online interface is very fast and easy to use."

"Redis is a simple service that does what it promises."

"Redis is good for distributed caching management."

"The solution's technical support team is good...The solution's initial setup process was straightforward."

More Redis pros

Cons

"One of our biggest pain points is the backup and restore functionality needs improvement."

"We would like to see advancements in AI with the ability to benchmark vector search capabilities, ensuring it answers questions accurately. During our initial implementation, we faced challenges with indexing and sorting, which are natively available in other offerings but required specific configurations in Cosmos."

"The cost can sometimes be high, especially during cross-partition queries with large data amounts."

"One of the primary challenges with Cosmos DB as a non-relational data store is the careful data modeling required due to the lack of collection-level joins when using the SQL API."

"The UI needs enhancement. Unlike SQL, Cosmos DB's UI is not as straightforward, making it a bit challenging to use efficiently."

"The integration with other solutions needs to improve because Cosmos DB's interoperability is lacking in some scenarios. For example, I'm currently implementing Fabric. That involves migrating from environments without apps, processing data and users, and taking them to Fabric."

"At this stage, we would like more enterprise support. We use MongoDB a lot, and we're trying to get rid of MongoDB. So, I would like to see more features in the Cosmos DB API for MongoDB space."

"The auto-scaling feature adjusts hourly. We have many processes that write stuff in batches, so we must ensure that the load is spread evenly throughout the hour. It would be much easier if it were done by the minute. I'm looking forward to the vector database search that they are adding. It's a pretty cool new feature."

More Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB cons

"If we use a lot of data, it will eventually cost us a lot."

"In future releases, I would like Redis to provide its users with an option like schema validation. Currently, the solution lacks to offer such functionality."

"Sometimes, we use Redis as a cluster, and the clusters can sometimes suffer some issues and bring some downtime to your application."

"There are some features from MongoDB that I would like to see included in Redis to enhance its overall efficiency, such as the ability to perform remote behaviour. MongoDB is more efficient in handling updates than deletions and is quicker in processing updates, but it can be slower regarding deletions. This can sometimes pose a challenge, especially when dealing with large datasets or frequent data manipulations that involve deletions. In such cases, I often rewrite columns or update values instead of directly deleting data, as it can be more efficient."

"Redis should have an option to operate without Docker on a local PC."

"The only thing is the lack of a GUI application. There was a time when we needed to resolve an issue in production. If we had a GUI, it would have been easier."

"The tool should improve by increasing its size limits and handling dynamic data better. We use the client ID or associate it with a key for static content. The solution will not be easy for a beginner. Unless you understand SQL data, it will be difficult to understand and use Redis. It also needs to be user-friendly."

"It's actually quite expensive."

More Redis cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution is very expensive."

"The pricing and licensing model was initially difficult to understand, but as soon as I learned what was going on and how it was priced, it was pretty easy."

"There is a licensing fee."

"The Cosmos DB pricing model, initially quite complicated, became clear after consulting with Azure Advisor, allowing us to proceed with confidence."

"Cosmos DB gave us three accounts for $400. We pay according to the usage."

"For the cloud, we don't pay for the license, but for the on-prem versions, we do pay."

"Pricing is one of the solution's main features because it is based on usage, scales automatically, and is not too costly."

"Cost isn’t a big hurdle for us right now. The solution is not costly."

More Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB pricing and cost advice

"Redis is an open-source product."

"We saw an ROI. It made the processing of our transactions faster."

"Redis is not an overpriced solution."

"Redis is an open-source solution. There are not any hidden fees."

"The tool is open-source. There are no additional costs."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Legal Firm

12%

Computer Software Company

12%

Comms Service Provider

11%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Financial Services Firm

22%

Computer Software Company

15%

Educational Organization

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB?

The initial setup is simple and straightforward. You can set up a Cosmos DB in a day, even configuring things like availability zones around the world.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB?

Azure Cosmos DB is generally a costly resource compared to other Azure resources. It comes with a high cost. We have reserved one thousand RUs. Free usage is also limited.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB?

I think Cosmos DB enhanced the benefits of NoSQL databases, offering query flexibility, partition management, and backup and restore options. These aspects are crucial, and perhaps improving the co...

See all answers

What do you like most about Redis?

Redis is better tested and is used by large companies. I haven't found a direct alternative to what Redis offers. Plus, there are a lot of support and learning resources available, which help you u...

See all answers

What needs improvement with Redis?

Redis could be improved by introducing a GUI to display key-value pair database information, as it is currently a CLI tool with no visual representation. Additionally, better documentation is neede...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Redis?

I use Redis as a tool in building projects, specifically for in-memory caching. My backend API uses Redis to cache information retrieved from the database.

See all answers

Comparisons

Chroma vs Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB

Compared 15% of the time

Pinecone vs Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB

Compared 10% of the time

Amazon Neptune vs Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB

Compared 8% of the time

Amazon DynamoDB vs Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB

Compared 6% of the time

More Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB Competitors

Chroma vs Redis

Compared 12% of the time

Oracle Coherence vs Redis

Compared 11% of the time

Amazon SQS vs Redis

Compared 9% of the time

Red Hat Data Grid vs Redis

Compared 8% of the time

Faiss vs Redis

Compared 5% of the time

More Redis Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB

March 2025

Download Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB product report

Buyer's Guide

Redis

March 2025

Download Redis product report

Also Known As

Microsoft Azure DocumentDB, MS Azure Cosmos DB

Redis Enterprise

Overview

Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB is a globally distributed, multi-model database service providing scalability, user-friendliness, and seamless integration, suitable for managing large volumes of structured and unstructured data across diverse applications.

Azure Cosmos DB is renowned for its scalability, stability, and ease of integration, offering robust support for multiple data models and APIs. Its capacity for handling unstructured data efficiently and providing real-time analytics makes it ideal for applications requiring high performance and global distribution. With features like automatic failover and integration with Microsoft products, users benefit from cost optimization and secure data handling. Enhancement opportunities include simplifying queries, improving documentation, and expanding backup and analytics functionalities.

What are the most important features of Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB?

Scalability and Autoscaling: Efficiently handles growing data and user demands.
Multi-Model Support: Adapts to different data models seamlessly.
Global Distribution: Provides low-latency access across multiple regions.
Automatic Failover: Ensures high availability and reliability.
Integration with Microsoft Products: Offers seamless connectivity with Azure services.

What benefits should users look for in Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB reviews?

Performance and Speed: Exceptionally fast processing for real-time data analytics.
Cost Optimization: Tools for managing expenses effectively.
Secure Data Handling: Implements strong data security measures.
Flexible Data Ingestion: Supports diverse data ingestion methods.

Azure Cosmos DB is frequently used in sectors like web, mobile, IoT, and analytics. It supports applications as a key-value store, processes real-time data, and enables global scalability with low-latency access. Its big data management capabilities and integration with Azure services enhance its utility across industries.

Microsoft

Redis is a high-performance, scalable, and easy-to-use caching solution that improves application performance. It is also used for session management, real-time analytics, and as a message broker.

Redis's valuable features include its ability to handle large amounts of data quickly, its simplicity and straightforward setup process, and its support for various data structures, providing flexibility for different use cases.

RedisLabs

Sample Customers

TomTom, KPMG Australia, Bosch, ASOS, Mercedes Benz, NBA, Zero Friction, Nederlandse Spoorwegen, Kinectify

1. Twitter 2. GitHub 3. StackOverflow 4. Pinterest 5. Snapchat 6. Craigslist 7. Digg 8. Weibo 9. Airbnb 10. Uber 11. Slack 12. Trello 13. Shopify 14. Coursera 15. Medium 16. Twitch 17. Foursquare 18. Meetup 19. Kickstarter 20. Docker 21. Heroku 22. Bitbucket 23. Groupon 24. Flipboard 25. SoundCloud 26. BuzzFeed 27. Disqus 28. The New York Times 29. Walmart 30. Nike 31. Sony 32. Philips

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB vs. Redis

February 2025

Free Report: Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB vs. Redis

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