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 87 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 Apr 6, 2025

Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB and Redis are prominent competitors in the cloud database and cache management sectors. Azure Cosmos DB holds an advantage due to its versatility in supporting complex data models and scalability across global regions.

Features: Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB offers scalability, flexibility in data models, and global distribution capabilities that minimize latency. It supports various APIs, including MongoDB, which enhances developer flexibility. Redis excels in performance, operating in-memory for high-speed data retrieval, and offers a simple setup process ideal for caching and real-time applications.

Room for Improvement: Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB is often critiqued for its complex query language and higher costs. Users suggest better integration with other Microsoft tools, a simpler interface, and improving documentation. Redis could improve in handling clustered environments and enhance its GUI tools to offer better monitoring capabilities. It also needs to improve scalability documentation and handling of larger datasets.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB is mainly available through public cloud deployments, receiving positive feedback for customer support, though technical specialist availability can be a challenge. Redis is available on both public clouds and on-premises, supporting hybrid solutions. Its easy setup and satisfactory technical support are notable, though a more robust support system could bring improvements.

Pricing and ROI: Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB is generally seen as expensive, with a complicated usage-based pricing model, though it offers scalability and ROI benefits through pay-as-you-go management. Redis, being open-source, is cost-effective for basic operations with rising costs linked to high RAM usage. Without licensing fees, it provides favorable ROI emphasizing performance and efficiency, with predictable costs in managed services making it an attractive option for those prioritizing performance.

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

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB vs. Redis

April 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

8.0

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.

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's highly scalable and supports consistency, security, and multiple security options."

"The availability and latency of Azure Cosmos DB are excellent."

"The most valuable feature of Azure Cosmos DB is its scalability. That is the biggest reason I use Azure Cosmos DB."

"For modern applications, I would recommend Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB."

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

"I would rate it a ten out of ten for stability."

"One valuable feature of Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB is partitioning. Its performance is very nice."

"The features most valuable to us in Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB are the auto scale and change feed. These features allow us to do some operations that are not possible with SQL Server."

More Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB pros

"The best thing about Redis is its ability to handle large amounts of data without frequently hitting the database. You can store data in temporary memory, especially for high-volume data."

"I use Redis mostly to cache repeated data that is required."

"The product offers fast access to my database."

"I find Redis valuable primarily for its caching capabilities, particularly in handling cache requests effectively. Its simplicity in managing key-value pairs for caching is one of its strengths, making it a preferred choice over more complex databases like MongoDB for specific use cases. However, I haven't explored Redis extensively for managing complex data structures beyond caching, as MongoDB might be more suitable for such scenarios."

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

"The performance of Redis is very fast."

"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 ability to fetch and save data quickly is valuable."

More Redis pros

Cons

"A better description and more guidance would help because the first time I created it, I didn't understand that a container is similar to a table in SQL."

"Once you create a database, it calls the container, and then items show up. A better description and more guidance would help because the first time I created it, I didn't understand that a container is similar to a table in SQL."

"Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB's performance could be better. In large volumes of documents, the querying process becomes slow and complicated."

"I am disappointed with the lack of compatibility of the Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB emulator with Mac."

"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."

"Overall, it works very well and fits the purpose regardless of the target application. However, by default, there is a threshold to accommodate bulk or large requests."

"Better documentation on how to integrate with other components would be helpful because I was struggling with this."

"I would like to see Cosmos DB introduce a feature that would convert machine language to human-readable queries."

More Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB cons

"I would prefer it if there was more information available about Redis. That would make it easier for new beginners. Currently, there is a lack of resources."

"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."

"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."

"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."

"For the PubSub feature, we had to create our own tools to monitor the events."

"The initial setup of Redis was difficult, with a rating of two or three out of ten."

"It's actually quite expensive."

More Redis cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB's licensing costs are monthly."

"Cosmos DB is a highly cost-optimized solution when used correctly."

"The pricing for Cosmos DB has improved, particularly with the new pricing for Autoscale."

"Azure Cosmos DB's pricing is competitive, though there is a need for more personalized pricing models to accommodate small applications without incurring high charges. A suggestion is to implement dynamically adjustable pricing that accounts for various user needs."

"The cost is the biggest limitation of this solution."

"The tool is not expensive."

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

"I would rate Cosmos DB's cost at seven out of ten, with ten being the highest."

More Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB pricing and cost advice

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

"Redis is an open-source product."

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

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

"Redis is not an overpriced solution."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Legal Firm

12%

Computer Software Company

11%

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?

Its cost is transparent. Pricing depends on the transaction and data size, but overall, it is cheaper compared to hosting it on your corporate network due to other factors like power consumption. C...

See all answers

What needs improvement with Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB?

I had a challenging experience implementing the emulator with a Mac. I had to install the emulator in a Docker container because it is not natively compatible. A significant amount of time was spen...

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?

There are a few areas where Redis could improve. The pub-sub capabilities could be optimized to handle network sessions better, as there are challenges with maintaining sessions between clients and...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Redis?

We use Redis ( /products/redis-reviews ) for several purposes, including ranking, counting, saving, sharing, caching, and setting time-to-live notifications. These functionalities are employed acro...

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 7% of the time

Amazon DynamoDB vs Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB

Compared 6% of the time

Google Cloud Bigtable vs Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB

Compared 3% of the time

More Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB Competitors

Chroma vs Redis

Compared 11% 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 9% of the time

Faiss vs Redis

Compared 5% of the time

More Redis Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB

April 2025

Download Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB product report

Buyer's Guide

Redis

April 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

April 2025

Free Report: Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB vs. Redis

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