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Microsoft Azure SQL Database vs MongoDB Atlas comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 12, 2024

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 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
MongoDB Atlas
Ranking in Database as a Service (DBaaS)
3rd
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.5
Number of Reviews
47
Ranking in other categories
Managed NoSQL Databases (6th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2025, in the Database as a Service (DBaaS) category, the mindshare of Microsoft Azure SQL Database is 16.2%, down from 18.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of MongoDB Atlas is 15.0%, up from 14.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Database as a Service (DBaaS)
 

Featured Reviews

Charley Hanania - PeerSpot reviewer
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.
Luca Botti - PeerSpot reviewer
Supportive features enable effective data management and growth
I find MongoDB Atlas highly scalable and easy to use, with very good support. The pricing is quite scalable and applies to various scenarios, both for smaller and bigger companies. MongoDB Atlas has supported our data growth well, and my overall impression is very positive. It is easy to work with and has a reliable support structure. For structured data storage and performance, it provides a comprehensive solution, and the feedback was generally positive.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"Customers can benefit from a lot of cost savings if they go for Azure."
"Great auto-scaling and security features."
"The most valuable feature is PolyBase."
"Database services and Active Directory related functions for this solution are good. Stable, scalable, and easy to install. Its technical support is good."
"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 is a simpler database. We use it more than other databases."
"One of the most valuable aspects is its seamless integration with Azure Data Factory."
"Its cost benefit is most valuable because you are charged per data unit instead of licensing. You can easily migrate your on-premise SQL to the cloud with a managed instance. That's what it is designed to do. It is easy to take your on-premise or older SQL instance and move it to the cloud. It makes it easy to get off your on-premise SQL and start utilizing the cost benefit of the cloud."
"There are many valuable features, but scalability stands out. It can scale across zones. You can define multiple nodes. They have also partnered with AWS, offering great service with multiple features, including built-in backup, all under the same roof, without the need for external tools."
"It can store data as a flat file, similar to a file system."
"I find MongoDB Atlas highly scalable and easy to use, with very good support."
"The most beneficial MongoDB features for our workload are the ability to scale up and down using automatic sharding and clustering."
"The features that I have found most valuable include the very easy integrations. The integrations are fantastic. I have not faced any challenges from the integration standpoint."
"It is a scalable solution because we use quite a lot of data, and it handles it well."
"The speed of it is the most valuable feature."
"Our databases used to be in-house. Now, they are in the cloud with MongoDB and everything is much easier."
 

Cons

"The preset configuration switches we can select on SQL Azure should be made more liberal to work on."
"The solution is somewhat user-friendly, but it's limited by the lack of full backward compatibility."
"There are some limitations for cross-database queries and features. The migration of data from older systems should be easier. For deployment, there are too many options, which sometimes makes it difficult to figure out the best option. There is not enough information to help you to find the best option for deployment. There should be more documentation about this."
"They could improve Azure SQL by adding some of the features available on-prem, such as cross-database queries and the ability to run particular jobs. We need to migrate those to something else, like a function or logic app."
"The solution has to scale up its expertise for hosting Oracle."
"I need Microsoft to allow their network to access open source technologies."
"One of the nice features in Microsoft SQL Server is the SQL Server CLR, which we sometimes need to use to protect our procedures using C# or CLR. This is not available in the SQL Azure database."
"They could improve Azure SQL by adding some of the features available on-prem, such as cross-database queries and the ability to run particular jobs. We need to migrate those to something else, like a function or logic app."
"Based on its own habitat, it's not ACID compliant. If it had an ACID compliant option, it would be more useful for database administration."
"I am still new with it, but since I mentioned that I'm using this product for only the last six months and my experience with this product is good thus far, on a scale of one to ten, I would give MongoDB Atlas a six."
"The product's data aggregation feature needs to work faster."
"The tool's implementation should be made easier."
"It would be better if there were more integration capabilities with other products."
"I would like a better dashboard. It could be made a bit more user friendly."
"The speed when combining two documents is concerning."
"Searching and browsing through the collection must be made easier."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It only has a subscription-based license."
"With one being expensive and five being competitive, I would give the product a four out of five as it's relatively competitive. It is also important to note that pricing is based on usage."
"It is beneficial in terms of cost because you are charged per data unit instead of licensing."
"We have a three-year contract. The cost was somewhere around $70-80,000 for the original deployment, which was about two years ago"
"The licensing for this solution is based on subscription."
"There is a license required to use the solution and it cost $30 to do the installation."
"The solution is expensive."
"Microsoft services are costly, which is the only problem we face. So, pricing is an area of improvement."
"I have seen the cost, and it was pretty cheap."
"We pay for the license on a monthly basis. It's not cheap or expensive. For smaller companies, it's definitely expensive."
"In my previous company, the product allowed use to build a database in a highly regulated environment with the ability to get distributed storage. We used MongoDB as a distributed storage to set up this environment for a critical business application with millions of dollars."
"The pricing and licensing is great."
"MongoDB Atlas is more cost-effective than Amazon DocumentDB. It also has a pay-as-you-go pricing model. Apart from the standard licensing cost, you must also pay to get MongoDB Atlas technical support, which is expensive."
"The tool is free since it's an open-source product."
"The solution is expensive overall. It does not require a license but if you want the support then you will need to purchase the license. They use a pay-as-you-go model and you are able to receive some discounts by making longer usage commitments."
"The price of MongoDB Atlas is highly expensive to use and maintain. They are taking advantage of the users with such a high price."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Educational Organization
73%
Computer Software Company
4%
Financial Services Firm
4%
Healthcare Company
2%
Computer Software Company
18%
Financial Services Firm
15%
Healthcare Company
6%
Comms Service Provider
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

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.
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 ...
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...
What do you like most about MongoDB Atlas?
There are many valuable features, but scalability stands out. It can scale across zones. You can define multiple nodes. They have also partnered with AWS, offering great service with multiple featu...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for MongoDB Atlas?
The pricing is quite acceptable and scalable. For our service, it was around 300 to 600 euros per month, which was acceptable for our customers. We could scale up for better performance and scale d...
What needs improvement with MongoDB Atlas?
I am not an expert on what improvements could be made to MongoDB. The service is continually evolving with new features while maintaining reasonable pricing, making it attractive for developers.
 

Also Known As

No data available
Atlas
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

adnymics GmbH, LG CNS, Centrebet, netfabb GmbH, MedPlast, Accelera Solutions, Sochi Organizing Committee, realzeit GmbH
Wells Fargo, Forbes, Ulta Beauty, Bosch, Sanoma, Current (a Digital Bank), ASAP Log, SBB, Zebra Technologies, Radial, Kovai, Eni, Accuhit, Cognigy, and Payload.
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft Azure SQL Database vs. MongoDB Atlas and other solutions. Updated: January 2025.
838,640 professionals have used our research since 2012.