Microsoft Azure vs Virtustream xStream comparison

Microsoft and Virtustream are both solutions in the Infrastructure as a Service Clouds (IaaS) category. Microsoft is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.4, while Virtustream is ranked #29. Microsoft holds a 9.9% mindshare in ISI, compared to Virtustream’s 0.6% mindshare. Additionally, 95% of Microsoft users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Virtustream users who would recommend it.

Microsoft Azure

Read 323 Microsoft Azure reviews

20,175 Views
10,895 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

Virtustream xStream

Read 1 Virtustream xStream review

389 Views
377 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Microsoft Azure

Virtustream xStream

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Microsoft Azure and Virtustream xStream based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Akamai and others in Infrastructure as a Service Clouds (IaaS).

To learn more, read our detailed Infrastructure as a Service Clouds (IaaS) Report (Updated: March 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Infrastructure as a Service Clouds (IaaS)

March 2026

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Helped 884,108 peers since 2012

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

Ranking in Infrastructure as a Service Clouds (IaaS)

1st

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

323

Ranking in other categories

PaaS Clouds (1st)

Virtustream xStream

Ranking in Infrastructure as a Service Clouds (IaaS)

29th

Average Rating

9.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2026, in the Infrastructure as a Service Clouds (IaaS) category, the mindshare of Microsoft Azure is 9.9%, down from 19.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Virtustream xStream is 0.6%, up from 0.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Infrastructure as a Service Clouds (IaaS) Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Microsoft Azure	9.9%
Virtustream xStream	0.6%
Other	89.5%

Infrastructure as a Service Clouds (IaaS)

Featured Reviews

Syed Abid

Snr. Infrastructure Architect (Data Centre) at LogicEra

Versatile integrations and reliable customer satisfaction elevate cloud service experience

For Microsoft Azure improvement, they need to enhance their support system. The first level of support should be improved in terms of quality and response time. They need more technical support at the first level, as there are currently only one or two technical people among five to ten staff members at this level. They should ensure that the first level support is more technical because we normally provide services to technical users ourselves. When an issue arises, it usually escalates to the second or third level. When facing first level support, they may have limited knowledge and only collect screenshots to forward to their seniors. They should ensure that the first level support is aligned with L2 and L3 to better assist us, especially since we mention in the ticket that our issues are related to specific problems and require that sort of support.

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RONNIE HENRY

Business Systems Manager at a consultancy with 1,001-5,000 employees

Improves efficiencies, has encryption, and great mission-critical customer support

Previously we had an amateur solution where we were managing on our own data center but we had the management in-house. It was a strategic move to give people who were more competent and with business focus other core initiatives. It was a strategic outsource model. The equipment we were using was out date and at the end of its life cycle, we had to make some transitions, do a hardware replacement, or move on. We moved on to this solution.

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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 know there have been a lot of improvements and a lot of new services lately. I'm really not aware of all of them."

"The product makes it easy to spin up new environments and develop new technologies."

"We are managing the reinsurance company, so we are hosting the SAP application on the Microsoft Azure VM, and we can resize the VM quickly, which is very user-friendly and helps us manage all the customer requirements efficiently."

"Microsoft Azure is a very dynamic cloud service that allows you to migrate your workload, applications, and data."

"The integration with Databricks is the most valuable aspect of the solution."

"It is stable and collaborative."

"If you have large traffic amounts, Microsoft Azure will continue to provide our customers with the best storage experience."

"We have found the most valuable feature to be the pricing calculator."

More Microsoft Azure pros

"The solution has encryption which we did not have before."

Cons

"We have faced some challenges trying to deploy a new ESP application."

"The solution could improve the stability. However, this could be a configuration issue that we are not been trained."

"The subscriptions are complicated."

"Onboarding customers is a challenge. Sometimes our customers don't know how to deal with the cloud environment. Maybe the customers are more comfortable with the old-fashioned on-premise environment."

"I would like to see it more easily accessible."

"Maybe Azure could add an address code to create your analysis without SQL or Python because some business users don't want it to code. So it's good to have a service application that connects to the data lake to conduct analysis and simplify the business process."

"The local support is fair but it is sometimes limited, the service could be better."

"An issue I encountered was around the integration of Identity. I lost some important information and I would like to see improvements with this."

More Microsoft Azure cons

"Our account representative was inexperienced, they could improve on how they are managing accounts."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I am currently on a pay-as-you-go subscription and my customers are going to be on a three-year contract. For what is offered in the three-year package it is quite reasonably priced."

"Microsoft Azure's pricing is reasonable. We pay around 5000 dollars per annum."

"The license cost could be reduced."

"We have a subscription and the price is reasonable."

"We are on an annual subscription. However, there are other options available."

"I would like to see it more easily accessible."

"I believe that we have a three-year license, and I'm happy with the pricing."

"The solution does not offer very many free services which can become expensive. We are on an annual license."

More Microsoft Azure pricing and cost advice

"The solution is a bit expensive, we are still negotiating the price."

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Comparison Review

it_user8586

Engineer at a tech consulting company with 51-200 employees

Aug 14, 2013

Amazon vs Rackspace vs Microsoft vs Google: Cloud Hosting Services Comparison

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

12%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Computer Software Company

University

No data available

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	140
Midsize Enterprise	54
Large Enterprise	149

No data available

Questions from the Community

Which is preferable - IBM Public Cloud or Microsoft Azure?

IBM Public Cloud is IBM’s Platform-as-a-Service. It aims to provide organizations with a secure cloud environment to manage data and applications. One of the features we like is the cloud activity ...

See all answers

Which is better - SAP Cloud Platform or Microsoft Azure?

One of the best features of SAP Cloud Platform is that it is web-based and you can log in from anywhere in the world. SAP Cloud Platform is suitable for companies of any size; it works well with bo...

See all answers

How does Microsoft Azure compare to Google Firebase?

I would recommend Google Firebase instead of Microsoft Azure, simply for the array of features that it has to offer. In particular, the Firebase library grants you access to a shared data structure...

See all answers

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Comparisons

Amazon AWS vs Microsoft Azure

Compared 9% of the time

Alibaba Cloud vs Microsoft Azure

Compared 8% of the time

Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) vs Microsoft Azure

Compared 8% of the time

Google Firebase vs Microsoft Azure

Compared 7% of the time

Pivotal Cloud Foundry vs Microsoft Azure

Compared 7% of the time

More Microsoft Azure Competitors

Amazon AWS vs Virtustream xStream

Compared 40% of the time

More Virtustream xStream Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Azure

February 2026

Download Microsoft Azure product report

Buyer's Guide

Infrastructure as a Service Clouds (IaaS)

March 2026

Download Virtustream xStream product report

Also Known As

Windows Azure, Azure, MS Azure

No data available

Overview

Microsoft Azure integrates services and offers flexibility, ensuring compatibility with diverse environments. Its scalability, security, and cost-efficient features enhance deployment and management, making it ideal for infrastructure services and application hosting.

Azure provides a comprehensive suite of tools for application deployment, virtual machine management, and data analytics. It allows seamless integration with Power BI and offers a user-friendly interface supported by detailed documentation and technical support. Though users appreciate its capabilities, they sometimes face challenges with costs, setup, and interface complexity, alongside integration and performance issues. Frequent updates and a learning curve are also noted, though Azure's cloud-based security and scalability remain critical for disaster recovery and business continuity.

What are Azure's key features?

Integrated Services: Ensures compatibility with Microsoft and non-Microsoft environments.
Scalability: Supports growing business demands with flexible computing power.
Security: Offers robust cloud-based security features for data protection.
Cost Efficiency: Provides options that optimize costs for diverse requirements.
Application Deployment: Facilitates quick rollout of apps and services.

What benefits should users expect from Azure?

Operational Optimization: Allows companies to streamline processes effectively.
Innovative Efficiency: Empowers businesses to innovate with powerful tools.
Reliable Support: Backed by strong technical support and comprehensive documentation.
Flexible Cloud Solutions: Offers a range of options for cloud migrations and infrastructure management.

Microsoft Azure is widely implemented in industries like financial services, healthcare, and logistics for hosting enterprise applications and vital services. Companies utilize its capabilities for IoT applications, DevOps, and Kubernetes clusters, benefiting from its cloud migrations, data analytics, and active directory support.

Microsoft

Virtustream's xStream Management Platform provides a unified, cloudagnostic control plane that integrates infrastructure orchestration, enterprise application automation and a suite of business intelligence and service management tools.

Virtustream

Sample Customers

BMW, Toyota, easyJet, NBC Sports, HarperCollins, Aviva, TalkTalk Business, Avanade, and Telenor.

Continental, Domino Foods, Florida Crystals, Intel, Lanx, UOL Group

Buyer's Guide

Infrastructure as a Service Clouds (IaaS)

March 2026

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We monitor all Infrastructure as a Service Clouds (IaaS) reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.