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 8.3, while Virtustream is ranked #26. Microsoft holds a 10.8% 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

18,565 Views
9,839 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

Virtustream xStream

Read 1 Virtustream xStream review

325 Views
319 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Microsoft Azure

Virtustream xStream

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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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: January 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Infrastructure as a Service Clouds (IaaS)

January 2026

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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

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)

26th

Average Rating

9.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Infrastructure as a Service Clouds (IaaS) category, the mindshare of Microsoft Azure is 10.8%, down from 19.0% 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) Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Microsoft Azure	10.8%
Virtustream xStream	0.6%
Other	88.6%

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

"The most valuable features I have found to be the auto-scaling feature and the interface."

"The design of Microsoft Azure is for it to be scalable and it is scalable."

"The most valuable features of the solution are for management, such as dashboards."

"The solution is secure and easy to use."

"The most valuable feature is the virtual machine."

"Microsoft Azure has been easy to use in my experience."

"If you're interested in going with Microsoft, my advice would be to do it. Everybody's using Microsoft."

"Azure Data Lake is useful. We are in the process of populating the data lake for our current project. Also, we are directly importing for Power BI to using PowerPlay."

More Microsoft Azure pros

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

Cons

"I would like to see more automation and AI with the cloud to help the clients understand more about their clients, their history data, and their predictive analytics. This would help them better manage their clients."

"Azure could be made more user-friendly."

"The market place can be raised, and the CMT can be more sophisticated to create more opportunities for the end users."

"As compared to AWS, Azure can improve its functionality. In terms of the feature list, it is still lacking a bit as compared to AWS. AWS supports lots of types of operating systems, which Azure is still catching up with. Azure is mainly focused on the Windows system, and it is not yet there in terms of integration with other operating systems like Linux, Unix. Azure is slowly catching up."

"I haven't checked the console for some time, however, compared to the AWS console, the interaction console of the web part, the web services, it's not so easy."

"The initial setup can be improved."

"The tool should add an interface that is similar to AWS."

"The solution could be easier to use. However, when comparing it to AWS it is a bit easier."

More Microsoft Azure cons

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

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Its costing can be improved. Its licensing is monthly. In addition to the standard license fee, there is a transactional cost."

"It is not cheap. Its price could be a little bit less."

"All cloud services are expensive."

"The current pricing is on a pay-as-you-go subscription."

"Azure is cheaper than solutions from other cloud vendors like AWS or Google."

"The licensing is pay per usage, so it can be both monthly and yearly."

"The subscription models can be confusing and it would be beneficial for them to simplify them. We are on an annual subscription."

"On a scale from one to ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive, I rate the solution's pricing an eight out of ten."

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

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

13%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Computer Software Company

Educational Organization

No data available

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	140
Midsize Enterprise	53
Large Enterprise	150

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 ...

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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...

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Comparisons

Alibaba Cloud vs Microsoft Azure

Compared 11% of the time

Amazon AWS vs Microsoft Azure

Compared 10% of the time

Pivotal Cloud Foundry vs Microsoft Azure

Compared 9% of the time

Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) vs Microsoft Azure

Compared 8% of the time

Red Hat OpenShift vs Microsoft Azure

Compared 7% of the time

More Microsoft Azure Competitors

No data available

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Azure

December 2025

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Buyer's Guide

Infrastructure as a Service Clouds (IaaS)

January 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)

January 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.