Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users
Divya Kumar - PeerSpot reviewer
CTO at UST Global
Real User
Top 20
Impressive scalability and proficiency in database management
Pros and Cons
  • "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."
  • "There is room for improvement in their customer support services."

What is our primary use case?

Our current project primarily relies on the file system to handle incoming source tests. Within this setup, we capture both metadata and result data from these tests. We extract metadata information from these files and store it in Azure Cosmos DB and we have several software services in place to facilitate this process.

What is most valuable?

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.

What needs improvement?

There is room for improvement in their customer support services.

For how long have I used the solution?

In one of our recent projects, we stored metadata information and log data within Cosmos DB.

Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB
April 2025
Learn what your peers think about Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: April 2025.
849,190 professionals have used our research since 2012.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It offers good stability capabilities.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It offers impressive scalability, both in terms of throughput and storage. Its ability to scale dynamically allows us to align the database resources with the specific demands of our applications. Given its scalability and performance capabilities, we highly recommend it for use in large enterprises and organizations.

How are customer service and support?

There were instances where their customer support services were slow. As previously mentioned, when it came to setting up Azure Cosmos DB, not everyone was proficient in cost considerations, and our team lacked extensive prior experience. Our main support was provided by Microsoft's documentation and we were able to successfully navigate these challenges. I would rate it eight out of ten.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup presented some challenges and required us to delve deeper into understanding the daily implications. Microsoft documentation proved to be a valuable resource in navigating this process.

What about the implementation team?

The initial setup, planning, and configuration took approximately one to two weeks to complete. The timeline for implementing the solution varied based on the specific use case and the discussions held with the client. We conducted regular reviews, documented our progress, and established a static attack system. Due to some design-related confusion, the overall implementation process was extended to about one to two months. Still, Cosmos DB and related components were set up within one to two weeks.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Its pricing structure is quite flexible. It operates on a pay-as-you-go model, which means the cost is directly tied to the resources you consume and the throughput you require. Initially, our expenses were relatively low because we didn't store a significant amount of data, but as our storage needs increased over time, our expenses naturally grew in proportion to the resources and capacity we used.

What other advice do I have?

Initially, we encountered some challenges in understanding it, as it wasn't as straightforward as managing an SQL Server database or setting up environments within Azure Data Factory and DevOps. This complexity is related to the fact that Cosmos DB offers a range of additional features and capabilities. Our initial difficulties could also be attributed to our team's limited prior experience with Cosmos DB. Considering these factors, I would rate our experience with it at an eight out of ten. Beyond these initial hurdles, we found it to be a valuable and capable solution.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Lakshman Nimmakayala - PeerSpot reviewer
Enterprise Cloud Architect at UBS Financial
Real User
Top 10
Useful for many use cases, 99.9% availability, and easy to install
Pros and Cons
  • "Its wide support to the ecosystem is valuable. We can use this database with a lot of use cases, and that's one of the reasons why we prefer it. We have a lot of vendors, databases, and use cases, and wherever possible, we are trying to standardize databases. It is also secure."
  • "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."

What is our primary use case?

We mostly use it for NoSQL use cases. We use it for web applications, mobile applications, and social applications in the financial sector.

It is deployed on-premises and on the cloud, and we are using its latest version but not the one in the public review.

What is most valuable?

Its wide support to the ecosystem is valuable. We can use this database with a lot of use cases, and that's one of the reasons why we prefer it. We have a lot of vendors, databases, and use cases, and wherever possible, we are trying to standardize databases. It is also secure.

What needs improvement?

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.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for almost two years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is stable. It has 99.999% availability, and it is backed by SLAs.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have thousands of users.

How are customer service and technical support?

We use the cloud version and the on-prem version. We have our on-prem database engineering team. For the cloud, we are okay with their support.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We use MongoDB a lot, and we're trying to get rid of MongoDB.

How was the initial setup?

It is easy to install. I tried it in a testing environment, and it was easy. Database experts should be able to do it easily.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

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

What other advice do I have?

I would rate Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB a nine out of 10.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB
April 2025
Learn what your peers think about Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: April 2025.
849,190 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Lead Software Engineer at Glastechnische Industrie Peter LISEC GmbH
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
Easy to handle and provides pretty good processing
Pros and Cons
  • "From a global distribution perspective, Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB is good and easy to handle."
  • "The solution’s pricing could be improved."

What is our primary use case?

We are streaming some data from Azure Stream Analytics, which will be stored in Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB. Our application will be taken from Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB.

What is most valuable?

The solution's most valuable feature is its global distribution. We work globally and currently have Azure operating in fire regions. From a global distribution perspective, Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB is good and easy to handle. Since Microsoft handles the solution's main operation, we don't have many headaches regarding its operation.

What needs improvement?

The solution’s pricing could be improved.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB for more than 2 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB is a stable solution.

How are customer service and support?

I got instant technical support from Microsoft during an outage issue.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

How was the initial setup?

We use Terraform scripts for the initial setup of the solution, which doesn't take much time.

What about the implementation team?

We implemented the solution through an in-house team. We select which region to host Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB based on the resource group. We use Terraform scripts in the deployment process. We create a database and a document inside the database.

What other advice do I have?

The solution is pretty good in terms of support, but we have some pricing issues with it. We are currently evaluating MongoDB and Apache Cassandra. Apart from the pricing, we didn't face any issues with the solution. We once faced an outage issue with Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB because some back-end updates from Microsoft changed the settings.

Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB is a cloud-based solution. Based on our experience, the solution is pretty good because we operate in multiple regions. There will be a lot of machines sending IoT data, dashboards, and alarm messages. Customers need to be updated simultaneously, which should not take much time. The solution's processing is pretty good.

I would recommend the solution to other users. The solution's usage is pretty good, but users should be careful about the IO threshold value, which is a little bit high.

Overall, I rate the solution eight and a half out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Founder at Druansh
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
Globally distributed multi-model database service and robust stability
Pros and Cons
  • "It's highly scalable and supports consistency, security, and multiple security options."
  • "The biggest problem is the learning curve and other database services like RDS."

What is our primary use case?

Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB can be used for various purposes. The query language used for Cosmos DB is very similar to SQL, which gives it an advantage. It's a globally distributed multi-model database service, meaning it supports multiple data models, including documents, key-value pairs, graphs, and time series data models.

It's highly scalable and supports consistency, security, and multiple security options, such as REST and transit encryption. It also provides automatic support for these options. These are some top-level benefits of using Cosmos DB, making it a highly versatile and useful tool.

What is most valuable?

The multi-model database is the most valuable feature. 

What needs improvement?

One thing that concerns me is the cost, especially for smaller workloads. Cosmos DB is a little more expensive than other database services, particularly if you have tight-traffic models. However, it does have a few advantages, such as being a multi-model database. The biggest problem is the learning curve and other database services like RDS. 

Additionally, advanced analytics capabilities like real-time analytics and machine learning are not embedded in Cosmos DB. Vendor lock-in is a big concern. Cosmos DB is a proprietary database service offered by Microsoft that might not be compatible with other databases. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for three years. I am using the latest version.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

From a stability perspective, it's a pretty robust solution designed to offer high availability and fault tolerance. It provides multiple levels of redundancy and automatic failover to ensure data availability and reliability. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is a scalable solution and has built-in backup and recovery capabilities. We developed it for one of our clients with around 20-25 users.

How are customer service and support?

When compared to other cloud platforms like GCP and AWS, I think Microsoft needs to work on its tech support.

How was the initial setup?

There is some learning curve associated with this software. It becomes relatively easy to implement if you have an expert to work with. 

The deployment process and maintenance depend on the size of the product and what you're trying to migrate. Generally, one cloud solution architect and one big data developer with Azure experience should be sufficient.

What was our ROI?

We could see an ROI. The whole idea of migrating to the cloud was for a better ROI, and we can see that now that the customer has moved to the cloud.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

As your data grows, the licensing cost can be expensive.

What other advice do I have?

If your existing infrastructure already uses Microsoft services or is more of a Microsoft-dependent solution, it's best to be on Microsoft Azure cloud. This is because it integrates very well, and there is a smooth integration with other Microsoft products that are already running on our products. 

You can also leverage some of your existing licenses, saving you a lot of costs when you move to the cloud. That's one solution I would suggest for anyone who is moving from on-premise to the cloud. 

Overall, I would rate the solution an eight out of ten. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Private Cloud

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Microsoft Azure
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
AbhishekSingh11 - PeerSpot reviewer
Infrastructure Solutions Architect at a real estate/law firm with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Performs well, easy to install, and the technical support is good, but the user interface should be improved
Pros and Cons
  • "It's not a specific feature that I value, but the scalability of this system is the most impressive aspect."
  • "It should offer a simple user interface for querying Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB."

What is our primary use case?

We have a massive quantity of data that we need to maintain, and we can't put it in a relational database since we need all of the data and want it to be queried quickly.

We maintain it in non-relational databases such as Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB.

What is most valuable?

It's not a specific feature that I value, but the scalability of this system is the most impressive aspect.

What needs improvement?

The UI should be improved since if you provide the option to query directly when signing into the Azure portal, it makes no sense if you have such a poor UI for querying that you can't even feed the reports correctly. 

It should offer a simple user interface for querying Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB for a long time, almost forever.

We are always working with the latest version.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It's fairly stable. I have no complaints about the stability of Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB is fully scalable.

Users do not connect to Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB directly. Our APIs connect to Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB and are then used by the front end. 

Estimating the number of users is impossible.

How are customer service and support?

Because our complete setup is in Microsoft, we have access to the most premium Microsoft assistance, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We have never had a problem with technical support.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is straightforward.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The RU's use case determines our license fees. It fluctuates based on how many RUs we have. It's not a fixed-line.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

Because our whole solution was hosted on Azure, this was the default option for us. We didn't look into any other possibilities.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution to others who are interested in using it.

I would rate Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB a seven out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Microsoft Azure
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
AhmedRamy - PeerSpot reviewer
CEO at TMentors,
Real User
Top 20
A scalable solution that has no glitches and provides graphical representations of data
Pros and Cons
  • "The graphical representation of data is the most valuable feature of the solution."
  • "The support tickets are not cheap."

What is our primary use case?

We mainly use it for products that are based on graph concepts. We are using it for mobile applications and real-time analytics.

How has it helped my organization?

We have scaled it from 400 users to more than 1000 clients. We were able to scale efficiently during COVID-19.

What is most valuable?

The graphical representation of data is the most valuable feature of the solution. We did not face any glitches.

What needs improvement?

The support tickets are not cheap.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the solution since 2017.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I rate the tool’s stability an eight out of ten.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We had around 300,000 users. They were distributed globally. I rate the tool’s scalability a nine out of ten.

How are customer service and support?

The support team is not competent. We end up with the wrong agents sometimes. Sometimes, we must buy support tickets. It is not a good idea to have tickets that cost a lot.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Negative

How was the initial setup?

It is a cloud-only solution.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We have also used MongoDB and SQL Server.

What other advice do I have?

We had some challenges at the beginning because our team did not know how to optimize the tool. They made some expensive applications. However, we were able to cut it down by 95%. Overall, I rate the product an eight out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Aditya_Sharma - PeerSpot reviewer
Data Quality Engineer-III at Anheuser-Busch InBev
Real User
Top 10
A stable solution that can be used for data engineering, but its access request takes time
Pros and Cons
  • "Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB is fast, and its performance is good compared to normal SQL DB."
  • "Sometimes, the solution's access request takes time, which should be improved."

What is our primary use case?

I use Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB for data engineering.

What is most valuable?

Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB is fast, and its performance is good compared to normal SQL DB.

What needs improvement?

Sometimes, the solution's access request takes time, which should be improved.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB for one year.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB is a stable solution.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB is a scalable solution. More than 100 users use the solution in our organization.

How was the initial setup?

The solution's initial setup is straightforward.

What about the implementation team?

The solution's deployment time depends on how complex the job is. Learning-wise, it takes a few weeks to get your hands on, and then you can get started from there. The solution was implemented through an in-house team in our organization.

What other advice do I have?

Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB is deployed on-cloud in our organization.

I would recommend Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB to other users.

Overall, I rate Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB a seven out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Technical Architect at LTI - Larsen & Toubro Infotech
Real User
Top 5
Is quite flexible and offers a complete concentration on coding
Pros and Cons
  • "It is non-SQL and helps to manage and manipulate data from the coding, rather than direct data and complex queries."
  • "I have been a devoted Microsoft fan, but Redis DB's memory caching capabilities are really making progress. Even if Cosmos DB is continuously improving and is quite advanced in the field of internal memory optimization, I would still recommend Redis DB to a customer."

What is our primary use case?

We handle JSON data and it is compatible with Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB. 

What is most valuable?

I have found Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB different from other SQL databases like RDBMS. It is non-SQL and helps to manage and manipulate data from the coding, rather than direct data and complex queries. It is quite flexible and offers a complete concentration on the coding part only. Even if one lacks expertise in complex queries, JSON and Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB are quite compatible with each other and makes the database options more enhanced and easy to operate. The additional SQL features allow you to go to Azure's portal and get the queries solved. 

What needs improvement?

I have been a devoted Microsoft fan, but Redis DB's memory caching capabilities are really making progress. Even if Cosmos DB is continuously improving and is quite advanced in the field of internal memory optimization, I would still recommend Redis DB to a customer. My dilemma still lies in the price of both solutions. I believe if Redis DB is superior and pricier than Cosmos DB, customers will be reluctant to use Redis DB.  

Memory streaming and various optimizations contribute to higher costs but also increased speed. Currently, there's nothing specific I can pinpoint that needs to be added – I haven't made any purchases yet. However, I am inclined to recommend working with it. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I have worked with Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB for one year.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is a stable solution. I rate the stability a nine out of ten.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is a scalable solution. I rate the scalability a nine out of ten. 

How are customer service and support?

We haven’t faced any issues that would make us contact service support or raise tickets

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

How was the initial setup?

The solution's initial setup is easy. The deployment took almost one day. We migrated the services from the CRM system, converted them into JSON, and deployed it. I would rate the initial setup an eight out of ten. 

What other advice do I have?

If a customer needs to store JSON data, and the solution doesn't require complex structure and reporting like BI reports and RDBMS, opting for a NoSQL database could be ideal. NoSQL databases are suitable when data isn't structured in a relational manner and when extensive normalization isn't a priority. For efficiently handling JSON data for UI purposes or other needs, a NoSQL database like Cosmos DB is the way to go.

However, in the NoSQL landscape, various options like Redis DB, CouchDB, MongoDB, and Cosmos DB exist. If a preference leans towards Microsoft technologies, then Cosmos DB becomes a logical choice. Comparing Cosmos DB with alternatives like Redis DB is advisable before making a final decision. Thus, my typical recommendation involves considering these factors.

I would Cosmos DB a nine out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Microsoft Azure
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: partner
PeerSpot user