Learn what your peers think about Microsoft Azure SQL Database. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: January 2026.
Principal Industry Consultant at Intelligent Operations Solutions
Consultant
Aug 5, 2022
The most valuable aspect of SQL Azure is the SQL language itself. It's open and everybody can use it at my company. Also, we thought in the beginning that the response time would be inadequate, but it's actually decent. It's much better than expected. Then again, I'm not a programmer, but that's what I hear from our development team.
The most valuable feature of SQL Azure is centralized authentication because I'm using the domain, user name, and password, for Microsoft 365 account with multifactor authentication and the security has been working well.
General Manager at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
Real User
May 31, 2022
Because the solution is cloud-based it's highly manageable, it makes maintenance of logs, space, storage and backups much easier compared to a traditional SQL server installation.
Global Data Architecture and Data Science Director at FH
Real User
ModeratorTop 10
May 31, 2022
What I like about SQL Azure is that it's similar to your on-premises SQL databases. It's not much different, so it's easy to start quickly on the solution if you know Microsoft SQL. I find its ease of use most valuable, and I also like that SQL Azure is also easily integrated with the Azure Cloud platform.
Its performance is good. It has a lot of features. It has the backup feature, which is not there in Amazon RDS. In Azure SQL, there is an option to replicate and restore a database point to point, whereas we can't do that with Amazon RDS.
The backup solution in Azure is great, the firewall settings in SQL are very easy to use and work very well. Additionally, the turning process is very good and has improved the SQL services and queries.
Cloud Solution Engineer at a financial services firm with 5,001-10,000 employees
Real User
May 28, 2021
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.
Chief Technology Officer & Vice President, Delivery at a recruiting/HR firm with 1-10 employees
Real User
May 1, 2021
It is easily scalable, and it is faster than SQL Server. It is also less expensive than using SQL Server. It has the pay-as-you-go model, and the charges are based on the usage.
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.
Global Data Architecture and Data Science Director at FH
Real User
ModeratorTop 10
Mar 3, 2021
It is good for scalability and high availability. It is also secure because of Microsoft's cloud investment.
It is easy to use because it is on the cloud. Creation or making it available through web services is super easy. Azure SQL can be quickly published as web services for APIs to connect with other applications. Because it is in Microsoft Cloud, you can easily integrate with Microsoft stack.
Senior Database Administrator at a comms service provider with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Feb 23, 2021
Cost savings are the most valuable. The DR/high availability is also valuable. The failover group with the built-in DR/high availability features is probably one of the easiest things.
IT Manager at a financial services firm with 11-50 employees
Real User
Top 10
Nov 3, 2020
We like the ease of integrating it with our on-premises environment. We use a hybrid model. We have a SQL Server on-premises, and we have an integration with the cloud version. We do CPU or disk intensive processes on-premises. For accessibility, we offload onto the cloud. When you do a lot of IO and things like that in the cloud, Microsoft charges for the CPU activity.
Senior Information Technology Manager at a aerospace/defense firm with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Oct 26, 2020
We primarily and generally use it only for DB purposes. When it comes to the Azure part, we can easily provision, scale up, and scale down the generator machine. This kind of flexibility is the USP of SQL Azure.
Its interface and ease of use are also valuable. It is very easy to use and integrate with multiple databases. If I need to pull in or import some data from my on-premises database, the ease with which you can connect and pull the data, not only from SQL Server but also from other flavors of MySQL or even Oracle, is very good.
Data Analyst at a tech company with 51-200 employees
Real User
Sep 30, 2020
It is very fast in replicating the data from one database to another. We do some extractions from multiple databases to a target database that we use for visualization. It has a good speed.
Professional Service Manager at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
Real User
Aug 1, 2019
In terms of stability, because Microsoft is the underlying technology, they are much more stable than say Oracle. Since 2014 they did a great job in offering stability, performance and high visibility on the solution, especially in comparison to the other competitors.
What is really helpful about the Azure SQL is that when we have a problem with our sound queries, we can trade information about what indexes we should create on tables. It's really helpful for me and also for developers.
Microsoft Azure SQL Database is a relational database-as-a-service that delivers predictable performance, scalability, business continuity, data protection, and near-zero administration to cloud developers and solution architects. This is the deep technical library for Azure SQL Database.
The automated scalability feature of SQL Azure has proven to be highly beneficial, particularly when deployed in the cloud.
One of the most valuable aspects is its seamless integration with Azure Data Factory.
The data availability and speed are impressive, especially compared to legacy systems. The loading speeds are much faster on Azure SQL.
The scalability and simple management of the infrastructure are the most valuable features.
The most valuable features of SQL Azure are its reliability and quick scalability.
SQL Azure is reliable and scales well.
The most valuable feature of the solution is that our customers do not have to manage the solution.
Its technical support team is good.
The hardware is all managed by Microsoft.
The reason we moved to the cloud was for the convenience of not having any physical hardware to maintain.
The SQL connector effectively syncs data to our database.
The dashboard is valuable.
We're a Microsoft customer, so it fits in with everything else we work with.
The administration console in Azure, all in one is the most valuable feature.
The solution is quite straightforward to set up.
The stability is excellent because it is easier for us to connect to the cloud rather than connecting to MSSP.
The most valuable aspect of SQL Azure is the SQL language itself. It's open and everybody can use it at my company. Also, we thought in the beginning that the response time would be inadequate, but it's actually decent. It's much better than expected. Then again, I'm not a programmer, but that's what I hear from our development team.
The most valuable feature of SQL Azure is centralized authentication because I'm using the domain, user name, and password, for Microsoft 365 account with multifactor authentication and the security has been working well.
Because the solution is cloud-based it's highly manageable, it makes maintenance of logs, space, storage and backups much easier compared to a traditional SQL server installation.
What I like about SQL Azure is that it's similar to your on-premises SQL databases. It's not much different, so it's easy to start quickly on the solution if you know Microsoft SQL. I find its ease of use most valuable, and I also like that SQL Azure is also easily integrated with the Azure Cloud platform.
The main advantage of it is that there is no infrastructure cost. We don't have to host it here. So, there is no infrastructure cost.
Its performance is good. It has a lot of features. It has the backup feature, which is not there in Amazon RDS. In Azure SQL, there is an option to replicate and restore a database point to point, whereas we can't do that with Amazon RDS.
The backup solution in Azure is great, the firewall settings in SQL are very easy to use and work very well. Additionally, the turning process is very good and has improved the SQL services and queries.
SQL Azure can integrate well with other Microsoft Windows services.
Database services and Active Directory related functions for this solution are good.
Stable, scalable, and easy to install.
Its technical support is good.
The solution is efficient and easy to use.
The on-premise SQL Server licenses can be used since it is on Azure, so it's a significant savings for the customers.
Great auto-scaling and security features.
The ease of provisioning and administration is most valuable.
The product is quite stable. The performance is great and it's reliable.
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.
It is easily scalable, and it is faster than SQL Server. It is also less expensive than using SQL Server. It has the pay-as-you-go model, and the charges are based on the usage.
We don't have to manage it much. It is managed by Microsoft, which makes it easy for us because there is no admin overhead for managing the servers.
It is also easily scalable. During peak hours, it can scale higher.
It's easy to use in terms of their portal, which is very nicely organized.
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.
Azure Portal is most valuable.
Very easy to use on any platform and works well.
It is good for scalability and high availability. It is also secure because of Microsoft's cloud investment.
It is easy to use because it is on the cloud. Creation or making it available through web services is super easy. Azure SQL can be quickly published as web services for APIs to connect with other applications. Because it is in Microsoft Cloud, you can easily integrate with Microsoft stack.
Cost savings are the most valuable. The DR/high availability is also valuable. The failover group with the built-in DR/high availability features is probably one of the easiest things.
The interface is awesome.
Its easy usage is the most valuable.
The backup features are the most valuable.
What I like the most is the processes and the easiness of deployments.
We like the ease of integrating it with our on-premises environment. We use a hybrid model. We have a SQL Server on-premises, and we have an integration with the cloud version. We do CPU or disk intensive processes on-premises. For accessibility, we offload onto the cloud. When you do a lot of IO and things like that in the cloud, Microsoft charges for the CPU activity.
SQL is a simpler database. We use it more than other databases.
We primarily and generally use it only for DB purposes. When it comes to the Azure part, we can easily provision, scale up, and scale down the generator machine. This kind of flexibility is the USP of SQL Azure.
Its interface and ease of use are also valuable. It is very easy to use and integrate with multiple databases. If I need to pull in or import some data from my on-premises database, the ease with which you can connect and pull the data, not only from SQL Server but also from other flavors of MySQL or even Oracle, is very good.
I am very happy with this solution; right now, I don't think there is anything I would change.
Their technical support is the most valuable.
The solution has become easier to use over time and it's also reasonably priced.
It is very fast in replicating the data from one database to another. We do some extractions from multiple databases to a target database that we use for visualization. It has a good speed.
The solution is a fairly mature product. It provides good stability.
Customers can benefit from a lot of cost savings if they go for Azure.
The most valuable feature is PolyBase.
The stability of the solution is very good.
Coding does not require much effort.
They have good documentation. It's concentrated information.
The stability is good.
This solution provides more comfort to the end-user compared to a normal SQL server.
The initial setup was straightforward. It took less than one day for deployment.
In terms of stability, because Microsoft is the underlying technology, they are much more stable than say Oracle. Since 2014 they did a great job in offering stability, performance and high visibility on the solution, especially in comparison to the other competitors.
The stability is good and the performance is fantastic. Even when we try to do an inquiry into issues we can do it easily.
This solution offers high availability, and business continuity is in place.
The initial setup is very easy. It's extremely straightforward.
The initial setup was straightforward. Deployment takes about one hour.
What is really helpful about the Azure SQL is that when we have a problem with our sound queries, we can trade information about what indexes we should create on tables. It's really helpful for me and also for developers.