What is Microsoft Azure used for?

Microsoft Azure is used for building, testing, deploying, and managing applications and services. The platform uses Microsoft’s global network of data centers and supports a range of tasks, including hosting websites, storing data, running virtual machines, analyzing big data, and deploying apps. Azure is a flexible solution for IT infrastructure and software development, serving organizations of all sizes.

What is Microsoft Azure for beginners?

For beginners, Microsoft Azure offers guided tutorials, pre-built templates, and a user-friendly dashboard to help new learners explore the platform without advanced technical knowledge. Through Microsoft’s training center, beginners can take courses such as “Microsoft Azure Fundamentals” to learn the basics of cloud computing. Microsoft offers practice assessments for each course to determine competency and certification exam readiness.

Do I need coding for Azure?

No, coding is not a strict requirement for using Microsoft Azure. Some Azure services, particularly those related to app development or automation, can benefit from coding knowledge. Still, other features, such as virtual machines, storage, and databases, can be used through point-and-click interfaces. Azure also connects to other Microsoft tools, such as Power Apps, to support low-code or no-code use cases.

Is Microsoft Azure free?

Microsoft Azure offers a 12-month free plan that includes limited access to popular services, as well as over 65 services that always remain free. It also provides $200 in credit for new users to apply to Azure services within the first 30 days of signing up. When credits are depleted, Azure allows users to switch to a pay-as-you-go pricing without a long-term commitment.

Updated June 4, 2025 at 5:32 AM

Microsoft Azure 2026: Benefits, Features & Pricing

Written by Ines Bahr

Senior Content Analyst

Edited by Mehar Luthra

Team Lead, Content

Software Advice offers objective insights based on verified user reviews and independent product and market research. When our advisors match you to a software provider, we may earn a referral fee.

How Software Advice ensures transparency

Software Advice lists all providers across its website—not just those that pay us—so that users can make informed purchase decisions. Users can talk to our advisors for free to receive software recommendations matching their needs. Software providers pay us for sponsored profiles to reach users interested in their products.

How Software Advice verifies reviews

Software Advice carefully verified over 2 million reviews to bring you authentic software experiences from real users. Our human moderators verify that reviewers are real people and that reviews are authentic. They use leading tech to analyze text quality and to detect plagiarism and generative AI.

Independent research methodology

Researchers at Software Advice use a mix of verified reviews, independent research, and objective methodologies to bring you selection and ranking information you can trust. While we may earn a referral fee when you visit a provider through our links or talk to an advisor, this has no influence on our research or methodology.

On this page

Our Summary
Pricing and Plans
Features
Integrations
Key Sentiments
User Reviews
Frequently Asked Questions

Our Summary

Microsoft Azure

4.6

(1935)

Pros:

Scalability
Security features

Cons:

High cost
Slow performance

Pricing

Starting at $0.00 per month

What is Microsoft Azure:

Microsoft Azure is a cloud computing platform that supports analytics, compliance management, server monitoring, and infrastructure automation. Azure helps organizations scale digital operations securely and efficiently with a range of services, like developer tools, innovative AI solutions, and data analytics.

Why we like Microsoft Azure:

Based on reviews, Azure stands out for its scalability and deep integration with Microsoft tools. It receives its highest ratings, 4.6 out of 5 stars, for functionality, indicative of its expansive solutions. Its security and compliance features are also cited as beneficial for regulated industries.

Who should use Microsoft Azure:

Azure is a strong fit for businesses of all sizes. Reviews show a fairly even split between small and midsize organizations, highlighting its versatility across industries. IT professionals, developers, data analysts, and business leaders all benefit from Azure’s cloud-based computing tools.

Microsoft Azure Screenshots

Microsoft Azure Overview

Azure is a comprehensive computing platform, providing cloud infrastructure, products and services, developer tools, and innovations in data and AI. More than 95 percent of the Fortune 500 choose Azure. Azure has unique on-premises, hybrid, multicloud, and edge capabilities that offer you the flexibility to innovate anywhere.

Developers can use their favorite languages, open-source frameworks, and tools to code and deploy. Azure includes over 200 physical datacenters arranged into more than 60 regions and upholds our customers' expectations with data residency, compliance...

Microsoft Azure Pricing and Plans

Starting price: $0.00 per month

Free Trial

Free Version

Azure Virtual Machines

$31.39

usage based, per month

Plan includes:

Load balancing
Auto-scaling
Latest generation of A-series virtual machines
Faster disk

Azure AI Services

Pricing available upon request

Plan includes:

Pre-built APIs
Machine learning
Natural language processing

Azure App Service

$0.00

usage based, per month

No plan information available

Azure Storage

$0.00

usage based, per month

Plan includes:

File Storage
Database backups
Analytics

Microsoft Azure Features

Drawn from insights across 1935 verified reviews, we've outlined Microsoft Azure's best and worst rated features and how they stack up against the average rating.

Microsoft Azure's score

Category average

Microsoft Azure's Best Rated Features

Active Directory Integration

4.78

2.93 category average

Secure Login

4.69

4.56 category average

Developer Portal

4.69

4.69 category average

Microsoft Azure's Worst Rated Features

Service Level Agreement (SLA) Management

4.23

3.78 category average

API Design

4.25

4.25 category average

Automatic Backup

4.25

4.61 category average

Popular features found in Virtual Machine
Configuration Management
Remote Access/Control
Virtualization
Virtual Machine Monitoring
More features of Microsoft Azure
Access Controls/Permissions
Active Directory Integration
Activity Dashboard
Activity Management
Activity Tracking
API
API Design
API Lifecycle Management
Application Management
Automatic Backup
Backup and Recovery
BYOL Management
Change Management
Cloud Computing
Collaboration Tools
Compatibility Testing
Compliance Management
DaaS
Dashboard
Data Capture and Transfer
Data Migration
Data Replication
Data Security
Data Visualization
Debugging
Deployment Management
Desktop/Application Virtualization
Desktop Virtualization
Developer Portal
Filtering
Graphical User Interface
Integrated Development Environment
Issue Tracking
Load Balancing
Log Access
Mobile Development
Monitoring
Multi-Factor Authentication
Multiple User Accounts
Network Monitoring
Performance Monitoring
Policy Management
Real-Time Analytics
Real-Time Monitoring
Real-Time Notifications
Real-Time Reporting
Remote Monitoring & Management
Remote Update/Installation
Reporting/Analytics
Search/Filter
Secure Data Storage
Secure Login
Self Service Portal
Server Monitoring
Service Level Agreement (SLA) Management
Software Development
Source Control
Testing Management
Third-Party Integrations
Traffic Control
User Management
User Provisioning
VDI
Version Control
Virtual Machine Encryption
Virtual Machine Migration
Virtual Server
Web App Development

Microsoft Azure Integrations

Based on 1935 verified reviews, we've identified products most frequently integrated with Microsoft Azure.

Microsoft 365

Integration rated 4.9 from 18 reviews

Naleen Kumar

Analyst

Used for more than 2 years

Reviewed January 2023

"Managing Microsoft 365 is very easy after it was integrated with Azure"

Citrix Workspace

Integration rated 4.3 from 20 reviews

Vincent Kleijn

Team Lead

Used for more than 2 years

Reviewed November 2023

"Citrix Workspace can be deployed trough azure"

GitHub

Integration rated 4.6 from 16 reviews

Pratap Mattaparthi

Student

Used for less than a year

Reviewed October 2022

"The integration of Microsoft Azure with GitHub is done to deploy the code in the GitHub to the Azure Webapp services. Azure will obtain the code from GitHub and deploys in web."

Microsoft SQL Server

Integration rated 4.8 from 9 reviews

Microsoft Power BI

Integration rated 4.6 from 8 reviews

Microsoft Visual Studio

Integration rated 5.0 from 6 reviews

Microsoft Excel

Integration rated 4.8 from 6 reviews

Nerdio

Integration rated 5.0 from 5 reviews

Microsoft Entra ID

Integration rated 5.0 from 4 reviews

See all 97 integrations

Microsoft Azure Key Sentiments

We analyzed 1935 verified reviews for Microsoft Azure to find out what actual users really think.

Most Positive Sentiments

Cloud services

83% Positive

13% Neutral

4% Negative

Users appreciate Microsoft Azure's comprehensive suite of cloud services, which supports a wide range of use cases from basic virtual machines to advanced AI and machine learning tools. They find the platform's hybrid cloud capabilities beneficial for seamless integration between cloud and on-premises environments. Additionally, users value the flexibility and scalability of Azure, which allows them to adjust computing power and storage according to their business needs.

Security

75% Positive

20% Neutral

5% Negative

Reviewers highlight Microsoft Azure's robust security features, including role-based access control, encryption, and threat detection, which help keep customer data and applications secure. They appreciate the platform's compliance with industry standards such as HIPAA and ISO, providing peace of mind for businesses in regulated industries. Additionally, users value the seamless integration with other Microsoft products, enhancing overall security and efficiency.

Deployment

74% Positive

17% Neutral

9% Negative

Reviewers find Microsoft Azure effective for deploying and managing applications, appreciating the user-friendly tools and continuous deployment capabilities. They highlight the ease of deploying web apps, databases, and other resources, which simplifies the development process. Additionally, users value the platform's support for various programming languages and integration with Visual Studio, enhancing the overall deployment experience.

Least Positive Sentiments

Pay rates

41% Positive

33% Neutral

26% Negative

Users appreciate Microsoft Azure's pay-as-you-go model, which allows them to pay only for the resources they use, and the availability of free trial accounts and credits. However, they find the billing process complex and sometimes confusing, with high subscription costs and limited free functions. The need for better cost management tools and clearer billing information is frequently mentioned.

Customer support

42% Positive

24% Neutral

33% Negative

Users appreciate the global and community support available for Microsoft Azure, as well as the professional support provided when needed. However, they often encounter slow response times and unhelpful support, particularly with more complex issues. Some users find the support system lacking, with limited live support options and a need for more efficient and responsive assistance.

Learning curve

47% Positive

36% Neutral

17% Negative

Users find Microsoft Azure's intuitive user interface and continuous learning opportunities beneficial. However, they also note that the platform has a steep learning curve, requiring prior training and significant time investment to master its advanced features. Beginners may find the complexity overwhelming, and the limited availability of tutorials and instructional videos can make the initial learning process challenging.

Microsoft Azure User Reviews

Overall Rating

4.6

Ratings Breakdown

64%

32%

Secondary Ratings

Ease of Use

4.2

Value for money

4.2

Customer support

4.2

Functionality

4.6

Sofia B.

Verified reviewer

Computer Software

1001-5000 employees

Used weekly for less than 2 years

Review source

Reviewed January 2025

Excellent end-to-end cloud solutions that come at a cost

Ratings Breakdown

Ease of use

Value for money

Customer support

Functionality

Pros:

There is a wide variety of components, ranging from Infrastructure as a Sevice (IaaS) to Software as a Service (SaaS) and Platform as a Service (PaaS). You can get a project or a pilot up and running in minutes, with everything you need, in a modular way. The services I find more useful (apart virtual machines) are Application Insights and Docker Image Registries, two components that tipically take a lot of effort to set up on premises.

Cons:

Unfortunately if you have Azure bulk credits because you participate in some Microsoft programs, there is currently no way to set budget alerts or thresholds, so you must keep an eye on usage. Also, OpenAI costs are still high compared to competition.

Reasons for choosing Microsoft Azure

We have a partnership program with Microsoft that provides us with azure credits yearly.

Andy O.

Verified reviewer

Construction

51-200 employees

Used daily for more than 2 years

Review source

Reviewed July 2025

The ease of Azure

I have experience using Microsoft Azure to deploy and manage cloud-based applications, finding it easy to use and valuable in streamlining operations by reducing the need for physical hardware management and improving overall efficiency

Ratings Breakdown

Ease of use

Value for money

Customer support

Functionality

Pros:

Simplicity of use scalable, secure, and reliable services for building, deploying, and managing applications across a global network of data centres.

Cons:

its has a complex pricing structure, which can make it difficult to estimate and manage costs accurately, especially for larger or more dynamic workloads.

Reasons for switching to Microsoft Azure

Switching made sense based on our goals, scale, and technical needs.

Pranav K.

Verified reviewer

Computer Software

5001-10000 employees

Used daily for more than 2 years

Review source

Reviewed August 2023

Best cloud alternative to AWS

Ratings Breakdown

Ease of use

Functionality

Pros:

Azure provides scalability, data security, faster deployment and high availability. All these things are nowdays must for deploying a production application. Azure also have wide range of services that suits most of our computational needs through single platform.

Cons:

Way of managing controls of Azure resources is complex. When you are devloping integrated solutions and if you are newbie than you are gonna get lots of permission errors.

Ryan C.

Verified reviewer

Real Estate

51-200 employees

Used daily for more than 2 years

Review source

Reviewed November 2025

Good project management tool

Ratings Breakdown

Ease of use

Functionality

Pros:

Great tool for product management and sprint planning/prioritization. Switched from service now and it's much better

Cons:

Nothing much to complain about. Tags could be different depending on projects and how they're set up.

Verified

Reviewer

Information Technology and Services

Self-Employed

Used daily for less than 2 years

Review source

Reviewed February 2025

Azure-All your needs in one place

The Overall experience I would say was good and it has all the features from DevOps , database management to cloud storage that you would need as a software developer but it just takes sometime to learn all the features and to get used to using them.

Ratings Breakdown

Ease of use

Value for money

Customer support

Functionality

Pros:

The thing I like most using Microsoft Azure is that it offers databases like SQL and also the DevOps features are great and helps a lot while building websites and apps.

Cons:

The thing I like least is that sometimes the services are slow and there are outages sometimes which lead to downtime

Reasons for switching to Microsoft Azure

Because more features were given to me on Azure and the DevOps features were also good.

Verified

Reviewer

Electrical/ Electronic Manufacturing

1001-5000 employees

Used daily for more than 2 years

Review source

Reviewed January 2025

Feature rich and stable cloud solution

In general I am very satisfied with Azure. Especially all the features of Web Apps make it a superior solution hosting in plain IIS.

Ratings Breakdown

Ease of use

Value for money

Customer support

Functionality

Pros:

Feature rich and stable cloud solution offering a multitude of options

Cons:

High prices, especially for basic technical support

Reasons for choosing Microsoft Azure

Better compatibility with my development stack (.NET)

David L.

Verified reviewer

Education Management

1001-5000 employees

Used daily for more than 2 years

Review source

Reviewed October 2024

A necessary tool that can open up your account management and network management from anywhere

It is is robust directory services that gets its strength from being in the cloud and not tied to internal servers or connections. It is a industry standard user management solutions that allows us to run account lifecycles and connect with other software and programs.

Ratings Breakdown

Ease of use

Value for money

Customer support

Functionality

Pros:

One of its greatest strengths is that it is universally used and able to connect and be used with almost all software and programs out there.

Cons:

Maybe the biggest con is that Microsoft products are not always the easiest to configure for special circumstances and Azure would fall into this category sometimes.

Reasons for choosing Microsoft Azure

It is used everywhere and connects to almost everything. I didn't want something that we wouldn't be able to find support for or was limited in the programs/applications it could be used with.

Mario G.

Verified reviewer

Retail

11-50 employees

Used weekly for more than 2 years

Review source

Reviewed March 2025

Overkill and complicated, but robust

Have used Storage, Computing, and Domain services, including DNS.

Ratings Breakdown

Ease of use

Value for money

Customer support

Functionality

Pros:

Offers a wide variety of services, and backed by Microsoft.

Cons:

It's such a behemeth that it's overkill for small teams. The accounting, subscriptions, resources, and there are so many organizational traits, it can take forever to track down resource responsible for a cost unless you know where to go. It also seems like there have been a variety of outtages lately, but mostly in the Office365 side (not really Azure)

Reasons for choosing Microsoft Azure

Had to choose one, and the Microsoft offering seemed the best at the time.

Verified

Reviewer

Logistics and Supply Chain

501-1000 employees

Used daily for less than 2 years

Review source

Reviewed October 2024

Azure review

It is an essential business tool for flexibility. It is very reliable and provides a platform for all requirements. It does suffer from complexity in terms of costings, security and which solution is optimal

Ratings Breakdown

Ease of use

Value for money

Customer support

Functionality

Pros:

Very comprehensive, can cater for prettt much everything

Cons:

Cost complexity, far to difficult to understand and to research within the toolset provided.

Reasons for choosing Microsoft Azure

Already familiar with products. Less training would be requird

Martin M.

Verified reviewer

Computer & Network Security

51-200 employees

Used daily for more than 2 years

Review source

Reviewed September 2024

Run and Manage your Vmware workloads effortlessly

Ratings Breakdown

Ease of use

Value for money

Customer support

Functionality

Pros:

the free trial they offer for new users to test their services and get to know their quality and have an in-depth sight of the services they offer

Cons:

needs to be expertly managed and maintained, expertise is a requirement

Reasons for switching to Microsoft Azure

azure strongly focuses on security, scalability is efficient, pay as you go is cost effective

Showing 1 - 10 of 1935 Reviews

See All Reviews

Microsoft Azure FAQs

What is Microsoft Azure used for?
Microsoft Azure is used for building, testing, deploying, and managing applications and services. The platform uses Microsoft’s global network of data centers and supports a range of tasks, including hosting websites, storing data, running virtual machines, analyzing big data, and deploying apps. Azure is a flexible solution for IT infrastructure and software development, serving organizations of all sizes.
What is Microsoft Azure for beginners?
For beginners, Microsoft Azure offers guided tutorials, pre-built templates, and a user-friendly dashboard to help new learners explore the platform without advanced technical knowledge. Through Microsoft’s training center, beginners can take courses such as “Microsoft Azure Fundamentals” to learn the basics of cloud computing. Microsoft offers practice assessments for each course to determine competency and certification exam readiness.
Do I need coding for Azure?
No, coding is not a strict requirement for using Microsoft Azure. Some Azure services, particularly those related to app development or automation, can benefit from coding knowledge. Still, other features, such as virtual machines, storage, and databases, can be used through point-and-click interfaces. Azure also connects to other Microsoft tools, such as Power Apps, to support low-code or no-code use cases.
Is Microsoft Azure free?
Microsoft Azure offers a 12-month free plan that includes limited access to popular services, as well as over 65 services that always remain free. It also provides $200 in credit for new users to apply to Azure services within the first 30 days of signing up. When credits are depleted, Azure allows users to switch to a pay-as-you-go pricing without a long-term commitment.