Microsoft Azure vs Public Cloud Comparison
Compare Microsoft Azure vs Public Cloud features, pricing, and more.
Last updated: November 2026
Microsoft Azure
7.1/10
Microsoft's public cloud platform offering virtual machines, containers, serverless, databases, storage and AI services on pay-as-you-go pricing for businesses of all sizes.
Public Cloud
6.1/10
OpenStack-based pay-as-you-go IaaS from Swiss host Infomaniak. It offers instances, block and S3-compatible object storage, and Kubernetes, all hosted in Swiss data centers.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | | |
|---|---|---|
| Scores | ||
| Overall Rating | 7.1/10 | 6.1/10 |
| Integration | 9/10 | 7/10 |
| Support | 5/10 | 5/10 |
| Cost | 4/10 | 8/10 |
| Customization | 9/10 | 7/10 |
| Security | 9/10 | 7/10 |
| Reliability | 8/10 | 6/10 |
| Ease of Use | 4/10 | 5/10 |
| Analytics | 8/10 | 3/10 |
| Scalability | 9/10 | 6/10 |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Cheapest paid plan | Contact for pricing | Contact for pricing |
| Estimated cost for 10 users | Free Azure free account | Contact for pricing |
| Features | ||
| Cloud Compute | ||
| Managed Kubernetes | ||
| Object Storage | ||
| VPS Hosting | ||
| API and CLI | Not listed | |
| Content Delivery Network | Not listed | |
| DDoS Protection | Not listed | |
| Free SSL Certificates | Not listed | |
| Managed Databases | Not listed | |
| Multiple Regions | Not listed | |
| Serverless Functions | Not listed | |
| Shared Hosting | Not listed | |
Microsoft Azure vs Public Cloud cost by team size
| Team size | Microsoft Azure | Public Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| 1 user | FreeAzure free account | Contact for pricing |
| 5 users | FreeAzure free account | Contact for pricing |
| 10 users | FreeAzure free account | Contact for pricing |
| 25 users | FreeAzure free account | Contact for pricing |
| 50 users | FreeAzure free account | Contact for pricing |
The plan that fits each team size, billed monthly, before add-ons and usage charges. Each cost opens that tool's pricing calculator for the team size.
Which One Should You Choose?
Why choose Microsoft Azure
- Has a free plan (Public Cloud does not)
- Higher Analytics score (8/10 vs 3/10)
- Higher Scalability score (9/10 vs 6/10)
- Better fit for enterprise (9/10 vs 5/10)
Why choose Public Cloud
- Higher Cost score (8/10 vs 4/10)
- Higher Ease of Use score (5/10 vs 4/10)
Pros & Cons
Microsoft Azure
Pros
- Free account includes a 200 USD credit plus always-free allowances such as 1 million Functions requests and Azure DevOps for 5 users.
- Close integration with Microsoft products such as Entra ID and Power BI is repeatedly praised by reviewers.
- Very broad catalogue covering compute, Kubernetes, serverless, databases, storage and AI services.
- Global footprint of over 400 datacenters across 70 regions as of fiscal 2025.
- Reviewers credit built-in identity management and security.
Cons
- Reviewers on Capterra and TrustRadius say monthly bills are hard to understand and predict.
- Steep learning curve, with many services carrying similar names.
- Some PeerSpot reviewers report support tickets taking weeks or months to resolve.
- Paid support is extra, from 29 to 1,000 USD per month beyond the free Basic plan.
- Integration with non-Microsoft platforms and documentation for new releases draw criticism.
Public Cloud
Pros
- Owned data centers located only in Switzerland, which supports data-sovereignty requirements
- Built on standard OpenStack, so existing tooling works and moving to another provider is easier
- Hourly billing that excludes most charges for stopped instances
- CHF 300 of free credit for the first 3 months
- S3-compatible object storage, encrypted block storage and DDoS protection
Cons
- All regions are in Switzerland, so there is no wider geographic footprint
- Invoices can only be paid by credit card
- Third-party benchmarks note missing monitoring charts and reverse DNS
- Very few independent user reviews on G2 or Capterra
Not sold on either?
Frequently Asked Questions
Microsoft Azure scores higher on our Hosting & Infrastructure criteria: 7.1/10 against 6.1/10 for Public Cloud. The largest gap is in Analytics: 8/10 for Microsoft Azure and 3/10 for Public Cloud.
Microsoft Azure has a free plan; Public Cloud does not list one.
Microsoft Azure is the better fit for enterprise: we rate it 9/10 for them, against 5/10 for Public Cloud.
