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Cloud & Infrastructure · head to head

Alibaba Cloud vs Microsoft Azure

Alibaba Cloud logo

Alibaba Cloud

Cloud & Infrastructure

Asia's leading cloud computing provider

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Microsoft Azure logo

Microsoft Azure

Cloud & Infrastructure

Open and flexible cloud services

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Alibaba Cloud technical support is a separate subscription, from $19.99 a month for Developer up to $8,000 a month for Enterprise, with only Basic included; Microsoft Azure the 12 months of free services is available only to new customers who have not previously had an Azure account or received 12 months of free services
  • They diverge on capability: Alibaba Cloud covers Elastic Compute Service, Microsoft Azure covers Virtual Machines.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Alibaba Cloud and Microsoft Azure actually diverge.

Attributes where Alibaba Cloud and Microsoft Azure differ
AttributeAlibaba CloudMicrosoft Azure
PlatformsLinux, Windows, Api, CliWeb, Api, Desktop, Mobile
Founded20092010

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (usage-based), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Cloud & Infrastructure).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Alibaba Cloud

  • Elastic Compute Service
  • Object Storage Service
  • RDS Database
  • MaxCompute
  • Function Compute
  • CDN
  • Load Balancer
  • API Gateway

Only in Microsoft Azure

  • Virtual Machines
  • App Service
  • SQL Database
  • Blob Storage
  • Azure Cosmos DB
  • Functions
  • Service Fabric
  • API Management

Both cover

  • Terraform
  • Kubernetes
  • SOC2
  • ISO27001
  • Cloud deployment

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Alibaba Cloud

  • Cloud compute and storage with a strong footprint in China and Asia Pacificnot Microsoft Azure
  • Pay-as-you-go infrastructure without upfront commitmentnot Microsoft Azure
  • Committed-use discounts through savings plans for steady workloadsnot Microsoft Azure
  • CDN and data transfer packages for content deliverynot Microsoft Azure

Microsoft Azure

  • Running Windows and Linux workloads, databases and AI services on Microsoft's cloudnot Alibaba Cloud
  • Extending on-premises Active Directory and Microsoft 365 estates into cloud infrastructurenot Alibaba Cloud

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Alibaba Cloud

  • Technical support is a separate subscription, from $19.99 a month for Developer up to $8,000 a month for Enterprise, with only Basic included
  • Service prices are not shown as a rate card and route through a calculator or sales
  • Committed discounts require savings plans, reserved instances or capacity packages rather than being automatic

Microsoft Azure

  • The 12 months of free services is available only to new customers who have not previously had an Azure account or received 12 months of free services
  • The 12 months free offer is not available to customers who sign up directly for pay as you go in China and India
  • Customers who try Azure free must move to pay as you go within 30 days to keep receiving the 12 months of free services
  • Free services are capped at specified monthly amounts, and only some of them are always free

Pricing, plan by plan

Alibaba Cloud

Free
  • Free TrialFree
    • Free tier credits
    • ECS instances
    • Cloud storage
  • Pay-as-You-GoFree
    • Flexible billing
    • No commitments
    • Global reach

Microsoft Azure

Free
  • Free AccountFree
    • $200 credit for 30 days
    • Popular services 12 months free
    • 40+ services always free

Which should you pick?

Choose Alibaba Cloud if

  • You need elastic compute service.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, Api, Cli.
  • You also want object storage service.
Alibaba Cloud review

Choose Microsoft Azure if

  • You need virtual machines.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api, Desktop, Mobile.
  • You also want app service.
Microsoft Azure review

Questions people ask

Is Alibaba Cloud or Microsoft Azure better?
Neither clearly leads. Alibaba Cloud starts at Free and Microsoft Azure at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Alibaba Cloud or Microsoft Azure?
Alibaba Cloud starts at Free and Microsoft Azure at Free.
Does Alibaba Cloud or Microsoft Azure run on more platforms?
Alibaba Cloud runs on Linux, Windows, Api, Cli. Microsoft Azure runs on Web, Api, Desktop, Mobile.
Can I use Alibaba Cloud for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Alibaba Cloud best used for?
Alibaba Cloud is most often used for cloud compute and storage with a strong footprint in china and asia pacific, pay-as-you-go infrastructure without upfront commitment, committed-use discounts through savings plans for steady workloads, cdn and data transfer packages for content delivery. Of those, cloud compute and storage with a strong footprint in china and asia pacific and pay-as-you-go infrastructure without upfront commitment are not what Microsoft Azure is typically brought in for.
What can Alibaba Cloud do that Microsoft Azure cannot?
Alibaba Cloud covers Elastic Compute Service, Object Storage Service, RDS Database, MaxCompute. Microsoft Azure covers Virtual Machines, App Service, SQL Database, Blob Storage. Both handle Terraform, Kubernetes, SOC2, ISO27001.
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