Is Azure SQL or Workato better?

Neither clearly leads. Azure SQL starts at Free and Workato at $99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.

Which is cheaper, Azure SQL or Workato?

Azure SQL has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Azure SQL and $99/month for Workato.

Does Azure SQL or Workato run on more platforms?

Azure SQL runs on Cloud (Microsoft Azure). Workato runs on Web, On-premise.

Can I use Azure SQL for free?

Yes. Azure SQL has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Workato starts at $99/month.

What is Azure SQL best used for?

Azure SQL is most often used for transaction processing, data storage, application backend, reporting. Of those, transaction processing and data storage are not what Workato is typically brought in for.

What can Azure SQL do that Workato cannot?

Azure SQL covers Intelligent Performance, Advanced Security, Hyperscale, Serverless Compute. Workato covers Process orchestration, Master data management, Integration templates, Real-time sync.

Database & Data Management · head to head

Azure SQL vs Workato

Azure SQL

Database & Data Management

Intelligent, scalable cloud database service from Microsoft

From: Free
Rated: -

Full review Website

Workato

Automation & Integration

The enterprise integration platform

From: $99/month
Rated: -

Full review Website

The short version

Only Azure SQL has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
Each has a real cost: Azure SQL ecosystem lock-in limits flexibility compared to open-source or multi-cloud solutions; Workato the pricing page names four product lines, Enterprise iPaaS, Agentic solutions, API Management and Data Orchestration, and publishes no figure for any of them, gating all of it behind Schedule a demo
They diverge on capability: Azure SQL covers Intelligent Performance, Workato covers Process orchestration.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Azure SQL and Workato actually diverge.

Attributes where Azure SQL and Workato differ
Attribute	Azure SQL	Workato
Starting price	Free	$99/month
Pricing model	Unknown	subscription
Free tier	Yes	No
Platforms	Cloud (Microsoft Azure)	Web, On-premise
Category	Database & Data Management	Automation & Integration
Founded	1975	2014

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Azure SQL

Intelligent Performance
Advanced Security
Hyperscale
Serverless Compute
Geo-replication
Automatic Tuning
Built-in AI
Power BI

Only in Workato

Process orchestration
Master data management
Integration templates
Real-time sync
Error handling
Monitoring
API management
Workflow analytics

What people use each for

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

Azure SQL

Transaction processingnot Workato
Data storagenot Workato
Application backendnot Workato
Reportingnot Workato
Data analyticsnot Workato

Workato

Workflow Automationnot Azure SQL
Data Integrationnot Azure SQL
Process Automationnot Azure SQL
App Integrationnot Azure SQL
API Connectivitynot Azure SQL

Where each one falls short

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

Azure SQL

Ecosystem lock-in limits flexibility compared to open-source or multi-cloud solutions
Managed service reduces control over database configuration and optimization tuning
Pricing complexity with consumption-based model can be unpredictable at scale
Less operational depth compared to Amazon RDS for advanced scaling scenarios
Azure PostgreSQL is less compelling than dedicated PostgreSQL providers outside Azure ecosystem

Workato

The pricing page names four product lines, Enterprise iPaaS, Agentic solutions, API Management and Data Orchestration, and publishes no figure for any of them, gating all of it behind Schedule a demo

Pricing, plan by plan

Azure SQL

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Azure SQL review.

Workato

$99/month

Starter$99/month
- Up to 50 recipes
- Basic integrations
- Email support
Professional$299/month
- Unlimited recipes
- Premium integrations
- Priority support
Enterprise$999/month
- Custom SLA
- Dedicated support
- Advanced security

Which should you pick?

Choose Azure SQL if

You need intelligent performance.
You want to start without paying.
You work on Cloud (Microsoft Azure).
You also want advanced security.

Azure SQL review

Choose Workato if

You need process orchestration.
You work on Web, On-premise.
You also want master data management.

Workato review

Questions people ask

Is Azure SQL or Workato better?: Neither clearly leads. Azure SQL starts at Free and Workato at $99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Azure SQL or Workato?: Azure SQL has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Azure SQL and $99/month for Workato.
Does Azure SQL or Workato run on more platforms?: Azure SQL runs on Cloud (Microsoft Azure). Workato runs on Web, On-premise.
Can I use Azure SQL for free?: Yes. Azure SQL has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Workato starts at $99/month.
What is Azure SQL best used for?: Azure SQL is most often used for transaction processing, data storage, application backend, reporting. Of those, transaction processing and data storage are not what Workato is typically brought in for.
What can Azure SQL do that Workato cannot?: Azure SQL covers Intelligent Performance, Advanced Security, Hyperscale, Serverless Compute. Workato covers Process orchestration, Master data management, Integration templates, Real-time sync.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Azure SQL: Does Azure SQL Database offer a free tier?

Yes, Azure SQL Database includes a permanent free tier that provides 100,000 vCore seconds, 32 GB of data storage, and 32 GB of backup storage per month. This free tier is available for the lifetime of any Azure subscription with no expiration.

Source

Azure SQL: What pricing models does Azure SQL Database support?

Azure SQL Database offers consumption-based pricing where you pay for resources used, with no long-term commitments required. Database Savings Plans launched in March 2026 allow committing to a fixed hourly amount and save up to 35% across Azure database services.

Source

Azure SQL: Is Azure SQL Database compatible with on-premises SQL Server?

Yes, Azure SQL Database shares the same Database Engine as on-premises SQL Server. Existing databases maintain their compatibility level and continue to work after upgrades. Azure SQL Managed Instance provides even broader SQL Server compatibility dating back to SQL Server 2008.

Source

Azure SQL: What high availability features does Azure SQL Database provide?

Azure SQL Database provides automatic backups, geo-replication for disaster recovery, failover groups for automatic failover, and zone redundancy for enhanced availability. The service maintains a 99.99% availability SLA for Business Critical tier.

Source

Azure SQL: Can I use AI features with Azure SQL Database?

Yes, Azure SQL Database includes Copilot for database tasks, Intelligent Applications support, REST API endpoints for building applications, and GraphQL endpoints for modern app development.

Source

Azure SQL vs Workato

Azure SQL

Workato

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in Azure SQL

Only in Workato

What people use each for

Azure SQL

Workato

Where each one falls short

Azure SQL

Workato

Pricing, plan by plan

Azure SQL

Workato

Which should you pick?

Choose Azure SQL if

Choose Workato if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on Azure SQL

More on Workato

Keep looking

Other head to heads