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Microsoft Azure vs Portworx

Microsoft Azure logo

Microsoft Azure

Cloud

Open and flexible cloud services

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Portworx logo

Portworx

Cloud

Kubernetes-native storage and data services, priced by the node hour

From
$0.33/node hour
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Microsoft Azure has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: 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; Portworx bare metal nodes are charged at 1.11 USD per node hour against 0.33 for virtual nodes, so a bare metal cluster costs more than three times a virtualised one for identical capability.
  • They diverge on capability: Microsoft Azure covers Virtual Machines, Portworx covers Container-native volumes.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Microsoft Azure and Portworx actually diverge.

Attributes where Microsoft Azure and Portworx differ
AttributeMicrosoft AzurePortworx
Starting priceFree$0.33/node hour
Pricing modelusage-basedPer node hour
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Api, Desktop, MobileLinux
Founded2010Unknown

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

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 Microsoft Azure

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

Only in Portworx

  • Container-native volumes
  • Failure domain placement
  • Volume encryption
  • Database automation
  • Disaster recovery
  • Autopilot capacity management
  • Hardware independence

What people use each for

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

Microsoft Azure

  • Cloud infrastructure and computingnot Portworx
  • Database and storage servicesnot Portworx
  • AI and machine learning servicesnot Portworx
  • Enterprise application hostingnot Portworx

Portworx

  • Running a production PostgreSQL or Cassandra cluster on Kubernetes and needing the data to survive node lossnot Microsoft Azure
  • A platform team offering self-service databases to developers on an internal Kubernetes platformnot Microsoft Azure
  • Failing over stateful applications between clusters in different regions as a disaster recovery positionnot Microsoft Azure
  • An OpenShift estate where the built-in storage option does not meet the availability requirement for stateful setsnot Microsoft Azure

Where each one falls short

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

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

Portworx

  • Bare metal nodes are charged at 1.11 USD per node hour against 0.33 for virtual nodes, so a bare metal cluster costs more than three times a virtualised one for identical capability.
  • A 1,000 node hour monthly minimum applies, which means small or intermittent clusters pay for capacity they do not consume.
  • Replicating volumes across nodes consumes real capacity and network bandwidth, so the underlying infrastructure cost rises alongside the licence in a way the node hour rate does not show.
  • Pure Storage ownership means roadmap priorities are set by an array vendor, and buyers should confirm that hardware independence remains contractual rather than assumed.
  • Operating it well requires Kubernetes storage expertise, and teams that adopted Kubernetes to simplify operations often find they have added a distributed storage system to run.

Pricing, plan by plan

Microsoft Azure

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

Portworx

$0.33/node hour
  • Portworx Enterprise on virtual machine nodes$0.33/node hour
    • Minimum 1,000 node hours per month
    • Replicated persistent volumes
    • Encryption and disaster recovery
  • Portworx Enterprise on bare metal nodes$1.11/node hour
    • Minimum 1,000 node hours per month
    • Same capabilities on bare metal clusters
    • Higher rate reflects node density

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Portworx if

  • You need container-native volumes.
  • You work on Linux.
  • You also want failure domain placement.
Portworx review

Questions people ask

Is Microsoft Azure or Portworx better?
Neither clearly leads. Microsoft Azure starts at Free and Portworx at $0.33/node hour, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Microsoft Azure or Portworx?
Microsoft Azure has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Microsoft Azure and $0.33/node hour for Portworx.
Does Microsoft Azure or Portworx run on more platforms?
Microsoft Azure runs on Web, Api, Desktop, Mobile. Portworx runs on Linux.
Can I use Microsoft Azure for free?
Yes. Microsoft Azure has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Portworx starts at $0.33/node hour.
What is Microsoft Azure best used for?
Microsoft Azure is most often used for cloud infrastructure and computing, database and storage services, ai and machine learning services, enterprise application hosting. Of those, cloud infrastructure and computing and database and storage services are not what Portworx is typically brought in for.
What can Microsoft Azure do that Portworx cannot?
Microsoft Azure covers Virtual Machines, App Service, SQL Database, Blob Storage. Portworx covers Container-native volumes, Failure domain placement, Volume encryption, Database automation.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Microsoft Azure: How much does Microsoft Azure cost?

Azure uses consumption-based pricing where you pay only for resources used and scale as you grow, with no fixed monthly fee. Prices are listed in USD globally, and pricing varies by service, region, and usage patterns.

Source
Portworx: Is Portworx tied to Pure Storage hardware?

No. It runs on any Kubernetes distribution over any underlying storage, though Pure has owned it since 2020 and sets the roadmap.

Microsoft Azure: How can I save money on Azure services?

Azure offers savings up to 65% on select compute services through Azure Savings Plans with one- or three-year commitments. Using Azure Hybrid Benefit with existing Windows Server and SQL Server licenses plus reservations can save up to 85% compared to standard rates.

Source
Portworx: What does a real cluster cost?

At 0.33 USD per virtual node hour, twenty nodes running continuously is roughly 4,800 USD a month. Bare metal at 1.11 USD per node hour is around 16,000 USD for the same node count.

Microsoft Azure: Does Azure offer a free tier?

Azure provides free tier services for new users and perpetually free options, including free Spot Virtual Machines, dev/test pricing for development workloads, and access to the Azure Pricing Calculator to estimate monthly costs before deployment.

Source
Portworx: Is backup included?

No. Portworx Backup is a separately priced product covering Kubernetes application backup.

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