Microsoft Azure
Microsoft's enterprise cloud platform with deep Office 365 integration.
The verdict
Microsoft Azure is the second-largest cloud provider globally, with over 60 regions and a deep integration story for enterprises running Windows, .NET, Active Directory and Microsoft 365. It is the dominant choice for organizations already committed to the Microsoft ecosystem.
The full picture
Microsoft Azure is the second-largest cloud platform and the default choice for organisations already invested in Microsoft technology. If your company runs Active Directory, Microsoft 365, SQL Server, .NET applications or Windows Server, Azure is the platform where those things work with the least friction and the most favourable licensing, and that integration advantage is the principal reason enterprises choose it over AWS.
For web hosting, the relevant services are App Service, a fully managed platform for .NET, Node, Python, PHP and Java applications with deployment slots and autoscaling built in; Virtual Machines for full control; Static Web Apps for Jamstack front ends; and Azure SQL or Database for MySQL and PostgreSQL on the data side. App Service in particular is one of the better managed application platforms in the market and is often underrated.
Azure covers more geographic regions than any competitor, which matters for data residency requirements, and it has the deepest hybrid cloud story through Azure Arc and Azure Stack. Pricing is complex, Windows licensing can be favourable through existing agreements, and the portal has a steeper learning curve than its rivals.
What you get
- 60+ global regions
- Active Directory integration
- Hybrid cloud capabilities
- Azure DevOps & GitHub Actions
- AI and machine learning services
- Free credits for new accounts
Every hosting type it sells
| Product | From | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| App Service | Free tier | Managed web app hosting for .NET, Node, Python, PHP and Java. |
| Virtual Machines | Usage | Full Linux and Windows VMs across every region. |
| Static Web Apps | Free tier | Git-based deployment for front-end frameworks with serverless APIs. |
| Azure SQL | Usage | Managed SQL Server with automatic tuning and failover. |
| Container Apps / AKS | Usage | Serverless containers and managed Kubernetes. |
Plans & pricing
- 1 vCPU
- 1 GB RAM
- Linux or Windows
- 2 vCPU
- 4 GB RAM
- Burstable CPU
- 2 vCPU
- 8 GB RAM
- Premium SSD
What the price actually costs you
- Complex usage-based pricing; the calculator is essential before committing.
- Azure Hybrid Benefit can substantially reduce costs if you already own Windows or SQL licences.
- Reserved instances and savings plans cut steady-state compute costs meaningfully.
- Enterprise agreements negotiate discounts at volume — list price is rarely what large customers pay.
Technical specification
| Control panel | Azure Portal, CLI, PowerShell, ARM and Bicep templates, Terraform |
|---|---|
| Regions | 60+ announced regions worldwide, the broadest geographic coverage |
| Identity | Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD) integration for enterprise single sign-on |
| Hybrid | Azure Arc and Azure Stack for on-premises and multi-cloud management |
| Licensing | Azure Hybrid Benefit reuses existing Windows Server and SQL licences |
| Storage | Blob, Files, Disks and Data Lake storage tiers |
| Compliance | The largest compliance portfolio alongside AWS, including FedRAMP High and government clouds |
| Free tier | 12 months of free services plus always-free tiers and a starting credit |
| Support | Basic free, with Developer, Standard, Professional Direct and Premier tiers |
| Uptime SLA | Up to 99.99% on App Service and VMs in availability zones |
Performance in practice
Strong and globally consistent, with the widest region footprint of any provider and a well-peered backbone. App Service is genuinely good for managed application hosting, with deployment slots that make zero-downtime releases straightforward. Windows workloads run better here than anywhere else. The main performance trap is undersizing App Service plans, where cold starts and CPU throttling on the lower tiers surprise people.
Infrastructure & support
Support channels
- Documentation & forums (free)
- Developer Support ($29/mo)
- Standard Support ($100/mo)
- Enterprise agreement support
Data centers
- 60+ regions globally across Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East, Africa
Security & compliance
- Microsoft Entra ID for enterprise identity, conditional access and single sign-on
- Microsoft Defender for Cloud providing posture management and threat detection
- DDoS Protection Basic free, Standard for enterprise-grade mitigation
- Key Vault for secrets, certificates and encryption key management
- FedRAMP High, HIPAA, PCI DSS, ISO 27001 and dedicated government cloud regions
- Shared responsibility model applies as with every hyperscaler
Moving a site in
Azure Migrate provides assessment and migration tooling for servers, databases and applications, with strong support for moving Windows Server and SQL Server estates. Microsoft partner networks handle large migrations, and the tooling is the most mature for Microsoft-stack workloads.
The trade-off
In its favour
- Best choice for Microsoft-stack enterprises
- Extensive compliance certifications
- Strong hybrid cloud story
Worth knowing
- Pricing is complex and can escalate
- Interface can be overwhelming
- Less developer-friendly than AWS or GCP
Who should look elsewhere
- Simple websites, where a managed host is cheaper and faster to set up
- Small teams without cloud engineering capacity
- Organisations with no Microsoft technology footprint, where the integration advantage disappears
- Buyers wanting simple flat pricing
The company behind it
| Ownership | Microsoft Corporation, publicly traded (NASDAQ: MSFT) |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Redmond, Washington, United States |
| Founded | 2010 (announced 2008 as Windows Azure) |
| Scale | 60+ announced regions, more than any other cloud provider |
| Notable | Deepest integration with Microsoft 365, Active Directory and Windows Server |
How it got here
- 2008 Announced as Windows Azure at Microsoft PDC.
- 2010 Commercially launched.
- 2014 Renamed Microsoft Azure and broadens beyond Windows workloads.
- 2019 Launches Azure Arc for hybrid and multi-cloud management.
- 2023 Becomes the primary cloud for OpenAI workloads, driving AI service growth.
Common questions
Is Azure good for hosting websites?
Yes, Azure App Service and Azure Virtual Machines both support web hosting across all major stacks.
Does Azure offer a free trial?
Yes, new Azure customers receive $200 in credits valid for 30 days, plus 12 months of free service limits.
The bottom line
The obvious cloud if your organisation already runs on Microsoft: identity, licensing and tooling all line up in a way no competitor matches. App Service is an underrated managed platform for web applications. For a plain website with no Microsoft ties, it is more platform than you need.