Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Azure Blob Storage VS Azure Stack

Compare Azure Blob Storage VS Azure Stack and see what are their differences

Azure Blob Storage logo Azure Blob Storage

Use Azure Blob Storage to store all kinds of files. Azure hot, cool, and archive storage is reliable cloud object storage for unstructured data

Azure Stack logo Azure Stack

Microsoft Azure Stack is an extension of Azure that brings the innovation of cloud computing to build and deploy hybrid applications anywhere.
  • Azure Blob Storage Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-04-01
  • Azure Stack Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-03-12

Azure Blob Storage features and specs

  • Scalability
    Azure Blob Storage automatically scales to handle large amounts of data, enabling you to grow your storage needs without worrying about performance constraints.
  • Durability
    Azure offers high durability with multiple redundant copies of your data, ensuring that your information is safeguarded against hardware failures.
  • Cost Effectiveness
    Different tiers of storage (Hot, Cool, Archive) allow you to optimize costs based on how frequently you need to access your data.
  • Security
    Robust security features, including encryption at rest and in transit, as well as advanced threat protection, keep your data secure.
  • Integration
    Seamlessly integrates with Azure's ecosystem and other services, such as Azure Functions, Azure Data Factory, and more, for extended functionality.
  • Global Reach
    Data centers available globally ensure lower latency and compliance with local data residency requirements.
  • Automation
    Supports automation through REST APIs, SDKs, and Azure CLI, making it easier to manage and scale your storage programmatically.

Possible disadvantages of Azure Blob Storage

  • Complex Pricing
    The tiered pricing model can be complex, making it challenging to estimate costs accurately, particularly if your usage patterns vary.
  • Performance Variability
    Performance can vary based on the tier selected, and selecting the wrong tier might result in slower access speeds for your data.
  • Data Transfer Costs
    Ingress is free, but data egress and data transfer between regions incur additional costs, which can add up if your application moves a lot of data.
  • Learning Curve
    While powerful, the range of features and different settings can make it complex to get started, especially for organizations new to Azure.
  • Latency
    Although Azure data centers are globally distributed, there can still be some latency issues depending on your geographic location relative to the data center.
  • Vendor Lock-in
    Using Azure-specific APIs and integrations can create a dependency on Microsoft's ecosystem, making it difficult to switch providers in the future.

Azure Stack features and specs

  • Hybrid Cloud Capabilities
    Azure Stack allows for a seamless hybrid cloud experience, enabling organizations to use Azure services both on-premises and in the cloud, which promotes flexibility and scalability in IT infrastructure.
  • Consistent Development Environment
    Developers can use the same tools, APIs, and processes used in the Azure public cloud, providing a consistent and efficient development experience across environments.
  • Data Sovereignty
    Organizations can keep sensitive data on-premises, complying with regional data sovereignty laws and regulations while still leveraging Azure services.
  • Edge Computing
    Azure Stack can process and analyze data locally, close to the source, which is beneficial for scenarios that require low latency, such as IoT and real-time analytics.
  • Customizable Hardware
    Azure Stack can be deployed on hardware options from several OEM partners, offering flexibility in terms of hardware choices to meet specific organizational needs.

Possible disadvantages of Azure Stack

  • Initial Cost
    Implementing Azure Stack can be expensive due to the need for specific hardware, licensing fees, and the potential complexity of integration with existing systems.
  • Management Complexity
    Managing an Azure Stack environment can be complex, requiring skilled personnel and additional resources to maintain and support the hybrid cloud infrastructure.
  • Limited Service Availability
    Not all Azure services available in the public cloud are supported on Azure Stack, which may restrict certain functionalities and require careful planning and architecture design.
  • Updates and Maintenance
    Azure Stack requires regular updates and maintenance to keep it aligned with the Azure cloud and to ensure security, which can add to operational overhead.
  • Scalability Constraints
    Although Azure Stack offers scalability, it is still bound by on-premises infrastructure limits, which may constrain growth compared to the scalability offered by the full Azure public cloud.

Analysis of Azure Blob Storage

Overall verdict

  • Azure Blob Storage is generally a good choice for businesses and developers looking for a reliable and versatile cloud storage solution. Its comprehensive feature set, global reach, and integration capabilities make it well-suited for various storage requirements.

Why this product is good

  • Azure Blob Storage is considered good due to its scalability, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness. It offers robust data redundancy options, integrates well with other Azure services, and provides strong security features like encryption and role-based access control. Additionally, it supports a wide array of data types and is suitable for storing large amounts of unstructured data, making it an ideal choice for cloud storage needs.

Recommended for

  • Developers building cloud-native applications
  • Businesses needing to store large volumes of unstructured data
  • Organizations requiring integration with other Azure services
  • Enterprises looking for flexible pricing and abundant storage options
  • Users needing advanced security and compliance features

Azure Blob Storage videos

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Azure Stack videos

Azure Stack - An extension of Azure | Azure Friday

More videos:

  • Review - Azure Stack HCI 20H2 with Cosmos Darwin
  • Review - Dell EMC Solutions for Microsoft Azure Stack HCI Deep Dive

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Azure Blob Storage and Azure Stack)
Cloud Storage
89 89%
11% 11
Cloud Computing
86 86%
14% 14
Object Storage
88 88%
12% 12
Storage
92 92%
8% 8

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Azure Blob Storage and Azure Stack

Azure Blob Storage Reviews

7 Best Amazon S3 Alternatives & Competitors in 2024
If you’re looking to move completely away from any of the big three cloud storage providers (AWS, Microsoft Azure Blob Storage), Digital Ocean Spaces is a potential option worth looking into.

Azure Stack Reviews

We have no reviews of Azure Stack yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Azure Blob Storage should be more popular than Azure Stack. It has been mentiond 14 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Azure Blob Storage mentions (14)

  • Azure Functions with Python: Triggers
    Responds to changes in Azure Blob Storage (e.g., file uploads). - Source: dev.to / 5 months ago
  • How to Choose the Right MQTT Data Storage for Your Next Project
    Azure Blob Storage{:target="_blank"} is a scalable and highly available object storage service provided by Microsoft Azure. They offer various storage tiers, so you can optimize cost and performance based on your requirements. They also provides features like lifecycle management, versioning, and data encryption. - Source: dev.to / almost 2 years ago
  • How to build a data pipeline using Delta Lake
    An object storage system (e.g. Amazon S3, Azure Blob Storage, Google Cloud Platform Cloud Storage, etc.) makes it easy and simple to save large amounts of historical data and retrieve it for future use. - Source: dev.to / about 2 years ago
  • Azure Functions: unzip large files
    I want to share my experience unzipping large files stored in Azure Blob Storage using Azure Functions with Node.js. - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago
  • How to move my work from Heroku to Azure
    - Optionally, use Blob Storage to host static content. Then you can add Azure CDN for faster access to it. Source: over 2 years ago
View more

Azure Stack mentions (3)

  • Oxide: The Cloud Computer
    Oracle, AWS & Azure all have "Cloud at Customer" offerings. And these offerings have existed for years. https://www.oracle.com/cloud/cloud-at-customer/ https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/products/azure-stack https://aws.amazon.com/outposts/. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Some old propaganda from the Windows 7 Retail Release.
    Azure runs a specialised version of Windows server called Azure Stack. You can get info on the versions Microsoft released to the public here https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/overview/azure-stack/. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Did they just invent on-prem hosting?
    Azure Stack - https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/overview/azure-stack/. Source: almost 4 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Azure Blob Storage and Azure Stack, you can also consider the following products

Google Cloud Storage - Google Cloud Storage offers developers and IT organizations durable and highly available object storage.

Azure Storage Explorer - Easily manage your Azure storage accounts in the cloud, from Windows, macOS, or Linux, using Azure Storage Explorer.

Amazon S3 - Amazon S3 is an object storage where users can store data from their business on a safe, cloud-based platform. Amazon S3 operates in 54 availability zones within 18 graphic regions and 1 local region.

AWS Storage Gateway - AWS Storage Gateway is a service connecting an on-premises software appliance with cloud-based storage.

Alibaba Object Storage Service - Alibaba Object Storage Service is an encrypted and secure cloud storage service which stores, processes and accesses massive amounts of data

VMware vSAN - VMware vSAN is radically simple, enterprise-class software-defined storage powering VMware hyper-converged infrastructure.