Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Azure Storage Explorer VS Azure Blob Storage

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

Azure Storage Explorer logo Azure Storage Explorer

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

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 Storage Explorer Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-04-05
  • Azure Blob Storage Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-04-01

Azure Storage Explorer features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    Azure Storage Explorer provides a graphical user interface that simplifies the management of storage accounts, making it easier to perform complex operations without needing deep technical expertise.
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    The tool is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux, ensuring that users can access and manage their Azure storage from any major operating system.
  • Comprehensive Storage Management
    It supports a wide range of Azure storage options including Blob Storage, Queue Storage, Table Storage, and File Storage, giving users a centralized tool for all their storage needs.
  • Integration with Azure Services
    Azure Storage Explorer integrates seamlessly with other Azure services, allowing for streamlined workflows and easy automation of tasks.
  • Data Security
    The tool provides advanced security features such as SAS tokens (Shared Access Signatures) for ensuring secure data access and transfer.
  • Task Automation
    Supports scripting and command-line access, enabling users to automate repetitive tasks and improve operational efficiency.

Possible disadvantages of Azure Storage Explorer

  • Performance Issues
    Some users have reported slow performance, particularly when dealing with large datasets, which can hinder overall efficiency.
  • Complexity for Novices
    Despite its user-friendly design, the feature-rich environment can be overwhelming for beginners who may find it difficult to navigate advanced functionalities.
  • Limited Offline Capabilities
    The tool requires an internet connection to interact with Azure services, limiting its usability in scenarios where offline access is needed.
  • Resource Intensive
    Azure Storage Explorer can be resource-intensive, requiring significant memory and processing power, which can be problematic on lower-end systems.
  • Limited Customization
    The tool offers limited customization options, which may not meet the specific needs or preferences of all users.
  • Occasional Bugs
    Users have occasionally reported bugs and glitches, which can cause inconvenience and require troubleshooting.

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.

Analysis of Azure Storage Explorer

Overall verdict

  • Overall, Azure Storage Explorer is considered to be a good tool, especially for those who are already using the Azure ecosystem. It simplifies the management of Azure storage resources and integrates well with other Azure services, making it a valuable tool for efficient cloud storage management.

Why this product is good

  • Azure Storage Explorer is a versatile tool that allows users to manage their Azure cloud storage resources with ease. It provides a user-friendly interface for accessing different types of storage accounts like Blob, Queue, Table, and File storage. It supports features such as data transfer, managing access control, and performing diagnostics, which enhance its functionality and usability for both developers and IT professionals.

Recommended for

    Azure Storage Explorer is recommended for developers, IT professionals, and businesses that utilize Microsoft Azure for their cloud computing needs. It's particularly beneficial for those who need to manage large volumes of data across various storage types and require a straightforward interface to do so.

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 Storage Explorer videos

Microsoft Azure Storage Explorer Desktop Client Review

More videos:

  • Review - Azure Storage Explorer
  • Review - Azure Storage Explorer 6 Review

Azure Blob Storage videos

No Azure Blob Storage videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Azure Storage Explorer and Azure Blob Storage)
Cloud Storage
28 28%
72% 72
Cloud Computing
25 25%
75% 75
Object Storage
29 29%
71% 71
File Sharing
27 27%
73% 73

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 Storage Explorer and Azure Blob Storage

Azure Storage Explorer Reviews

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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.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Azure Blob Storage should be more popular than Azure Storage Explorer. 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 Storage Explorer mentions (4)

  • Azcopy exclude folder?
    An easier way to copy files from your on-premises environment to an Azure File Share is using Azure Storage Explorer. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Tackle 0 Byte files in Azure Blob Storage with ease using Azure PowerShell
    Now that we have a list of broken files, we can track them down in the Azure Blob Storage media container. For this I can highly recommend the Microsoft Azure Storage Explorer 💯. - Source: dev.to / almost 4 years ago
  • Searching Azure Blob Storage files using Blob Index
    We're using the Microsoft Azure Storage Explorer to view these files. If you do not already have it installed, get it here. - Source: dev.to / about 4 years ago
  • Query Azure Table Storage with LINQPad6
    3. Add some data. Or we can use Azure Storage Explorer to upload data from local computer. - Source: dev.to / about 4 years ago

Azure Blob Storage mentions (14)

  • Azure Functions with Python: Triggers
    Responds to changes in Azure Blob Storage (e.g., file uploads). - Source: dev.to / 6 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
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What are some alternatives?

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

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

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

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

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.

Datrium - Get primary storage and backup, disaster recovery orchestration, encryption, and mobility in a single powerful platform. Liberate IT from complexity.

Minio - Minio is an open-source minimal cloud storage server.