Exoscale vs Microsoft Azure Comparison
Compare Exoscale vs Microsoft Azure features, pricing, and more.
Last updated: November 2026
Exoscale
6.4/10
Swiss-based European cloud provider that offers compute instances, managed Kubernetes, managed databases and S3-compatible object storage, aimed at businesses that need data sovereignty.
Microsoft Azure
7.1/10
Microsoft's public cloud platform offering virtual machines, containers, serverless, databases, storage and AI services on pay-as-you-go pricing for businesses of all sizes.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | | |
|---|---|---|
| Scores | ||
| Overall Rating | 6.4/10 | 7.1/10 |
| Integration | 7/10 | 9/10 |
| Support | 6/10 | 5/10 |
| Cost | 6/10 | 4/10 |
| Customization | 6/10 | 9/10 |
| Security | 8/10 | 9/10 |
| Reliability | 7/10 | 8/10 |
| Ease of Use | 6/10 | 4/10 |
| Analytics | 5/10 | 8/10 |
| Scalability | 6/10 | 9/10 |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Cheapest paid plan | Contact for pricing | Contact for pricing |
| Estimated cost for 10 users | Free SKS Starter | Free Azure free account |
| Features | ||
| Cloud Compute | ||
| Managed Databases | ||
| Managed Kubernetes | ||
| Multiple Regions | ||
| Object Storage | ||
| VPS Hosting | ||
| API and CLI | Not listed | |
| Content Delivery Network | Not listed | |
| Free SSL Certificates | Not listed | |
| Serverless Functions | Not listed | |
| Shared Hosting | Not listed | |
| Uptime SLA | Not listed | |
Exoscale vs Microsoft Azure cost by team size
| Team size | Exoscale | Microsoft Azure |
|---|---|---|
| 1 user | FreeSKS Starter | FreeAzure free account |
| 5 users | FreeSKS Starter | FreeAzure free account |
| 10 users | FreeSKS Starter | FreeAzure free account |
| 25 users | FreeSKS Starter | FreeAzure free account |
| 50 users | FreeSKS Starter | FreeAzure free account |
The plan that fits each team size, billed monthly, before add-ons and usage charges. Each cost opens that tool's pricing calculator for the team size.
Which One Should You Choose?
Why choose Exoscale
- Higher Cost score (6/10 vs 4/10)
- Higher Ease of Use score (6/10 vs 4/10)
Why choose Microsoft Azure
- Higher Customization score (9/10 vs 6/10)
- Higher Analytics score (8/10 vs 5/10)
- Better fit for enterprise (9/10 vs 6/10)
Pros & Cons
Exoscale
Pros
- Data stays in Swiss and EU zones, backed by ISO 27001/27017/27018, BSI C5, SOC 2 and HDS certifications.
- Per-second billing with no commitment, plus about 1 TiB of free outbound traffic per instance each month.
- The Kubernetes control plane is free on the SKS Starter tier.
- A broad managed-database lineup includes Kafka, ClickHouse and OpenSearch.
- S3-compatible storage and Terraform support make migration from AWS easier.
Cons
- Its service catalogue is much smaller than AWS, Azure or OVHcloud.
- There is less community documentation than for the major clouds.
- Faster paid support starts at 50 per month and Enterprise support needs a 1,500 monthly minimum.
- There is no shared hosting, managed WordPress or CDN product for simple websites.
- Storage costs per GB are higher than at budget providers such as Contabo.
Microsoft Azure
Pros
- Free account includes a 200 USD credit plus always-free allowances such as 1 million Functions requests and Azure DevOps for 5 users.
- Close integration with Microsoft products such as Entra ID and Power BI is repeatedly praised by reviewers.
- Very broad catalogue covering compute, Kubernetes, serverless, databases, storage and AI services.
- Global footprint of over 400 datacenters across 70 regions as of fiscal 2025.
- Reviewers credit built-in identity management and security.
Cons
- Reviewers on Capterra and TrustRadius say monthly bills are hard to understand and predict.
- Steep learning curve, with many services carrying similar names.
- Some PeerSpot reviewers report support tickets taking weeks or months to resolve.
- Paid support is extra, from 29 to 1,000 USD per month beyond the free Basic plan.
- Integration with non-Microsoft platforms and documentation for new releases draw criticism.
Not sold on either?
Frequently Asked Questions
Microsoft Azure scores higher on our Hosting & Infrastructure criteria: 7.1/10 against 6.4/10 for Exoscale. The largest gap is in Analytics: 5/10 for Exoscale and 8/10 for Microsoft Azure.
Yes, both Exoscale and Microsoft Azure have a free plan.
Microsoft Azure is the better fit for enterprise: we rate it 9/10 for them, against 6/10 for Exoscale.
