Introducing G2.ai, the future of software buying.Try now
Compare Azure SQL Database and DigitalOcean 
Featured Products
Sponsored
You’re seeing this ad based on the product’s relevance to this page. Sponsored content does not receive preferential treatment in any of G2’s ratings.
RaimaDB
Visit Website
Sponsored
You’re seeing this ad based on the product’s relevance to this page. Sponsored content does not receive preferential treatment in any of G2’s ratings.
Hostman
Visit Website
At a Glance
Market Segments
Enterprise (39.8% of reviews)
Small-Business (86.0% of reviews)
Entry-Level Pricing
No pricing available
Starting at $4.00
Azure SQL Database
Star Rating
(227)4.4 out of 5
Market Segments
Enterprise (39.8% of reviews)
Entry-Level Pricing
No pricing available
Learn more about Azure SQL DatabaseDigitalOcean
Star Rating
(732)4.6 out of 5
Market Segments
Small-Business (86.0% of reviews)
Entry-Level Pricing
Starting at $4.00
Free Trial is available
Browse all 11 pricing plansSummary
AI Generated Summary
AI-generated. Powered by real user reviews.
- Users report that DigitalOcean excels in ease of use with a score of 9.3, making it a favorite among small businesses, while Azure SQL Database, with a score of 8.9, is noted for its complexity, particularly in setup and administration.
- Reviewers mention that DigitalOcean's virtual machines receive high praise with a score of 9.5, highlighting their performance and reliability, whereas Azure SQL Database's virtual machines, while still strong, score slightly lower at 9.1.
- G2 users indicate that Azure SQL Database shines in security features, particularly with its encryption capabilities scoring 9.0, while DigitalOcean's security tools, although decent, score lower at 8.5, leading to a perception of Azure as the more secure option.
- Users on G2 report that DigitalOcean's application deployment process is straightforward, scoring 8.9, which is beneficial for developers, while Azure SQL Database's deployment tools are seen as less intuitive, scoring 7.8.
- Reviewers mention that Azure SQL Database offers superior backup and recovery options, scoring 9.2, which is crucial for enterprise users, while DigitalOcean's backup features, although reliable, score lower at 8.8.
- Users say that DigitalOcean's pricing model, starting at $4.00, is more accessible for small businesses compared to Azure SQL Database, which is often perceived as more expensive and tailored for larger enterprises.
Pricing
Entry-Level Pricing
Azure SQL Database
No pricing availableDigitalOcean
Droplets
Starting at $4.00
Simple, affordable, fast virtual machines
- Deploys in seconds
- Scales up on demand
- Run any workload from mission critical apps to low traffic sites
Free Trial
Azure SQL Database
No trial information availableDigitalOcean
Free Trial is available
Ratings
Meets Requirements
9.0
185
9.1
638
Ease of Use
8.8
184
9.3
627
Ease of Setup
8.6
99
9.4
486
Ease of Admin
8.5
81
9.2
406
Quality of Support
8.8
178
8.7
521
Has the product been a good partner in doing business?
8.7
77
9.2
379
Product Direction (% positive)
9.6
170
9.0
627
Features by Category
Core Conversational Capabilities - AI Chatbots
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Interaction
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Task & Flow Management - AI Chatbots
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Learning
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Deployment & Embedding - AI Chatbots
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Content Generation
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Admin & Configuration - AI Chatbots
Not enough data
Not enough data
System
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Agentic AI - AI Chatbots
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Monitoring & Improvement - AI Chatbots
Not enough data
Not enough data
Reliability & Safety - AI Chatbots
Not enough data
Not enough data
Infrastructure Provision
Not enough data
9.1
144
Not enough data
Feature Not Available
Not enough data
Feature Not Available
Not enough data
7.4
77
Not enough data
8.3
120
Not enough data
9.3
151
Not enough data
Feature Not Available
Not enough data
8.9
131
Management
Not enough data
8.8
152
Not enough data
8.7
153
Not enough data
8.7
146
Functionality
Not enough data
8.4
80
Management
8.9
73
Not enough data
9.2
72
Not enough data
8.7
67
Not enough data
8.5
71
Not enough data
Support
8.8
73
Not enough data
8.8
74
Not enough data
8.7
72
Not enough data
8.6
72
Not enough data
Security
8.6
71
Not enough data
8.9
75
Not enough data
9.0
73
Not enough data
9.0
73
Not enough data
Performance
8.9
71
Not enough data
8.7
70
Not enough data
8.7
71
Not enough data
8.8
66
Not enough data
8.7
70
Not enough data
Database Features
9.3
95
Not enough data
9.4
96
Not enough data
9.2
96
Not enough data
9.2
96
Not enough data
9.2
95
Not enough data
8.6
92
Not enough data
8.8
93
Not enough data
Integration - Machine Learning
Not enough data
Not enough data
Learning - Machine Learning
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Agentic AI - Virtual Private Servers (VPS)
Not enough data
7.5
21
Not enough data
7.3
20
Not enough data
7.5
20
Hosting Management
Not enough data
8.4
346
Not enough data
8.9
353
Not enough data
Feature Not Available
Not enough data
8.6
285
Not enough data
8.2
240
Not enough data
8.7
267
Not enough data
7.9
216
Not enough data
Feature Not Available
Not enough data
8.8
296
Not enough data
8.6
294
Development
Not enough data
8.9
73
Not enough data
Feature Not Available
Not enough data
8.3
73
Not enough data
8.8
68
Not enough data
7.9
68
Database
Not enough data
8.7
69
Not enough data
7.9
67
Not enough data
7.9
66
Not enough data
8.6
66
Not enough data
8.9
68
Infrastructure
Not enough data
8.8
69
Not enough data
9.0
70
Not enough data
8.3
68
Configuration
8.9
78
8.8
51
8.5
75
8.7
51
8.8
78
8.6
51
8.1
72
7.4
50
9.0
77
8.7
50
Database Administration
8.7
76
8.7
51
8.8
76
8.4
51
8.7
75
7.8
50
Availability
9.1
78
9.2
51
9.2
77
8.8
50
8.6
77
8.4
51
9.0
76
8.4
50
Security
8.8
66
7.7
47
9.1
68
8.0
48
8.6
65
7.7
46
Data Management
8.7
70
8.6
47
8.6
65
7.5
47
Management
Not enough data
9.3
38
Not enough data
9.1
37
Not enough data
8.5
36
Organization
Not enough data
8.9
37
Not enough data
9.0
37
Not enough data
8.9
36
Development
Not enough data
8.8
36
Not enough data
8.8
34
Not enough data
8.9
36
Not enough data
9.2
35
Categories
Categories
Shared Categories
Azure SQL Database and DigitalOcean are categorized as Database as a Service (DBaaS)
Unique Categories
Azure SQL Database is categorized as Relational Databases
DigitalOcean is categorized as Container Orchestration, Block Storage, Container Management, VPS Hosting Platforms, Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Cloud Platform as a Service (PaaS), Machine Learning, and AI Chatbots
Reviews
Reviewers' Company Size
Azure SQL Database
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)
Enterprise(> 1000 emp.)
DigitalOcean
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)
Enterprise(> 1000 emp.)
Small-Business
(50 or fewer emp.)
Mid-Market
(51-1000 emp.)
Enterprise
(> 1000 emp.)
Reviewers' Industry
Information Technology and Services
25.0%
Computer Software
20.4%
Financial Services
4.6%
Hospital & Health Care
4.2%
Telecommunications
2.8%
Other
43.1%
Computer Software
24.6%
Information Technology and Services
19.8%
Internet
6.9%
Marketing and Advertising
5.8%
Computer & Network Security
2.9%
Other
40.0%
Alternatives
Discussions
What is Azure SQL Database used for?
3 Comments
PU
Azure SQL Database is used for storing, managing, and analyzing data in the cloud. It’s great for running applications, generating reports, and handling...Read more
Is Azure SQL Database free?
2 Comments
AD
There is a free tier, but for production workload you have to pay.Read more
Azure SQL Database has no more discussions with answers
What are droplets in DigitalOcean?
7 Comments
JL
Companies like to rename existing concepts to make them seem more exclusive. A Droplet is what Digital Ocean has decided to name its virtual machines,...Read more
What's your primary use case for DigitalOcean?
2 Comments
TR
I use it for hosting my staging websites for my web dev business as well as hosting my own website. I'm not a big fan of web hosting companies, especially as...Read more
Are digital ocean droplets VPS?
2 Comments
JL
Yes, Droplets are what Digital Ocean calls their VPS's.Read more
Hunting for software insights?
With over 3 million reviews, we can provide the specific details that help you make an informed software buying decision for your business. Finding the right product is important, let us help.
