# Azure Virtual Machines, Proxmox VE vs Google Compute Engine Comparison

| | Azure Virtual Machines | Proxmox VE | Google Compute Engine | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Star Rating** | 4.4 out of 5 | 4.6 out of 5 | 4.5 out of 5 | 
| **Total Reviews** | 393 | 36 | 952 | 
| **Largest Market Segment** | Enterprise (35.2% of reviews) | Small-Business (62.9% of reviews) | Small-Business (36.4% of reviews) | 
| **Entry Level Price** | No pricing available | € 4,99 month (per CPU) | Pay As You Go Per Month | 

---
## Top Pros & Cons

### Azure Virtual Machines

Pros:
- Ease of Use (45 reviews)
- Cloud Storage (29 reviews)

Cons:
- Complexity (26 reviews)
- Cost Issues (23 reviews)

### Proxmox VE

Pros:
- Scalability (2 reviews)
- Cost-Effective (1 reviews)

Cons:
- Steep Learning Curve (2 reviews)
- Network Issues (1 reviews)

### Google Compute Engine

Pros:
- Ease of Use (65 reviews)
- Scalability (60 reviews)

Cons:
- Pricing Issues (42 reviews)
- Expensive (38 reviews)

---
## Ratings Comparison
| Rating | Azure Virtual Machines | Proxmox VE | Google Compute Engine | 
|---|---|---|---|
  | **Meets Requirements** | 9.0 (339 reviews) | 8.9 (32 reviews) | 9.0 (506 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Use** | 8.6 (339 reviews) | 8.7 (32 reviews) | 8.7 (508 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Setup** | 8.6 (206 reviews) | 8.1 (27 reviews) | 8.6 (333 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Admin** | 8.6 (192 reviews) | 8.6 (25 reviews) | 8.6 (213 reviews) | 
  | **Quality of Support** | 8.4 (326 reviews) | 7.0 (22 reviews) | 8.4 (467 reviews) | 
  | **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?** | 8.9 (184 reviews) | 8.6 (18 reviews) | 8.8 (205 reviews) | 
  | **Product Direction (% positive)** | 9.2 (327 reviews) | 10.0 (30 reviews) | 9.4 (483 reviews) | 

---
## Pricing

### Azure Virtual Machines

#### Entry-Level Pricing

No pricing available

#### Free Trial

No information available

### Proxmox VE

#### Entry-Level Pricing

Plan: COMMUNITY

Price: € 4,99 month (per CPU)

Key Features:
- Access to Enterprise repository
- Support via community forum

[Browse all 4 editions](https://www.g2.com/products/proxmox-ve/pricing)

#### Free Trial

No

### Google Compute Engine

#### Entry-Level Pricing

Plan: Beyond Free Tier and Free Trial

Price: Pay As You Go Per Month

Description: Pricing for Compute Engine is based on per-second usage of the machine types, persistent disks, and other resources that you select for your virtual machines. 

Key Features:
- Compute Engine charges for usage based on the following price sheet: https://cloud.google.com/compute/all-pricing

[Browse all 2 editions](https://www.g2.com/products/google-compute-engine/pricing)

#### Free Trial

Yes

---
## Features Comparison By Category

### Cloud Management Platforms

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Azure Virtual Machines** | N/A | N/A |
| **Proxmox VE** | N/A | N/A |
| **Google Compute Engine** | 8.6/10 | 153 |

#### Functionality

| Feature | Azure Virtual Machines | Proxmox VE | Google Compute Engine | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Cloud Consolidation** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.8 (136 reviews) | 
| **Cloud Orchestration** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.7 (135 reviews) | 
| **Cloud Optimization** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.8 (136 reviews) | 

#### Management

| Feature | Azure Virtual Machines | Proxmox VE | Google Compute Engine | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Cloud Cost Analytics** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.3 (135 reviews) | 
| **Cloud Security** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.9 (136 reviews) | 
| **Cloud Resource Management** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.7 (134 reviews) | 
| **Cloud Backup and Recovery** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.9 (135 reviews) | 

#### Agentic AI - Cloud Management Platforms

| Feature | Azure Virtual Machines | Proxmox VE | Google Compute Engine | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Autonomous Task Execution** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 7.9 (14 reviews) | 
| **Cross-system Integration** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.6 (14 reviews) | 
| **Decision Making** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.3 (14 reviews) | 

### Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Azure Virtual Machines** | 8.7/10 | 75 |
| **Proxmox VE** | N/A | N/A |
| **Google Compute Engine** | 8.6/10 | 204 |

#### Infrastructure Provision

| Feature | Azure Virtual Machines | Proxmox VE | Google Compute Engine | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Public Cloud** | 9.0 (66 reviews) | Not enough data | 8.8 (174 reviews) | 
| **Private Cloud** | 8.6 (55 reviews) | Not enough data | 8.4 (173 reviews) | 
| **Hybrid Cloud** | 9.0 (53 reviews) | Not enough data | 8.5 (164 reviews) | 
| **Bare Metal** | 7.2 (48 reviews) | Not enough data | 7.9 (157 reviews) | 
| **High-Performance Computing (HPC)** | 8.3 (54 reviews) | Not enough data | 8.7 (165 reviews) | 
| **Virtual Machines (VMs)** | 9.3 (67 reviews) | Not enough data | 9.2 (179 reviews) | 
| **Edge Computing** | 8.5 (49 reviews) | Not enough data | 8.3 (159 reviews) | 
| **Virtual Networks** | 9.1 (59 reviews) | Not enough data | 8.8 (176 reviews) | 

#### Management

| Feature | Azure Virtual Machines | Proxmox VE | Google Compute Engine | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Pay by Usage** | 8.9 (62 reviews) | Not enough data | 8.6 (174 reviews) | 
| **Usage Tracking** | 8.9 (55 reviews) | Not enough data | 8.7 (170 reviews) | 
| **Performance Tracking** | 8.7 (55 reviews) | Not enough data | 8.5 (176 reviews) | 

#### Functionality

| Feature | Azure Virtual Machines | Proxmox VE | Google Compute Engine | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Resource Auto-Scaling** | 8.9 (57 reviews) | Not enough data | 8.9 (173 reviews) | 

### Server Virtualization

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Azure Virtual Machines** | 8.7/10 | 35 |
| **Proxmox VE** | 9.0/10 | 13 |
| **Google Compute Engine** | 8.6/10 | 125 |

#### Performance

| Feature | Azure Virtual Machines | Proxmox VE | Google Compute Engine | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Scalability** | 8.5 (28 reviews) | 9.2 (13 reviews) | 9.0 (115 reviews) | 
| **Portability** | 8.3 (26 reviews) | 8.5 (12 reviews) | 8.6 (110 reviews) | 
| **Data Recovery** | 8.9 (27 reviews) | 8.8 (10 reviews) | 8.5 (109 reviews) | 

#### Functionality

| Feature | Azure Virtual Machines | Proxmox VE | Google Compute Engine | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **OS Integration** | 9.0 (31 reviews) | 9.4 (12 reviews) | 8.7 (109 reviews) | 
| **Resource Saving** | 8.5 (30 reviews) | 9.2 (12 reviews) | 8.6 (108 reviews) | 
| **Performance Management** | 8.7 (29 reviews) | 9.3 (12 reviews) | 8.7 (110 reviews) | 
| **Security** | 9.3 (30 reviews) | 8.3 (11 reviews) | 9.1 (114 reviews) | 

#### Agentic AI - Server Virtualization

| Feature | Azure Virtual Machines | Proxmox VE | Google Compute Engine | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Autonomous Task Execution** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.1 (15 reviews) | 
| **Multi-step Planning** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.3 (14 reviews) | 
| **Cross-system Integration** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.8 (14 reviews) | 
| **Adaptive Learning** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.7 (14 reviews) | 
| **Proactive Assistance** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.1 (14 reviews) | 
| **Decision Making** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.7 (14 reviews) | 

### Auto Scaling

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Azure Virtual Machines** | N/A | N/A |
| **Proxmox VE** | N/A | N/A |
| **Google Compute Engine** | 8.5/10 | 133 |

#### Automated resource scaling

| Feature | Azure Virtual Machines | Proxmox VE | Google Compute Engine | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Automatic resource discovery** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.6 (116 reviews) | 
| **Smart scaling** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.9 (118 reviews) | 

#### Scaling strategies

| Feature | Azure Virtual Machines | Proxmox VE | Google Compute Engine | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Pre-defined optimization strategies** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.3 (117 reviews) | 
| **Predictive scaling** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.4 (116 reviews) | 

#### Visualization

| Feature | Azure Virtual Machines | Proxmox VE | Google Compute Engine | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Unified scaling** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.3 (115 reviews) | 
| **Dashboard** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.4 (116 reviews) | 

---
## Categories
**Shared Categories (1):** [Server Virtualization Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/server-virtualization)

**Unique to Azure Virtual Machines (1):** [Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/infrastructure-as-a-service-iaas)


**Unique to Google Compute Engine (3):** [Cloud Management Platforms](https://www.g2.com/categories/cloud-management-platforms), [Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/infrastructure-as-a-service-iaas), [Auto Scaling Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/auto-scaling)


---
## Reviewer Demographics

### By Company Size

| Segment | Azure Virtual Machines | Proxmox VE | Google Compute Engine | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Small-Business** | 31.7% | 62.9% | 36.4% | 
| **Mid-Market** | 33.1% | 28.6% | 30.5% | 
| **Enterprise** | 35.2% | 8.6% | 33.1% | 

### By Industry

#### Azure Virtual Machines

- **Information Technology and Services:** 30.3%
- **Computer Software:** 17.6%
- **Computer & Network Security:** 7.4%
- **Accounting:** 4.3%
- **Information Services:** 2.4%
- **Financial Services:** 2.1%
- **Banking:** 1.9%
- **Higher Education:** 1.9%
- **Marketing and Advertising:** 1.6%
- **Computer Networking:** 1.6%
- **Other:** 29.0%

#### Proxmox VE

- **Information Technology and Services:** 41.2%
- **Computer Software:** 11.8%
- **Computer & Network Security:** 11.8%
- **Oil & Energy:** 5.9%
- **Internet:** 5.9%
- **Consumer Goods:** 5.9%
- **Mechanical or Industrial Engineering:** 2.9%
- **International Affairs:** 2.9%
- **Higher Education:** 2.9%
- **Financial Services:** 2.9%
- **Other:** 5.9%

#### Google Compute Engine

- **Information Technology and Services:** 20.7%
- **Computer Software:** 19.0%
- **Financial Services:** 6.5%
- **Computer & Network Security:** 4.2%
- **Marketing and Advertising:** 3.2%
- **Retail:** 2.8%
- **Internet:** 2.2%
- **Telecommunications:** 2.1%
- **Hospital & Health Care:** 2.1%
- **Consulting:** 2.0%
- **Other:** 35.4%

---
## Alternatives

### Alternatives to Azure Virtual Machines

- [Amazon EC2](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-ec2/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (1194 reviews)
- [VMware vSphere](https://www.g2.com/products/vmware-vsphere/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (761 reviews)
- [DigitalOcean](https://www.g2.com/products/digitalocean/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (749 reviews)
- [Akamai Cloud Computing](https://www.g2.com/products/akamai-cloud-computing/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (406 reviews)
- [Vultr](https://www.g2.com/products/vultr/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (286 reviews)
- [Oracle VM](https://www.g2.com/products/oracle-vm/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (73 reviews)
- [VirtualBox](https://www.g2.com/products/virtualbox/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (292 reviews)
- [Hostwinds](https://www.g2.com/products/hostwinds/reviews) — 4.9/5 stars (438 reviews)
- [VMware Cloud Director](https://www.g2.com/products/vmware-cloud-director/reviews) — 4.2/5 stars (17 reviews)
- [Red Hat Enterprise Linux](https://www.g2.com/products/red-hat-enterprise-linux/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (975 reviews)

### Alternatives to Proxmox VE

- [VMware vSphere](https://www.g2.com/products/vmware-vsphere/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (761 reviews)
- [Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure (NCI)](https://www.g2.com/products/nutanix-cloud-infrastructure-nci/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (324 reviews)
- [VirtualBox](https://www.g2.com/products/virtualbox/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (292 reviews)
- [Oracle VM](https://www.g2.com/products/oracle-vm/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (73 reviews)
- [SUSE Linux Enterprise Server](https://www.g2.com/products/suse-linux-enterprise-server/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (72 reviews)
- [Virtuozzo](https://www.g2.com/products/virtuozzo/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (55 reviews)
- [XenServer](https://www.g2.com/products/xenserver/reviews) — 4.2/5 stars (49 reviews)
- [VMware ESXi](https://www.g2.com/products/vmware-esxi/reviews) — 4.7/5 stars (21 reviews)
- [SQL Server on Virtual Machines](https://www.g2.com/products/sql-server-on-virtual-machines/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (18 reviews)
- [antsle Private Cloud](https://www.g2.com/products/antsle-private-cloud/reviews) — 4.8/5 stars (18 reviews)

### Alternatives to Google Compute Engine

- [Vultr](https://www.g2.com/products/vultr/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (286 reviews)
- [Amazon EC2](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-ec2/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (1194 reviews)
- [DigitalOcean](https://www.g2.com/products/digitalocean/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (749 reviews)
- [Akamai Cloud Computing](https://www.g2.com/products/akamai-cloud-computing/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (406 reviews)
- [Hostwinds](https://www.g2.com/products/hostwinds/reviews) — 4.9/5 stars (438 reviews)
- [VMware vSphere](https://www.g2.com/products/vmware-vsphere/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (761 reviews)
- [Ubuntu](https://www.g2.com/products/ubuntu/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (2389 reviews)
- [Red Hat Enterprise Linux](https://www.g2.com/products/red-hat-enterprise-linux/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (975 reviews)
- [VMware Cloud Foundation](https://www.g2.com/products/vmware-cloud-foundation/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (621 reviews)
- [SAP Business Technology Platform](https://www.g2.com/products/sap-business-technology-platform/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (417 reviews)

---
## Top Discussions

### Azure Virtual Machines

- Title: [What is Azure Virtual Machines used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-azure-virtual-machines-used-for) — 2 comments
  > **Top comment:** "Azure Virtual Machines (VMs) are used to run applications and workloads on virtualized server environments in the cloud. They allow you to deploy and manage..."
- Title: [What operating systems does an Azure virtual machine support?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-operating-systems-does-an-azure-virtual-machine-support) — 2 comments
  > **Top comment:** "2012 and above"
- Title: [What are Azure virtual machines used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-are-azure-virtual-machines-used-for) — 2 comments
  > **Top comment:** "Mission critical workloads"
- Title: [What is virtual machine in Azure portal?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-virtual-machine-in-azure-portal) — 1 comment
  > **Top comment:** "It is a computer file that behaves like a computer,it has computing environment that offers to run different operating system "
- Title: [Azure VM](https://www.g2.com/discussions/36714-azure-vm) — 1 comment, 1 upvote
  > **Top comment:** "Most powerful VM machine"

### Proxmox VE

- Title: [Possibility of importing virtual machines from other platforms](https://www.g2.com/discussions/12585-possibility-of-importing-virtual-machines-from-other-platforms) — 2 comments, 1 upvote
  > **Top comment:** "While the answer is yes, unfortunately at the time of writing importing ova files for example isn't a gui based thing.  An example is here:..."
- Title: [What operating system is proxmox?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-operating-system-is-proxmox) — 1 comment
  > **Top comment:** "Proxmox VE is a complete operating system based on Debian Linux"
- Title: [Is proxmox still free?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/is-proxmox-still-free) — 1 comment
  > **Top comment:** "Its still free and great!"

### Google Compute Engine

- Title: [What does Google Compute Engine do?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-does-google-compute-engine-do) — 4 comments, 1 upvote
  > **Top comment:** "You can deploy a VM instance within minutes via the Google Compute Engine, connect to your instance via SSH, and monitor metrics like CPU, Network, Memory..."
- Title: [What is Google Compute Engine used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-google-compute-engine-used-for) — 2 comments
  > **Top comment:** "Virtual machine implementation in the Cloud"
- Title: [What is a compute instance?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-a-compute-instance) — 2 comments, 2 upvotes
  > **Top comment:** "It is virtual machine offering from Google Cloud"
- Title: [Is Google Compute Engine PaaS?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/is-google-compute-engine-paas) — 1 comment, 1 upvote
  > **Top comment:** "No"
- Title: [Can I get the manual to understand the different features of it ?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/can-i-get-the-manual-to-understand-the-different-features-of-it) — 1 comment, 1 upvote
  > **Top comment:** "This is the official documentation: https://cloud.google.com/docs
This might help you.
"

---
**Source:** [G2.com](https://www.g2.com) | [Comparison Page](https://www.g2.com/compare/azure-virtual-machines-vs-proxmox-ve-vs-google-compute-engine)