# Azure Virtual Machines, VMware vSphere vs SC//HyperCore Comparison

| | Azure Virtual Machines | VMware vSphere | SC//HyperCore | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Star Rating** | 4.4 out of 5 | 4.5 out of 5 | 4.7 out of 5 | 
| **Total Reviews** | 393 | 761 | 265 | 
| **Largest Market Segment** | Enterprise (35.2% of reviews) | Enterprise (43.6% of reviews) | Mid-Market (75.3% of reviews) | 
| **Entry Level Price** | No pricing available | No pricing available | $189.00 1 Software License Only. Per core, per year, 5-year term. Per Year | 

---
## Top Pros & Cons

### Azure Virtual Machines

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

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

### VMware vSphere

Pros:
- Ease of Use (69 reviews)
- Virtualization Management (57 reviews)

Cons:
- Expensive (56 reviews)
- Licensing Issues (31 reviews)

### SC//HyperCore

Pros:
- Ease of Use (73 reviews)
- Customer Support (49 reviews)

Cons:
- Limited Features (14 reviews)
- VM Management Issues (10 reviews)

---
## Ratings Comparison
| Rating | Azure Virtual Machines | VMware vSphere | SC//HyperCore | 
|---|---|---|---|
  | **Meets Requirements** | 9.0 (339 reviews) | 9.2 (338 reviews) | 9.4 (228 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Use** | 8.6 (339 reviews) | 8.9 (620 reviews) | 9.6 (231 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Setup** | 8.6 (206 reviews) | 8.6 (562 reviews) | 9.3 (221 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Admin** | 8.6 (192 reviews) | 9.0 (277 reviews) | 9.5 (216 reviews) | 
  | **Quality of Support** | 8.4 (326 reviews) | 8.5 (313 reviews) | 9.6 (228 reviews) | 
  | **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?** | 8.9 (184 reviews) | 8.6 (283 reviews) | 9.6 (215 reviews) | 
  | **Product Direction (% positive)** | 9.2 (327 reviews) | 8.0 (335 reviews) | 9.3 (220 reviews) | 

---
## Pricing

### Azure Virtual Machines

#### Entry-Level Pricing

No pricing available

#### Free Trial

No information available

### VMware vSphere

#### Entry-Level Pricing

No pricing available

#### Free Trial

Yes

### SC//HyperCore

#### Entry-Level Pricing

Plan: Standard

Price: $189.00 1 Software License Only. Per core, per year, 5-year term. Per Year

Description: Right-sized solutions to simplify IT operations without sacrificing reliability. 

Key Features:
- Unlimited CPU and Storage Options
- Distributed Storage with High Availability
- Virtualization and VM Management

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

#### Free Trial

Yes

---
## Features Comparison By Category

### Hyperconverged Infrastructure (HCI) Solutions

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Azure Virtual Machines** | N/A | N/A |
| **VMware vSphere** | N/A | N/A |
| **SC//HyperCore** | 8.7/10 | 164 |

#### Core Functions

| Feature | Azure Virtual Machines | VMware vSphere | SC//HyperCore | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Server Virtualization** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 9.6 (155 reviews) | 
| **Storage Virtualization** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 9.3 (141 reviews) | 
| **Network Virtualization** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.6 (132 reviews) | 

#### General Functionality

| Feature | Azure Virtual Machines | VMware vSphere | SC//HyperCore | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Dynamic Scaling** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 9.2 (141 reviews) | 
| **High Availability** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 9.6 (141 reviews) | 
| **Data Security** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.9 (130 reviews) | 
| **Backup and Recovery** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.8 (139 reviews) | 

#### Configuration

| Feature | Azure Virtual Machines | VMware vSphere | SC//HyperCore | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Appliance Independence** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.6 (129 reviews) | 
| **Hardware Integration** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.7 (133 reviews) | 

#### Agentic AI - Hyperconverged Infrastructure (HCI) Solutions

| Feature | Azure Virtual Machines | VMware vSphere | SC//HyperCore | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Autonomous Task Execution** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.1 (17 reviews) | 
| **Adaptive Learning** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 7.3 (15 reviews) | 
| **Decision Making** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 7.6 (16 reviews) | 

### Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Azure Virtual Machines** | 8.7/10 | 75 |
| **VMware vSphere** | N/A | N/A |
| **SC//HyperCore** | N/A | N/A |

#### Infrastructure Provision

| Feature | Azure Virtual Machines | VMware vSphere | SC//HyperCore | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Public Cloud** | 9.0 (66 reviews) | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Private Cloud** | 8.6 (55 reviews) | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Hybrid Cloud** | 9.0 (53 reviews) | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Bare Metal** | 7.2 (48 reviews) | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **High-Performance Computing (HPC)** | 8.3 (54 reviews) | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Virtual Machines (VMs)** | 9.3 (67 reviews) | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Edge Computing** | 8.5 (49 reviews) | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Virtual Networks** | 9.1 (59 reviews) | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

#### Management

| Feature | Azure Virtual Machines | VMware vSphere | SC//HyperCore | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Pay by Usage** | 8.9 (62 reviews) | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Usage Tracking** | 8.9 (55 reviews) | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Performance Tracking** | 8.7 (55 reviews) | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

#### Functionality

| Feature | Azure Virtual Machines | VMware vSphere | SC//HyperCore | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Resource Auto-Scaling** | 8.9 (57 reviews) | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

### Server Virtualization

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Azure Virtual Machines** | 8.7/10 | 35 |
| **VMware vSphere** | 8.4/10 | 182 |
| **SC//HyperCore** | 8.2/10 | 174 |

#### Performance

| Feature | Azure Virtual Machines | VMware vSphere | SC//HyperCore | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Scalability** | 8.5 (28 reviews) | 9.2 (171 reviews) | 9.5 (163 reviews) | 
| **Portability** | 8.3 (26 reviews) | 8.9 (167 reviews) | 8.6 (156 reviews) | 
| **Data Recovery** | 8.9 (27 reviews) | 8.8 (171 reviews) | 9.1 (156 reviews) | 

#### Functionality

| Feature | Azure Virtual Machines | VMware vSphere | SC//HyperCore | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **OS Integration** | 9.0 (31 reviews) | 9.2 (167 reviews) | 9.2 (163 reviews) | 
| **Resource Saving** | 8.5 (30 reviews) | 9.1 (167 reviews) | 9.3 (167 reviews) | 
| **Performance Management** | 8.7 (29 reviews) | 9.0 (172 reviews) | 9.2 (162 reviews) | 
| **Security** | 9.3 (30 reviews) | 8.9 (166 reviews) | 9.0 (159 reviews) | 

#### Agentic AI - Server Virtualization

| Feature | Azure Virtual Machines | VMware vSphere | SC//HyperCore | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Autonomous Task Execution** | Not enough data | 7.5 (17 reviews) | 7.2 (10 reviews) | 
| **Multi-step Planning** | Not enough data | 8.0 (16 reviews) | 6.8 (10 reviews) | 
| **Cross-system Integration** | Not enough data | 8.3 (18 reviews) | 7.4 (11 reviews) | 
| **Adaptive Learning** | Not enough data | 7.3 (16 reviews) | 6.7 (10 reviews) | 
| **Proactive Assistance** | Not enough data | 7.2 (17 reviews) | 7.5 (10 reviews) | 
| **Decision Making** | Not enough data | 7.5 (17 reviews) | 7.3 (10 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 VMware vSphere (1):** [Container Orchestration Tools](https://www.g2.com/categories/container-orchestration)

**Unique to SC//HyperCore (1):** [Hyperconverged Infrastructure (HCI) Solutions ](https://www.g2.com/categories/hyperconverged-infrastructure-hci-solutions)


---
## Reviewer Demographics

### By Company Size

| Segment | Azure Virtual Machines | VMware vSphere | SC//HyperCore | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Small-Business** | 31.7% | 14.4% | 15.1% | 
| **Mid-Market** | 33.1% | 42.0% | 75.3% | 
| **Enterprise** | 35.2% | 43.6% | 9.6% | 

### 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%

#### VMware vSphere

- **Information Technology and Services:** 15.4%
- **Hospital & Health Care:** 5.4%
- **Government Administration:** 5.1%
- **Financial Services:** 5.0%
- **Telecommunications:** 5.0%
- **Computer & Network Security:** 4.5%
- **Computer Software:** 4.2%
- **Banking:** 4.1%
- **Manufacturing:** 3.9%
- **Higher Education:** 3.4%
- **Other:** 44.1%

#### SC//HyperCore

- **Primary/Secondary Education:** 13.3%
- **Manufacturing:** 10.5%
- **Information Technology and Services:** 7.3%
- **Government Administration:** 5.2%
- **Hospital & Health Care:** 4.8%
- **Construction:** 4.4%
- **Financial Services:** 3.6%
- **Oil & Energy:** 3.6%
- **Non-Profit Organization Management:** 3.6%
- **Utilities:** 3.2%
- **Other:** 40.3%

---
## Alternatives

### Alternatives to Azure Virtual Machines

- [Google Compute Engine](https://www.g2.com/products/google-compute-engine/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (952 reviews)
- [Amazon EC2](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-ec2/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (1193 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)
- [Proxmox VE](https://www.g2.com/products/proxmox-ve/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (36 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)

### Alternatives to VMware vSphere

- [Red Hat OpenShift](https://www.g2.com/products/red-hat-red-hat-openshift/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (303 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)
- [DigitalOcean](https://www.g2.com/products/digitalocean/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (749 reviews)
- [Oracle VM](https://www.g2.com/products/oracle-vm/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (73 reviews)
- [XenServer](https://www.g2.com/products/xenserver/reviews) — 4.2/5 stars (49 reviews)
- [Proxmox VE](https://www.g2.com/products/proxmox-ve/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (36 reviews)
- [Red Hat Enterprise Linux](https://www.g2.com/products/red-hat-enterprise-linux/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (975 reviews)
- [Red Hat Virtualization](https://www.g2.com/products/red-hat-virtualization/reviews) — 4.1/5 stars (15 reviews)
- [Google Compute Engine](https://www.g2.com/products/google-compute-engine/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (952 reviews)

### Alternatives to SC//HyperCore

- [Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure (NCI)](https://www.g2.com/products/nutanix-cloud-infrastructure-nci/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (324 reviews)
- [Google Compute Engine](https://www.g2.com/products/google-compute-engine/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (952 reviews)
- [Red Hat Enterprise Linux](https://www.g2.com/products/red-hat-enterprise-linux/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (975 reviews)
- [Ubuntu](https://www.g2.com/products/ubuntu/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (2389 reviews)
- [Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud](https://www.g2.com/products/acronis-cyber-protect-cloud/reviews) — 4.7/5 stars (1348 reviews)
- [VirtualBox](https://www.g2.com/products/virtualbox/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (292 reviews)
- [Vultr](https://www.g2.com/products/vultr/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (286 reviews)
- [Red Hat OpenShift](https://www.g2.com/products/red-hat-red-hat-openshift/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (303 reviews)
- [StarWind Virtual SAN](https://www.g2.com/products/starwind-virtual-san/reviews) — 4.7/5 stars (196 reviews)
- [VMware vSAN](https://www.g2.com/products/vmware-vsan/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (190 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"

### VMware vSphere

- Title: [Is ESXi software free?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/is-esxi-software-free) — 4 comments, 1 upvote
  > **Top comment:** "no 
but you can use the evaluation version for 3 month and then you can take a decision "
- Title: [What is VMware vSphere Hypervisor used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-vmware-vsphere-hypervisor-used-for) — 2 comments
  > **Top comment:** "Virtual platform to host multiple images on a single machine which has limited resources."
- Title: [What is VMware vSphere standard?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-vmware-vsphere-standard) — 2 comments
  > **Top comment:** "vSphere 7 has been rearchitected with native Kubernetes for application modernization. Developers can’t afford infrastructure that slows them down –..."
- Title: [What is ESXi operating system?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-esxi-operating-system) — 1 comment
  > **Top comment:** "yes "
- Title: [What is ESXi used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-esxi-used-for) — 1 comment, 1 upvote
  > **Top comment:** "Virtualization is the creation of a virtual -- rather than actual -- version of something, such as an operating system (OS), a server, a storage device or..."

### SC//HyperCore

- Title: [What is HC3?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-hc3) — 2 comments
  > **Top comment:** "“HC3” is a term previously used to describe Scale Computing's 3-Tier Hyperconverged Infrastructure offering. As of May 2022, we relaunched the former HC3..."
- Title: [What hypervisor does scale use?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-hypervisor-does-scale-use) — 1 comment
  > **Top comment:** "Scale Computing is purpose-built on the KVM hypervisor to support Windows and Linux operating systems. This ownership of both the storage and hypervisor..."
- Title: [What is HC3 scale computing?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-hc3-scale-computing) — 1 comment
  > **Top comment:** "“HC3” is a term previously used to describe Scale Computing's 3-Tier Hyperconverged Infrastructure offering. As of May 2022, we relaunched the former HC3..."

---
**Source:** [G2.com](https://www.g2.com) | [Comparison Page](https://www.g2.com/compare/azure-virtual-machines-vs-vmware-vsphere-vs-sc-hypercore)