Azure Blob Storage vs. Databricks Data Intelligence Platform vs. Google Cloud Storage

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Azure Blob Storage
Score 9.0 out of 10
N/A
Microsoft's Blob Storage system on Azure is designed to make unstructured data available to customers anywhere through REST-based object storage.
$0.01
per GB/per month
Databricks Data Intelligence Platform
Score 8.8 out of 10
N/A
Databricks offers the Databricks Lakehouse Platform (formerly the Unified Analytics Platform), a data science platform and Apache Spark cluster manager. The Databricks Unified Data Service provides a platform for data pipelines, data lakes, and data platforms.
$0.07
Per DBU
Google Cloud Storage
Score 9.0 out of 10
N/A
Google Cloud Storage is unified object storage for developers and enterprises.N/A
Pricing
Azure Blob StorageDatabricks Data Intelligence PlatformGoogle Cloud Storage
Editions & Modules
Block Blobs
$0.0081
per GB/per month
Azure Data Lake Storage
$0.0081
per GB/per month
Files
$0.058
per GB/per month
Managed Discs
$1.54
per month
Standard
$0.07
Per DBU
Premium
$0.10
Per DBU
Enterprise
$0.13
Per DBU
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Azure Blob StorageDatabricks Data Intelligence PlatformGoogle Cloud Storage
Free Trial
YesNoNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Azure Blob StorageDatabricks Data Intelligence PlatformGoogle Cloud Storage
Considered Multiple Products
Azure Blob Storage
Chose Azure Blob Storage
Azure Blob Storage was used only because we were already using it for other projects, and it has a good reputation for being a reliable cloud provider. It also has widespread regional availability and allows for data replication. It can also be easily accessed via the API or by …
Databricks Data Intelligence Platform
Chose Databricks Data Intelligence Platform
Databricks provides support for CURD operations by introducing Delta Lake file format.
Cloudera doesn't have support for the same.
Google Cloud Storage
Chose Google Cloud Storage
We chose Google Cloud Storage for its superior integration with BigQuery and AI/ML tools. Unlike AWS S3’s complex tiering or Azure’s offline archive, Google Cloud Storage offers millisecond access even for archival classes. This simplified our architecture while providing the …
Best Alternatives
Azure Blob StorageDatabricks Data Intelligence PlatformGoogle Cloud Storage
Small Businesses
Amazon S3 Glacier
Amazon S3 Glacier
Score 9.0 out of 10

No answers on this topic

Amazon S3 Glacier
Amazon S3 Glacier
Score 9.0 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Google Cloud Storage
Google Cloud Storage
Score 9.0 out of 10
Snowflake
Snowflake
Score 8.7 out of 10
Azure Blob Storage
Azure Blob Storage
Score 9.0 out of 10
Enterprises
Google Cloud Storage
Google Cloud Storage
Score 9.0 out of 10
Snowflake
Snowflake
Score 8.7 out of 10
Azure Blob Storage
Azure Blob Storage
Score 9.0 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Azure Blob StorageDatabricks Data Intelligence PlatformGoogle Cloud Storage
Likelihood to Recommend
10.0
(9 ratings)
10.0
(18 ratings)
10.0
(35 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
9.0
(2 ratings)
Usability
8.0
(1 ratings)
10.0
(4 ratings)
8.0
(12 ratings)
Performance
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
9.0
(9 ratings)
Support Rating
9.0
(3 ratings)
8.7
(2 ratings)
7.8
(13 ratings)
Implementation Rating
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
8.0
(1 ratings)
Contract Terms and Pricing Model
-
(0 ratings)
8.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Professional Services
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
Azure Blob StorageDatabricks Data Intelligence PlatformGoogle Cloud Storage
Likelihood to Recommend
Microsoft
In Azure, it is the storage to use, and in my view, the Blob Storage offers more, or finer-grained configuration options, than S3. So my recommendation would be to check in detail what is offered. As the Blob Storage is more or less a Microsoft exclusive product, the "interoperability" is more limited than, for example, with S3. The S3 is more widely adopted, and if you cannot exclude a migration scenario from one cloud provider to another, additional effort is needed.
Read full review
Databricks
Medium to Large data throughput shops will benefit the most from Databricks Spark processing. Smaller use cases may find the barrier to entry a bit too high for casual use cases. Some of the overhead to kicking off a Spark compute job can actually lead to your workloads taking longer, but past a certain point the performance returns cannot be beat.
Read full review
Google
[Google Cloud Storage is] great for storing and playing large video files, and even sharing them securely with others, whether or not they are part of your organization. No need to download video files before watching, and can also be used to store any other kinds of files.
Read full review
Pros
Microsoft
  • Ease of use both through Azure Portal as well as API.
  • Cost-effective solution for storing a large amount of data compared to other storage solutions.
  • Scalability, Security, and Performance are the other key aspects of Azure Blob Storage that are easily manageable through Admin Console.
Read full review
Databricks
  • Process raw data in One Lake (S3) env to relational tables and views
  • Share notebooks with our business analysts so that they can use the queries and generate value out of the data
  • Try out PySpark and Spark SQL queries on raw data before using them in our Spark jobs
  • Modern day ETL operations made easy using Databricks. Provide access mechanism for different set of customers
Read full review
Google
  • Really great, easy to use interface helps us manage files easily. Storage is fast and inexpensive, so we don't have to spin up storage instances locally
  • Great set of command-line tools to manage data and storage options via scripts and apps, as well as an SDK means we can build GCS into our orchestration and operations tools
  • Robust integration with other Google cloud tools means that we don't have to think too hard about using GCS for a variety of storage tasks as we interact with other Google services.
Read full review
Cons
Microsoft
  • Sometimes the behavior is nondeterministic (e.g. compare config via UI vs. terraform).
  • While it does some things better than S3, the interoperability in a migration scenario seems cumbersome.
  • The number of features/config options is overwhelming; we found the docs, etc., a bit hard to read.
Read full review
Databricks
  • Sometimes, when multiple jobs depend on each other in different environments, it is not always easy to see the full workflow in one place.
  • It is sometimes difficult to determine which job or cluster contributes more to the overall cost.
  • For beginners, cluster configuration may be a little difficult. So more recommendation in the platform can help.
Read full review
Google
  • Currently can't delete folders which means there are cluttered folders on my cloud.
  • Easier upload options would be nice. The ability to upload and store other file types with an easier interface.
  • Managing files and storage could be improved a little for easier access and editing.
Read full review
Likelihood to Renew
Microsoft
No answers on this topic
Databricks
No answers on this topic
Google
after all of the investment made in the tool and considering how many teams use it I think we would not be likely to move away from this tool. A lot of our information including historical is already here and we are happy with the capabilities of the tool currently
Read full review
Usability
Microsoft
Blob storage is fairly simple, with several different options/settings that can be configured. The file explorer has enhanced its usability. Some areas could be improved, such as providing more details or stats on how many times a file has been accessed. It is an obvious choice if you're already using Azure/Entra.
Read full review
Databricks
Because it is an amazing platform for designing experiments and delivering a deep dive analysis that requires execution of highly complex queries, as well as it allows to share the information and insights across the company with their shared workspaces, while keeping it secured.

in terms of graph generation and interaction it could improve their UI and UX
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Google
Very easy to use. I love having my data backed up. I love that Google Cloud Storage provides me with the peace of mind that I no longer need to worry about my data being lost. I can now sleep better at night. Google Cloud Storage is very easy to use. Overall, you save time and have less stress by using Google Cloud Storage.
Read full review
Performance
Microsoft
No answers on this topic
Databricks
No answers on this topic
Google
For performance i give Google Cloud Storage 10 of 10 on performance because even though there are other softwares that do exactly the same thing as Google Drive, it still works exceptionally well. It is very fast, and and far as integration, the only software I have used with it that integrated was Google Docs, and of course it integrates perfectly.
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Support Rating
Microsoft
Microsoft has improved its customer service standpoint over the years. The ability to chat with an issue, get a callback, schedule a call or work with an architecture team(for free) is a huge plus. I can get mentorship and guidance on where to go with my environment without pushy sales tactics. This is very refreshing. Typically support can get me to where I need to be on the first contact, which is also nice.
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Databricks
One of the best customer and technology support that I have ever experienced in my career. You pay for what you get and you get the Rolls Royce. It reminds me of the customer support of SAS in the 2000s when the tools were reaching some limits and their engineer wanted to know more about what we were doing, long before "data science" was even a name. Databricks truly embraces the partnership with their customer and help them on any given challenge.
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Google
We have never used official support from Google for our Google Cloud Storage, but there is plenty of documentation in place already. With a small amount of work, anybody should be able to get started. Once needs get more complicated, there is still documentation from Google, but also plenty of community support for common use cases around the internet.
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Implementation Rating
Microsoft
No answers on this topic
Databricks
No answers on this topic
Google
overall I was not directly involved but hears the teams were satisfied with the implementation. the teams that used the tool did not encounter major issues, it was as expected with minor issues and bugs that were resolved later. The more significant learning curve was actually starting to use the tool
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Alternatives Considered
Microsoft
Azure Premium Blob offers better latency than competitors. It works best with the Azure ecosystem, and competitors lack it. Azure Blob even stands out in storage durability, providing up to 16 nines. It can have various use cases that can suit all the organisation's needs. The Azure Blob solution can also be deployed on-premises.
Read full review
Databricks
The most important differentiating factor for Databricks Lakehouse Platform from these other platforms is support for ACID transactions and the time travel feature. Also, native integration with managed MLflow is a plus. EMR, Cloudera, and Hortonworks are not as optimized when it comes to Spark Job Execution. Other platforms need to be self-managed, which is another huge hassle.
Read full review
Google
We prefer Google Cloud Storage over Amazon Web Services because of the tools and code integration offered by Google Cloud Storage. We found the Google Cloud Storage toolset to be highly usable and give us the fine-grained control we need for managing digital assets. Ultimately, we chose Google Cloud Storage because we found the API and suitability for code integration with our Java codebase to be impeccable and because we had excellent direct support from the Google Cloud Storage team
Read full review
Return on Investment
Microsoft
  • Azure Blob has reduced our overall infrastructure cost.
  • With Azure Blob Storage, we don't need dedicated personnel to maintain storage and its related infrastructure.
  • Azure Blob Storage provides a one-stop storage solution for most of our business needs, allowing us to focus solely on the business.
Read full review
Databricks
  • The ability to spin up a BIG Data platform with little infrastructure overhead allows us to focus on business value not admin
  • DB has the ability to terminate/time out instances which helps manage cost.
  • The ability to quickly access typical hard to build data scenarios easily is a strength.
Read full review
Google
  • It has assisted greatly with our ability to share documents/information cross functionally. Especially within our advertising team, we store a large amount of information to assist new hires and refresh current employees.
  • Something that could improve is employees' understanding of how to best utilize Google Cloud Storage. This could improve by implementing a potential training video or tutorial.
  • Overall, Google Storage has been great. I have not used a similar storage product that had the same enterprise level capabilities.
Read full review
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