With the rise of hybrid cloud, organizations today have more options than ever when it comes to building and managing their IT infrastructure. Two major players in this space are Microsoft’s Azure Stack HCI and VMware’s software-defined data center offerings.
But which one is right for your business? Here we provide a detailed, unbiased comparison of the two solutions across key factors like architecture, hypervisor, management, licensing, and more. Read on to determine which platform aligns closest with your goals and constraints.
| Feature | Azure Stack HCI | VMware |
| Architecture | Tightly-coupled HCI | Decoupled, modular SDDC |
| Hypervisor | Microsoft Hyper-V | VMware ESXi |
| Management | Windows Admin Center, Azure Arc | vCenter, vRealize Suite |
| Licensing | Per-processor/core, CALs | Per-processor, feature packs |
| Hybrid Cloud | Azure integration | Multi-cloud support |
| HA/DR | Basic HA, Windows DR | Advanced Vs.AN HA, SRM DR |
| Containers | Azure Kubernetes Service | Vs.phere integrations |
| Edge | Azure-consistent | Optimized for edge |
Azure Stack HCI is Microsoft’s hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) product consisting of Windows Server software-defined compute, storage, and networking on industry-standard hardware. It brings the Azure management experience on-premises and enables hybrid capabilities with Azure public cloud.
VMware offers a broad software-defined data center (SDDC) portfolio including Vs.phere for compute virtualization, Vs.AN for HCI, NSX for network virtualization, and vRealize for hybrid cloud management. VMware pioneered virtualization and SDDC and remains a dominant player.
Both solutions allow organizations to run virtual machines and containers with centralized management, automation, and hybrid integration, but take different architectural approaches. Let’s dive deeper into the distinct capabilities.
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Azure Stack HCI relies on Windows Server and Storage Spaces Direct to deliver HCI using industry-standard servers with local storage. The software-defined compute and storage run on multiple clustered nodes which pool resources.
VMware Vs.phere with Vs.AN enables HCI using Vs.AN software to create shared storage on top of direct-attached storage in the cluster nodes. The architecture decouples compute and storage for flexible scaling.
Key architectural differences:
Overall, VMware offers more architectural flexibility while Azure Stack HCI is tighter integrated potentially offering simpler management.
The hypervisor is the software layer that creates and runs virtual machines.
Azure Stack HCI uses Microsoft’s native Hyper-V hypervisor built into Windows Server to provide compute virtualization.
VMware uses its own ESXi hypervisor purpose-built for speed and efficiency.
Key hypervisor differences:
For organizations heavily invested in Microsoft, Hyper-V may bring tighter integration. For more heterogeneous environments, ESXi provides flexibility and optimized performance.
Management capabilities are key for automating and operating SDDC infrastructure efficiently.
Azure Stack HCI uses Windows Admin Center for local management and Azure Arc for cloud-based management. This enables consistent Azure functionality on-premises.
VMware vCenter Server provides unified management for the SDDC stack. VMware also offers vRealize Suite for automation and hybrid cloud integration.
Key management differences:
For larger deployments, VMware’s depth of management tools surpasses Azure Stack HCI’s capabilities today. But Azure Stack HCI provides simpler, Azure-consistent management.
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Both platforms require purchasing licenses with different models.
Azure Stack HCI uses per-processor or per-core licensing based on Windows Server and requires CALs for access rights. Azure hybrid services are licensed separately.
VMware uses per-processor licensing plus potential additional licensing for management packs, disaster recovery, etc. Minimums purchase requirements apply.
Key licensing differences:
For price-sensitive buyers, Azure Stack HCI can appear less costly initially. But for advanced capabilities, VMware bundles more into the license price point.
A key consideration for both solutions is integration with public cloud services.
Azure Stack HCI uses Azure Arc to extend Azure management to on-premises and even edge environments. This enables hybrid capabilities like app deployment, monitoring, policy, update management, and more.
VMware Cloud Foundation integrates Vs.phere private clouds with Azure, AWS, Google Cloud, and other VMware cloud providers. This provides unified management and operations.
Key hybrid differences:
Azure Stack HCI hybrid capabilities are optimized for Microsoft-centric organizations. VMware delivers hybridity across a wider multi-cloud landscape.
Mission critical environments require HA and DR capabilities to ensure application uptime.
Azure Stack HCI uses Storage Spaces Direct to provide software-defined storage with multiple copies of data across nodes for HA. For DR, it relies on native Windows Server features like failover clustering.
VMware Vs.AN leverages distributed RAID algorithms to ensure HA by replicating data across cluster nodes. For DR, it integrates with VMware Site Recovery Manager for automated orchestration and failover.
Key HA/DR differences:
Organizations with advanced DR needs are likely better served by VMware today. But Azure Stack HCI covers fundamentals like host-level redundancy and cluster failover.
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Containers and Kubernetes enable app modernization and portability across environments.
Azure Stack HCI supports Kubernetes container orchestration through integration with Azure Kubernetes Service. Containers run on virtual machines using Hyper-V isolation.
VMware supports containers through Vs.phere integrations with Kubernetes and Tanzu. Containers can run directly on ESXi using hypervisor-level isolation.
Key container differences:
If using Azure Kubernetes Service, Azure Stack HCI may offer a more seamless experience. But VMware enables more performant, optimized containers.
For edge deployments, physical size, scaling, and autonomy matter.
Azure Stack HCI uses the same software across on-premises and edge sites for consistency. Sites can run disconnected from Azure and replication handles data movement.
VMware supports edge sites through Vs.phere and Vs.AN offerings tailored for remote office/branch office and edge workloads. Tight integration ensures optimized performance.
Key edge differences:
If edge sites require close coupling with Azure, Azure Stack HCI may fit well. For more optimized edge-specific capabilities, VMware leads.
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Azure Stack HCI provides a simple path to HCI using familiar Windows tools and Azure integration. The licensing model can appear more affordable. For Microsoft-centric organizations with modest virtualization needs, Azure Stack HCI offers compelling value. It may not satisfy advanced enterprise requirements, but offers strong fundamentals.
No, Azure Stack HCI is a Microsoft HCI product and does not interoperate directly with VMware infrastructure. The Hyper-V hypervisor is not compatible with VMware virtualization. Azure Stack HCI is an alternative to VMware SDDC solutions.
There is no definitive “better” – it depends on your specific environment and needs. For Microsoft-heavy organizations, Azure Stack HCI integrates tightly. VMware offers broader capabilities for heterogeneous, enterprise-scale workloads. VMware also supports multi-cloud portability while Azure Stack HCI is Azure-centric.
No, Azure Stack HCI is not an operating system itself. It consists of Windows Server software-defined compute and storage features that provide the HCI functionality. The underlying operating system is still Windows Server running on the cluster hardware.
Azure Stack HCI and VMware take different approaches to delivering software-defined data center and hybrid cloud capabilities. Azure Stack HCI focuses on simplicity and Azure integration. VMware offers a broader feature set with advanced operations.
There are merits to both platforms, so consider your existing infrastructure, skillsets, and future plans when deciding between the two solutions. Performing a detailed evaluation of your needs and priorities will determine which option best fits your environment and workloads.
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