Data Catalog (Azure Data Catalog / Microsoft Purview Unified Catalog) is a metadata catalog and governance product that registers and stores metadata while leaving source data in place, enabling discovery, enrichment, and stewardship of enterprise data assets via scanning, curation, and REST APIs.
Published Oct 14, 2026
| Aspect | Azure Data Catalog (Retired) / Microsoft Purview Data Catalog | Google Cloud Dataplex Universal Catalog | Alation Data Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | Azure Data Catalog is retired; Purview governance features are sold on a consumption/usage basis and require customers to account for scanning and processing usage | Usage-based billing with separate billing components for processing and metadata storage; premium options exist for lineage and quality capabilities | Public pricing not published; customers request pricing directly from the vendor |
| Best For | Organizations standardized on the Microsoft stack (Azure, Microsoft 365, Power BI/Fabric) seeking unified governance across Microsoft services | Organizations standardized on Google Cloud that want catalog, lineage, and quality integrated with GCP services | Enterprises seeking mature stewardship workflows, broad integrations, and a governance operating model |
| Key Strength | Integration with the Microsoft ecosystem and a unified governance portfolio for Microsoft customers | Close integration with GCP services and itemized billing for platform components | Market reputation for catalog UX, search, collaboration, and governance operating model |
| Key Weakness | Reported gaps outside the Microsoft ecosystem, manual curation effort, and usability/customization concerns | May require additional integration effort outside GCP and can incur variable scanning/processing charges | Perceived as expensive by some buyers; pricing can be opaque and implementation services may be required |