Microsoft Azure Disk Storage is a managed block storage service for Azure Virtual Machines that provides multiple disk SKUs (HDD/SSD/Ultra), tunable IOPS and throughput, snapshot and encryption options for VM-attached storage.
Published May 16, 2026
| Starting Price | Varies by disk SKU and region; billed hourly; provisioned capacity pricing common | Charged by provisioned GB-month; some volume types include baseline IOPS/throughput (e.g., gp3) | Charged for provisioned space; I/O inclusion depends on disk class and configuration |
| Best For | Azure-native IaaS and workloads already centered on Azure VMs | AWS-native IaaS estates with extensive EBS ecosystem and cost tooling | GCP-native workloads; snapshot and differential snapshot behavior can be an advantage |
| Key Strength | Integration with Azure VM ecosystem; multiple disk types ranging from low-cost HDD to Ultra | Mature block storage portfolio with clear baseline performance models for common volume types | Snapshot model and some disk classes present simplified I/O pricing in documentation |
| Key Weakness | Pricing and SKU complexity; potential VM-level bottlenecks; SLA messaging nuance | Costs from unattached volumes/snapshots and performance add-ons can increase spend | Billing semantics and product lineup differences can create unexpected costs without verification |
Azure vs AWS (EBS)
Azure vs Google (Persistent Disk)
Microsoft’s own AWS-to-Azure mapping provides a migration-oriented perspective that is useful for planning but is inherently framed to favor Azure constructs.