A detailed comparison between Microsoft SharePoint and Azure Files

When it comes to Microsoft’s cloud storage solutions, there are many options to choose from with each offering something slightly different to the other.  

In our latest blog article, we will be comparing Microsoft SharePoint and Azure Files. 

Let’s start with Microsoft SharePoint 

Your business is only as good as the people you have working for you and the people that are working for you are only as good as their colleagues. A team that asks questions, shares knowledge and offers support to one another will always bring about results that drive overall success for your business. 

SharePoint is the digital platform that sits within the Microsoft 365 suite to let this type of collaboration take place.  

Let’s move onto Azure Files 

You will find that Azure Files are part of the overall Azure ecosystem which sits outside of Microsoft 365 and is its own cloud platform fully focused on the computing side over the productivity side. With this in mind, there are extra costs associated with using this option depending on your specific requirements. 

To explain this in more detail, Azure Files itself is a fully managed cloud server which works in a similar manner to a more traditional file server. This means that you are able to access your data from any connected computers. Better still, you could see this as a much easier way to replace an onsite server. 

Some of the benefits of using Azure Files are as follows: 

• You essentially only pay for what you use and no more. 
• You don’t need to buy or upgrade physical servers. 
• The backend is protected by Microsoft meaning that you don’t need to worry about external security threats. 
• A whole host of security controls that can limit data access to only those that require it. 

So, which one should I pick to use for my business? 

You will find that when it comes to making a decision, different options will suit different types of people. This is no different, SharePoint was created to increase collaborations across departments on documents and files and improving the overall performance which can be said of all the productivity apps within the Microsoft 365 umbrella. 

From another point of view, Azure Files is a straightforward file server replacement and provides a like for like replacement of a physical onsite server which sits comfortably inside the Azure suite of products which is geared up towards providing the power rather the productivity. 

In Summary 

It goes without saying but both options are appealing when it comes to updating traditional file sharing and physical servers. 

Therefore, if you are looking for an easy integration with Microsoft 365 and are already using Teams, OneDrive, Word and so on, then SharePoint is the best option for your business. You will find that with SharePoint, you are able to work collaboratively with both internal and external teams as well as this, you are probably already using SharePoint in some form across your business. 

On the other hand, if you are looking to be able to access all of your data through a specific drive or have vast quantities of data that need to be stored safely then Azure Files are probably the best option for your business. 

Next Steps? 

If you are a business that has read the above and are looking to implement Microsoft SharePoint or are looking to implement Microsoft Azure, then please be sure to reach out to our team of IT experts now to discuss your requirements in greater depth. 

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