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Head-to-head · nopCommerce Hosting

Azure App Service vs Azure Virtual Machines

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 1 check side by side
Higher score Azure App Service #4 in nopCommerce Hosting 8.3/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 2 features Visit site
Azure Virtual Machines #5 in nopCommerce Hosting 8.1/10 Paid ✓ 0 of 2 features Visit Azure

Azure App Service leads on 1 check, Azure Virtual Machines on 0, and 0 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 1 yes/no, price and count check where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreAzure App Service · 8.3/10
  • Free planonly Azure App Service

Azure App Service scores higher on our rubric for nopcommerce hosting: 8.3 against 8.1 out of 10; our editors rank them #4 and #5.

Azure App Service offers free plan; Azure Virtual Machines doesn't.

Azure App Service is the better fit for teams comfortable deploying nopCommerce on a managed PaaS. Azure Virtual Machines is the better fit for teams that want control over a cloud Windows server.

  • Azure App Service fits best

    Teams comfortable deploying nopCommerce on a managed PaaS

  • Azure Virtual Machines fits best

    Teams that want control over a cloud Windows server

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature Azure App Service 8.3/10 Visit ↗ Azure Virtual Machines 8.1/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 8.3 8.1
Ranking #4 in nopCommerce Hosting #5 in nopCommerce Hosting
Best for Teams comfortable deploying nopCommerce on a managed PaaS Teams that want control over a cloud Windows server
Pricing model Free plan + paid Paid
Starting price — Not checked yet
Free plan ✓ (best) —
Free trial — —
Deployment Cloud Cloud
Platforms Web, Windows, Linux Web, Windows, Linux
Compliance GDPR SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR, HIPAA, PCI DSS, SSO/SAML, 2FA
Integrations 3 integrations 7 integrations
Built for Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Azure App Service 0/2 · Azure Virtual Machines 0/2
Automated backups Not checked yet Not checked yet
One-click installer Not checked yet Not checked yet
Specs
Hosting type Not checked yet Not checked yet
Windows Server Not checked yet Not checked yet
ASP.NET support Not checked yet Not checked yet
Included storage Not checked yet Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • Supports ASP.NET on Windows or Linux
  • Offers backups, restore, deployment automation and scaling
  • Integrates with Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions and Jenkins
  • Provision Windows or Linux VMs in configurable sizes and regions
  • Scale instances and distribute traffic with Azure services
  • Use managed disks, backups, monitoring and related storage or database services
Cons
  • nopCommerce-specific setup is not established
  • F1 Free has shared compute and 60 CPU minutes per day
  • Deployment slots require Standard tier or higher
  • The team must manage the nopCommerce deployment
  • Usage-based pricing varies by VM, operating system, region and usage
  • No ongoing free plan
Our verdict

Azure App Service provides managed hosting for web applications and APIs, with language support that includes ASP.NET. It suits teams that want a cloud platform for deploying and scaling an application on Windows or Linux, rather than…

Read the review →

Azure Virtual Machines provides configurable Linux and Windows servers on Microsoft Azure. For nopCommerce teams, it suits those who want control over a cloud Windows server and are prepared to manage the application deployment themselves.…

Read the review →
  1. Azure App ServicenopCommerce Hosting 8.3Free plan
  2. Azure Virtual MachinesnopCommerce Hosting 8.1Paid

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Azure App Service — where it wins

    • Supports ASP.NET on Windows or Linux
    • Offers backups, restore, deployment automation and scaling
    • Integrates with Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions and Jenkins

    Where it doesn't

    • nopCommerce-specific setup is not established
    • F1 Free has shared compute and 60 CPU minutes per day
    • Deployment slots require Standard tier or higher

  • Azure Virtual Machines — where it wins

    • Provision Windows or Linux VMs in configurable sizes and regions
    • Scale instances and distribute traffic with Azure services
    • Use managed disks, backups, monitoring and related storage or database services

    Where it doesn't

    • The team must manage the nopCommerce deployment
    • Usage-based pricing varies by VM, operating system, region and usage
    • No ongoing free plan
  • Azure App Service8.3/10 · Free plan

    A flexible managed PaaS for ASP.NET apps, with nopCommerce deployment left to your team.

    Visit siteFull verdict →
  • Azure Virtual Machines8.1/10 · Paid

    Flexible Azure infrastructure, with the nopCommerce deployment left to your team.

    Visit AzureFull verdict →

More comparisons

All nopcommerce hosting comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update