Best Azure Virtual Machines Alternatives in 2026
The top Azure Virtual Machines alternatives are Antihost, Amazon EC2 and Google Compute Engine: 15 cloud hosting our editors would look at instead of Azure Virtual Machines, in our ranking order.
Azure Virtual Machines: Flexible Azure compute with scaling, networking, storage, and security options. Where it falls short: pricing varies by region, operating system, usage, and configuration.
Switching from Azure Virtual Machines? For most cloud hosting buyers the best Azure Virtual Machines alternative is Antihost, built for docker, bots and self-hosted apps on a Linux VPS. Google Compute Engine has a free plan, which Azure Virtual Machines does not. Oracle Cloud Compute offers the most regions available (50).
Why People Look for an Azure Virtual Machines Alternative
- Pricing varies by region, operating system, usage, and configuration
- Requires Azure ecosystem knowledge for the broadest fit
- No free plan; ongoing usage can make costs complex to manage
- No free plan — 2 of the alternatives below have it
Quick Picks by What You Need
- Best overallAntihost9.7
Docker, bots and self-hosted apps on a Linux VPS
Visit Antihost - Lowest priceAntihost9.7
Paid plans from $2.99/mo
Visit Antihost - Best free optionGoogle Compute Engine9.3
Has a free plan (Azure Virtual Machines has none)
Visit Google Compute Engine - Most regions availableOracle Cloud Compute9.0
50
Visit Oracle Cloud Compute
All 15 Azure Virtual Machines Alternatives, Ranked
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.
-
Best forDocker, bots and self-hosted apps on a Linux VPS
- Better than Azure Virtual Machines:
- Editor score 9.7 vs 9.2
Antihost — Ryzen 9 VPS on NVMe with root access and a 14-day trial.
9.7/10★★★★★Visit Antihost -
Best forAWS users needing flexible virtual compute
- Better than Azure Virtual Machines:
- Editor score 9.4 vs 9.2
Flexible virtual compute for AWS workloads, with usage-based pricing and broad service integration.
- Autoscaling
- Object storage
- Load balancing
9.4/10★★★★★Visit Amazon EC2 -
Best forEnterprise VM workloads needing broad controls
- Better than Azure Virtual Machines:
- Free plan
- Editor score 9.3 vs 9.2
A broad-control VM platform for enterprise workloads across Linux and Windows.
- Autoscaling
- Object storage
- Load balancing
9.3/10★★★★★Visit Google Cloud -
Best forOracle-centric cloud deployments
- Better than Azure Virtual Machines:
- Free plan
A broad Oracle Cloud compute service with flexible infrastructure and usage-based pricing.
- Autoscaling
- Object storage
- Load balancing
9.0/10★★★★☆Visit Oracle Cloud -
Best forCompliance-focused AWS cloud hosting
A broad AWS cloud platform for teams managing regulated workloads and complex infrastructure.
8.9/10★★★★☆Visit AWS -
Best forGlobal Alibaba Cloud infrastructure users
A broad Alibaba Cloud compute service for configurable workloads and global deployments.
- Autoscaling
- Object storage
- Load balancing
8.8/10★★★★☆Visit Alibaba Cloud -
Best forTencent Cloud compute deployments
Configurable Tencent Cloud VMs with hot upgrades, broad images, and integrated infrastructure services.
- Autoscaling
- Object storage
- Load balancing
8.7/10★★★★☆Visit Tencent Cloud -
Best forHuawei Cloud regional compute deployments
Configurable ECS hosting with flexible billing, autoscaling, and Huawei Cloud integrations.
- Autoscaling
- Object storage
- Load balancing
8.6/10★★★★☆Visit Huawei Cloud -
Best forIBM ecosystem and GPU workloads
Configurable IBM Cloud VPC servers for enterprise networking, scaling and GPU workloads.
- Autoscaling
- Object storage
- Load balancing
8.5/10★★★★☆Visit IBM Cloud -
Best forFeature-rich hosting at a low entry price
Feature-rich cloud hosting with broad infrastructure services and a paid-only entry plan.
- Autoscaling
- Object storage
- Load balancing
8.4/10★★★★☆Visit Akamai Cloud -
Best forManaged cloud stacks with Kubernetes
A broad managed cloud stack for teams that want Kubernetes and OpenStack tooling.
- Autoscaling
- Object storage
- Load balancing
8.3/10★★★★☆Visit OVHcloud -
Best forSmall teams wanting simple, low-cost VMs
A flexible, low-cost VM service for small teams that do not need broad regional coverage.
- Autoscaling
- Object storage
- Load balancing
8.2/10★★★★☆Visit DigitalOcean -
Best forEuropean cloud with managed MySQL
A capable Swiss cloud for teams wanting managed MySQL and OpenStack-compatible services.
- Autoscaling
- Object storage
- Load balancing
8.1/10★★★★☆Visit Infomaniak -
Best forBudget-conscious European VM deployments
Flexible European VM hosting with low entry pricing and four regions.
- Autoscaling
- Object storage
- Load balancing
8.0/10★★★★☆Visit Scaleway -
Best forSupported cloud servers with managed databases
A cost-conscious cloud server platform with managed databases and scaling tools.
- Autoscaling
- Object storage
- Load balancing
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit IONOS
Azure Virtual Machines Alternatives: Common Questions
What is the best alternative to Azure Virtual Machines?
Antihost: #1 in our Cloud Hosting ranking, with an editor score of 9.7 out of 10. Antihost — Ryzen 9 VPS on NVMe with root access and a 14-day trial.
Is there a free alternative to Azure Virtual Machines?
Yes. Google Compute Engine and Oracle Cloud Compute have a free plan or a free tier.
What is the cheapest paid alternative to Azure Virtual Machines?
Of the alternatives here that publish a price, Antihost starts lowest, at $2.99/mo.
Why do people look for Azure Virtual Machines alternatives?
Pricing varies by region, operating system, usage, and configuration; Requires Azure ecosystem knowledge for the broadest fit; No free plan; ongoing usage can make costs complex to manage.
Which Azure Virtual Machines alternative has the most regions available?
Oracle Cloud Compute, with 50.
How do I switch from Azure Virtual Machines?
Snapshot or back up the data and configs on your Azure Virtual Machines server. Create the new server with the same operating system and size, and add your SSH key. Copy the data across (rsync or your backup tool) and reinstall your apps or containers. Move the DNS records or IP references to the new server, test it, then cancel Azure Virtual Machines.
How to Switch from Azure Virtual Machines
- Snapshot or back up the data and configs on your Azure Virtual Machines server.
- Create the new server with the same operating system and size, and add your SSH key.
- Copy the data across (rsync or your backup tool) and reinstall your apps or containers.
- Move the DNS records or IP references to the new server, test it, then cancel Azure Virtual Machines.
Azure Virtual Machines vs Each Alternative
| # | Tool | Free plan | Paid from | Regions available | Autoscaling | Load balancing | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Azure Virtual Machines | No | Yes | Yes | 9.2 | ||
| 1 | Antihost | No | $2.99/mo | 6 | 9.7 | ||
| 2 | Amazon EC2 | No | 39 | Yes | Yes | 9.4 | |
| 3 | Google Compute Engine | Yes | Yes | Yes | 9.3 | ||
| 4 | Oracle Cloud Compute | Yes | Free | 50 | Yes | Yes | 9.0 |
| 5 | Amazon Web Services (AWS) | 8.9 | |||||
| 6 | Alibaba Cloud Elastic Compute Service (ECS) | No | Yes | Yes | 8.8 | ||
| 7 | Tencent Cloud CVM | 22 | Yes | Yes | 8.7 | ||
| 8 | Huawei Cloud Elastic Cloud Server (ECS) | No | Yes | Yes | 8.6 | ||
| 9 | IBM Cloud Virtual Servers for VPC | No | 13 | Yes | Yes | 8.5 | |
| 10 | Akamai Cloud Computing | No | 25 | Yes | Yes | 8.4 | |
| 11 | OVHcloud Public Cloud | No | $6.74/unit/mo | Yes | Yes | 8.3 | |
| 12 | DigitalOcean Droplets | No | $4/mo | 16 | Yes | Yes | 8.2 |
| 13 | Infomaniak Public Cloud | No | 2 | Yes | Yes | 8.1 | |
| 14 | Scaleway Instances | No | €0.0006/unit usage-based | 3 | Yes | Yes | 8.0 |
| 15 | IONOS Cloud Servers | No | $5.76/unit usage-based | Yes | Yes | 7.9 |
Head-to-Head
- Azure Virtual Machines vs Amazon EC2
- Azure Virtual Machines vs Google Compute Engine
- Azure Virtual Machines vs Oracle Cloud Compute
- Azure Virtual Machines vs Amazon Web Services (AWS)
- Azure Virtual Machines vs Alibaba Cloud Elastic Compute Service (ECS)
- Azure Virtual Machines vs Tencent Cloud CVM
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update