Best Cloud Management Platforms Shortlist
Here are the best cloud management solutions and what each does best, with some additional options below:
- Amazon Web Services (AWS) Storage Gateway - Best for multiple storage solutions
- Microsoft Azure Storage Explorer - Best for working with multiple resource types
- VMware Aria Cost Powered by CloudHealth - Best for multi-cloud monitoring and reporting
- Morpheus Data - Best for hybrid cloud management
- TotalCloud - Best for automating cloud management
- Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform - Best for container-based application development
- Apache CloudStack - Best open-source cloud management provider
- CloudFuze - Best cloud management provider for ease of use and accessibility
- CoreStack - Best for multi-cloud governance
- Snow Commander - Best for multi-hypervisor cloud management
- Concierto Cloud - Best for cloud migration
- CloudBolt - Best self-service features for cloud management
Cloud storage gives your team more flexibility on various fronts, from collaboration to access, but it can get harder to manage the more it grows. As someone that’s worked with cloud computing for nearly as long as it’s been a thing, I know the best ways to address these issues, and I came up with this list to help anyone that doesn’t.
What Is A Cloud Management Platform?
A cloud management platform (CMP) allows you to monitor and control functions and resources across public, private, and hybrid clouds. Aside from keeping tabs on items you have in storage in the cloud, you can also handle tasks such as computing, resource allocation, and user access.
Overviews of the 12 Best Cloud Management Platforms
In these next sections, I’ll go into my favorite cloud management platforms, including the pros and cons, pricing information, and the criteria I used for my selections.
1. AWS Storage Gateway - Best for multiple storage solutions
Amazon Web Services (AWS) has several offerings for hybrid clouds that handle computing, networking, storage, containerization, and management, and the one I’m going to be looking at here is Storage Gateway.
Why I Picked AWS Storage Gateway: I picked AWS Storage Gateway because it allows on-premise clouds to access AWS storage on AWS, making it easier to implement hybrid cloud functionality where you split your clouds into multiple deployments. Aside from better storage management, one of the things you get is the ability to process data you generate from your cloud platform using AWS’s big data analytics services.
AWS Storage Gateway Standout Features and Integrations
Features that made me recommend Storage Gateway for multiple storage solutions include the management console that lets you quickly set up file shares between your on-premise deployment and Amazon S3 and FSx, whether you’re running it on Microsoft Hyper-V, Linux KVM, or VMware ESXi. For cross-platform migrations, Storage Gateway uses endpoints that meet Federal Information Processing Standard 140-2 (FIPS) requirements for security.
Integrations are pre-built for major cloud providers and native for other AWS services like S3, Backup, CloudTrail, CloudWatch, Identity and Access Management (IAM), Key Management Service (KMS), and FSx.
Pricing: From $0.00099 / GB
Trial: Free plan available
Pros
- Fully managed service that’s easier to run after deployment
- Native access to additional AWS hybrid cloud tools
- Highly scalable
Cons
- Initial setup is complex
- Not cost-effective for smaller operations
2. Azure Storage Explorer - Best for working with multiple resource types
Azure Storage Explorer is one of several products Microsoft offers in its suite of cloud computing tools. It’s used to manage multiple cloud environments both on and off the Azure platform.
Why I Picked Azure Storage Explorer: I chose Storage Explorer because it supports a comprehensive list of resource types. If you want to use your Azure account, you can connect to queues, blob containers, and Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 directories and containers. If you’re using a shared access signature (SAS) URL, you can connect to all four previously mentioned resources, as well as tables and file shares.
Azure Storage Explorer Standout Features and Integrations
Features I liked in Storage Explorer include the presence of local emulators like Azurite, which allow you to create an environment where you can test out table, queue, and blob storage applications whether you’re on-premise or offline. It’s also extensible, with extensions for services such as Azure Data Factory to connect to third-party services like Google Cloud and AWS S3 for migrations.
Integrations are pre-built for major cloud providers and native for other Azure services such as Azurite, Data Factory, App Configuration, and Active Directory (AD).
Pricing: Free
Trial: Free plan available
Pros
- Supports several different resource and object types
- Strong security features
- Easy to use after deployment
Cons
- Limited analytics
- Slow performance
3. VMware Aria Cost Powered by CloudHealth - Best for multi-cloud monitoring and reporting
The first time I heard about CloudHealth was in 2018 when VMware announced it had acquired the multi-cloud management company for an estimated $500 million, so they must have been doing something right. In 2022, VMware rebranded it into VMware Aria Cost powered by CloudHealth, and that’s the version I’ve tested for this article.
Why I Picked VMware Aria Cost: I chose VMware Aria Cost because of its wide support for most major cloud providers, including Google Cloud, Azure, Alibaba Cloud, AWS, Oracle Cloud, and VMware itself. On all these platforms, you can use it to generate in-depth insights into your cloud providers in areas ranging from FinOps to security.
VMware Aria Cost Standout Features and Integrations
Features I liked in VMware Aria Cost for multi-cloud monitoring and reporting include the multi-cloud history report, which gives you information on historical trends and activity within your cloud environments. The FlexReports feature allows you to generate insights from different areas of your cloud environments for in-depth analysis regarding aspects such as assets and costs.
Integrations are available natively with VMware and other Aria offerings, including Operation, Hub, and Automation. You also get built-in integrations for Azure, Google Cloud, AWS, Alert Logic, Logicworks, Ansible, Bulletproof, Shi, New Relic, and Docker.
Pricing: Pricing upon request
Trial: 14-day free trial
Pros
- Supports major cloud service providers
- Easy to deploy
- Strong monitoring and analytics features
Cons
- Limited documentation
- Weak performance on mobile and tablets
4. Morpheus Data - Best for hybrid cloud management
The team that built Morpheus Data was looking for a solution that fit their DevOps pipeline at an application factory and decided to make their own when they couldn’t find one.
Why I Picked Morpheus Data: I chose Morpheus Data because of its support for open-container orchestration. When you pair this with its standard cloud management features, it becomes a useful unified tool for anyone looking to run hybrid setups.
Morpheus Data Standout Features and Integrations
Features in Morpheus Data that caught my attention include the no-code setup for Kubernetes and private clouds, making it easy for non-technical people to get started with their own deployments. It can also integrate tools like load balancers, DNS, and networks to convert hypervisors like KVM, Nutanix, and VMware into private clouds with full multi-tenancy.
Integrations are pre-built for Microsoft DNS, Github, Docker, Chef, Ansible, Puppet, Remedy, Jenkins, PowerDNS, and ServiceNow, as well as major cloud platforms.
Pricing: Pricing upon request
Trial: Free demo available
Pros
- Several pre-built integrations for third parties
- Allows you to build a true private cloud
- Strong one-click functionality
Cons
- No free plan
- Weak customer support
5. TotalCloud - Best for automating cloud management
TotalCloud is a CMP from Qualys, a company that also specializes in other cloud-related solutions covering security and compliance.
Why I Picked TotalCloud: TotalCloud came with Qualys Flow, which I used during my tests to automate several functions, and it worked very well, in my opinion. For instance, I used it to orchestrate security-related tasks, and it handled them from end to end, from scanning my deployment for vulnerabilities all the way to remediation.
TotalCloud Standout Features and Integrations
Features that stood out to me when I was examining TotalCloud include the built-in security provisions that echo the rest of the offerings from Qualys, most of which you can leave to run automatically.
For example, FlexScan gives you agentless security scans but also allows you to run network and agent-based scanning if you want more detailed reports. TruRisk uses a risk-based approach to security for your cloud environments to protect you from threats like malware and ransomware.
Integrations are pre-built for major cloud providers and available natively with other Qualys products such as InstaProtect, FlexScan, Flow, and TruRisk.
Pricing: From $49/month
Trial: Free plan available
Pros
- Free plan available
- Strong automation features
- Useful native integrations for security
Cons
- Limited customizability
- Costly to bring in other Qualys integrations
6. Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform - Best for container-based application development
OpenShift Container Platform is offered by Red Hat, one of the biggest contributors to various projects that support container-based development, including Kubernetes, Docker, and Linux.
Why I Picked OpenShift Container Platform: When I was working with OpenShift Container Platform, I found out that it provides access to the source-to-image (S2I) framework that lets you create container images using your application’s source code. It supports some of the most popular languages and frameworks used in app development, including Python, Node.js, Java, PHP, .NET, Go, Ruby, and Perl.
OpenShift Container Platform Standout Features and Integrations
Features that made me recommend OpenShift Container Platform for developers include the inbuilt CI/CD pipeline that allows for rapid development over sustained periods. It also uses Prometheus, a tool that gives you monitoring capabilities and metrics for applications and clusters so you can ensure whatever you’re working on remains healthy throughout the process.
Integrations are available natively with other Red Hat products like the OpenShift Platform, Ansible, and Enterprise Linux. There’s also a REST API that allows you to build your own integrations if you need them.
Pricing: From $83.33/month (billed annually, exclude AWS infrastructure fees)
Trial: 60-day free trial
Pros
- Built-in source-to-image framework for containerization
- Flexible customization options
- Extensive documentation
Cons
- Limited deployment options
- Steep learning curve
7. Apache CloudStack - Best open-source cloud management provider
CloudStack is a free open-source Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) CMP from Apache meant for use on both on-premise and hybrid environments.
Why I Picked Apache CloudStack: As I’ve mentioned above, CloudStack is an Apache product, meaning it’s completely open-source and has a thriving developer community behind it. This makes it an ideal option for deployments where you need to implement functionality that you can’t find anywhere else but without needing to build everything from scratch.
Apache CloudStack Standout Features and Integrations
Features in CloudStack that I really like for working on open-source software include a powerful and extensively documented API that you can use to extend the functionality of the product with things like custom integrations. CloudStack also allows you to work with the APIs for AWS S3 and EC2.
It’s also hypervisor-agnostic, so you can run it on KVM, VMware, Citrix XenProject and XenServer, BareMetal through IPMI, vSphere through vCenter, and LXC.
Integrations are available via an API that you can use to build custom solutions to connect third-party services.
Pricing: Free
Trial: Free plan available
Pros
- Open source
- Robust documentation
- Completely free
Cons
- No dedicated customer support; you’ll have to rely on the community
- More prone to bugs than other solutions
8. CloudFuze - Best cloud management provider for user access control
CloudFuze’s main focus with its core product seems to be on cloud migrations, but during the course of my time with it, I found it handles user access very well.
Why I Picked CloudFuze: I found CloudFuze’s cloud file security features to be quite comprehensive for user access management, with an entire page dedicated to it. You can add and delete user accounts, as well as edit their status to or from administrators. If you have several users you need to keep track of, you can group them into teams that you manage with bulk actions.
CloudFuze Standout Features and Integrations
Features that made me recommend CloudFuze for user access management include API keys and secure cloud access that let you control who can access your cloud from external platforms. There’s also an audit function that shows you how the files you’ve shared are being used, with information on general access and downloads.
Integrations are pre-built for major cloud platforms as well as Slack, Microsoft Teams, Defender, and Sharepoint.
Pricing: From $9.99/month
Trial: Free demo available
Pros
- Easy migrations
- Comprehensive user access control
- Strong file security features
Cons
- Web-only, no apps
- Free trial is often unavailable in favor of a demo
9. CoreStack - Best for multi-cloud FinOps
CoreStack is a multi-cloud governance platform that supports major providers like Azure, Google Cloud, Oracle Cloud, and AWS.
Why I Picked CoreStack: I chose CoreStack because of its FinOps Maturity Assessment Reports, which I found to be very detailed when it came to my spending. It made forecasts to tell me whether my current spending habits were sustainable with my budget and even provided suggestions for cost savings and optimizations.
CoreStack Standout Features and Integrations
Features that make CoreStack great for FinOps, in my opinion, include real-time monitoring for drifts in your spending with alerts that get you back in line. You also get alerts as soon as services deploy, so you know exactly what’s using up resources in your environments, making it easier to manage costs.
Integrations are pre-built for major cloud providers, as well as Nagios, Zabbix, Nessus, Chef, and ServiceNow. There are also several APIs that allow you to connect to other tools.
Pricing: From $49/month
Trial: Free demo available
Pros
- Supports large-scale FinOps
- Strong multi-cloud governance features
- Complies with several regulations and standards
Cons
- Slightly vague language in reports
- Somewhat dated UI
10. Snow Commander - Best for virtual machines (VMs)
Snow Commander is a cloud management platform from Snow Software that focuses mainly on hybrid clouds and puts automation at its forefront.
Why I Picked Snow Commander: I chose Snow Commander because of its automated service management feature, which allows you to set timed windows after which resources are decommissioned. This makes it easy to manage virtual machines like the ones I’d built with VMware where I was running my tests. You get notifications and have the option to delay this, so you can keep resources available for as long as you need them without worrying about sprawl.
Snow Commander Standout Features and Integrations
Features that made managing my environments with Snow Commander easy include a self-service portal where you can request new VMs from a service catalog or changes to existing instances, so it’s easier to operate these environments. It also provides reporting and analytics, and I found the information on VM sprawl and growth important for keeping my environments under control.
Integrations are pre-built for major cloud providers as well as ServiceNow, Ansible, Jenkins, BMC Helix, Topdesk, Puppet, Chef, Saltstack, Cherwell, and Slack.
Pricing: Pricing upon request
Trial: 7-day free trial
Pros
- Several integrations
- Automated lifecycle management
- Customizable service catalog
Cons
- Costs can add up
- Slow customer service response
11. Concierto Cloud - Best for cloud migration
Concierto Cloud is a CMP that has put a lot of work into its migration features and made it its core offering, so it was the first thing I tested.
Why I Picked Concierto Cloud: As soon as I got my hands on Concierto, I went straight to its migration function, where I found that it provides an in-depth assessment beforehand on factors like cost and compatibility. I loved this feature because it gave me all the information I wouldn’t have found out without extensive manual research or firsthand after moving clouds when it was likely too late.
Concierto Cloud Standout Features and Integrations
Features I liked in Concierto for migration include the extensive cataloging it does of your environments, so you only bring over what you need. It also automatically decommissions workloads from the original source, so you’re not left holding the bag after moving.
Integrations are pre-built for major cloud providers as well as Jira, ServiceNow, New Relic, Datadog, Dynatrace, and AppDynamics.
Pricing: Pricing upon request
Trial: Free demo available
Pros
- Pre-migration assessment
- Catalog-based migrations
- Bulk data center and attached storage migrations
Cons
- Sparse documentation
- Limited product information for non-subscribers
12. CloudBolt - Best self-service features for cloud management
CloudBolt is a multi and hybrid cloud management platform that supports various deployment options, including containers.
Why I Picked CloudBolt: CloudBolt won me over with its self-service features that let me order resources like storage, compute, and application stacks and have them available almost immediately. For most of the time I spent with it, I wasn’t worried about shadow IT, when employees use hardware or software that hasn’t been approved by the IT department, because I never had to wait too long for things to get moving.
CloudBolt Standout Features and Integrations
Features I liked under CloudBolt’s self-service include what they call blueprints, which allow DevOps teams to set up and provision resources within only minutes on any deployment. You also get catalogs of your environments that make it easier to manage resources, from provisions to user roles.
Integrations are pre-built for major cloud providers, as well as Veeam, ServiceNow, Puppet, Ansible, Chef, SolarWinds, Datadog, SAML, Spunk, and New Relic.
Pricing: From $708.33/month (billed annually)
Trial: Free plan available
Pros
- Flexible deployment options
- Robust self-service features
- Several pre-built integrations
Cons
- Bare-bones logging
- Weaker support on lower tiers
Other Recommended Cloud Management Platforms
Below is a list of more cloud management platforms that didn’t make my top 12 but are still great products:
- ServiceNow Cloud Management - Best for reducing cloud spending
- Rubrik - Best for cloud administrative control
- Zesty - Best for dynamic cloud management
- Flexera One - Best for hybrid cloud visibility
- Serverless360 - Best for monitoring Azure cloud environments
- Pepperdata - Best for optimizing resource utilization
- IBM Turbonomic - Best for automating critical actions in real time
- CloudKeeper - Best for cloud financial management services
Selection Criteria for Cloud Management Platforms
While making this list, I drew heavily from my experience managing cloud environments and how my needs for a comprehensive management platform have evolved over time. Here are the factors I evaluated:
Core Functionality
Some of the things I needed each platform to be able to do include:
- Support for major cloud providers (Azure, Google Cloud, Oracle, AWS, etc.) and/or on-premise deployments, meaning I didn’t consider anything that locked you into a proprietary cloud
- The ability to manage user access to ensure that anything in the cloud doesn’t fall into the wrong hands
- Support for a wide variety of server operating systems and hypervisors for virtual machines on options that can work for on-premise deployments
Key Features
The key features I was looking for include:
- Speed and minimal latency for fast access to the respective clouds
- Analytics and monitoring for easier management and diagnostics
- Security with features such as encryption and compliance with other industry standards
- Automation for repetitive tasks to make it easier for smaller teams to manage large clouds
Usability
I looked for solutions that were reliable more often than not, so I prioritized things like customer support and system availability. For tools that offloaded most functionality from the end user, I looked for a low learning curve because it was likely to attract non-technical individuals. This meant things like easily navigable interfaces where functions weren’t hidden behind several menus. In the case of the more complex ones, I was looking for how robust the documentation was for the sake of more technical users.
Value for Money
Costs for cloud storage platforms often scale with usage, and I was looking for options where the value proposition followed the same trend. For example, in the starter range of $10 to $50 a month, I expected features typical of any cloud management strategy, including multi-cloud support, user access control, and data governance as a starting point.
People Also Ask
If you feel you still need to learn more about cloud management platforms, I’ve collected some of the most commonly asked questions about the topic to help you:
How do cloud management platforms work?
Are cloud computing and cloud management the same?
Why is cloud management important?
Related Cloud Software Reviews
- Cloud service providers
- Cloud security tools
- Cloud platforms as a service
- Cloud storage tools
- Cloud development platforms
Final Thoughts
Choosing the right cloud management platform can help you consolidate all of your cloud data, resources, and infrastructure into one place. It can also help you easily evaluate, monitor and adjust your cloud information to suit your unique business requirements.
Subscribe to The CTO Club newsletter for more insights into the latest SaaS solutions.