July 28, 2025

  Analyst Report

The Data Factory Showdown: Azure vs. Fabric

My Atlas / Analyst Reports

1,383 wordsTime to read: 7 min
Andrew Snodgrass by
Andrew Snodgrass

Andrew analyzes and writes about Microsoft's data management, business intelligence, and machine learning solutions, as well as aspects of licensing... more

  • Azure Data Factory and Fabric Data Factory are distinct offerings with unique capabilities and purposes.
  • The former is suited for large-scale, complex integration projects, providing advanced features but requiring more management.
  • The latter is designed for fast deployment and is pre-integrated with Fabric components but has fewer features.
  • Developers should nail down long-term objectives before choosing a solution and consider using both services if necessary.

Azure Data Factory (ADF) and Fabric Data Factory (FDF) are data integration offerings that share many common features, including a low-code design interface. However, they are designed for different workloads and are differentiated by the variety of data sources to which they can read and write, and they require different levels of effort to configure and maintain. ADF is more general purpose, while FDF is focused primarily on delivering data to Fabric analytic tools. Customers can use both, but they are not interchangeable.

Atlas Members have full access

Get access to this and thousands of other unbiased analyses, roadmaps, decision kits, infographics, reference guides, and more, all included with membership. Comprehensive access to the most in-depth and unbiased expertise for Microsoft enterprise decision-making is waiting.

Membership Options

Already have an account? Login Now