Top cloud and application migration tools

Cloud software environments offer many advantages to their users over on-premises infrastructures, including flexibility, automated maintenance, and easy scalability. These benefits are why many individuals and organizations migrate from on-site to cloud-based locations. Still, not all clouds are created equal, and many find that they could experience benefits from transferring their workloads and operations between cloud environments.

The process of transferring applications and content to the cloud can be cumbersome and can even cause issues with security and compliance if executed poorly. Fortunately, cloud and application migration tools help users streamline the processes involved in workload migration and provide features for tracking and managing their migrations.

SEE: Hiring Kit: Cloud Engineer (TechRepublic Premium)

Migration tools can be extremely helpful to users who wish to safely and effectively carry out their migrations into the cloud. Read on to learn about the best cloud and application migration tools available to users.

Best cloud and application migration tools

AvePoint

Best for collaboration tool data migration

AvePoint provides cloud migration services for on-premises or cloud-hosted content into SharePoint or Microsoft 365. Users can use AvePoint’s services to automate their content migration from on-premises or in cloud-hosted environments like Microsoft Teams, Microsoft 365 Groups, Box, Dropbox, Slack and Google Drive. In addition, with built-in progress reporting and Power BI templates, users can track and monitor their migration processes.

Their Fly Server migration solution works with Slack and Teams to migrate information, files, membership, conversations and more. Fly Server also supports digital transformation initiatives by integrating with other solutions. For example, through Power BI, users can phase their migration using filters, scheduling, and staged roll-out using the detailed discovery and dynamic scope analysis.

According to reviews of AvePoint’s Fly migrator solutions, many users appreciate the software’s functionality and user-friendliness. However, some reviewers complained of difficulty moving large amounts of data.

Amazon Web Services

Best for advanced features and capabilities

The AWS Cloud Migration solution supports organizations in moving their data and operations to the AWS Cloud. It supports application workloads from SAP, VMware, Microsoft, Databases, Mainframe infrastructures and .NET application environments.

AWS migration solutions use a phased approach to migrate multiple workloads to the cloud. This process includes assessment, mobilization, migration and modernization phases. The AWS migration tools and third-party migration tooling ecosystem supports users through each phase of the migration methodology processes, with automated capabilities and intelligent recommendations based on AWS machine learning.

Users can also take advantage of AWS’s advanced services, like the AWS Migration Acceleration Program, AWS Professional Services and AWS Managed Services. These programs help users operate their migration and management processes with approaches and resources that AWS has tailored through their experiences migrating other customers to the cloud.

Users can get started with the AWS Application Migration Services for free to migrate their applications and workloads. However, the AWS Free Tier migration tools and resources provide limited features for organizations looking to migrate. The online AWS Pricing Calculator can help users calculate the monthly costs of incorporating more AWS migration capabilities.

Most customers who left feedback on the AWS Migration Services online were pleased with the scalability and cross-functionality of the solutions.

Carbonite

Best for reducing downtime

Carbonite Migrate enables users to migrate their workloads from physical, cloud and virtual environments. The solution also provides options for automation through each stage of the migration process and management.

This solution lets users have control over their automated workflows, as they can choose how to migrate their data, create custom job configurations and orchestrate activities through an SDK. In addition, users can utilize any specific hypervisor, cloud vendor or hardware and use the console to automate and scale their activities.

The nature of Carbonite’s migration service also reduces downtime by continuously replicating data from the source, so users can cut over to their new servers. It also performs unlimited testing of the new environment without disrupting any processes. It protects users’ data in-flight with AES 256-bit encryption.

Carbonite Migrate supports many operating systems and has native integrations with various hypervisors and cloud platforms, enabling users to migrate all of their essential data. Potential buyers can contact the Carbonite support team for information about the price of their solutions. The Carbonite Migrate solution was rated favorably by users online, who enjoyed its ease of use and wide range of configuration options.

CloudM

Best for data management

CloudM offers a SaaS Data Management solution for Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace. Their tool provides features for automated data management, workload migration, email signature management and data archiving.

CloudM’s data migration solution can deliver straightforward migrations into Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace and provides users a choice of desktop and browser-based interfaces. In addition, organizations can migrate to three destinations from over 30 source platforms, as the tool can be integrated with various third-party systems through the CloudM People API. The software also supports multi-server migration, allowing for the simultaneous migration of item threads.

The tool includes security and compliance features like in-depth audit, migration trace and migration service logs. Errors can easily be diagnosed and resolved by remotely connecting to secondary servers directly from the migration tool. The tool also makes it easy to keep track of the migration process, with customizable email templates to alert users of migration events.

CloudM provides three versions of its migration products and services: Self-Hosted, Hosted and Serviced Migrations. The software tool options are tailored to different user needs, with the Self-Hosted version ideal for large complex migrations and the Hosted for less complex migrations. While reviewers provided a favorable overall rating for the CloudM Migrate software, some complained that the software was not simple to use.

Cloudsfer

Best for easy multi-user migration

Cloudsfer provides self or professional migration services that enable users to migrate their data from on-premises to cloud or cloud-to-cloud environments. In addition, its multi-user migration services are helpful for organizations looking to transfer multiple users on one user interface securely while maintaining or creating custom permissions.

Cloudsfer works by copying file storage and transferring data to end environments with connections to over 20 Cloud Storage Providers. The on-premise to cloud transfer tool enables data migration from local environments, including file and ECM systems to the cloud storage locations.

Cloudsfer’s migration services come with various technical features to support users throughout the data migration process. These features include cloud migration reporting, file filtering, scheduled cloud backups and expert data transfer settings.

Cloudsfer integrates with many data categories and third-party systems, including Dropbox, Google Drive, SharePoint Online, Amazon S3 and more. Users can enjoy a free trial of the solution on their website, providing them with a free no-commitment evaluation. Additionally, readers can contact their support team for information on Cloudsfer pricing and professional services.

Customer reviewers online expressed satisfaction with the solution’s straightforward migration features and free trial. Still, others complained of the vendor’s price and poor customer support.

Flexera

Best for migration planning

Flexera enables infrastructure migration and modernization through their cloud transformation solution, Flexera One. This tool helps users reach actionable insights to support their on-premises to cloud migration, with features for cloud migration planning, cloud cost assessment and workload placement.

Flexera One’s cloud migration planning tool helps users mitigate cloud migration challenges, as it includes features that provide complete context visibility into their business services, operational risks and cost savings. Users can manage their cloud migration planning through intelligent application dependency mapping, automated grouping, workload sequencing and customized business cases. The tool can even provide well-founded business case analysis and recommendations for migration planning and assessments.

The cloud cost assessment solution provides comprehensive workload assessments on cost factors to optimize users’ cloud cost savings. In addition, users gain information to help them select cloud types, providers and pricing models that work with their budgets and workload needs.

Flexera One’s workload placement capabilities provide comprehensive workload assessments, so users can fully visualize their workloads. This way, users can determine the cloud resources and providers that will work best with their workload performance requirements. Through the solution, users can analyze, understand and prioritize their workload migration and optimize their workload positioning in the cloud.

Flexera supports integrations with third-party systems through their App Portal API. The Flexera One online reviews describe the product as a helpful tool with a nice user interface. However, some complained of difficulties utilizing the API. Interested readers can contact the Flexera Sales Team for pricing information.

Google Cloud

Best for database migration options

Google Cloud migration provides various solutions and services for data and app migration to the Google Cloud databases. They offer several data migration, application migration and modernization options for workloads like Oracle, Microsoft SQL Servers and more. In addition, their products harness AI to automate repeatable tasks throughout the migration, modernization and adaptation processes.

Users can integrate databases across Google Cloud services through the database migration solution and develop continuous integration and continuous delivery pipelines to automate deployment.

Those interested in utilizing the Google Cloud migration and modernization solutions can request a custom quote from the Google sales team, enabling them to pay for only the required services. Most customer reviewers of Google Cloud’s migration services seemed satisfied with the product’s migration and deployment capabilities.

IBM

Best free option

IBM Cloud provides support for users wishing to migrate to their cloud solution. Users can migrate any type of workload from any environment to the IBM Cloud, with their self-service tools to help them throughout their migration.

IBM Cloud’s migration solutions and tools include features for four separate migration scenarios. The IBM Cloud Classic to Classic solution lets users migrate between IBM Cloud Classic data centers, and the IBM Cloud Classic to IBM Cloud supports the migration of workers from one to the other. The Virtualized Workloads to IBM Cloud solution helps users migrate from on-premises to IBM Cloud VPC. Finally, users can generate DIY automation scripts to manage their own migration of workloads and data to IBM Cloud.

IBM Cloud uses the “lift and shift” migration approach, which lets users migrate their workloads and associated data to the cloud with minimal changes. Once this is done, the workloads are modernized to use the cloud-native features on IBM Cloud.

IBM Cloud is described by customer reviewers online as a secure, flexible and easy-to-use cloud service provider with competitive pricing. IBM provides a free version of their software with limited features and capabilities, but readers interested in IBM Cloud’s priced services can use the IBM Cloud cost estimator online.

Microsoft Azure

Best for visibility features

The Microsoft Azure Migrate product provides users with a unified platform of migration and modernization tools and features for transferring their data and operations to the cloud. The product supports migration scenarios for key workloads like SQL, Windows, Linux Servers, virtual desktops, web apps, data and databases.

The Azure Migrate Platform lets users determine the best migration actions and decisions based on built-in recommendations and insights. In addition, users can use the platform’s dashboard to gain guided end-to-end visibility of their data’s discovery, assessment and migration within the single central data repository.

The platform provides additional data analysis tools for free to help users execute their important migration projects. This includes app dependency visualization, modernization, agentless data center discovery, Azure readiness analysis and cost estimation.

Azure Migrate is available with an Azure subscription. Alternatively, new customers can start with an Azure free account, which provides free features of their services before transitioning users to a pay-as-you-go pricing model. Customer reviewers of the Azure Migrate solution enjoy its functionality, visualization aspects and guided features.

VMware

Best for accelerated app modernization and migration

VMware Cloud migration solutions enable users to streamline the cloud migration of their apps. Users can decide upon the most suitable clouds for their apps and migrate without the need for recording or managing from multiple operating layers. Instead, users can supply their developers with the infrastructure they require from a single platform.

Within the on-premises VMware environment users can immediately containerize their apps and augment their functionality with native cloud services. In addition to saving time, the VMware cloud migration solutions can also save costs, as users can choose cost-effective deployment using VMware tools to assess their application landscape.

VMware Cloud can run on any cloud, edge location or data center so that users can integrate their services and applications in their cloud environments. It is available as a standalone service or as an integration solution with Amazon Web Services, IBM Cloud and other tools.

Those interested in using the VMware Cloud migration solutions can visit the VMware website to estimate the costs of their migration solutions.