3 Ways to Put Azure Storage in SharePoint

Migration, sync, or surfacing—what to choose and why surfacing wins.

Solution Guide

August 2025 • 10 min read

Organizations today face a common challenge: SharePoint storage is expensive, but users love the familiar interface. Azure Blob Storage offers massive capacity at fraction of the cost, but how do you make it accessible to your SharePoint users?

There are three primary approaches to integrate Azure Storage with SharePoint, each with distinct advantages, limitations, and cost implications. Let's explore them.

Method 1: Migration (Move Everything to Blob)

The Approach: Completely migrate your SharePoint document libraries to Azure Blob Storage, then provide users with alternative access methods like Azure Storage Explorer or custom applications.

Pros
  • Maximum cost savings: Pay only Blob storage rates (as low as £11/TB/month)
  • Unlimited scale: No SharePoint storage quotas
  • Simple architecture: One storage location to manage
  • API-first access: Perfect for applications
Cons
  • User experience disaster: Lose familiar SharePoint interface
  • Training overhead: Staff need new tools
  • Lost features: No versioning, check-out, metadata
  • Collaboration breakdown: Complex sharing
  • Adoption resistance: Users refuse to change
Real-world reality: We've seen organizations attempt full migration only to face user rebellion. IT gets blamed for "making everything harder" while productivity plummets.

Method 2: Synchronization (Keep Both in Sync)

The Approach: Maintain files in both SharePoint and Azure Blob Storage, using Logic Apps, Power Automate, or custom solutions to keep them synchronized.

Pros
  • Best of both worlds: Users keep SharePoint interface
  • Backup benefits: Natural disaster recovery
  • Flexible access: Files through multiple channels
  • Migration path: Gradual usage shifts
Cons
  • Double storage costs: Pay for both systems
  • Sync complexity: Logic Apps file size limits
  • Version conflicts: Which copy is "real"?
  • Maintenance overhead: Monitor sync failures
  • Large file problems: Many solutions break
The hidden truth: Sync solutions look great in demos but become operational nightmares. You're not saving money if you're paying for storage twice plus maintenance overhead.

Method 3: Surfacing (Mount Blob Storage in SharePoint)

The Approach: Use a solution like BlobBridge to mount Azure Blob containers directly inside SharePoint, giving users seamless access without moving files.

Pros
  • Zero user training: Familiar SharePoint interface
  • True cost optimization: Pay only Blob rates
  • Instant deployment: No migration projects
  • Scalability solved: Terabytes cost pennies
  • Native workflows: Upload/download as expected
  • Security maintained: SAS token access control
Considerations
  • Limited SharePoint features: No versioning yet
  • Azure egress costs: Large downloads incur charges
  • Requires web part: App catalog permissions needed
  • SAS token management: Must rotate per policy

Cost Comparison: The Numbers Don't Lie

Storage Amount Migration Synchronization Surfacing
1TB £11/month £236/month £11/month
5TB £55/month £1,180/month £55/month
10TB £110/month £2,360/month £110/month

*Costs based on Azure Blob cool tier (£0.011/GB/month) vs SharePoint storage (£0.225/GB/month). Synchronization pays both.

The Verdict: Why Surfacing Wins

After working with hundreds of organizations facing this exact challenge, the pattern is clear:

Migration Projects Fail

They prioritize cost over user experience. Users revolt, productivity drops, and IT gets blamed for "breaking everything."

Sync Projects Fail

They're complex, expensive (double storage costs), and prone to operational issues. You're not saving money paying twice.

Surfacing Succeeds

It gives users what they want (familiar interface) while giving IT what they need (cost optimization and scale).

The key insight: Don't change user behavior—change where the data lives. Surface Azure Blob Storage through SharePoint's familiar interface, and users won't know (or care) that they're using cloud storage that costs 95% less.

Implementation Reality Check

Before you choose your approach, ask these questions:

  • User adoption: Will your users actually change their workflows?
  • Total cost: Are you accounting for ALL costs, including operational overhead?
  • Maintenance burden: Who's going to monitor and fix sync issues at 2 AM?
  • Business disruption: Can you afford the productivity hit during migration?

For most organizations, surfacing wins because it's the only approach that solves both the technical challenge (storage costs) and the human challenge (user experience).

Ready to mount Azure Blob Storage in SharePoint with zero user training?

BlobBridge provides the surfacing solution that works.

Try BlobBridge - £500 one-time, unlimited users

Next Steps

If you're convinced that surfacing is the right approach, consider these implementation tips:

  • Start small: Pilot with one document library before rolling out
  • Plan SAS token rotation: Set up automated token refresh processes
  • Consider egress costs: Monitor Azure data transfer charges for heavy downloaders
  • Train power users: Ensure key users understand the new capabilities

The future of enterprise storage isn't about choosing between SharePoint and Azure—it's about bringing them together seamlessly.

Further reading