Choose Dataweavers if
You want control and automation in your own tenant
Your Azure tenant, a 24/7 operations team, disaster recovery as standard and a hybrid path to headless.
Dataweavers vs Sitecore Managed Cloud:where should Sitecore XP/XM run?
Not every Sitecore customer is moving to SaaS now. If you are staying on XP or XM, the real hosting choice is between Sitecore's own Managed Cloud on Azure and an operations partner such as Dataweavers, which runs Sitecore inside your own Azure tenant.
Written by a team with 2× Sitecore MVP recognition and 10+ years of CMS and DXP delivery. Disclosure: Sengo is both a Dataweavers partner and a Sitecore partner.
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TL;DR
The honest short answer
If you want the infrastructure in your own Azure tenant, automated operations with disaster recovery included, and a gradual route to headless, Dataweavers is the stronger fit. It also suits estates that run Optimizely next to Sitecore.
If you want one vendor accountable for the software and the hosting, with Azure resold through Sitecore, published uptime terms and broad certifications, Sitecore Managed Cloud is the simpler buy. Choose its Premium tier if you need containers, custom topologies or application-level support.
Choose Sitecore Managed Cloud if
You want one vendor for license and hosting
Sitecore runs the Azure environment, publishes its SLA and, on Premium, supports containers and custom topologies.
12-dimension matrix
Facts checked against Sitecore's Managed Cloud documentation, SLA and service catalog, and Dataweavers' product pages, in October 2026. Both are quote-based.
| Dimension | Dataweavers | Sitecore Managed Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| Where it runs | WinnerInside your own Azure tenant; your data and environment stay with you | An Azure environment provisioned by Sitecore, with Azure resold through Sitecore |
| Single point of accountability | Dataweavers runs operations; Sitecore still supports the product | WinnerIntegrated support for the Sitecore platform and its hosting from one vendor |
| Application monitoring | WinnerA 24/7 operations team with observability across hosting, APIs and front end | Standard: infrastructure monitored by Sitecore, application monitoring is your team's or partner's job. Premium adds application uptime and 24x7 support |
| Day-to-day changes | WinnerAutomated deployments, scaling and environment templates | Service requests through the support portal; most have a 2 to 3 business-day target on Standard |
| Disaster recovery | WinnerAutomated disaster recovery included as standard in Fusion | Available as an add-on purchase |
| Upgrades and patching | Fusion is designed to reduce upgrade risk and keep releases on schedule | Premium: upgrade planning, hotfixes and patching jointly owned with you; Standard: your team |
| Containers and custom topologies | Focused on Azure PaaS operations | WinnerPremium supports containers on Azure Kubernetes Service and bespoke deployments |
| Headless front-end hosting | WinnerArc includes a front-end host, API management, caching and deploy pipelines for headless | Centered on the Sitecore XP/XM roles; plan your headless rendering host with your account team |
| Published SLA | SLA-backed operations across hosting, APIs and front end; terms set in your contract | WinnerPublic SLA: 99.9% Azure platform uptime on both tiers, plus an application uptime commitment on Premium |
| Compliance assurance | Enterprise security with WAF, DDoS protection, role-based access and GDPR compliance | WinnerISO 27001, 27017 and 27018, CSA STAR and SOC 2 |
| Other platforms in the estate | WinnerAlso runs Optimizely CMS on Azure; Arc supports Sitecore, Optimizely and Contentstack | Sitecore XP and XM only |
| Pricing | Quote-based platform fees; infrastructure lives in your tenant | Quote-based, with Azure consumption bundled through Sitecore |
When to choose each
Choose Dataweavers when
Control, automation and a gradual headless path matter
- Security or procurement requires Sitecore to run in your own Azure tenant
- You want disaster recovery and 24/7 operations without buying add-ons
- You plan to move to headless one site at a time
- You also run Optimizely CMS and want one operations model
- You want to run XP/XM and SitecoreAI side by side during a transition
Choose Sitecore Managed Cloud when
One vendor and published terms matter
- Procurement prefers to buy software and hosting from the vendor
- You need containers or a non-standard topology (Premium)
- Your team or partner already handles application monitoring (Standard)
- Auditors ask for ISO 27017, ISO 27018 or CSA STAR evidence
- You want a named cloud solutions engineer (Premium)
If you need to switch
Both run Sitecore XP/XM on Azure, so a move is a re-platforming of infrastructure, not of your Sitecore solution. Content, code and integrations come with you.
Sitecore Managed Cloud to Dataweavers
When you want the environment in your own tenant
- Confirm your XP/XM version and plan an upgrade first if you are on an older release
- Provision the new environments in your Azure tenant and replicate configuration
- Move databases, media and search indexes, then run a full regression test
- Cut over DNS during a content freeze and keep the old environment until sign-off
Main effort driver: the number of environments, integrations and custom infrastructure
Dataweavers to Sitecore Managed Cloud
When you consolidate on the vendor
- Check that your topology fits Standard, or plan for Premium if you need containers or custom setups
- Request environment provisioning through Sitecore and agree on access
- Replicate deployment pipelines, then move databases, media and indexes
- Decide who takes on application monitoring and disaster recovery, which are not in Standard by default
Main effort driver: rebuilding pipelines and operations processes around the service catalog
Common questions
Is Sitecore Managed Cloud the same as SitecoreAI?
No. Managed Cloud hosts Sitecore XP and XM on Azure. SitecoreAI is Sitecore's SaaS platform, launched on November 10, 2025, and the new name for what was XM Cloud. For background, read the SitecoreAI rebrand explained.
Will Sitecore keep supporting XP and XM?
Sitecore states that XP and XM customers remain fully supported, with active product roadmaps, and that paths to SaaS are available when customers are ready. Staying on XP/XM is a valid choice; it just needs the right hosting.
What is the difference between Managed Cloud Standard and Premium?
Both include Azure resale, infrastructure operations, 99.9% Azure platform uptime and 24x7 support. Premium adds a named cloud solutions engineer, application uptime commitment, containers and custom topologies, and jointly owned upgrade planning and patching.
Who owns the Azure environment with Dataweavers?
You do. Dataweavers runs its Fusion and Arc products inside your Azure tenant, so your data and environment stay under your control while Dataweavers operates them.
Can Dataweavers help us move to SitecoreAI later?
Arc supports running XP/XM and XM Cloud, now SitecoreAI, in parallel, which allows a site-by-site transition. Dataweavers does not run CMS migrations to other vendors; that work is usually done by an implementation partner.
How much does each option cost?
Both are quote-based. Sitecore Managed Cloud bundles Azure consumption into its pricing; with Dataweavers, infrastructure sits in your own tenant alongside Dataweavers' platform fees. Compare total cost, including disaster recovery and application monitoring, not only the hosting line.
Still not sure which one fits your situation?
In a 30-minute call, our Sitecore team reviews your version, topology and roadmap, and tells you where XP/XM should run, or whether it is time to plan for SitecoreAI.
