Azure provides a number of ways in which you can create rich web and mobile applications in the cloud. You could setup your own virtual machines, install IIS, and add your own web application. If your application needs to store data, you can create SQL Server VMs, or use Azure's SQL database feature—or any of the other database packages supported in Azure.
A simpler way is to create an Azure Web App. At one time, Azure offered what were termed websites. These were, as the name says, websites in which you could run your own application, or a host of others such as WordPress. These were single tier (possibly with a back-end database). However, Microsoft discontinued this feature and has replaced it with the more generic Web App feature.
Azure Web Apps enabled you to build, deploy, and manage rich websites and web applications. You can use frameworks such as .NET, Node.js, PHP, and Python in these applications and use any database software appropriate to your needs...
