AWS vs Azure vs Google Cloud: Complete Comparison
Independent analysis of the three major cloud providers to help you choose the right platform for your business.
Quick Decision Guide
Choose AWS if...
- ✓ You need the broadest service catalog
- ✓ You are a startup or tech company
- ✓ You want the largest ecosystem and community
- ✓ You need cutting-edge features first
- ✓ You value deep service integration
Choose Azure if...
- ✓ You use Microsoft products heavily
- ✓ You have Windows Server workloads
- ✓ You need strong hybrid cloud capabilities
- ✓ You have Active Directory integration needs
- ✓ You are an enterprise with Microsoft EA
Choose Google Cloud if...
- ✓ You need advanced data analytics
- ✓ You are building ML/AI applications
- ✓ You want the best Kubernetes platform
- ✓ You value simplicity and clean UX
- ✓ You prioritize cost efficiency
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Category | AWS | Azure | Google Cloud |
|---|---|---|---|
| Market Share | #1 (32%) | #2 (23%) | #3 (10%) |
| Services Count | 200+ | 100+ | 100+ |
| Global Regions | 33 | 60+ | 35 |
| Compute (Best For) | EC2 - Flexibility | VMs - Windows | Compute Engine - Cost |
| Containers | ECS, EKS - Good | AKS - Good | GKE - Best |
| Serverless | Lambda - Leader | Functions - Good | Cloud Functions - Good |
| Databases | 15+ options - Most | 10+ options - Good | 8+ options - Specialized |
| AI/ML | SageMaker - Good | ML Studio - Good | Vertex AI - Best |
| Data Analytics | Redshift - Good | Synapse - Good | BigQuery - Best |
| Hybrid Cloud | Outposts - Good | Arc - Best | Anthos - Good |
| Free Tier | 12 months + Always Free | 12 months + $200 credit | Always Free + $300 credit |
| Enterprise Support | $15K+/month | $1K+/month | $150+/month |
| Ease of Use | Complex | Moderate | Simple |
| Documentation | Excellent | Good | Excellent |
Cost Comparison
Cloud pricing is complex and varies significantly based on your specific workload. Here are typical cost differences:
AWS Pricing
- • Most mature pricing models
- • Best savings plans (up to 72% off)
- • Complex but flexible
- • Higher data transfer costs
Azure Pricing
- • Hybrid benefit for Windows (40% savings)
- • Competitive for Windows workloads
- • Similar to AWS for Linux
- • Lower data transfer costs
GCP Pricing
- • Sustained use discounts (automatic)
- • 20-30% cheaper on compute
- • Per-second billing (vs per-hour)
- • Lowest overall costs
Example: 3-Year TCO for Medium Workload
AWS
Strengths
- • Market leader with largest ecosystem
- • 200+ services covering every need
- • Best for innovation and cutting-edge
- • Strong serverless capabilities
- • Extensive third-party integrations
Weaknesses
- • Steepest learning curve
- • Most complex pricing
- • Higher data transfer costs
- • Can be overwhelming for beginners
Azure
Strengths
- • Best hybrid cloud solution
- • Seamless Microsoft integration
- • Strong enterprise features
- • Best for Windows workloads
- • Good Active Directory integration
Weaknesses
- • Smaller ecosystem than AWS
- • Less mature ML/AI tools
- • Documentation gaps
- • Occasional service reliability issues
Google Cloud
Strengths
- • Best data analytics (BigQuery)
- • Leading ML/AI capabilities
- • Cleanest UI and UX
- • Best Kubernetes platform (GKE)
- • Most cost-effective
Weaknesses
- • Smallest market share
- • Fewer enterprise features
- • Limited hybrid capabilities
- • Smaller partner ecosystem
Migration Considerations
Multi-Cloud Strategy
Using multiple providers can provide resilience and leverage best-of-breed services, but adds 25-40% operational overhead.
Best for: Large enterprises with dedicated cloud teams. Not recommended for startups or small teams.
Switching Costs
Migrating between cloud providers typically costs $100K-$1M+ and takes 6-18 months depending on application complexity.
Choose carefully - switching later is expensive and disruptive.
Team Skills
Consider your team's existing skills. AWS certification holders outnumber Azure and GCP 3:1.
Training timeline: 3-6 months to build proficiency on a new cloud platform.
Estimate Your Cloud Migration Costs
Use our calculator to estimate migration costs and ongoing cloud spend for your specific workload.
Select Target Cloud Provider
Current Infrastructure
Application Characteristics
Preferred Migration Approach
Estimated Migration Investment
One-Time Migration Costs Breakdown
Ongoing Monthly Cloud Costs
Note: Monthly costs typically decrease by 30-40% after the first year through optimization and reserved instances.
Migration Timeline
Our Recommendations
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