Amazon Web Services (AWS) vs Microsoft Azure
AWS leads in market share (32%) and service breadth with 200+ services, while Azure excels in enterprise integration with 98% of Fortune 500 companies using Microsoft products, giving it a native advantage for Windows-based workloads and Microsoft stack users.
Amazon Web Services (AWS) vs Microsoft Azure — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Choose AWS if you need maximum service variety, prefer vendor independence, or are building greenfield cloud infrastructure with cost optimization as priority. Choose Microsoft Azure if you're deeply invested in Microsoft's ecosystem (Office 365, Dynamics 365, Windows Server), require hybrid cloud capabilities, or need superior enterprise support integration across 95% of Fortune 500 companies.
Compare Amazon Web Services (AWS) vs Microsoft Azure
Comprehensive cloud infrastructure platform with 200+ services for compute, storage, databases, and enterprise solutions.
Enterprise cloud platform offering 200+ services across compute, storage, databases, AI, and business applications
Amazon Web Services (AWS) vs Microsoft Azure — Comparison Data
Structured comparison data for Amazon Web Services (AWS) vs Microsoft Azure with 144 attributes.
Monthly Cost (1 vCPU, 1GB RAM, Standard Instance)
Monthly Cost for 10TB Egress Data Transfer
Estimated Learning Time for New Developer
Cost for Standard Production App (2 dynos + add-ons)
Compute Instance Starting Price (hourly)
Supported Programming Languages (Workers/Serverless)
Oracle Database Performance Optimization
Amazon Web Services (AWS) vs Microsoft Azure — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Amazon Web Services (AWS) vs Microsoft Azure.
AWS generally offers 3-5% lower baseline compute costs through aggressive pricing and Reserved Instances up to 72% off. However, Azure costs less if you already own Microsoft licenses due to Azure Hybrid Benefit, which allows Windows Server and SQL Server license mobility, saving up to $4,000 per 16-core server annually.
Is Azure better for Microsoft-heavy companies?
Yes, significantly. Azure provides native integration with Active Directory, Office 365, Dynamics 365, and SQL Server without additional licensing. 95% of Fortune 500 companies already use Microsoft products, making Azure the default choice. AWS requires additional middleware and management overhead for Microsoft stack integration.
Can AWS match Azure's hybrid capabilities?
AWS Outposts (launched 2019) provides hybrid capabilities but is newer and less mature than Azure Stack (launched 2015). Azure Stack has broader enterprise support and integration with on-premises Active Directory, making it preferable for companies requiring true hybrid cloud continuity.
Azure has 60+ regions vs AWS's 33 regions, covering more geographies including additional coverage in Europe, Asia-Pacific, and government clouds. For multi-region deployments prioritizing latency, Azure offers better geographic distribution and is particularly stronger in European and sovereign cloud markets.
Which is better for machine learning projects?
AWS SageMaker is generally preferred by ML practitioners with 78% of surveys favoring AWS for AI/ML due to more mature tools, stronger community support, and superior documentation. However, Azure ML is catching up with better integration for enterprises already using Microsoft Cognitive Services and enterprise ML governance tools.