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AWS vs Azure vs Google Cloud: The Ultimate Comparison in 2025

Written by DynaTech Systems | Feb 19, 2025 6:42:12 AM

Not too long ago, businesses debated whether they should move to the cloud. Now, the question isn’t if—it’s which one? 

AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud dominate the cloud computing market, but they serve different needs. AWS is the oldest player, with the largest market share and a massive range of services. Microsoft Azure integrates seamlessly with enterprise tools, making it a top choice for businesses already using Microsoft products. Google Cloud stands out with its AI and analytics capabilities. 

The problem? Comparing them isn’t easy. Pricing structures are complicated. Feature sets overlap. And every provider claims to be the best. 

So, which one actually makes sense for your business? Whether you're looking at storage solutions like Microsoft Azure Blob Storage or need robust Azure Cloud Management Services, this guide breaks down everything you need to know—minus the marketing fluff. 

Overview of AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud 

Choosing a cloud provider isn’t just about picking the biggest name. It’s about finding what works for your business. AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud all have their strengths, but they serve different needs. Here, we have compared Azure vs AWS vs Good Cloud on their basics. 

AWS: The Giant That Does It All

AWS is the oldest and the biggest player in the cloud world. It offers the most services, has data centers everywhere, and is known for its reliability. If you need flexibility and scalability, AWS is hard to beat. But with so many services, it can feel overwhelming. Plus, the pricing can get complicated if you’re not careful. 

Azure: The Best for Microsoft Users 

If your company runs on Microsoft products, Azure is the natural fit. It connects seamlessly with Office 365, Windows Server, and other enterprise tools. It’s also a strong choice for hybrid cloud setups, letting businesses keep some systems on-prem while using the cloud. Microsoft’s deep enterprise ties make Azure a go-to for big corporations. 

Google Cloud: The AI and Data Powerhouse 

Google Cloud isn’t as widely adopted as AWS or Azure, but it stands out in AI, machine learning, and data analytics. If your business relies on big data or needs cutting-edge AI tools, Google Cloud is a strong contender. It also benefits from Google’s global network, which makes it one of the fastest cloud platforms out there. 

Here is a table that highlights a side-by-side comparison of these cloud giants based on some important factors: 

Factors 

AWS 

Microsoft Azure 

GCP 

Launching Year 

2006 

2010 

2008 

Market Share 

31-33% 

21-24% 

11% 

Pricing 

Cost-effective for general-purpose instances 

Competitive pricing for compute-optimized instances 

Generally lower cost across services 

Total Services 

250+ 

200+ 

200+ 

Data Centers 

200+ (estimated) 

300+ 

100+ (estimated) 

Regions 

33 

60+ 

40 

Availability Zones 

105 

No official data 

121 

Uptime SLA 

Up to 99.9% 

Up to 99.9% 

Up to 99.9% 

Compute Services 

EC2, Lambda 

Virtual Machines 

Compute Engine 

Database Services 

RDS, DynamoDB 

SQL Database, Cosmos DB 

Cloud SQL 

Storage Services 

S3, EBS 

Blob Storage, Azure Files 

Cloud Storage 

Security Tools 

IAM, AWS Security 

Azure Active Directory 

Identity & Access Control 

Deployment Models 

Public, private, hybrid 

Public, hybrid, multi-cloud 

Public, hybrid, multi-cloud 

Key Differences Between AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud 

Here is the Quick Comparison of AWS and Azure services and Google Cloud.

Feature 

AWS  

Azure 

Google Cloud  

Best For 

Scalability, broad service catalog 

Microsoft users, hybrid cloud 

AI, data analytics 

Strengths 

Largest market share, global reach 

Tight integration with Microsoft 

Advanced AI/ML capabilities 

Challenges 

Complex pricing 

Can be expensive outside the Microsoft ecosystem 

Smaller enterprise adoption 

Market Share: Who’s on Top?

AWS has led the market for years. Azure is catching up fast. Google Cloud, though smaller, is growing in AI as well as analytics. 

  • AWS - 31-33% market share. The go-to for large-scale cloud infrastructure. 
  • Azure - 21-24%. Strong growth. This can be especially seen in enterprise as well as hybrid cloud setups. 
  • Google Cloud - 11%. Gaining ground, thanks to its Artificial Intelligence and data-driven services. 

Cloud Adoption Trends: The Use of Hybrid & Multi-Cloud

Confused about the Google Cloud vs Microsoft Azure Comparision? Business firms are not sticking to a single cloud provider anymore. The more and more use of Hybrid and multi-cloud techniques has become the new norm. 

  • Hybrid Cloud - Many enterprises use both on-premises and cloud solutions. Azure excels in this space. 
  • Multi-Cloud - Companies use a blend of all three - AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud. This helps them to balance performance and cost. 
  • Cost & Performance - Google Cloud is attracting users with its AI-friendly pricing. 

Choosing the Right Cloud 

If your business runs on Microsoft tools, Azure is the natural choice. Need maximum scalability? AWS is the safest bet. Is your enterprise working with AI and data? Google Cloud c smart move. Many companies use a mix of all three for the best results. 

Cloud Pricing: What You Really Need to Know 

Cloud pricing is tricky. At first glance, AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud all seem to follow the same pay-as-you-go model. But dig deeper, and you’ll see the numbers don’t always add up the same way. 

Some platforms are cheaper for small workloads. Others offer better deals on high-performance instances. And then there are discounts—Reserved Instances, Spot Pricing, Sustained Use Discounts—that can completely change what you actually pay. 

So, let’s skip the marketing talk and break things down in a way that makes sense. 

How Much Do Small and Large Instances Cost? 

If you’re just spinning up a tiny virtual machine for testing, you won’t pay much. But if you’re running large-scale enterprise workloads, the numbers can get wild. 

Provider 

Small Instance (Basic Compute, 1 vCPU, ~512MB RAM) 

Estimated Monthly Cost 

Large Instance (High-Performance, Hundreds of vCPUs & TBs of RAM) 

Estimated Hourly Cost 

AWS 

t2.nano 

~$4.75/month 

u-12tb1.112xlarge 

~$109/hour 

Azure 

Similar to AWS 

Comparable pricing 

Multiple high-end VMs 

Varies widely 

Google Cloud 

Generally the cheapest for small workloads 

Slightly lower than AWS/Azure 

Large compute instances 

Competitive pricing 

Which Cloud Costs Less? 

It depends. Here’s what most businesses realize after comparing bills: 

  • AWS is often the priciest upfront, but it offers a massive range of discounts if you know how to use them. 
  • Azure makes the most sense for companies already running Microsoft software—you can get deep discounts if you’re using Windows, SQL Server, or other Microsoft tools. 
  • Google Cloud is usually the cheapest for AI, data analytics, and long-running workloads because of its automatic Sustained Use Discounts. 

3 Ways to Save Money on Cloud Costs 

  • Use Spot Instances. If your workloads can handle interruptions, Spot VMs (Azure calls them Spot VMs, AWS calls them Spot Instances) can slash prices by up to 90%.
  • Reserve Capacity in Advance. If you commit to using a server for a year or more, all three providers will cut you a deal. AWS calls this "Reserved Instances," Azure has "Reserved VM Instances," and Google Cloud offers "Committed Use Discounts".
  • Take Advantage of Free Tiers. Each cloud provider gives away a limited amount of free computing power every month. It’s not much, but it’s great for testing new applications before you commit.  

Cloud Compute Services: Microsoft Azure VS AWS VS Google Cloud

Every cloud provider offers compute power, but each takes a slightly different approach. AWS leads with variety, Azure shines with Microsoft integration, and Google Cloud focuses on cost efficiency. Here’s how they stack up: 

Service Type 

AWS 

Azure 

GCP 

Virtual Machines 

Amazon EC2 

Azure Virtual Machines 

Google Compute Engine 

PaaS 

Elastic Beanstalk 

Azure App Service 

Google App Engine 

Containers 

ECS, EKS 

Azure Kubernetes Service 

Google Kubernetes Engine 

Serverless 

AWS Lambda 

Azure Functions 

Google Cloud Functions 

Bottom line? AWS offers the most choices, Azure is perfect for Microsoft users, and GCP is a great pick for budget-conscious, AI-driven workloads.

Cloud Storage: Who Does It Best?

Storing data in the cloud isn’t just about space—it’s about speed, cost, and flexibility. AWS brings the most features, Azure plays well with enterprise systems, and GCP keeps pricing competitive, especially for massive datasets. Here’s how they compare: 

Storage Type 

AWS 

Azure 

GCP 

Object Storage 

Amazon S3 

Azure Blob Storage 

Google Cloud Storage 

Block Storage 

Amazon EBS 

Azure Managed Disks 

Google Persistent Disk 

Cold Storage 

S3 Glacier 

Archive Blob Storage 

Nearline/Coldline Storage 

File Storage 

Amazon EFS 

Azure Files 

Google Cloud Filestore 

AWS offers the most mature ecosystem, Azure integrates seamlessly with enterprise workloads, and GCP keeps costs low—especially for massive archival storage. The right choice? It depends on your priorities. 

Databases in the Cloud: Who’s Got the Edge?

Not all databases are built the same. AWS floods the market with choices, Azure keeps things simple (especially for Microsoft-heavy workloads), and GCP? It’s all about scale—especially with BigQuery for analytics. 

Here’s how they stack up: 

Database Type 

AWS 

Azure 

GCP 

Relational 

Amazon RDS 

Azure SQL Database 

Google Cloud SQL 

NoSQL 

Amazon DynamoDB 

Azure Cosmos DB 

Google Cloud Datastore 

Big Data 

Amazon Redshift 

Azure Synapse Analytics 

Google BigQuery 

Need reliability and variety? AWS. Prefer streamlined pricing and easy integration? Azure. Handling massive-scale analytics? GCP takes the crown. It’s all about what fits your data needs best.  

Specialized Cloud Services Comparison

Beyond core cloud services, AWS, Azure, and GCP offer specialized tools for DevOps, AI, and IoT. 

Service Type 

AWS 

Azure 

GCP 

DevOps 

AWS CodePipeline, CodeBuild 

Azure DevOps 

Cloud Build, Artifact Registry 

AI & ML 

AWS SageMaker, Rekognition 

Azure Cognitive Services 

Google AI, TensorFlow 

IoT 

AWS IoT Core 

Azure IoT Hub 

Google IoT Core 

Final Thoughts: Which Is The Best AWS or Azure or Google Cloud?

So, which cloud platform should you choose? It really depends on what you need. 

AWS: Great if you need a ton of services and top-notch availability. 

Azure: Perfect if your enterprise is well-versed with Microsoft products. Especially useful if you're into Microsoft Azure Blob Storage or need Azure Cloud Management Services. 

Google Cloud: Best for businesses that have a great focus on AI as well as big data and want to save money. 

All of them offer strong cloud solutions. Your choice must depend on the requirements and budget of your company. It must also rely on how well these platforms integrate with what you already have. 

In the end, it's all about what fits your business best. It may take time to figure out your needs, but you must look at what each platform offers and then make a smart choice. The right cloud partner can help your business reach new heights. 

Ready to take your business to the next level? Contact DynaTech today and let's make it happen!