AWS vs Microsoft Azure vs Google Cloud: Overviews and Differences

Cloud computing has transformed the way businesses operate by providing scalable, cost-effective solutions for storage, computing power, and data management.

However, choosing the best cloud service for your needs can be difficult. You can start with the top cloud service providers, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud. Each of these cloud services provides a diverse range of services to meet the requirements of various industries. From startups to multinational corporations, companies of all sizes rely on these platforms to run their operations, particularly in the digital sector.

So, which cloud computing solution should you use for your business? Let’s look at the overview and differences between AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Services.

Overview of Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform, & AWS

Amazon Web Services (AWS), an Amazon subsidiary, is a pioneer in cloud computing services, providing a wide range of solutions, including computing power, database storage, content delivery, and more. AWS is well-known for its dependability and scalability, and it holds a significant market share in the industry.

Microsoft Azure, Microsoft’s cloud computing platform, provides a comprehensive suite of services spanning computing, analytics, storage, and networking.

Its seamless integration with Microsoft’s enterprise applications makes it a preferred choice among businesses, contributing to its significant market growth and establishing it as a formidable competitor in the cloud services market.

Google Cloud Platform (GCP) provides a wide range of cloud computing services, including infrastructure as a service, platform as a service, and serverless computing.

GCP, known for its expertise in data analytics and machine learning, attracts businesses looking for cutting-edge technology solutions. While AWS and Azure dominate the market, GCP has been steadily gaining traction, particularly in industries that rely on data analytics and AI-driven innovations.

Because each of these three cloud computing services has its own key strength, there is an option to use the best features of each. Cloud bursting is one of the techniques that uses the best of both worlds.

Find out more in our previous post, “Cloud Bursting: What It Means and How It Works“.

Difference Between AWS, Microsoft Azure, and GCP

While AWS and Azure are known for their extensive service offerings and market share, GCP stands out for its specialisation in data analytics and machine learning capabilities. Each cloud provider has its own strengths and weaknesses, making it important for businesses to carefully consider their specific needs before choosing a platform.

Coursera’s blog outlines in detail the key differences among all those key services. Here are all of the differences you should be aware of when deciding between AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform.

Features	Amazon	Microsoft Azure	Google Cloud
Age	11 years old	5 years old	6 years old
Pricing	Per second pricing with a 60-second minimum	Per-minute basis	Per-minute basis
Compute	The entire computing administration is provided by EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud). The application manages virtual machines, which can have convenient pre-configured settings or be owner-designed.	You can build virtual machines and scale sets for virtual machines using Microsoft Azure.	As part of GCP (Google Cloud Platform), GCE (Google Compute Engine) does a similar function.
Storage	AWS provides apportioned, transient (brief) stockpiling. As soon as an instance begins, it is demolished at the end of the case.	Azure uses ID drives (transient capacity), and Page Blobs VM-based volumes are stored in Block Storage (Microsoft’s choice). Object Storage uses Square Blobs and Files.	Comparatively, Google’s Cloud Platform offers both brief stockpiling and constant circles. For Object stockpiling, GCP has Google Cloud Storage.

Which is better: AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud?

Each service provider has a different way of meeting the specific demands of each business. For example, the use of cloud services varies among software developers, financial institutions, and e-commerce companies.

So, to answer the questions, we can’t say that one service is better than another because each has unique strengths that can make it “better” for a specific use case.

It would be better for you to evaluate the requirements and objectives of your company before searching for the best cloud service provider. After that, figuring out how AWS, Azure, and GCP fit into the bigger cloud strategy goals of your business may help you choose the best cloud service provider out of the three.

Here are the key strengths of each platform to help you identify which cloud services will help you achieve your business goals:

• AWS excels in scalability and global infrastructure, making it ideal for businesses with fluctuating workloads and diverse geographic requirements.
• Azure seamlessly integrates with Microsoft products and offers strong hybrid cloud capabilities, making it a preferred choice for enterprises heavily reliant on Microsoft technologies.
• GCP stands out in advanced data analytics and machine learning, catering to businesses with a strong focus on AI and data-driven insights.

How to Choose the Right Cloud Platform for Your Business

Choosing the right cloud platform is a critical decision for businesses, and it requires careful consideration of various factors to ensure alignment with specific needs and objectives. Here are some tips and best practices to guide you in selecting between AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud:

1. Assess Business Needs: Start by understanding your organisation’s requirements, including workload types, scalability needs, compliance regulations, and budget constraints. Determine which cloud services and features are essential for supporting your business operations effectively.
2. Evaluate Service Offerings: Compare the services and solutions offered by each cloud platform, including compute, storage, networking, databases, analytics, AI/ML, and developer tools. Assess the depth and breadth of offerings to ensure they meet your current and future needs.
3. Consider Pricing Models: Understand the pricing models of each cloud platform, including on-demand pricing, reserved instances, and volume discounts. Evaluate the total cost of ownership (TCO) and compare pricing structures to determine which platform offers the best value for your budget.
4. Review Performance and Reliability: Examine the performance and reliability of each cloud platform, including uptime guarantees, latency, and data durability. Consider factors such as global presence, network infrastructure, and service-level agreements (SLAs) to ensure consistent and dependable performance.
5. Assess Security and Compliance: Prioritise security and compliance requirements when selecting a cloud platform. Evaluate the security features, encryption options, access controls, and compliance certifications offered by each provider to protect sensitive data and meet regulatory requirements.
6. Consider Integration and Interoperability: Assess the ease of integration with existing IT systems, applications, and third-party services. Choose a cloud platform that seamlessly integrates with your on-premises infrastructure and supports interoperability across hybrid and multi-cloud environments.
7. Evaluate Support and Documentation: Review the available support options, documentation, and training resources provided by each cloud platform. Consider factors such as customer support responsiveness, community forums, knowledge base, and professional service offerings to ensure access to timely assistance and troubleshooting.
8. Factor in Vendor Lock-In: Consider the potential implications of vendor lock-in when choosing a cloud platform. Evaluate the portability of applications and data between different cloud providers and assess strategies for mitigating vendor lock-in risks, such as using open-source technologies and adopting multi-cloud architectures.
9. Seek Recommendations and Case Studies: Gather insights from industry peers, consultants, and case studies to understand real-world experiences and best practices. Learn from organisations that have successfully implemented cloud solutions on AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud to inform your decision-making process.
10. Start with a Proof of Concept (POC): Consider conducting a proof of concept (POC) or pilot project to test the capabilities and suitability of each cloud platform for your specific use cases. Use the POC to validate performance, functionality, and ease of use before committing to a full-scale deployment.

Regardless of your choice, you must incorporate some level of automation to complete your cloud environment management process more quickly. One of the methods is called cloud orchestration, which is a technique for automatically provisioning, deploying, and managing cloud resources.

Learn more about it in our previous post, “Cloud Orchestration: Definition and Differentiation from Cloud Automation“.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the decision between AWS, Azure, and GCP is based on the particular needs of the company. AWS has the most scalability, Azure has the best integration, and GCP has the best cutting-edge technological solutions.

To make an informed choice, you should thoroughly evaluate your business needs and take into account the factors mentioned. Conducting thorough research and possibly utilising trial periods are key steps before committing to deciding the suitability of each platform.

Do you want to increase the effectiveness of the cloud environment management process?

Axle Networks IT Managed Services offers robust cloud management solutions tailored to your specific needs. With our team of experienced professionals, you can rest assured that your cloud-based resources and data will be protected from unauthorised access and potential security threat.