The comparison between US Big Guys ( AWS vs. Azure vs. Google)

Cloud computing has become an increasingly popular choice for businesses looking to streamline their operations, reduce costs, and foster innovation. According to research by MarketsandMarkets, the cloud technology services industry is set to be worth $832.1 billion in 2025, underscoring the growing significance of cloud services in the business world.

With a range of cloud platforms available, choosing the right one can be a challenge. However, the big players in the market are Amazon Web Services (AWS), Azure, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP), each trying for dominance in the highly competitive cloud services market.

So, what sets each of these platforms apart, and how do you decide which one is best suited for your business needs? To make an informed decision, it's important to compare AWS vs. Azure vs. Google Cloud. In this article, we'll take a closer look at these top three cloud services so you can determine which one comes out on top for your objectives.

Cloud computing enables businesses to access on-demand computing services such as app storage, processing power, and software applications via the internet. These resources are available on a pay-per-use basis, allowing businesses to rent access to cloud-based services from a third-party provider without having to invest in costly computing equipment upfront.

In traditional computing, businesses would have to purchase and maintain their own hardware, software, and infrastructure to run their applications and services. However, with cloud computing, they can simply rent access to the services they need, paying only for what they actually use. This "pay-as-you-go" model can result in significant cost savings for businesses, as they no longer need to invest large sums of money upfront.

Moreover, cloud service providers benefit from economies of scale as they offer comparable services to multiple clients. This means they can spread their costs across many customers, making it more affordable for businesses to access high-quality computing services. Additionally, cloud providers have access to the latest technologies and equipment, which they can use to offer cutting-edge services to their clients.

The advantages of moving to the cloud include:

• Cost-cutting
• Flexibility
• Rapid innovation
• Loss avoidance
• Agility
• Quality control
• Improved security
• Competitive advantage
• Sustainability
• Increased efficiency

Amazon Web Services

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is the leading cloud computing platform owned and operated by Amazon.com, Inc. It is the most established cloud management platform, offering a wide range of services to individuals, small businesses, and even government agencies.

Initially, AWS began as a private cloud service exclusively for Amazon employees. Over time, it evolved into a publicly accessible cloud platform for businesses, providing advanced features such as elastic computing cloud (EC2) and Amazon S3 cloud storage. Today, AWS boasts over 200 fully functional services, catering to a wide range of needs and serving millions of users.

AWS's reputation for reliability, scalability, and security has made it the go-to choice for many businesses looking to migrate to the cloud. With a proven track record of success and a vast array of services to choose from, AWS remains the leading cloud platform in the market.

• Affordable, scalable, and reliable infrastructure platform
• Provides secure and flexible cloud computing environment
• Offers over 200 fully-featured services
• Has 80+ availability zones in 24 regions
• Holds the largest market share in the cloud computing industry

Notable AWS Customers

• Coursera
• Intuit
• Netflix
• Expedia
• Coinbase
• Coca-Cola

Microsoft Azure

Azure, developed by Microsoft in 2010, has become the second-largest cloud management platform in the world. With more than 200 products and services, it has grown into a versatile cloud-based platform, expanding rapidly in recent years.

With a focus on Microsoft-centric businesses, Azure offers a variety of services tailored to the needs of enterprises looking to transition to a cloud or hybrid-cloud environment. As evidenced by its usage by over 95% of Fortune 500 companies, Azure has proven to be a trusted platform for enterprise users.

Moreover, Azure is not limited to Windows-based services, as it supports a variety of open-source programming, platforms, and technologies. This makes it possible for anyone to develop and maintain any program they desire.

• Offers 200+ cloud services and products
• Used by 95% of Fortune 500 companies
• Provides 90+ compliance offerings
• Has data centers in 60+ global regions
• Offers flexible payment models to its users

Notable Azure Customers

• Starbucks
• HSBC
• HP
• Mitsubishi Electric
• Renault
• 3M

Google Cloud Platform

Google Cloud, previously known as GCP, is a part of the larger Google Cloud ecosystem. It was introduced in 2008 and has since expanded to comprise more than 100 services, including big data, networking, computing, and various other offerings.

In addition to its existing services, GCP has now integrated Google Workspace, corporate Android, Chrome OS, and other similar services.

Compared to AWS and Azure, GCP has the lowest market share of the Big 3 cloud service providers. Nevertheless, it offers a comprehensive suite of cloud services capable of running and supporting any type of application.

• Offers highly specialized services in machine learning, big data, and analytics
• Provides an open-source- and DevOps-centric platform
• Offers auto-scaling options for better scalability
• Has 100+ products available for its users

Notable GCP Customers

• Toyota
• Twitter
• Nintendo
• Spotify
• Paypal
• UPS
• Equifax

While the three big cloud providers undoubtedly possess the expertise and ability to provide trustworthy and feature-packed cloud infrastructure, it is critical to conduct thorough research and analyze each platform's capabilities and idiosyncrasies before committing to a specific one for business purposes.

Although a quick examination of comprehensive cloud platform comparisons may suggest that AWS holds an unbeatable edge over Azure, a more in-depth investigation reveals that the decision is not so straightforward.

Let’s examine some of the most significant factors to consider when selecting the ideal cloud platform for your enterprise.

Regions and availability

When selecting a cloud provider, the initial consideration should be its supported regions and availability. These factors directly impact the performance of your cloud, mainly due to latency and compliance requirements, particularly when handling data.

Here is where the Big 3 currently stand:

Amazon Web Services operates in 25 geographic regions with 81 availability zones, 218+ edge locations, and 12 Regional Edge Caches.

Microsoft Azure covers more than 60 regions, with at least three availability zones in each region and over 116 edge locations (Points of Presence).

Google Cloud offers 27 cloud regions with 82 zones and 146 edge locations. All of these platforms provide dedicated cloud solutions for the government (Government Cloud).

Furthermore, both AWS and Azure offer specialized services catering to the Chinese market, with data centers located in China.

Azure boasts the broadest geographic coverage among the three, while all platforms cover the majority of the globe. Moreover, all providers continuously expand their coverage by adding more regions and zones to meet the increasing demand for computing services.

Services offered

The key distinction between the three companies being considered lies in the number of services they provide. Cloud platforms cater to a wide range of businesses due to the variety of services available.

Amazon Web Services provides the most services to its customers, with around 200 services offered. Google Cloud and Microsoft Azure offer approximately 90 and 200 services, respectively.

AWS being the first in the market offers a vast range of infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) options such as storage, computing, database, content delivery, and networking.

Azure offers services in computation, data management, networking, and reliability.

Google Cloud is also a viable option due to its flexibility in instance and payment configuration, cost-effectiveness, traffic security, privacy, and machine learning capabilities.

• Compute Services

• Storage and Database Services

• Networking Services

• Specialized Services

When it comes to choosing a cloud provider, it's important to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of each platform. While Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP) share many similar features, each platform has its unique strengths and weaknesses.

Here are some of the advantages and disadvantages of AWS, Azure, and GCP:

Pros and Cons of AWS:

Pros of AWS:

• Widely recognized as the most trusted cloud platform in the industry
• Highly scalable for extra data storage and processing power
• Fast and agile solution for speedy deployment
• Offers a flexible pay-as-you-go pricing model
• Generally considered easier to use than Azure or Google Cloud Platform

Cons of AWS:

• Temporary cloud computing glitches can occur from time to time
• Some services are not available outside of the USA
• Requires expert assistance to fully utilize its features and capabilities
• Server downtime can happen, although it can usually be fixed quickly
• Can have a complex infrastructure that requires a learning curve to fully understand

Pros and Cons of Azure

Pros of Azure

• Lower cost compared to AWS or GCP
• Easy integration and migration options
• Highly scalable like AWS
• Multi-level data protection
• Quick support for hybrid cloud strategies
• Cons of Azure

Cons of Azure

• Fewer service options compared to AWS
• Requires expert management and maintenance
• Follows a single vendor strategy
• Lower speed if the region is far away
• Less suitable for startups compared to other cloud providers

Pros and Cons of Google Cloud (GCP)

Pros of Google Cloud

• Robust data analytics and high storage capabilities
• Designed for cloud-native platforms
• Easy collaboration with other Google services and products
• Excellent open source integration
• Reliable and secure platform

Cons of Google Cloud

• Limited programming language support compared to AWS and Azure
• Fewer services and features compared to AWS and Azure
• Complex transition from GCP to other platforms
• Fewer global data centers compared to AWS and Azure
• Not as suitable for enterprise use cases as AWS and Azure

Here are the tools and resources provided by AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud for enterprise cloud servers:

AWS Tools:

• SageMaker for AI and IoT integration
• Lambda serverless computing environment
• Serverless repository for app deployment
• IoT enterprise solutions integration

Azure Tools:

• Cognitive Services for API-based integration of Microsoft software and business applications
• Artificial Intelligence Enhancement
• Functions, the only serverless solution, for orchestrating and managing complicated workloads
• IoT Edge for administration and business analytics

Google Tools:

• Natural language translation and voice for global collaboration and machine learning app development
• TensorFlow, a large open-source library
• Internet of Things and serverless systems in early stages of development.

It is true that pricing can be a significant incentive for companies considering a cloud migration. Each cloud provider has its own pricing model and structure. AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud all offer various pricing options, including pay-as-you-go, reserved instances, and spot instances.

To provide a clear comparison of the pricing structures of the three major cloud providers, we have summarized their free-tier features.

AWS offers a free tier that includes 750 hours per month of EC2 services for 12 months, along with up to a 75% discount for a 1-3 year commitment. However, Amazon's pricing structure has been criticized for being so complex that it may require a third-party app to manage it.

Azure also offers a free tier that includes 750 hours per month of Virtual Machines usage for 12 months, along with a significant discount for a 1-3 year commitment. Like AWS, Azure's pricing structure is also considered complex and may require a third-party app to manage costs.

Google Cloud Platform has implemented a relatively straightforward cost/second pricing model, which has been well-received by customers. Google's free tier includes one free micro-instance per month for the first year, along with a $300 credit for a year of service and a 30% discount for sustained use.

Overall, while AWS and Azure's pricing structures may be more complex, they both offer significant discounts for longer commitments. Google's pricing model, while simpler, may be more expensive for short-term usage but could be a better option for sustained use. Ultimately, it is important to carefully consider your specific needs and usage patterns when evaluating pricing options.

To get a better idea of how much you need to spend on cloud computing, you can also try pricing calculators offered by AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud:

• AWS Pricing Calculator
• Azure Pricing Calculator
• Google Cloud Pricing Calculator

While none of the three big cloud providers are currently heavily invested in hybrid and multi-cloud offerings, they do offer a range of tools to provide customers with more flexibility.

Hybrid and multi-cloud strategies involve using a combination of cloud services and on-premises infrastructure to meet a company's specific needs. While some businesses opt for a pure cloud or pure on-premises approach, many find that a hybrid or multi-cloud approach provides the best of both worlds.

AWS Hybrid and Multi-Cloud Options:

• Amazon EKS Anywhere
• AWS Snowball
• AWS Outposts
• AWS Snowcone
• AWS Local Zones
• AWS Wavelength
• VMware Cloud on AWS
• Amazon ECS Anywhere

Azure Hybrid and Multi-Cloud Options:

• Azure Backup
• Azure Security Center
• Azure Arc
• Azure Stack
• Azure Active Directory
• Azure Blob Storage
• Azure Centinel

Google Cloud Hybrid and Multi-Cloud Options:

• Looker
• Anthos
• Cloud Build
• Traffic Director
• Cloud Run for Anthos
• Operations

Cloud service platforms that store vast amounts of business and customer data, cloud infrastructure, and network capabilities require strong security measures to ensure the protection of sensitive information. As a result, the three most popular cloud-based platforms - AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud Platform - regularly release statements about their security and compliance protocols for data centers and cloud network security.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is the oldest and most experienced cloud service provider. It offers security measures such as security groups (firewalls), granular IAM, vulnerability assessment through AWS Inspector, API activity monitoring, threat intelligence via Guard Duty, and data loss prevention. However, some of these features were implemented separately before cloud integration platforms were a priority for the company.

Azure's strengths lie in its central security system, which can be controlled from a single directory. It has less isolation and controls for console and API activity for the entire organization, which can increase internal threats. Azure's documentation of compliance is inconsistent, and it tends to default to less-secure configurations.

Google Cloud Platform (GCP) is seen by experts as a good security midpoint between AWS and Azure. It maintains centralized security access while isolating projects and defaulting to more secure configurations. Although it lacks the breadth of security features and experts that AWS has, its Cloud Security Command Center is robust.

Overall, the security and compliance protocols of these cloud providers are essential for ensuring the protection of sensitive business and customer data, cloud infrastructure, and network capabilities.

Even with careful planning, there is always the potential for roadblocks during a cloud migration. Fortunately, all three major cloud providers offer robust support plans to help customers navigate any challenges they may encounter.

AWS offers support in three tiers: Developer, Business, and Enterprise. Each tier includes a mix of tools, cloud technology, and expert assistance. While the Developer tier is only available during business hours, both Business and Enterprise support is available 24/7. Enterprise support also provides a dedicated Technical Cloud Account Manager to help coordinate efforts.

Microsoft Azure also offers support in a tiered access model. The Developer plan provides unlimited support during business hours, while the Standard plan offers 24/7 access. For more structured support, the Professional Direct plan offers an account management team, while Enterprise support provides support across the entire range of Microsoft cloud services and products.

Google Cloud Platform offers a unique approach to support, with a premium cloud support program that can function as either a portfolio or a stand-alone program. With the portfolio option, customers receive support for both GCP and Google Workspace, while stand-alone support is available for either product.

In addition to support, uptime is another critical factor to consider when choosing a cloud provider. All three providers offer service level agreements (SLAs) that guarantee a certain level of uptime. AWS and Azure both offer SLAs with 99.9% uptime guarantees for most services, while Google Cloud offers a 99.99% uptime guarantee for its core services.

Ultimately, when it comes to support and uptime, all three major cloud providers offer robust solutions, but it is important to carefully consider your specific needs and requirements when selecting a provider.

There are several cloud migration service providers in the market, but one of the most trusted names in the industry is Hi Cloud. Hi Cloud offers end-to-end cloud migration services, from planning and assessment to execution and post-migration support. Their team of experts leverages industry-leading tools and technologies to help businesses migrate to the cloud with minimal downtime and disruption.

In addition to cloud migration, Hi Cloud also offers a range of cloud computing solutions to help businesses optimize their cloud environment. Their solutions include cloud security, cloud storage, cloud backup and disaster recovery, and cloud monitoring and management. These solutions help businesses improve the performance, reliability, and security of their cloud infrastructure, enabling them to focus on their core business objectives.

Overall, cloud computing and cloud migration services and solutions are essential for businesses looking to stay competitive in today's digital age. With a trusted partner like Hi Cloud, businesses can successfully migrate to the cloud and maximize the benefits of cloud computing.

Talk with our cloud expert to get started with the right cloud solution for your business.