If you want to revolutionize your business AWS vs Azure will help you. To give an overview, let’s discuss the Synergy Research Group Report. According to the report, AWS is the global share leader in public cloud services at 33%. Then comes Azure at 13% and Google Cloud at 6%. AWS vs Azure offers the same basic storage, networking, flexible computing, and pricing capabilities. Both of them have the same elements of a common cloud.
Although a small glance will let you think that AWS has an edge over Azure, when you have a deep look, you’ll know that the decision isn’t easy. When choosing between the cloud computing platforms AWS vs Azure, you must compare many factors. Some factors include data transfer loss rate, cloud storage pricing, and rates of data availability.
When you are new to cloud providers, you will compare the Google cloud platforms, AWS vs Azure, with which you can quickly start learning cloud computing. This article will help you in making the decision.
Read also: Types of Cloud Computing: How to Select Best Cloud Computing Model
What Is Cloud Computing?
Cloud computing is simply defined as delivering computing services over the Internet. This includes storage, databases, servers, networking, and intelligence. In a cloud computing environment, resources are basically hosted by a third-party provider.
Cloud Computing Services
Some of the cloud computing services are as follows:
- IaaS: Infrastructure as a Service
- PaaS: Platform as a Service
- SaaS: Software as a Service
Cloud Computing Platforms
Some of the most popular cloud-computing platforms are:
- Microsoft Azure
- GCP, which stands for Google Cloud Platform
- IBM Cloud
- AWS, which stands for Amazon Web Services
- Oracle Cloud
- OpenStack
What Is AWS?
AWS stands for Amazon Web Services and started in 2006. It was created to manage Amazon’s online shopping activities. AWS is a cloud computing platform that Amazon operated. In comparison between AWS vs Azure, AWS uses a Pay-as-you-go pricing model for databases, development platforms, storage services, and mobile and enterprise applications.
AWS has made sales of about 3.1$ billion before the release of the google cloud platform. It is one of the most comprehensive and broadly adopted clouds that offers more than 200 featured services. With the help of AWS, you can quickly and securely host your applications.
What Is Azure?
Azure was first called Windows Azure. The platform was released in 2010 on the first of February. Later, in March 2014, it became known as Microsoft Azure. It helps users create, change, and manage applications easily.
With Azure training, users can also test and deploy these applications using data centres worldwide. Azure also offers a free trial for the first 12 months. It provides virtual machines that simplify data processing, analysis, and monitoring. And with “Pay as you go,” you only pay for what you use.
The Origin, AWS vs Azure
To completely understand AWS vs Azure, you must also understand the origin. Let me give you an overview of both:
Origin of AWS
When Amazon catered to third-party clients, they had to re-examine their development platforms. Initially, it was just a mess of jumbled IT infrastructure that was difficult to manage. It was not efficient at all. To improvise, the infrastructure was replaced with well-documented APIs.
In 2003, Amazon executives realized they had the skills to operate and execute effective data centres; the rest is history. Now in today’s digital world, AWS is one of the leading cloud solutions providers.
Origin of Azure
Now in comparison of AWS vs Azure, we will discuss the origin of Azure. The project was started in the early 2000 with the name Red Dog. The project was led by a well-known Microsoft engineer known as David Cutler.
The main goal was to create operating systems that could grow bigger, work well all the time, and do most things independently. Eventually, the name was switched to Microsoft Azure. This computer platform offers virtual machines, storage, databases, and more services.
Difference Between AWS vs Azure
In the battle between AWS vs Azure, we will now discuss the differences between the two:
| Features | Amazon Web Services | Microsoft Azure |
|---|---|---|
| Simplicity of Use | Feature-rich and simple to use, with | Organizes account details and allows to store them in one place |
| Documentation | Extensive documentation | Documentation is challenging to understand |
| Licensing and License Mobility | Flexible licenses with more features | Convenient for Windows administrators, more SaaS options |
| Open-source Development | Supports Linux and open-source apps | Recently becoming more open to open source developers |
| Government Cloud Products | In terms of government cloud products, AWS has an advantage | In terms of government cloud products, Azure has a confined scope |
| Market Share | 40% | 30% |
| Logging and Monitoring | AWS SageMaker uses CloudWatch for metrics | Azure ML Studio uses ML-Flow for data tracking |
| Pricing System | AWS has an adaptable pricing system | In comparison between AWS vs Azure, Azure pricing system is less adaptable |
| Type Of Cloud | Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) | Virtual Network |
| Big Data | Big data provides EBS storage that is incredibly fast. | Big data is a challenge for storage that demands premium storage |
| Price | AWS costs per hour rounded up | Azure costs on demand |
| Availability SLA | 99.9% | 99.9% |
| Databases Services | MySQLDynamoDB Oracle | MS SQLSQL Sync |
| Object Size Limits | 5 TB | 4.75 TB |
| Storage Services | Simple Storage Service (S3)Elastic File System (EFS)Elastic Block Storage (EBS)Amazon S3 GlacierAmazon FSx for Windows File ServerAmazon FSx for Lustre Amazon FSx for Windows File Server | Azure BlobsAzure managed DisksAzure QueuesAzure Elastic SANAzure FilesAzure Tables |
Computation Power
Now to discuss the computation power between the two AWS vs Azure. Computers are electronic machines allowing users to calculate and analyze their tasks efficiently. But, with the help of ideal service providers, you can expand from hundreds to thousands of processing nodes.
Nowadays, every company focuses on ways to achieve rapid graphics processing or data analysis. This is where cloud computing platforms come in handy. The other option the companies have is to buy additional hardware.
When we compare the Computation Power of AWS vs Azure, the AWS principal computing solution is EC2 instances. This can also be tailored according to various applications, and it offers flexible computing if requested.
Storage Capabilities
Now the next point of discussion is storage capabilities between AWS vs Azure. When you use services on the internet (cloud), you often need to save the data you work with. AWS has been providing storage services for a long time, and Azure’s storage abilities are also very reliable.
Both AWS vs Azure are excellent at storing data. They provide all the essential features like accessing data through a unique way called REST API. Ensuring the data is encrypted for security is also done. Azure’s storage system is known as Blob storage, while AWS’s is called Simple Storage Service (S3).
Databases
The next point is about the databases that both of the platforms use. Both platforms, AWS vs Azure, provide database services. Whether you need relational databases or NoSQL offerings, these services are provided by both.
Amazon Relational Database Service and Microsoft SQL Server databases are reliable and durable. The cloud computing platform also offers an automatic replication service.
Relational databases and NoSQL are the ones that work perfectly with AWS. If you want to handle big data, this is a good option.
With the help of core analytics offering EMR, it’s easy to set up an EC2 cluster and integration of various services as well. Talking about Azure also supports NoSQL, relational databases, and Big Data. The analytical products of Azure are provided through Cortana Intelligence Suite.
Machine Learning Model
AWS vs Azure are both cloud computing platforms that make machine learning model development faster. If users want to build, train or deploy a machine learning model more quickly, then both platforms provide the best services possible. But there are differences between the two.
Amazon AWS’s SageMaker relies heavily on writing code to create machine learning models. In contrast, Microsoft Azure’s machine learning studio has a user-friendly drag-and-drop interface, allowing users to design the model-building process visually on a canvas.
This means that with Azure, you don’t need to dive deep into complex Python coding or deal with other open-source libraries for data engineering.
Job Opportunities
When you search on LinkedIn, you will know that AWS jobs are more than those for Azure. According to these statistics, you might think that in the comparison of AWS vs Azure, AWS is better. But depend on more than these numbers as there is a difference in the launch date of both cloud computing platforms.
AWS was launched in November of the year 2004, whereas Azure was first introduced in the year 2008 of October. So this means that it is highly likely that more companies have been using AWS.
Advantages and Disadvantages
Let’s discuss the advantages and disadvantages of AWS vs Azure. First, I’ll explain the points of AWS.
| Advantages Of AWS | Disadvantages Of AWS |
|---|---|
| Allows users to increase or decrease storage depending on their needs | The elastic load balancer of AWS cant handle many requests |
| With AWS you are allowed to choose the operating system, database or programming language of your choice. | The hybrid cloud strategy of AWS is weak and incompatible |
| During the process of server and storage transfer minimum information is lost | Less open private cloud which makes it unpopular for sensitive industries like banking |
| Offers broad and deep services | Lacks customer support |
| Has a simpler licensing method | Although it provides many products, but the selection process becomes harder |
Next Azure points are explained in the given table:
| Advantages Of Azure | Disadvantages Of Azure |
|---|---|
| Users can create, deploy and maintain applications as well. | In Azure, data is hosted globally, and customer service is also not transparent. |
| Azure is a fully scalable computing platform | Extra charges are required for paying as you go |
| In most cases provides easy one click migrations | Many glitches are present in Azure cloud based services |
| Also provides support for Linux, Windows environments | Less flexibility as compared to AWS |
| Provides title support for Microsoft legacy apps | Not a platform for beginners |
Which One Is Better?
There needs to be a clear winner in a straightforward comparison between AWS and Azure. Both cloud service providers offer attractive features, and organizations can benefit from a multi-cloud strategy by choosing the best from each.
As we have discussed, the market share for AWS is about 40%, whereas the market share for Azure is about 30%. For high availability and resilience, multiple-data centre hosting is recommended. Azure is better for companies needing Windows integration but it can be expensive. On the other hand, AWS is a good choice for companies seeking IaaS and a wide range of tools.
It’s essential to research and consider specific organizational needs before deciding. AWS is much larger than Azure, with server capacity about 6 times greater than its 12 biggest competitors combined.
Ultimately, users are the ones who benefit the most from the competition between AWS and Azure, as both providers strive to expand offerings at a competitive cost.
Key Points
Most of the similarities and differences in the above discussion between AWS and Azure have been explained. Till now, you might have got an idea about the platforms. Now let me give the key points of the two platforms.
- AWS uses Elastic Cloud Computing (EC2) with customizable virtual machines (VMs) and dynamic resource provisioning. While Azure utilizes Virtual Scale Sets and VMs for scalability and load balancing.
- AWS offers services like S3, EBS, and Glacier, while Azure offers Blob Storage and Disk Storage.
- AWS S3 is scalable and secure for structured and unstructured data, while Azure provides data storage in various services like Azure Blogs, Queues, Disks, Tables, and Files.
- In the two platforms, AWS vs Azure, AWS uses Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) with API gateways. On the other hand, Azure uses Virtual Network with a Virtual Private Network (VPN) gateway for cross-network communication.
- AWS dominates the open-source cloud hosting space, as Azure still embraces the open-source community.
Certifications
Thinking of creating a strong resume? If you want to add AWS vs Azure certification to your cv, here is a list of a few certifications you might consider.
AWS Certifications
- AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner
- AWS Certified Developer- Associate
- AWS Certified Advanced Networking- Specialty
- AWS Certified Security- Specialty
- AWS Certified Database- Specialty
- AWS Certified DevOps Engineer- Professional
- AWS Certified Machine Learning- Specialty
- AWS Certified SysOps Administrator- Associate
- AWS Certified Solutions Architect- Associate
- AWS Certified Solutions Architect- Professional
- AWS Certified Data Analytics- Specialty
Azure Certifications
- Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals
- Microsoft 365 Certified: Enterprise Administrator
- Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Engineer Associate
- Microsoft Certified: Azure Developer Associate
- Microsoft 365 Certified Fundamentals
- Microsoft 365 Certified: Modern Desktop Administrator
- Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate
- Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert
- Microsoft Certified: Azure DevOps Engineer Expert
- Microsoft Certified: Microsoft Azure IoT Developer Specialty
- Microsoft 365 Certified: Messaging Administrator Associate
- Microsoft 365 Certified: Teamwork Administrator Associate
- Microsoft Certified: Azure Data Scientist Associate
- Microsoft Certified: Azure Security Engineer Associate
- Microsoft Certified: Dynamics 365 for Sales Functional Consultant Associate
- Microsoft 365 Certified: Security Administrator Associate
Conclusion
In conclusion, both AWS vs Azure offer powerful cloud computing platforms for businesses to revolutionize their operations. While AWS holds a higher market share, Azure provides user-friendly features and support for Microsoft technologies. Choosing between AWS and Azure depends on specific organizational needs.
Both platforms continue to evolve and expand their services, benefiting users with competitive solutions. To excel in cloud computing, consider pursuing relevant certifications from AWS or Azure. Embrace the potential of cloud computing to drive your business forward and stay ahead in the ever-changing technological landscape. However, which one to choose depends on the needs of the organization. So consider every point before selecting any one between the two. Happy cloud computing!
