The Ultimate Guide to AWS vs Azure: Key Differences Between the Two

Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure are two cloud computing giants in the contemporary market setup. Though AWS has a market share of 32% and Azure stands with a 22% share, users often compare AWS vs Azure based on their features, services, and pricing.   

The cloud storage market is rapidly evolving with the growing commercial data storage requirement. In 2024, the estimated cloud industry size is a whopping $0.68 trillion. By 2029, it is expected to grow with a CAGR of 16.40% to $1.44 trillion.   

AWS and Azure are among the key players responsible for such a significant market progression. This blog will distinguish between cloud computing frontrunners, AWS vs Azure.   

What is AWS?  

Launched in 2006, AWS is a segmented part of the American tech company Amazon. It is a pioneer in the cloud computing industry, with the highest market share of 32%. It is also an application programming interface that offers farcicalities to smaller and larger groups of people, as well as government and non-government organizations.   

Amazon Web Services include more than 200 products, including storage, computing, analytics, machine learning, networking, application services, database, management, and others.   

What is Azure?  

Tech giant Microsoft introduced its cloud storage services under the name Azure in 2010. It was primarily known as Windows Azure but later embraced a new identity. Both start-ups and global firms are leveraging its cloud facilities as a public cloud platform.   

Azure provides more than 600 services to its users efficiently while utilizing virtualization with Microsoft data centers. Analytics, computing, containers, databases, developer tools, DevOps, etc., are a few of its services.   

Explained: AWS vs Azure  

Computing power: AWS and Azure both rely on High-Performance Computing (HPC) to offer flawless cloud storage facilities while supporting complex, large, and deep learning tasks. However, the former mainly uses Elastic Compute Cloud or EC2 to prioritize user requirements.  

On the other hand, while leveraging Azure facilities, users are provided with virtual hard discs (VHDs) for computing purposes.   

Services: There are hundreds of AWS vs Azure services, but they possess significant differences. AWS provides data warehouse facilities with Redshift and Lake Formation. However, Azure’s data warehouse facilities include Synapse Analytics and Data Share.   

For analytics and visualization, AWS mainly has Kinesis Analytics. Conversely, Azure relies on Stream Analytics and Azure Data Explorer.   

Storage: Azure and AWS provide superior storage capacities alongside top-notch cloud services. S3, Glacier, and EBS are AWS’s cloud storage services. On the other hand, Azure has Blob Storage, Standard Archive, and Disk Storage.  

Usability: AWS is comparatively easier to use than Azure. The former offers standard documentation options alongside an intuitive dashboard, unlike Azure’s search-friendly but less user-centric dashboard.   

Privacy and security measures: Privacy and security are essential in cloud computing and are a significant part of AWS vs Azure. AWS undertakes multiple tactics by default to ensure maximum user privacy. Azure, conversely, uses the AI-enabled tool Cloud Defender for privacy purposes.   

Networking: Azure utilizes VPN Gateways for networking purposes, which connects with the users’ location-based networks. On the other hand, AWS offers Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) that works as a virtual network for users.   

Market growth: Being the flag bearer of the cloud storage market, AWS earned $23.1 billion in 2023 Q3, marking a yearly growth rate of 12%. On the other hand, Azure surpassed AWS and generated $24.3 in Q3 of 2023.   

Pricing: Both AWS vs Azure follow a pay-as-you-go pricing structure. However, the former asks for payment on an hourly basis. Conversely, Azure follows a per-minute billing structure.   

AWS vs Azure Which is Better?  

Both AWS and Microsoft Azure have specific advantages and disadvantages. Along with different storage systems, their usability and services are also distinguished. AWS vs Azure market shares are also different. Therefore, debating which is better can only help after leveraging both cloud computing platforms. Scroll around our blog section to learn about the latest tech tools and applications. 

Also Read:

AWS and Azure Overview: A Comprehensive Comparison

Breaking Down AWS and Azure Pricing Structures