Breaking Down AWS and Azure Pricing Structures

The cloud industry is progressing rapidly with the emergence of new technologies and practices. The domain is also very competitive, with new players entering the marketplace daily. Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure are the two frontrunners in the cloud market. Nevertheless, both have several differences. AWS and Azure Pricing possess several dissimilarities, from services to pricing models. Cloud facilities allow organizations to operate more efficiently with the ability to utilize data anywhere and anyhow, maintaining solid privacy. These are the reasons behind the strategic growth of cloud platforms.  

Individuals and companies repeatedly distinguish the price of the platforms they utilize. In this blog, we shall compare AWS and Azure pricing in detail to make it easier for readers and marketers to choose cloud services as per their budget and platform costs.   

Explained: AWS and Azure Pricing Structures

AWS and Azure follow a pay-as-you-go pricing model, but the former asks for payment on an hourly basis, whereas the latter seeks per-minute payments. Most AWS and Azure services are on-demand and follow the pay-as-you-go structure. However, there are also a few reserved facilities.  

Linux, Microsoft Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, etc., are the operating systems of both the cloud platforms. On each system, they charge differently. Below is a comprehensive AWS and Azure pricing comparison-  

On-Demand Services:  

Azure charges $0.1670/ per hour for on-demand services on Linux systems for general purposes, including 4 CPUs with 16 GB memory. On the other hand, AWS charges $0.1856/per hour for the same.   

On-demand services of Azure on Windows for general purposes, including 4 CPUs with 16 GB memory, cost $0.5970/per hour, but for the equivalent facilities, AWS has a price range of $0.8560/per hour.  

Azure’s memory-optimized on-demand services for Windows platforms cost an hourly $0.8500; conversely, Amazon Web Services has an hourly price of $0.9520 for the same.   

Reserved Services:  

AWS and Azure pricing models for reserved facilities are different from on-demand ones. Both platforms reserve services for either a year or three years.   

Azure asks for $0.0701/per hour for reserved services for three years on Linux systems. AWS’s three-year reserved service cost is $0.0705/hour.   

For Windows systems, three-year-reserve facilities cost an hourly $0.2507 on Microsoft Azure and $0.3253 on AWS.   

Storage Pricing models:  

AWS and Azure pricing structures differ in storage payments. The former asks $0.230 for the initial 50TB frequent access storage, whereas Azure has a cost of $0.208 for the same. After 50TB to 500TB, AWS seeks a payment of $0.220. Conversely, Azure’s storage cost is $0.200 to 500TB.   

Azure’s infrequent access and archive storage costs are $0.0125 and $0.0020, respectively. AWS charges $0.0125 and $0.0040 for similar storage options.   

Block Storage Costs:  

There are differences between AWS and Azure pricing in terms of block storage facilities. For a Hard drive disk (HDD), the former charges $0.045/per GB, whereas the latter costs $0.05.  

AWS asks $0.10/per GB for Solid state drives (SSD); conversely, Azure’s per GB cost for the same is $0.153.  

The evolution of cloud computing: 

Data analysis and management have been the motivation for cloud computing excellence. Nevertheless, its inception took place in the 1950s when the idea of distributed systems received prominence. Back then, a common geographical location was a necessity for all the distributed systems.   

In the 1980s, cluster computing emerged, connecting each cluster system with a shared high-bandwidth network. Gradually, grid computing and virtualization were introduced. Cloud model ultimately received service orientation supporting flexible and cost-effective tools.  

The next progression has been observed with utility computing that promoted the pay-per-use infrastructure. As per sources, 94% of global companies currently leverage cloud computing services for better data management and distribution.    

Summing Up on AWS and Azure Pricing!

Due to their pay-as-you-go pricing model, users can utilize the cloud-based services of AWS as well as Azure and pay as much as they have used. Understanding the pricing structures is essential to employ a tool effectively.  

Refer to the pricing guide above to comprehend AWS and Azure’s service-based costs. AWS and Azure pricing models differ based on the services and the duration of usage.  Gain knowledge on trending tools and software with our blogs. 

Also Read:

AWS and Azure Overview: A Comprehensive Comparison