Amazon Web Services (AWS) vs Microsoft Azure Comparison
Compare Amazon Web Services (AWS) vs Microsoft Azure features, pricing, and more.
Last updated: November 2026
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
7.6/10
Amazon's public cloud platform, with over 200 pay-as-you-go services for compute, storage, databases, networking and AI, used by startups through large enterprises and governments.
Microsoft Azure
6.9/10
Microsoft's public cloud platform offering virtual machines, containers, serverless, databases, storage and AI services on pay-as-you-go pricing for businesses of all sizes.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | | |
|---|---|---|
| Scores | ||
| Overall Rating | 7.6/10 | 6.9/10 |
| Integration | 10/10 | 9/10 |
| Analytics | 8/10 | 8/10 |
| Customization | 10/10 | 9/10 |
| Ease of Use | 4/10 | 4/10 |
| Support | 6/10 | 5/10 |
| Cost | 5/10 | 4/10 |
| Scalability | 10/10 | 9/10 |
| Security | 9/10 | 9/10 |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Cheapest paid plan | Contact for pricing | Contact for pricing |
| Estimated cost for 10 users | Free Free plan | Free Azure free account |
| Features | ||
| API and CLI | Not listed | |
| Managed Databases | ||
| Multiple Regions | ||
| Object Storage | ||
| Uptime SLA | Not listed | |
| Serverless Functions | ||
| Managed Kubernetes | ||
| VPS Hosting | ||
| Cloud Compute | ||
| Content Delivery Network | ||
| Shared Hosting | Not listed | |
| Free SSL Certificates | Not listed | |
Amazon Web Services (AWS) vs Microsoft Azure cost by team size
Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure cost the same at every team size we checked.
| Team size | Amazon Web Services (AWS) | Microsoft Azure |
|---|---|---|
| 1 user | FreeFree plan | FreeAzure free account |
| 5 users | FreeFree plan | FreeAzure free account |
| 10 users | FreeFree plan | FreeAzure free account |
| 25 users | FreeFree plan | FreeAzure free account |
| 50 users | FreeFree plan | FreeAzure free account |
The plan that fits each team size, billed monthly, before add-ons and usage charges. Each cost opens that tool's pricing calculator for the team size.
Which One Should You Choose?
Why choose Amazon Web Services (AWS)
- Higher Integration score (10/10 vs 9/10)
- Higher Customization score (10/10 vs 9/10)
- Better fit for developers (9/10 vs 7/10)
- Better fit for startups (8/10 vs 6/10)
Why choose Microsoft Azure
Our data shows no clear advantage over Amazon Web Services (AWS).
Pros & Cons
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Pros
- The service catalogue is unusually broad, with over 200 services across 38 regions, so most infrastructure needs can be met on one platform.
- EC2 has a 99.99% region-level SLA with credits of up to 100%, and instances unavailable for more than six minutes in an hour are not billed for that hour.
- The free plan gives up to $200 in credits, and more than 30 always-free services let new teams experiment at low cost.
- Support scales from a $29 minimum up to dedicated Enterprise and Unified Operations tiers for mission-critical workloads.
- G2 rates it 4.4 across more than 17,000 reviews, and reviewers praise its scalability and global reach.
Cons
- Reviewers widely cite a steep learning curve across the console and services.
- Usage pricing is complex and can produce unexpected bills unless spend is monitored closely.
- Paid support is billed as a percentage of total AWS spend, so support costs rise with usage.
- A July 2025 billing console bug showed customers estimated charges in the billions, which hurt trust in its cost tooling.
Microsoft Azure
Pros
- Free account includes a 200 USD credit plus always-free allowances such as 1 million Functions requests and Azure DevOps for 5 users.
- Close integration with Microsoft products such as Entra ID and Power BI is repeatedly praised by reviewers.
- Very broad catalogue covering compute, Kubernetes, serverless, databases, storage and AI services.
- Global footprint of over 400 datacenters across 70 regions as of fiscal 2025.
- Reviewers credit built-in identity management and security.
Cons
- Reviewers on Capterra and TrustRadius say monthly bills are hard to understand and predict.
- Steep learning curve, with many services carrying similar names.
- Some PeerSpot reviewers report support tickets taking weeks or months to resolve.
- Paid support is extra, from 29 to 1,000 USD per month beyond the free Basic plan.
- Integration with non-Microsoft platforms and documentation for new releases draw criticism.
Not sold on either?
Frequently Asked Questions
Amazon Web Services (AWS) scores higher on our AI Software criteria: 7.6/10 against 6.9/10 for Microsoft Azure. The largest gap is in Cost: 5/10 for Amazon Web Services (AWS) and 4/10 for Microsoft Azure.
Both are free for 10 users.
Yes, both Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure have a free plan.
Amazon Web Services (AWS) is the better fit for developers: we rate it 9/10 for them, against 7/10 for Microsoft Azure.
