AWS vs Microsoft Azure: Which Cloud Platform Is Right for Your Business?
AWS and Microsoft Azure are the two largest public cloud platforms, together commanding the majority of global cloud market share. AWS pioneered the public cloud and offers the broadest service portfolio with over 200 fully featured services. Azure is deeply integrated with the Microsoft ecosystem, making it the natural choice for organizations running Microsoft 365, Active Directory, and Windows Server workloads. Choosing between them depends on your existing technology stack, hybrid cloud requirements, and long-term infrastructure strategy.
Feature Comparison
How AWS and Microsoft Azure stack up across key capabilities.
Service Portfolio
AWS leads
AWS Over 200 fully featured services spanning compute, storage, databases, networking, analytics, IoT, and more. The broadest and deepest service catalog of any cloud provider.
Microsoft Azure Comprehensive service portfolio that covers most enterprise workloads. Strong in compute, storage, and databases, with particular depth in services that integrate with Microsoft products.
Hybrid Cloud
Microsoft Azure leads AWS AWS Outposts brings AWS infrastructure on-premises. Solid hybrid capabilities, but hybrid cloud is not the primary focus of the platform.
Microsoft Azure Industry-leading hybrid cloud with Azure Arc for managing resources across on-premises, multi-cloud, and edge environments. Azure Stack provides a true extension of Azure into your data center.
Identity & Directory
Microsoft Azure leads AWS AWS IAM provides robust identity management within the AWS ecosystem. Works well with third-party identity providers, but has no native enterprise directory service comparable to Active Directory.
Microsoft Azure Native integration with Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD), the most widely deployed enterprise identity platform. Seamless single sign-on across Azure, Microsoft 365, and thousands of SaaS applications.
Enterprise Integration
Microsoft Azure leads AWS Strong partner ecosystem and broad third-party integration support. Works well in heterogeneous environments but does not have a bundled productivity suite to offer licensing advantages.
Microsoft Azure Deep integration with Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365, Power Platform, and Windows Server. Enterprise Agreement bundling lets organizations consolidate cloud spend with existing Microsoft licensing for significant cost savings.
Global Infrastructure
Even match AWS The largest global cloud infrastructure with 30+ geographic regions and 100+ availability zones. First-mover advantage means broader coverage in more locations worldwide.
Microsoft Azure 60+ announced regions, making it the cloud provider with the most regions globally. Strong presence in government and regulated markets with dedicated sovereign cloud offerings.
AI & Machine Learning
Even match AWS SageMaker provides a complete ML platform for building, training, and deploying models. Bedrock offers access to leading foundation models. Broad selection of AI services across vision, language, and speech.
Microsoft Azure Azure OpenAI Service provides exclusive enterprise access to GPT-4 and other OpenAI models. Azure Machine Learning, Cognitive Services, and deep integration with GitHub Copilot create a strong AI development ecosystem.
Cost Management
Even match AWS Flexible pricing with On-Demand, Reserved Instances, Savings Plans, and Spot Instances. AWS Cost Explorer and Trusted Advisor help optimize spending. Pricing can be complex across 200+ services.
Microsoft Azure Similar pricing models with Pay-As-You-Go, Reserved Instances, and Spot VMs. Azure Cost Management tools are built in. Enterprise Agreement customers can realize significant savings by committing Microsoft-wide spend.
Pros & Cons
AWS
Strengths
- Broadest service portfolio with over 200 cloud services
- Most mature cloud ecosystem with the largest partner network
- Largest global infrastructure footprint with proven reliability
- Best flexibility for multi-cloud and vendor-neutral strategies
- Deepest selection of compute instance types and configurations
Limitations
- No native enterprise directory service for Microsoft-centric shops
- Hybrid cloud capabilities trail Azure Arc and Azure Stack
- Pricing complexity increases as you use more services
- No bundled licensing advantage with productivity suites
Best For
Organizations that need the widest selection of cloud services, are running multi-cloud or cloud-native architectures, or want to avoid vendor lock-in with any single ecosystem. AWS is particularly strong for startups, SaaS companies, and enterprises that prioritize flexibility and breadth of innovation.
Microsoft Azure
Strengths
- Seamless integration with Microsoft 365 and Active Directory
- Industry-leading hybrid cloud with Azure Arc and Azure Stack
- Enterprise Agreement bundling can significantly reduce total cost
- Exclusive enterprise access to OpenAI models through Azure OpenAI Service
- Strong compliance and sovereign cloud offerings for regulated industries
Limitations
- Service portfolio is narrower than AWS in niche and emerging categories
- Less ideal for organizations not invested in the Microsoft ecosystem
- Some services feel like they lag behind AWS equivalents in maturity
- Portal and management experience can be inconsistent across services
Best For
Enterprises already invested in the Microsoft ecosystem, including Microsoft 365, Active Directory, and Windows Server. Azure is the clear choice for organizations that want hybrid cloud capabilities, need seamless identity integration, or can leverage Enterprise Agreement bundling to reduce their total Microsoft spend.
Our Verdict
Choose AWS if you need the broadest selection of cloud services, the most mature ecosystem, and maximum flexibility for multi-cloud architectures. Choose Azure if your organization runs on Microsoft technologies, needs seamless Active Directory integration, or wants to consolidate licensing through an Enterprise Agreement that bundles cloud spend with Microsoft 365 and Windows.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is AWS or Azure better for enterprise workloads?
Can we use both AWS and Azure together?
How do AWS and Azure compare on pricing?
Can Catch Advisors help us choose between AWS and Azure?
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