In recent years, the cloud has truly changed computing and now it’s a matter of choosing the best cloud service for your business, rather than deciding whether you should move your business to the cloud. For many companies, using a cloud service is a bygone conclusion, but picking the right one can be a daunting task.
No matter where you are in the world, the three biggest competitors currently in the space are Amazon with Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud. These three tech giants have been at the forefront of cloud computing since its infancy and continues to pave the way in technological advancements and features.
In this article, we’ll take a detailed look at AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud, noting their major differences and comparing services that each company has to offer. If you or your business is considering cloud storage, fill out our quick form to receive current bids from our managed service providers.
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Launched in 2006, AWS is widely considered the most experienced cloud service provider in today’s market. The company offers a wide range of services, and currently has 27 launched regions, 87 availability zones, and over 410 points of presence.
Microsoft Azure
Microsoft’s cloud computing platform launched in 2010 as Windows Azure but was rebranded to Microsoft Azure in 2014. Currently, Microsoft Azure services over 60 regions across 140 countries.
Google Cloud
Google Cloud as we know it launched in 2011, although Google announced App Engine in 2008. App Engine was the first cloud computing service from the company, but it didn’t become generally available until 2011. The platform services 35 regions across 106 zones and is available in over 200 countries and territories.
AWS Customers
Notable companies that use AWS include Vanguard, iRobot, Disney+, Snap, and Samsung.
Microsoft Azure Customers
Well-known businesses that use Microsoft Azure include H&R Block, Walgreens, 3M, Lenovo, and CarMax.
Google Cloud Customers
Leading companies that use Google Cloud include PayPal, The Home Depot, Twitter, Equifax, Etsy, UPS, and Target.
Services
When it comes to services offered by the three major cloud providers, things can get overwhelming. AWS, for example, has 227 listed products and services on its website at the time of writing. Google Cloud advertises that it has over 150 products, while Microsoft Azure’s list of services is comprehensive and lengthy. Needless to say, there isn’t an easy way to summarize all of the services offered by all three companies. Instead, we’ve created a table below so you can compare major services from each provider, to see which one is right for your business.
| Service | AWS (Amazon) | Azure (Microsoft) | Google Cloud |
|---|---|---|---|
| Analytics | Amazon Kinesis | Azure Stream Analytics | Cloud Dataflow |
| App Hosting | Amazon Elastic Beanstalk | Azure Cloud Services | Google App Engine |
| Automation | AWS Opsworks | Azure Automation | Compute Engine Management |
| Block Storage | Amazon Elastic Block Storage | Azure Managed Storage | Persistent Disk |
| Compliance | AWS CloudHSM | Azure Trust Center | Google Cloud Platform Security |
| Container Support | Elastic Container Service | Azure Container Service | Container Engine |
| Content Delivery Network (CDN) | Amazon CloudFront | Azure CDN Azure Front Door | Cloud CDN |
| DNS Service | Amazon Route 53 | Azure Traffic Manager | Cloud DNS |
| Hybrid Cloud | AWS Outposts | Azure Arc | Google Anthos |
| Load Balancing | Elastic Load Balancing | Load Balancing for Azure | Cloud Load Balancing |
| Log Monitoring | Amazon CloudTrail | Azure Operational Insights | Cloud Logging |
| Non-SQL Database Options | AWS DynamoDB | Azure DocumentDB | Cloud Datastore |
| Object Storage | Amazon S3 (Simple Storage Service) | Azure Blob Storage | Cloud Storage |
| Performance Monitoring | Amazon CloudWatch | Azure Application Insights | Stackdriver Monitoring |
| Private Connectivity | AWS Direct Connect | Azure Express Route | Cloud Interconnect |
| Scaling Options | Auto Scaling | Azure Autoscale | Autoscaler |
| Serverless Computing | AWS Lambda | Azure Functions | Google Cloud Functions |
| Shared Web Hosting | AWS Amplify | Web Apps | Firebase |
| SQL Database Options | Amazon RDS | Azure SQL Database | Cloud SQL |
| Virtual Network | Amazon VPC | Azure Virtual Network | Cloud Virtual Network |
| Virtual Server | Amazon EC2 | Azure Virtual Machine | Compute Engine |
| VMware | VMC on AWS | Azure VMware Solution | Google Cloud VMware Engine |
AWS Advantages and Disadvantages
With AWS being the most mature in the cloud computing space, it offers the most services and is widely considered the standard in cloud reliability and security. It offers more computing capacity than Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud, and many major software vendors make their applications available on AWS. As for disadvantages, shopping for AWS services can be overwhelming with the number of products the company has to offer. As a result, pricing can get confusing and you may end up paying for more than you need.
Microsoft Azure Advantages and Disadvantages
Naturally, one of the biggest advantages of Microsoft Azure is that it easily integrates with existing Microsoft services. It’s relatively more affordable for some services when compared to AWS and Google Cloud, and Azure does have great support for hybrid cloud. Overall however, Microsoft Azure does offer less services and products than AWS and it mainly targets enterprise customers.
Google Cloud Advantages and Disadvantages
Like Microsoft Azure and Microsoft products, Google Cloud works well with other Google services and products. The platform offers excellent support for containerized workloads and pricing can be advantageous in certain cases. Unfortunately, Google Cloud does lag behind its major competitors when it comes to services and products, and arguably has limited support for enterprise use.
For more information on comparing the three major cloud service providers, check out Google Cloud’s table.