Amazon Web Services vs Microsoft Azure
Amazon Web Services: Amazon's cloud, including compute, storage, and databases. Microsoft Azure: Microsoft's cloud platform.
Pricing, free tier, and features on this page come from each tool's own site. Google autocomplete (suggestqueries.google.com, client=firefox, hl=en) for "<tool> vs", fetched 2026-10-14; a pair is kept when the suggestion appears from both sides (2+ hits). Sorted by how much you can use for free (free or open source first, then free plan with paid tiers, then paid only), then by the number of documented features, then alphabetically. No ratings or reviews are used. Read the comparison methodology. How benchmark evidence is labeled.
| Amazon Web Services | Microsoft Azure | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Amazon's cloud, including compute, storage, and databases. | Microsoft's cloud platform. |
| Category | Hosting | Hosting |
| Pricing | Freemium (free plan + paid tiers) | Freemium (free plan + paid tiers) |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Who it's for | Organizations from startups to enterprises. | Organizations and developers, including small and medium businesses and startups. |
| Key features | Resizable compute capacity for many workloads | Run Linux and Windows virtual machines |
| Serverless relational databases for PostgreSQL, MySQL, and DSQL | Build and scale apps on managed Kubernetes | |
| Platform to build generative AI applications and agents | Create, test, and deploy generative AI agents | |
| Work assistant for research, automation, and no-code apps | Use relational, NoSQL, and caching databases | |
| Cloud spans 124 availability zones in 39 regions | Move SQL Server databases with little or no code changes | |
| Website | aws.amazon.com | azure.microsoft.com |
Who should pick which
Pick Amazon Web Services if…
- Its stated audience fits you (organizations from startups to enterprises).
- You need: Resizable compute capacity for many workloads.
Pick Microsoft Azure if…
- Its stated audience fits you (organizations and developers, including small and medium businesses and startups).
- You need: Run Linux and Windows virtual machines.
FAQ
Is Amazon Web Services or Microsoft Azure free?
Amazon Web Services: Freemium (free plan + paid tiers). Microsoft Azure: Freemium (free plan + paid tiers). Both can be used without paying.
What is the difference between Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure?
Amazon Web Services: Amazon's cloud, including compute, storage, and databases. Microsoft Azure: Microsoft's cloud platform.
Data comes from each tool's homepage and pricing page. Pair chosen from search suggestions (amazon web services vs microsoft azure; microsoft azure vs aws).