Difference Between Azure and AWS
Ethan Wright
Comparisons between Azure Vs AWS
- Both Azure and AWS support hybrid cloud, whereas Azure supports hybrid cloud better.
- Azure offers express routes, while AWS offers direct connections.
- Azure provides security by offering permissions on the whole account, whereas AWS security is provided using defined roles with permission control features.
- Azure machines are grouped into cloud services and respond to the same domain name with various ports, whereas the AWS machine can be accessed separately.
- Azure has a virtual network cloud, whereas AWS has a Virtual Private Cloud.
- Azure has 140 availability zones, whereas AWS has 105 availability zones.
Here, I have analyzed the difference between Azure and AWS and will comprehensively evaluate their pros and cons.
What is Azure?
Azure is an open-source and flexible cloud platform that helps in development, service hosting, service management, and data storage. The Azure cloud computing tool hosts web applications over the internet with the help of Microsoft data centers.
What is AWS?
Amazon Web Services (AWS) is a widely used secure cloud services platform, offering computing power, content delivery, database storage, and other functionality to help businesses scale and grow.
Azure vs AWS: Difference Between Them
Based on what I have seen, here is the main difference between Azure and AWS:
| Parameters | Azure | AWS |
|---|---|---|
| Launched Date | Launched in 2010. | Launched in 2006. |
| Market Share | 24% share of the worldwide market. | 31% share of the global computing market. |
| Availability Zone | 140 Availability Zones | 105 Availability Zone |
| Storage services |
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| Databases Services |
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| Deployment Services | Cspkg (fancy zip file) Upload via portal or API via blob storage Course-grained updates “click to scale.” More magic |
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| Networking Services |
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| Price | On-demand reserved spot. | Per hour, rounded up. |
| Customers | Pearson, 3M, Towers Watson, NBC, Essar, Serko, etc. | Adobe, Airbnb, Expedia, Yelp, Nokia, Netflix, and Novartis. |
| Type of Cloud | Virtual Network | Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) |
| Connection type | ExpressRoute | Direct Connect |
| Pricing models |
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| Government Cloud | Limited reach for government cloud offerings. | AWS has an edge as far as government cloud offerings. |
| Support for Hybrid Cloud | With a Hybrid Cloud, organizations can integrate onsite servers with Cloud instances. | Does not offers the best of hybrid cloud support. |
| Ecosystem | With very few Linux options, Azure doesn’t have a big ecosystem. | AWS has a software marketplace with an extensive partner ecosystem. |
| Support for Big Data | Standard storage has many issues for big data, and therefore you need premium storage. | EBS storage is ideal for handling big data. |
| Maturity | The less mature environment for big data. | More mature cloud environment for big data. |
| Machine access | Machines are grouped into cloud services and respond to the same domain name with various ports. | In AWS, machines can be accessed separately. |
| Salary | The average salary for “Microsoft Azure” ranges from approximately $113,582 per year. | The average salary for an “AWD engineer” is approximately $141,757 per year for a Software Architect. |
| Key features | Startup-friendly, high-performance, low-cost. Zero setups, | Zero setups, detail monitoring, and auto-scaling groups. |
| Long-term data archiving | Does not offer any long-term data archiving and retrieval options. | Allows long-term data archiving and retrieval. |
| Security | It provides security by offering permissions to access the whole account. | Security is provided using defined roles with a permission control feature. |
Azure vs AWS: Popularity Index with Market Share
In my analysis of the popularity index, here is the difference between Azure and AWS:
AWS continues to dominate the global cloud-infrastructure services industry, which is likely to hit approximately $90 billion last year. Today, it enjoys a market share that is better than that of some top public cloud providers.
In the past year, Azure’s cloud adoption rate has been almost 85 percent that of AWS’, up from 70 percent last year.
Applications of AWS services
In my professional use, I have extensively utilized Amazon Web Services for various computing purposes, such as:
- Web site hosting
- Application hosting/SaaS hosting
- Media Sharing (Image or Video)
- Mobile and Social Applications
- Content delivery and Media Distribution
- Storage, backup, and disaster recovery
- Development and test environments
- Academic Computing
- Search Engines
- Social Networking
Applications of Azure
Now, in this Azure for Beginners tutorial, I will guide you through the various Azure applications.
- Infrastructure Services
- Mobile Apps
- Web Applications
- Cloud Services
- Storage, Backup, and Recovery
- Data Management
- Media Services
Companies using AWS
- Netflix
- Twitch
- Turner Broadcasting
- Zoopla
- Smugmug
- Dropbox
Companies using Azure
- BMW
- GE Healthcare
- 3M
- Honeywell
- HP
- ASOS
- Adobe
Advantages of AWS
From my experience, here are the significant advantages of adopting AWS cloud services.
- The computing cloud allows you to increase or decrease storage according to the needs of your organization.
- AWS enables you to select an operating system, programming language, or database of your choice.
- Broad and deep service offerings
- Robust partner ecosystem
- Trusted by high-profile customers
- High transfer stability
- Minimal information is lost during server and storage transfers.
- Offers more data centers for availability and low latency.
- Better DevOps support
- Simpler licensing method
- Stronger support for Bl and analytics
Advantages of Azure
From what I have seen, here are some major advantages of using Azure cloud services:
- Capability for developers and users to create, maintain, and deploy applications
- A fully scalable cloud computing platform offers open access across multiple languages, frameworks, and tools.
- Total support for Microsoft legacy apps
- Greater awareness of enterprise needs
- Easy one-click migrations in many cases
- Conversion of on-premises licenses to the cloud
- Support for mixed Linux/Windows environments
- It offers built-in tools like Azure Stack to help the organization deliver Azure services from its own data center.
Disadvantages of AWS
From my own usage of Amazon Web Services, I have identified the following drawbacks:
- Less hybrid-cloud-friendly
- The AWS elastic load balancer is not equipped to handle as many requests as it receives.
- AWS lacks customer support, so it is more suitable for a technically savvy group of consumers and those companies that have their own tech support team.
- The number of choices offered by AWS is confusing to those who may not speak the language of technology.
- Incompatible and weak hybrid strategy
- AWS is a less open private cloud. This makes it an unpopular storage option for sensitive industries like banking.
- AWS has too many products, which makes the selection process much harder.
Disadvantages of Azure
In my experience, the major drawbacks of Azure cloud services include:
- Customer service is not transparent, and data is hosted globally. So, if you have data restrictions where it must be stored in a specific country, at that time you need to verify or specify with Microsoft.
- You will be charged extra for paying as you go.
- Azure cloud-based services are full of glitches. To fix these bugs, you will need to spend additional money.
- Less flexibility about non-Windows server platforms when compared to AWS
Which one is better AWS or Azure?
Now, let’s see which AWS vs Azure is better for your needs.
Microsoft Azure has increased its market share in the last couple of years, but not to an extent where there is a real contest between the two companies, at least for the near future.
Moreover, both companies introduce new products, new integrations, and new pricing structures. Therefore, the final selection will depend on the needs of your organization.
How to Choose Between Azure and AWS
“From my observations, AWS’s extensive infrastructure and service options make it ideal for companies looking for detailed control over their cloud environments. Azure is best for those who benefit from its strong ties to Microsoft technologies.”
