Azure vs. AWS: Comparing Cloud Computing Services

Amazon Web Services, or AWS, is a division of Amazon, the same company that delivers packages to your porch and streams movies and TV shows to your smart devices. AWS launched in 2006, giving it a head start on its competitors. According to Statista, AWS generated revenues of $62.2 billion in 2021.

The Seattle Times, which is an AWS user itself, stated in March 2021 that the company’s importance to the global internet economy is difficult to overstate, and that in the 15 years since its launch it has revolutionized the economics of web-based business by creating the cloud computing industry.

AWS cloud services are delivered through a worldwide network of server farms. It is designed as a pay-as-you-go model, allowing the subscriber to choose their own software, hardware, networking features and other components.

Azure is the second player in our Azure vs. AWS comparison. Azure is the cloud computing service from Microsoft, the world’s largest software maker. With subsidiaries that include the widely used tech brands LinkedIn, GitHub and Skype, Microsoft has come a long way since its early personal computer pioneering days.

Microsoft entered the cloud computing space in 2010. According to Statista, Microsoft generated $21 billion from its intelligent cloud services operations in the fourth quarter of financial year 2022.

Azure has multiple capabilities such as software as a service (SaaS), platform as a service (PaaS) and infrastructure as a service (IaaS). The platform supports many different programming languages, tools and frameworks, which include both Microsoft-specific and third-party software and systems.

Based on side-by-side comparisons conducted by Simplilearn and Edoxi Training Institute, these Azure and AWS have similar features and benefits, but there are significant differences in a few areas.

Both platforms provide services that meet requirements for faster processing methods and ensure that instances can be scaled up when necessary. AWS provides computing power via Amazon Machine Images (AMIs). AMIs can be configured for any application and deployed as needed via Elastic Compute Cloud (ECC) instances or Elastic Beanstalk applications. Azure’s compute offerings are based on Virtual Machines (VMs) with multiple tools that deploy applications in the cloud.

AWS includes a couple of serverless development tools – AWS Fargate and Lambda. The Microsoft offerings include Azure Function, a serverless platform that can be combined with Azure DevOps pipelines, allowing you to streamline complex workflows. Available IoT and AI capabilities also include Azure Bot Service, Time Series Insights and IoT Edge. 

An AWS vs. Azure inspection reveals they both offer reliable and long-lasting storage services such as Elastic Block Store (EBS) from AWS and Azure Disk Storage. AWS supports services such as Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3) and Glacier. Azure supports services such as Blob Storage and Standard Archive. Amazon’s Elastic File System (EFS) competes with Azure Files to offer simple, scalable and secure storage services, and those products enable you to create and configure file sharing programs quickly and easily.

Both cloud providers offer database services to manage structured and unstructured data, but this is an area where the two differ significantly. AWS enables the choice of 6 databases with more options to create and configure database instances. Azure offers only MS SQL Server Database.

Both platforms offer firewall options as well as the option to expand your on-premise data center to the cloud. The Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) makes it possible to build private networks within the Cloud. Microsoft Azure Virtual Network enables you to perform all of VPC’s functions.

Comparing the support provided by Azure vs. AWS, AWS offers more advanced Big Data and analytics solutions, and can offer a wide range of services, depending on the customer’s requirements, in the areas of IoT, mobile app development or computing environment building. AWS also offers Docker support. In addition to competing in this category, Microsoft may also provide Hadoop support through services like Azure HDInsight.

Amazon maintains strong relationships with government agencies (as mentioned in the Seattle Times article cited earlier, cloud computing has become widely used by government agencies in the United States). AWS also provides robust security features to ensure that individual users have appropriate access. Microsoft provides products for government sectors including critical infrastructure, public finance, public health and social services and public safety and justice.

AWS provides enhanced privacy through a selection of secure alternatives and default settings. Azure relies on Microsoft’s Cloud Defender service, which is powered by AI and safeguards against new and existing threats for security and data privacy. Both platforms offer thorough programs that encompass certification, industry-specific regulations, security frameworks and privacy.

Both platforms feature machine learning studios for the development of machine learning models. Amazon’s studio is called SageMaker. A significant difference here is that Azure’s studio does not require a thorough understanding of data engineering, Python coding and open-source libraries.

The availability of Azure is divided into 54 regions, each of which has at least 3 availability zones and 116 edge locations. AWS is organized into 22 geographical areas and 14 data centers, with more than 114 edge sites and 12 Regional Edge Caches available.

Both platforms have complex pricing mechanisms and a wide range of configurable options that determine the customer’s overall cost, but Azure’s pricing model may result in a higher cost per GB. AWS uses a pay-as-you-go model is charged on an hourly basis, while Azure charges by the minute and requires customers to have pre-arranged contracts for access to resources that are billed monthly.

Certifications offered by AWS and Microsoft Azure are intended to validate existing technical skills and help cultivate new cloud computing skills that can be useful in pursuing cloud computing-related career opportunities. Review the options below to determine which ones bet fit your goals and interests.

The AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner (AWSCCP) certification is a foundational-level certification offering an understanding of AWS Cloud concepts, services and terminology. 

The AWSCCP certification is intended for candidates who may be from a non-IT background and exploring a career in AWS Cloud, or individuals in sales, marketing or business analyst roles looking to communicate more effectively with stakeholders and customers about AWS Cloud. The AWSCCP is also intended for individuals in on-premises IT or cloud roles, but who may be new to AWS Cloud and need a primer before exploring role-based AWS Certifications.

Preparing for and earning this certification will give you:

Intended to showcase knowledge and skills in AWS technology across a wide range of AWS services, the AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate (AWSCSA-A) certification is focused on the design of cost and performance-optimized solutions, demonstrating a strong understanding of the AWS Well-Architected Framework. 

The AWSCSA-A is a great starting point on the path to AWS Certification for individuals who may have experience in AWS technology, strong on-premises IT experience and understanding of mapping on-premises to cloud, or experience working in other cloud services.

Preparing for and earning this certificate will demonstrate:

The AWS Certified Developer-Associate (AWSCD-A) certification demonstrates knowledge and understanding of core AWS services, uses and basic AWS architecture best practices, as well as proficiency in developing, deploying and debugging cloud-based applications. 

AWSCD-A certification is a great starting point on the AWS Certification path for individuals who may have experience working in a developer role with in-depth knowledge of at least one high-level programming language, experience in AWS technology, strong on-premises IT experience and understanding of mapping on-premises to cloud, or experience working in other cloud services.

Preparing for and earning this certification will demonstrate:

The AWS SysOps Administrator-Associate (AWSSOA-A) certificate helps organizations identify and develop talent with critical skills for implementing cloud initiatives. Earning the AWSSOA-A demonstrates experience deploying, managing and operating workloads on AWS. 

Who should earn this certificate? The AWSSOA-A provides a starting point on the AWS certification path for those who may have experience working in a systems administrator role or in AWS technology, have strong on-premises IT experience and understanding of mapping on premises to cloud or have experience working in other cloud services.

Preparing for and earning this certification will demonstrate:

Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals

The Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals certification confirms basic knowledge of cloud services and how those services are provided with Microsoft Azure, helping you to take advantage of technical opportunities offered by the platform. Certification candidates should be able to demonstrate a basic knowledge of cloud concepts, along with Azure services, workloads, security, privacy, pricing and support.

According to Microsoft, this certification is a good fit for you if your goal is to:

Azure Administrators often serve as part of a larger team dedicated to implementing an organization’s cloud infrastructure. They also coordinate with other roles to deliver Azure networking, security, database, application development and DevOps solutions. Candidates for the Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate certification should be familiar with operating systems, networking, servers and virtualization. 

According to Microsoft, professionals in this role should have experience using PowerShell, Azure CLI, the Azure portal, Azure Resource Manager (ARM) templates and Microsoft Azure Active Directory.

Skills measured in the exam for this certification include:

Candidates for the Microsoft Certified: Azure Developer Associate certification are cloud developers who participate in all phases of development, from requirements definition and design to development, deployment and maintenance. They partner with cloud administrators, database administrators and clients to implement solutions. 

According to Microsoft, candidates for this certification should be proficient in Azure SDKs, data storage options, data connections, APIs, app authentication and authorization and compute, as well as container deployment, debugging, performance tuning and monitoring. 

Skills measured in the exam for this certification include:

As more services, applications and data storage are migrated to the cloud, the demand for knowledgeable information technology professionals with the ability to plan, configure, troubleshoot and maintain cloud-based solutions is increasing. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, overall employment in computer and information technology occupations is expected to grow 15% on a national level from 2021 to 2031, a rate that is much faster than the average for all occupations.¹

At DeVry, our Online Undergraduate Certificate in Cloud Computing gives you the flexibility to choose how you prepare to pursue industry-recognized certifications and career opportunities in the rapidly growing field of cloud computing.

We offer two-course sequences within our Cloud Computing Certificate curriculum that align with select Azure or AWS training and certifications. Choose from our sequence in AWS Cloud Architecture and Cloud Operations, or a Microsoft Azure course sequence in Cloud Services and Cloud Development.

Prepare to build your future as a cloud computing professional. Our 100% Online Cloud Computing Certificate will help you learn the fundamentals of wired, optical and wireless technologies, as well as cloud computing, data center virtualization and network design as you prepare to pursue roles like cloud support specialist, cloud services associate or network technician. Elements of our curriculum can also help you prepare to earn industry-recognized certifications from cloud computing frontrunners AWS and Microsoft Azure, as well as select CompTIA certifications. 

Classes start every 8 weeks.