In the tech world, cloud computing has become one of the most popular and rapidly growing trends. With so many different cloud platforms available, it can be difficult to know which one is the right fit for your business.
This ultimate guide to comparing clouds will explore the three most popular cloud services — Azure, AWS, and Google Cloud — so that you can make the best decision for your organization. We’ll discuss the features, pricing, and scalability of each platform to help you make an informed decision.
Whether you’re looking for a reliable, cost-effective cloud solution or a robust platform with a wide range of features, start your cloud journey with the knowledge you need to make the right choice for your business.
The three biggest cloud providers
The public cloud is one of the most popular ways businesses are leveraging technology to remain competitive in today’s digital world. Cloud services help organizations to meet their business needs and develop and deploy applications without having to manage the underlying infrastructure.
The three biggest cloud platform providers are Microsoft Azure, AWS, and Google Cloud. Together, the Big Three account for 66% of the global cloud market as of September 2022, with AWS dominating.
Each of these cloud platform providers offers a range of services and features to meet the needs of businesses of all sizes. Some features common between the three providers are security and compliance, identity management, and user access control.
What is Microsoft Azure?
Microsoft Azure is a public cloud platform that provides a wide range of on-demand services such as computing, storage, networking and analytics. It currently leads the way in scalable and efficient Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), and Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) solutions.
Its wide range of features and flexible pricing model make it a suitable option for many different businesses and use cases. The platform’s large selection of integrated tools and services allows you to build and deploy applications quickly, which can be a real advantage for businesses that are short on time or resources.
Key strengths:
- Integration with Microsoft software, apps, and tools
- Hybrid cloud
- Broad range of features
- Open source support
- Ideal for start-ups and developers
What is Amazon Web Services?
Amazon Web Services (AWS) is currently the biggest public cloud platform provider in the world, with a customer base of 1.45 million businesses. It currently dominates infrastructure like scalable storage, mobile development, and cyber security solutions.
AWS is a completely scalable and highly reliable cloud platform that allows you to access all the necessary computing, storage, and networking services in one place. This can be a real advantage for businesses that are short on time or resources.
Key strengths:
- Dominant in the market
- Extensive offerings
- Large enterprise support
- Global reach
- Wider range of services and flexibility
What is Google Cloud?
Google Cloud Platform (GCP) is a suite of public cloud computing services offered by Google that runs on the same infrastructure that Google uses internally for its end-user products, such as Google Search and YouTube.
GCP provides access to Google’s cloud infrastructure, allowing developers to build and deploy applications on Google’s cloud infrastructure. This includes access to Google’s global network of data centers, which provide access to Google’s storage and computing services. With access to Google’s cloud infrastructure, developers can build applications, websites, and services that are secure, reliable, and scalable.
Key strengths:
- Designed for cloud-native businesses
- Committed to open source and portability
- Flexible contracts
- DevOps support and expertise
- Most cost-efficient option
Comparing availability
Availability is a key feature of any cloud platform, and it’s something that you’ll want to consider carefully. Using a highly reliable, robust, and high-availability cloud platform can help ensure that your applications remain online and accessible at all times — even during unexpected events, such as natural disasters or power outages.
AWS is currently available across 66 zones, with 12 additional zones on the way. It also has a robust and high-availability infrastructure, but it uses a different model than Azure and GCP.
Azure is available in 54 regions in 140 countries. It has a highly available infrastructure, including multiple data centers in many different geographic regions.
Google Cloud has the lowest availability of the three, with 73 zones across 24 regions, with no future zones yet announced.
Comparing pricing
Comparing the pricing of Azure, AWS, and GCP can help you determine which platform is best suited to your business needs. It’s important to note that the pricing models for each platform can change over time, so always make sure to check the current pricing before making a selection.
Azure offers a per-minute pricing basis on demand. A small monthly instance will cost roughly $70USD per month, while the largest instance will be almost double. It also offers up to 75% discount for a commitment of one to three years.
AWS delivers a per-second pricing model with a 60 second minimum. A small instance will cost you around $70USD per month, with the largest instance charging customers $6.79USD per hour. However, it also offers a one-year free trial, along with a discount of up to 75% for a one to three year commitment.
GCP is much cheaper than the latter two; like Azure, it offers a per-minute pricing basis. It provides a basic instance of $52USD per month, with the largest instance charging $5.32USD per hour. It also offers new subscribers a Google Cloud $300 credit valid for 12 months, apart from a sustained use discount of up to 30%.
Comparing storage
AWS offers a wide variety of storage options, and Amazon S3 in particular is a highly scalable, cost-effective service that is used by many businesses to store data in the cloud.
- Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3)
- Amazon Elastic Block Storage (Amazon EBS)
- Elastic File System (EFS)
- Snowball
- Snowball Edge
- Snowmobile
Azure offers a wide variety of storage options including blob storage, tables, and files, making it a useful platform for many different types of businesses. It also features built-in integration with Azure App Service, Azure Batch, and Azure SQL Database.
- Blog storage
- Queue storage
- File storage
- Disk storage
- Data Lake Store
Google Cloud Storage is a scalable and highly reliable solution for storing data and is compatible with most types of applications.
- Cloud storage
- Persistent Disk
- Transfer appliance
- Transfer service
Find the right cloud provider for your business needs
Cloud platform providers are making it easier for businesses to get started with cloud services, offering a variety of flexible and affordable solutions. These are only a small sampling of the many features you can access through the three leading cloud providers. It’s important to get to know each one before making a purchasing decision based on price and availability.
The cloud specialists at Technology Solutions can audit your business, advise you on which cloud platform will best suit your company’s needs, and fully manage your cloud migration and subsequent cloud environment for maximum performance and security. Talk to them today and get started on your cloud journey.
