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AWS vs Azure: what is the difference?
In short: AWS and Azure offer very similar core services: virtual machines, storage, networking, databases and security tools, with different names. AWS is the longest-running and largest by market share; Azure fits naturally with Microsoft 365 and Entra ID. Skills transfer well between them.
AWS vs Azure in one sentence
AWS and Azure are both full public cloud platforms; the biggest practical difference is how well each fits the tools and skills an organisation already has.
Side-by-side comparison
| Feature | AWS | Azure |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | Amazon | Microsoft |
| Virtual machines | EC2 | Azure Virtual Machines |
| Object storage | S3 | Blob Storage |
| Private network | VPC | Virtual Network (VNet) |
| Firewall rules on instances | Security groups | Network security groups (NSGs) |
| Identity | IAM (plus IAM Identity Center) | Entra ID and Azure RBAC |
| Secrets and keys | KMS, Secrets Manager | Key Vault |
| SIEM / threat detection | GuardDuty, Security Hub | Microsoft Sentinel, Defender for Cloud |
| Entry certifications | AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner | AZ-900 Azure Fundamentals |
What is AWS?
Amazon Web Services launched in 2006 and offers the widest range of services. Many start-ups and digital companies build on AWS.
What is Azure?
Microsoft Azure is popular with organisations that already use Windows Server, Active Directory and Microsoft 365, because identity and licensing connect smoothly through Entra ID.
Which one should you use?
For a career, pick the one used by employers you want to work for (check local job adverts) and learn the concepts deeply; they transfer. For an organisation, consider existing skills, Microsoft licensing, required regions, and specific services. Many companies use both. Security works the same way in each: the shared responsibility model, least-privilege identity, logging and no public storage by mistake.
Common mistakes and myths
- Thinking one is "secure" and the other is not. Most cloud breaches are customer misconfigurations.
- Comparing list prices only; data transfer and support costs matter.
- Learning only console clicks instead of concepts and infrastructure as code.
Learn more
Key takeaways
- AWS and Azure offer equivalent core services with different names.
- Azure fits Microsoft-heavy organisations; AWS has the widest service range.
- Cloud security skills transfer between platforms.
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