TL;DR: Choosing between AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud is rarely about features — they all cover the basics. It’s about pricing predictability, integration with your existing stack, and where your team already has skills. This guide compares the three on cost, networking, security defaults, and developer experience to help you choose the right one (or the right combination).
Quick verdict
- AWS — broadest service catalog, best ecosystem, steepest pricing complexity
- Azure — best if you’re a Microsoft/Active Directory shop; tight Microsoft 365 integration
- Google Cloud — best for data, ML, and Kubernetes-first teams; simplest networking
Compute pricing — apples-to-apples
For a 4 vCPU / 16 GB Linux VM running 24/7 in a major US region, public list prices are usually within 5–10% of each other. The real differentiators are:
- AWS Savings Plans / Reserved Instances: Up to 72% off with 3-year commits.
- Azure Reserved VM Instances: Similar discounts, plus Hybrid Benefit for existing Windows Server / SQL licenses.
- GCP Sustained-Use Discounts: Automatic discounts kick in after the first 25% of the month — no commitment required.
Networking
GCP’s global VPC model is the simplest: one VPC spans every region. AWS and Azure require per-region VPCs/VNets that you connect via peering or transit gateways. For multi-region apps, this is a real time-saver on GCP.
Egress (data out) is the hidden cost on all three. Always model egress in your TCO — at scale, it can exceed compute costs.
Identity & security defaults
Azure wins if you already use Entra ID (Azure AD) — SSO, conditional access, and B2B sharing all “just work”. AWS IAM is more granular but historically more error-prone (publicly readable S3 buckets, anyone?). GCP IAM sits in between, with a simpler role hierarchy.
All three offer free baseline security features: GuardDuty (AWS), Defender for Cloud free tier (Azure), Security Command Center Standard (GCP). Turn them on.
Databases
- Managed Postgres: AWS Aurora > Azure DB > Cloud SQL on features. GCP Cloud SQL is simplest to operate.
- Data warehouse: BigQuery is the runaway leader for ad-hoc analytics; Snowflake (multi-cloud) competes hard. Redshift and Synapse are catching up.
- NoSQL: DynamoDB (AWS) is unmatched at scale; Firestore (GCP) is friendliest for developers; Cosmos DB (Azure) offers the widest API surface.
Kubernetes
GKE Autopilot is currently the most operations-friendly managed Kubernetes — Google bills only for pod resources. EKS is the most flexible but charges $0.10/cluster/hour. AKS has no control-plane fee and integrates cleanly with Entra ID.
When to go multi-cloud
Multi-cloud sounds good in board meetings and is painful in practice. Use it when you have a clear, narrow reason: regulatory data residency, vendor risk for a critical workload, or wanting a specific service unique to one provider (BigQuery for analytics, Cosmos DB for global multi-write).
For most SMBs, going single-cloud and investing skills deeply is the right call.
Cost optimization checklist
- Set billing alerts at 50% / 80% / 100% of monthly budget
- Use tag/label-based cost allocation from day one
- Turn off dev/test resources outside business hours (saves ~70%)
- Right-size every quarter using built-in recommenders
- Buy reservations only for steady-state workloads
- Use Spot / Preemptible / Spot VMs for fault-tolerant batch jobs (60–90% off)
- Watch egress in dashboards — it’s where bills go sideways
FAQ
Which is cheapest overall?
For pure compute with no commitments, GCP usually edges ahead thanks to sustained-use discounts. With 3-year reservations, AWS and Azure can match or beat it.
Is the AWS free tier really free?
For 12 months, yes — within limits. Set a $1 budget alert; one mis-sized RDS instance can blow past the free tier in hours.
Should I learn Terraform or each provider’s native IaC?
Terraform if you’re multi-cloud or your team values portability. Native (CloudFormation/Bicep/Deployment Manager) if you’re single-cloud and want first-day support for new services.
Conclusion
The right cloud is rarely the cheapest on paper — it’s the one your team can operate confidently and securely. If you want a cost and architecture review of your existing footprint, our cloud architects can help.