Post

☁️ Cloud Comparison: AWS vs Azure vs GCP — Architecture, Learning & Icons

A complete side-by-side comparison of AWS, Azure, and GCP — including architecture mappings, equivalents, platform strengths, and learning + icon resources — all neatly formatted for Chirpy.

☁️ Cloud Comparison: AWS vs Azure vs GCP — Architecture, Learning & Icons

☁️ Cloud Comparison: AWS vs Azure vs GCP — Architecture, Learning & Icons

Big Three Cloud Providers

Comparison of the Big Three Cloud ProvidersAWS (Amazon Web Services), Azure (Microsoft), and GCP (Google Cloud Platform):

Feature / AspectAWSMicrosoft AzureGoogle Cloud Platform (GCP)
Parent CompanyAmazonMicrosoftGoogle (Alphabet)
Launched200620102011
Market Share (2025 est.)~31–33%~25–27%~10–12%
Global ReachWidest: 105+ Availability Zones, 30+ Regions60+ Regions, 180+ edge zones40+ Regions, fastest global network backbone
Core StrengthBreadth of services, maturity, ecosystemEnterprise integration (Windows, AD, Office 365)Data analytics, AI/ML, networking performance
Compute ServicesEC2, ECS, EKS, Lambda, FargateVirtual Machines, AKS, Functions, App ServiceCompute Engine, GKE, Cloud Run, Cloud Functions
Storage ServicesS3, EBS, EFS, GlacierBlob, Disk, File, ArchiveCloud Storage, Persistent Disk, Filestore, Archive
Database OptionsRDS, DynamoDB, Aurora, RedshiftSQL Database, Cosmos DB, Synapse AnalyticsCloud SQL, Firestore, BigQuery, Spanner
AI / ML ServicesSageMaker, Rekognition, ComprehendAzure ML, Cognitive ServicesVertex AI, AutoML, TensorFlow, BigQuery ML
NetworkingVPC, Route 53, CloudFrontVirtual Network, ExpressRoute, CDNVPC, Cloud CDN, Cloud Interconnect
Serverless / Event-drivenLambda, Step FunctionsAzure Functions, Logic AppsCloud Functions, Eventarc
Container & OrchestrationECS, EKS, FargateAKS, Container AppsGKE (best-in-class), Cloud Run
DevOps / CI-CDCodeBuild, CodeDeploy, CodePipelineAzure DevOps, GitHub ActionsCloud Build, Cloud Deploy
Hybrid / On-PremAWS Outposts, Local ZonesAzure Arc, Stack (strongest hybrid)Anthos, Bare Metal Solution
Security & IdentityIAM, Cognito, KMS, ShieldAzure AD (enterprise leader), DefenderIAM, Cloud Identity, Chronicle
Billing / Pricing ModelPay-as-you-go, Reserved, SpotPay-as-you-go, Reserved, Hybrid BenefitPay-as-you-go, Sustained/Committed discounts
Free Tier12-month + always-free usage12-month + limited always-freeAlways-free generous tier
Best ForBroad workloads, startups to enterprises, scalabilityMicrosoft ecosystems, enterprise integrationData science, analytics, modern app developers
UI & Management ToolsAWS Console, CLI, CloudFormationAzure Portal, CLI, ARM, BicepCloud Console, gcloud, Deployment Manager
Compliance / CertificationsLargest set globally (GovCloud, HIPAA, ISO, etc.)Extensive (esp. for enterprises & governments)High compliance, focused on privacy and sustainability
Sustainability Focus100% renewable energy by 2025100% renewable energy by 2025100% carbon-free by 2030 (most aggressive)

🔹 Summary Cheatlines

  • AWS → Best overall coverage, ecosystem, maturity, and flexibility.
  • Azure → Best for enterprises, Microsoft stack, and hybrid integration.
  • GCP → Best for AI/ML, big data, and developer-friendly simplicity.

Service Equivalence Table

Comparison AWS, Azure, and GCP across core service categories and terminologies (jargon / artifacts):


🧠 Cloud Service Equivalence: AWS vs Azure vs GCP

Category / FunctionAWS (Amazon Web Services)Azure (Microsoft)GCP (Google Cloud Platform)
Compute (VMs / IaaS)EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud)Virtual MachinesCompute Engine
Auto ScalingAuto Scaling GroupsVirtual Machine Scale SetsInstance Groups (Managed / Unmanaged)
Container OrchestrationECS / EKS (Elastic Kubernetes Service) / FargateAKS (Azure Kubernetes Service)GKE (Google Kubernetes Engine) / Cloud Run
Serverless Compute (FaaS)AWS LambdaAzure FunctionsCloud Functions
App Hosting / PaaSElastic Beanstalk / App RunnerApp ServiceApp Engine
Block Storage (Disks)EBS (Elastic Block Store)Managed DisksPersistent Disks
Object StorageS3 (Simple Storage Service)Blob StorageCloud Storage
File Storage (Shared FS)EFS (Elastic File System)Azure FilesFilestore
Archive / Cold StorageGlacierArchive StorageColdline / Archive Storage
Database (SQL Relational)RDS (MySQL, PostgreSQL, etc.) / AuroraAzure SQL DatabaseCloud SQL / AlloyDB
Database (NoSQL)DynamoDBCosmos DBFirestore / Bigtable
Data Warehouse / AnalyticsRedshiftSynapse AnalyticsBigQuery
In-Memory CacheElastiCache (Redis / Memcached)Azure Cache for RedisMemorystore
Message Queue / Pub-SubSQS (Simple Queue Service)Azure Service Bus / Queue StoragePub/Sub
Event StreamingKinesisEvent HubsPub/Sub / Dataflow
Workflow / OrchestrationStep FunctionsLogic AppsCloud Workflows
API ManagementAPI GatewayAPI ManagementAPI Gateway / Endpoints
Identity & Access ManagementIAM, CognitoAzure AD (Active Directory)IAM, Cloud Identity
Monitoring & LoggingCloudWatch / CloudTrailAzure Monitor / Log AnalyticsCloud Monitoring / Cloud Logging (Stackdriver)
Infrastructure as Code (IaC)CloudFormation / CDKARM Templates / BicepDeployment Manager / Terraform support
Networking (VPC / Virtual Network)VPC (Virtual Private Cloud)Virtual Network (VNet)VPC (same term)
Load BalancingELB / ALB / NLBLoad Balancer / Application GatewayCloud Load Balancing
DNS & Domain MgmtRoute 53Azure DNSCloud DNS
CDN (Content Delivery)CloudFrontAzure CDN / Front DoorCloud CDN
Hybrid Cloud / On-Prem IntegrationAWS Outposts / Local ZonesAzure Stack / Azure ArcAnthos / Bare Metal Solution
Secrets & Key ManagementKMS / Secrets ManagerKey VaultCloud KMS / Secret Manager
Data Migration / TransferSnowball / DataSyncData BoxTransfer Appliance / Storage Transfer Service
AI / Machine LearningSageMaker / Comprehend / RekognitionAzure ML / Cognitive ServicesVertex AI / AutoML / TensorFlow
ETL / Data PipelinesGlue / Data PipelineData FactoryDataflow / Dataprep
Big Data ProcessingEMR (Hadoop/Spark)HDInsight / Synapse SparkDataproc
Container RegistryECR (Elastic Container Registry)ACR (Azure Container Registry)Artifact Registry / Container Registry
DevOps & CI/CDCodeBuild / CodeDeploy / CodePipelineAzure DevOps / GitHub ActionsCloud Build / Cloud Deploy
Notifications / MessagingSNS (Simple Notification Service)Notification HubsCloud Pub/Sub (Push)
Email ServiceSES (Simple Email Service)Communication ServicesSendGrid (3rd-party)
Cost ManagementCost Explorer / BudgetsCost Management + BillingBilling Reports / Cost Tools
Security & ComplianceGuardDuty / Shield / InspectorAzure Security Center / DefenderSecurity Command Center
Edge / CDN / Global NetworkCloudFront / Global AcceleratorAzure Front Door / CDNCloud CDN / Global Load Balancer
Backup / Disaster RecoveryBackup / CloudEndureAzure Backup / Site RecoveryBackup & DR / Persistent Snapshots
Developer ToolsCloud9 / SDKsVisual Studio / VS Code / SDKsCloud Shell / SDKs
CLI Toolaws cliaz cligcloud cli
Web Console / PortalAWS Management ConsoleAzure PortalGoogle Cloud Console
Free Tier Model12-month + always-free12-month + limited always-freeAlways-free generous limits
Primary StrengthsBreadth, ecosystem, maturityEnterprise/hybrid integrationData/AI innovation, simplicity

⚡️ Cheat Summary

Use CaseBest Cloud (typically)Why
General-purpose workloads, scale, ecosystemAWSMature, wide service range, global dominance
Enterprise + Windows integrationAzureSeamless with AD, Office, Windows Server
Data, AI, analytics-heavy workloadsGCPBigQuery, Vertex AI, strong open-source base

Advanced / Hybrid / Multicloud Service Equivalence Table

for AWS, Azure, and GCP, crafted to be clear, concise, and precise with focus on modern enterprise use cases (hybrid, edge, governance, DevOps, and AI/ML integration).


🧩 Advanced, Hybrid, and Multicloud Equivalence Table

Category / LayerAWS (Amazon Web Services)Azure (Microsoft)GCP (Google Cloud Platform)Purpose / Use Case
Hybrid Cloud InfrastructureAWS Outposts, Local Zones, WavelengthAzure Stack, Azure Arc, Azure Edge ZonesAnthos, Bare Metal Solution, Edge TPUExtend cloud services to on-premises / edge environments with consistent APIs and management
Multicloud Management / GovernanceAWS Control Tower / OrganizationsAzure Arc / Azure LighthouseAnthos Config Management / Cloud ConsoleCentralized governance, compliance, and policy management across clouds
Service Mesh / App NetworkingApp MeshAzure Service Fabric / OSMAnthos Service Mesh (based on Istio)Secure microservice communication across hybrid/multicloud
Edge ComputingAWS Wavelength / Snow FamilyAzure Edge Zones / IoT EdgeGoogle Distributed Cloud EdgeBring compute/storage close to end users (5G, IoT, AR/VR, low latency)
IoT PlatformIoT Core / GreengrassAzure IoT Hub / IoT CentralIoT Core (retiring → partner-led), Edge TPUDevice connectivity, telemetry, and analytics
Hybrid Container DeploymentECS Anywhere / EKS AnywhereAzure Arc-enabled KubernetesAnthos (Hybrid GKE)Run managed containers across on-prem, cloud, or edge
Data Integration / ETLGlue / DataSync / AppFlowData Factory / Synapse PipelinesDataflow / Dataprep / PubSubExtract-transform-load pipelines across systems
Data Lake / LakehouseS3 + Glue + Athena + Lake FormationAzure Data Lake Storage + SynapseBigQuery + Cloud Storage + DataprocCentralized data storage, analytics, and ML foundation
Serverless Workflow OrchestrationStep Functions / EventBridgeLogic Apps / Event GridWorkflows / EventarcEvent-driven architecture, automation, and data flow management
API Management / GatewayAPI GatewayAzure API ManagementAPI Gateway / EndpointsUnified API hosting, versioning, rate-limiting, monitoring
Infrastructure as Code (IaC)CloudFormation / CDK / TerraformARM Templates / Bicep / TerraformDeployment Manager / TerraformAutomate infrastructure deployment & configuration
DevOps ToolchainCodePipeline / CodeBuild / CodeDeployAzure DevOps / GitHub ActionsCloud Build / Cloud DeployCI/CD, automation, testing, and release pipelines
Monitoring & ObservabilityCloudWatch / CloudTrail / X-RayAzure Monitor / Log Analytics / App InsightsCloud Monitoring / Cloud Logging / TraceTelemetry, logs, metrics, tracing
Security Posture ManagementAWS Security Hub / GuardDuty / InspectorDefender for Cloud / SentinelSecurity Command CenterCentralized threat detection, compliance, and risk management
Secrets & Key ManagementKMS / Secrets ManagerKey VaultCloud KMS / Secret ManagerManage encryption keys, tokens, credentials
IAM & Access ControlIAM / Organizations / CognitoAzure AD / Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)IAM / Cloud Identity / Workload IdentityAuthentication, authorization, role & policy management
Policy-as-Code / GovernanceAWS Config / Control Tower / Organizations SCPAzure Policy / BlueprintsOrganization Policy Service / Config ControllerEnforce resource and compliance rules
Big Data / Analytics StackRedshift / Athena / EMR / QuickSightSynapse / HDInsight / Power BIBigQuery / Dataproc / Looker / Data StudioScalable analytics, data warehousing, BI visualization
AI / ML PlatformSageMaker (training + deployment)Azure ML (Studio + pipelines)Vertex AI (AutoML + pipelines + MLOps)Unified ML platform: model training, tuning, deployment
ML Workflow / Pipelines (MLOps)SageMaker Pipelines / Step FunctionsAzure ML Pipelines / MLflowVertex AI Pipelines / KubeflowEnd-to-end machine learning lifecycle automation
AI APIs (Vision, NLP, Speech, etc.)Rekognition / Comprehend / Polly / TranscribeCognitive Services / Speech / Vision / TextVision AI / NLP / Translation / SpeechReady-made APIs for perception and language intelligence
Data Catalog / Metadata MgmtGlue Data CatalogAzure PurviewData CatalogDiscover, classify, and govern data across platforms
Hybrid Identity / SSOAWS SSO / Directory ServiceAzure AD + AD ConnectCloud Identity / Identity PlatformFederated identity between cloud and enterprise systems
Disaster Recovery / Cross-regionRoute 53 / CloudEndure / BackupAzure Site Recovery / BackupBackup and DR / Cloud Storage ReplicationCross-region replication and failover solutions
Cost Optimization / FinOpsCost Explorer / Budgets / Trusted AdvisorAzure Cost Management / AdvisorBilling Reports / Recommender / Cost TableVisibility, optimization, and budget control
Sustainability / Carbon ToolsCustomer Carbon Footprint ToolSustainability CalculatorCarbon Footprint DashboardTrack and reduce environmental impact of workloads

⚙️ Quick “Best Fit” Summary

Goal / StrengthBest Cloud PlatformReason
Deep hybrid + enterprise integrationAzureTight with AD, Windows, Office, hybrid (Arc/Stack)
Data, AI/ML, analytics excellenceGCPVertex AI, BigQuery, Anthos multi-cloud flexibility
Breadth + maturity + global infraAWSMost regions, services, and integration depth
Edge, IoT, telecom integrationAWSWavelength, Snow devices, mature edge ecosystem
Governance & complianceAzureEnterprise policy management, compliance-ready
Multi-cloud consistencyGCP (Anthos)Native multi-cloud management built into stack

Cloud Architecture Mapping Table

A clear, concise, and precise comparison of how a modern full-stack or ML pipeline maps across AWS, Azure, and GCP — covering all architectural layers from frontend to DevOps.


🏗️ Cloud Architecture Mapping: AWS vs Azure vs GCP

Architecture LayerPurpose / FunctionAWSAzureGCP
🌐 Frontend HostingServe static web apps / SPAsS3 + CloudFront + Route 53Azure Static Web Apps / Blob + CDN + Front DoorCloud Storage (static hosting) + Cloud CDN + Cloud DNS
🚪 API Gateway / RoutingManage APIs, rate limits, routingAPI Gateway / ALBAzure API Management / Application GatewayAPI Gateway / Cloud Endpoints
⚙️ Backend Compute (Web / App Layer)Host APIs, microservicesEC2 / ECS / EKS / LambdaVirtual Machines / App Service / AKS / FunctionsCompute Engine / GKE / Cloud Run / Cloud Functions
🏭 Container Platform (Microservices)Deploy, scale containersECS / EKS / FargateAKS / Container AppsGKE / Cloud Run
🗃️ Database (SQL)Relational DB for app dataRDS (MySQL, PostgreSQL, Aurora)Azure SQL Database / PostgreSQL / MySQLCloud SQL / AlloyDB
🪵 Database (NoSQL)Fast key-value / document storeDynamoDBCosmos DBFirestore / Bigtable
📂 Object StorageStore files, images, backupsS3Blob StorageCloud Storage
📈 Data Warehouse / AnalyticsBI, OLAP, reportingRedshift / Athena / QuickSightSynapse Analytics / Power BIBigQuery / Looker
🔄 ETL / Data PipelinesTransform, process dataGlue / Data PipelineData FactoryDataflow / Dataprep
🧠 Machine Learning (Core Platform)Build/train/deploy ML modelsSageMakerAzure MLVertex AI
🧩 AI APIs (Pre-built)Vision, speech, NLP, translationRekognition / Polly / ComprehendCognitive ServicesVision AI / NLP / Translation APIs
💬 Messaging / EventsAsync communication / streamingSQS / SNS / KinesisService Bus / Event Hubs / Event GridPub/Sub / Eventarc
📦 Caching / AccelerationLow-latency in-memory cacheElastiCache (Redis/Memcached)Azure Cache for RedisMemorystore
🔐 Identity & AccessAuthentication / authorizationCognito / IAMAzure AD / B2CCloud Identity / Firebase Auth
📊 Monitoring & LoggingObservability, logs, metricsCloudWatch / X-Ray / CloudTrailAzure Monitor / Log Analytics / App InsightsCloud Monitoring / Cloud Logging / Trace
🧭 CI/CD (DevOps)Code build, deploy pipelinesCodePipeline / CodeBuild / CodeDeployAzure DevOps / GitHub ActionsCloud Build / Cloud Deploy
🧱 Infrastructure as Code (IaC)Automate infra provisioningCloudFormation / CDKARM Templates / Bicep / TerraformDeployment Manager / Terraform
🔒 Security & Key ManagementEncryption, secrets, complianceKMS / Secrets Manager / GuardDutyKey Vault / Defender for CloudCloud KMS / Secret Manager / Security Command Center
🏢 Governance & Policy MgmtCompliance, multi-account orgsControl Tower / Organizations / ConfigAzure Policy / BlueprintsOrganization Policy / Config Controller
🖧 Networking (Private Cloud)Network, subnets, routingVPC + Transit GatewayVirtual Network (VNet) + PeeringVPC + Shared VPC
📡 Load BalancingDistribute trafficELB / ALB / NLB / Route 53Azure Load Balancer / Front Door / App GatewayCloud Load Balancing / Cloud Armor
📦 CDN / Edge DeliveryGlobal caching, static contentCloudFrontAzure CDN / Front DoorCloud CDN
🛡️ DDoS / WAF ProtectionSecurity at the edgeAWS Shield / WAFAzure Front Door WAF / DefenderCloud Armor / WAF
🧮 Analytics / BI VisualizationBusiness intelligenceQuickSightPower BILooker / Data Studio
🪪 Data Catalog / GovernanceMetadata managementGlue Data CatalogAzure PurviewData Catalog
💾 Backup & DRRecovery / replicationAWS Backup / CloudEndureAzure Backup / Site RecoveryBackup & DR Service
🧍Hybrid Cloud / On-prem IntegrationCloud–on-prem unificationOutposts / Local ZonesAzure Stack / ArcAnthos / Bare Metal Solution
🌎 Global Edge / CDN / IoTContent delivery, edge computeCloudFront / Wavelength / GreengrassAzure Edge Zones / IoT HubCloud CDN / Distributed Cloud Edge / IoT Core
💰 Cost & FinOps ToolsBudgeting / spend trackingCost Explorer / Budgets / Trusted AdvisorCost Management / AdvisorBilling Reports / Recommender / Cost Table
☁️ Developer Tools / CLISDKs, terminals, automationAWS CLI / Cloud9Azure CLI / Visual Studio / VS Codegcloud / Cloud Shell / SDKs

⚙️ End-to-End Architecture Example (Web App / ML Pipeline)

LayerAWSAzureGCP
FrontendS3 + CloudFrontStatic Web Apps + CDNCloud Storage + Cloud CDN
API LayerAPI Gateway + LambdaAPI Management + FunctionsAPI Gateway + Cloud Functions
Business Logic / ServicesECS Fargate / EKSAKS / App ServiceGKE / Cloud Run
Database (Transactional)RDS (Aurora)Azure SQLCloud SQL
CachingElastiCacheAzure Cache for RedisMemorystore
Object StoreS3Blob StorageCloud Storage
Analytics / ReportsAthena / Redshift / QuickSightSynapse / Power BIBigQuery / Looker
ML ModelSageMakerAzure MLVertex AI
Pipeline AutomationStep FunctionsLogic AppsCloud Workflows
MonitoringCloudWatchAzure MonitorCloud Monitoring
DevOpsCodePipelineAzure DevOpsCloud Build
Security / IAMIAM + KMSAD + Key VaultIAM + Cloud KMS
Infra AutomationCloudFormationARM / BicepDeployment Manager
GovernanceControl TowerAzure PolicyOrg Policy Service
DR & BackupAWS BackupAzure Site RecoveryCloud Backup & DR

🔹 Summary: Platform Strengths per Layer

Layer TypeAWS StrengthAzure StrengthGCP Strength
Compute & OrchestrationMature, flexible options (EC2–Lambda–EKS)Strong hybrid and enterprise tie-inSimplified managed containers (GKE, Cloud Run)
Data & StorageRich data tiers (S3 + Glacier + RDS)Seamless SQL + Data Lake integrationUnified data + analytics (BigQuery + Cloud Storage)
AI/MLBroad SDKs + SageMakerTight Microsoft AI integrationNative AI-first stack (Vertex AI + BigQuery ML)
DevOps & CI/CDDeep AWS-native + TerraformStrong with GitHub + Azure DevOpsCloud-native CI/CD, fast builds
Hybrid & GovernanceOutposts + Control TowerAzure Arc (best hybrid)Anthos (best multicloud)
SecurityFine-grained IAM + KMSEnterprise-grade AD + DefenderSimplified IAM, least privilege by design

🧭 Cheat Summary

  • AWS → Best for breadth, reliability, global scale, and flexibility.
  • Azure → Best for hybrid, enterprise, Windows-based ecosystems.
  • GCP → Best for AI/ML, analytics, developer experience, and multicloud simplicity.

☁️ Cloud Learning & Icon Resources (AWS | Azure | GCP)

🧠 Official Learning Platforms

☁️ Cloud Provider🎓 Learning Website💡 Description
Amazon Web Services (AWS)AWS Skill BuilderFree official training portal by AWS — includes foundational, role-based, and specialty learning paths.
Microsoft AzureMicrosoft Learn for AzureMicrosoft’s interactive platform offering guided modules, sandbox labs, and certification prep.
Google Cloud Platform (GCP)Google Cloud Skills BoostHands-on labs, quests, and courses for GCP fundamentals, architecture, and ML tracks.

🎨 Official & Community Icon Libraries

☁️ Cloud Provider🖼️ Icon Library Website💬 One-line Description
AWS (Amazon Web Services)aws-icons.comA downloadable collection of SVG/PNG icons for AWS services — ideal for architecture diagrams.
Azure (Microsoft Cloud)az-icons.comA community-curated archive of 690+ official Azure service icons for diagrams and docs.
GCP (Google Cloud Platform)gcpicons.comA library of over 200 GCP service icons in SVG/PNG formats for use in system and solution diagrams.

💬 Quick Note

Use these sites to learn, visualize, and communicate your cloud architectures effectively:
🌐 Learn the services → 🧩 Use the icons → 🏗️ Design the architecture → 🚀 Deploy with clarity.

This post is licensed under CC BY 4.0 by the author.