Cloud Platform Comparison: AWS vs GCP vs Azure

Feature / Category	AWS (Amazon Web Services)	GCP (Google Cloud Platform)	Azure (Microsoft Azure)
Launched	2006	2011	2010
Parent Company	Amazon	Google	Microsoft
Market Share (2025 est.)	~31%	~10%	~25%
Core Strength	Infrastructure and global coverage	Data, AI/ML, analytics	Enterprise integration and hybrid cloud
Compute Services	EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud)	Compute Engine	Virtual Machines
Serverless Computing	AWS Lambda	Cloud Functions	Azure Functions
Container Services	ECS, EKS (Kubernetes)	GKE (Google Kubernetes Engine)	AKS (Azure Kubernetes Service)
Storage Options	S3 (Simple Storage Service)	Cloud Storage	Blob Storage
Database Services	RDS, DynamoDB, Aurora	Cloud SQL, Firestore, BigQuery	SQL Database, Cosmos DB
AI / Machine Learning	SageMaker, Rekognition, Polly	TensorFlow, Vertex AI	Azure ML, Cognitive Services
Networking	VPC, CloudFront, Route 53	VPC, Cloud CDN	Virtual Network, CDN
Pricing Model	Pay-as-you-go, per-second billing	Pay-as-you-go, per-second billing	Pay-as-you-go, per-minute billing
Free Tier	12 months plus always-free services	12 months plus always-free services	12 months plus always-free services
Hybrid Cloud	AWS Outposts	Anthos	Azure Arc
CI/CD and DevOps Tools	CodeBuild, CodePipeline	Cloud Build, Cloud Deploy	Azure DevOps, Pipelines
Data Analytics	Redshift, Athena	BigQuery	Synapse Analytics
Global Data Centers	100+ Availability Zones in 30+ regions	40+ regions	60+ regions
Identity and Access Management	IAM	Cloud IAM	Azure Active Directory (AAD)
Security and Compliance	High, supports all major certifications	High, strong data encryption	High, enterprise-grade compliance
Integration with Other Services	Amazon ecosystem (Prime, Alexa, etc.)	Google Workspace, YouTube, Ads	Microsoft 365, Windows Server
Best For	Startups, enterprises, scalable web apps	AI/ML, data-heavy workloads	Enterprises, Microsoft ecosystem users
Learning Curve	Moderate to High	Moderate	Easier for Microsoft users
Documentation and Community	Largest and mature	Developer-friendly	Enterprise-focused

Summary

Cloud	Strength	Weakness	Ideal For
AWS	Most mature, wide range of services	Complex pricing	Startups, global SaaS products
GCP	Best for AI, ML, and Big Data	Smaller enterprise adoption	Developers, data-driven apps
Azure	Tight integration with Microsoft stack	Pricing can be tricky	Enterprises using Microsoft 365 or Windows Server

Recommendation for Developers

Use Case	Best Option
Hosting Laravel or PHP App	AWS Lightsail or EC2
Running ML or AI Workflows	GCP (Vertex AI)
Enterprise App with Microsoft stack (.NET, SQL Server)	Azure
Budget-friendly web hosting and scaling	GCP or AWS Free Tier

Strategic Summary for a Developer

Choose AWS if:
- You need the widest possible range of services and features.
- Your project has very specific requirements that only AWS might fulfill.
- You are following an architecture that is well-documented in the AWS ecosystem.
- It's the "safe" choice for enterprise projects.
Choose Azure if:
- Your organization is a "Microsoft shop" using Windows Server, Active Directory, SharePoint, and Office 365.
- You have a strong requirement for a hybrid cloud (connecting on-premises data centers to the cloud).
- You are developing .NET applications, as the integration is seamless.
Choose GCP if:
- Your project is data-heavy and revolves around analytics, AI, or ML. BigQuery and Vertex AI are best-in-class.
- You are heavily invested in the Kubernetes ecosystem (GKE is the most native and feature-rich).
- You are building a greenfield project and value a simpler, often more cost-effective pricing model.
- You are leveraging open-source technologies heavily.

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