AWS vs Azure: Which one is Better?

Cloud computing has completely changed the landscape of many businesses and their operations. With the cloud, your business is no longer constrained by a lack of resources and physical space. Cloud platforms like Amazon Web Service (AWS) and Azure offer ways to scale up resources when necessary. A detailed comparison of AWS vs Azure would help improve the decision-making when choosing between these two.   

According to Statista, AWS is the leading cloud provider with about 32 per cent market share, and Azure is slowly trying to catch up with a 23 per cent market share. In this blog, you will learn about AWS vs Azure with a detailed comparison and by the end, you will know which is better and which to choose. 

Table of Contents     

1) An Introduction to AWS  

2) An Introduction to Azure  

3) Detailed comparison of AWS and Azure  

4) Which one is better and what to choose?  

5) Conclusion    

An Introduction to AWS  

Today, AWS is one of the leading cloud service platforms and offers a wide range of services like storage, processing power, databases and machine learning services. Amazon offers AWS services across the globe with its extensive infrastructure and provides many functionalities and features.


 

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An Introduction to Azure It is a complete package from Microsoft, offering many services like cloud, databases, analytics, virtual machines, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning. It enables you to connect with Microsoft's applications and services effortlessly. It allows you to build, configure, release and manage applications and services on the cloud.


 

Detailed comparison of AWS and Azure  

In recent years the debate surrounding AWS vs Azure has increased significantly, as both the cloud providers now control a significant portion of the market. Both AWS and Azure are equally good in terms of performance and reliability. However, some subtle difference between AWS and Azure does exist. You can examine this using the following factors. 

Flexibility and scalability  

Flexibility and scalability are vital factors for business growth. When your business experiences explosive growth, its workload also increases. You need the right tools to scale your business and be flexible to changes. Both platforms provide tools and services to do exactly that.   

AWS: It can modify the resources needed based on the rising demand using its auto-scaling feature. It helps you manage resource consumption efficiently and provides you with the capability to handle sudden spikes in traffic.    

Azure: It provides scalability through features like Virtual Machine Scale Sets, allowing automatic scaling of virtual machines. Additionally, Azure Functions offer serverless computing, enabling organisations to scale individual functions based on demand. 

Uptime and availability  

When it comes to your business's reliability and continuity, the uptime and readiness of its services and features play a crucial role. Both platforms are excellent regarding network availability, and there will be little to no downtime. Here's how both of them fare against each other based on uptime and availability:   

AWS: It provides many tools and services like Availability Zones, which are Amazon's designated data centres. These data centres are spread geographically across various locations to reduce failures' severity and improve availability. It has an excellent reputation due to this reason.   

Azure: Like Amazon, Microsoft also stresses the importance of uptime and readiness. It also provides a service called Availability Sets which is similar to the one AWS offers. These sets reduce disruptions and increase their availability using virtual machines.   

Worldwide infrastructure  

The performance of a cloud network depends on various factors like latency and data redundancy. High latency can significantly reduce performance and negatively impact the user experience.    

Having a global infrastructure can help overcome issues like high latency and help comply with local regulations. Let's take a look at how they fare against each other when it comes to global infrastructure.   

AWS: It has a well-established global infrastructure network across many regions throughout the globe. These networks are called availability zones, and having such a vast network enables you to deploy applications close to the end-users region. By doing so, you can significantly improve the performance and reduce latency.   

Azure: Like AWS, it has a global presence and data across many regions. You can deploy your applications and services using its well-connected infrastructure and release them closer to the end-users' proximity. 

Application deployment  

Both platforms provide plenty of ways to develop and deploy applications. Here's the list of tools and services they offer:  

AWS: Lamda, Elastic Beanstalk, Batch, and container services facilitates application deployment on this platform.    

Azure: On the other hand, it also has many methods like app services, batches container services, functions and cloud services.   

On a side note, although AWS has as many methods as Azure to deploy apps, not all can host them. Microsoft is different, as it does have the capability to deploy and host them as well.


 

Third-party integration capabilities 

Having third-party integration capabilities is very useful as it lets you connect any third-party service or application you need. For any platform to support third-party integrations, a strong ecosystem is essential. You can improve performance by connecting your cloud system with these additional tools and services.    

Apart from this, it makes the platform more functional and flexible. These third-party integration services may drastically vary based on your cloud provider. Both platforms provide great integration functionalities.    

AWS: It has several integration options for third-party services and tools through its own Marketplace. Apart from this, it has several inbuilt tools and services that can also support it.   

Azure: It also provides third-party integration tools and services through its own Marketplace. This enables organisations to increase their Azure deployments without any issues.   

Development tools  

The performance and capability of your development team depend on the tools and frameworks available at their disposal. They will be much more productive when they have access to many tools and frameworks.    

AWS: It offers many tools and frameworks for developers and has its own Integrated Development Environment (IDE) called Cloud9. Some of the development tools provided by it are listed below:   

a) AWS Command Line Interface (CLI): It is a tool used for managing services using the command line and automated scripts   

b) AWS Software Development Kits (SDKs): It is used for building and deploying applications and services for JavaScript   

c) AWS CloudFormation: It is an Infrastructure as a code service that you can use to provision and control resources   

Azure: It has no shortage of development tools and frameworks and can work with IDEs like Visual Studio and Visual Studio code. Here are the development tools it offers:   

a) Azure PowerShell: It is a module used for managing resources and for automating the management process   

b) Azure CLI: It is a tool used for connecting resources using a command line interface and has cross-platform capabilities   

c) Azure DevOps: It is a software-as-a-service platform that provides end-to-end services, tools and DevOps methodologies   

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Support of programming languages  

A good platform should support as many programming languages as possible to make it easier for developers to leverage their skills and knowledge. It also makes it easy for developers with specific backgrounds to build and deploy tools immediately, as they don't have to learn a new language.   

AWS: It can support several programming languages and provides detailed guides and documentation for them. Here is the list of languages it supports:   

a) Python   

b) Java   

c) Ruby   

d) .NET   

e) Node.js   

Azure: Like AWS, it also supports some of the popular programming languages and provides libraries, tools and SDKs for them. It can also support languages like Java, .Net and Python, etc.   

Hybrid Capabilities

 

Infrastructure is vital for an organisation to perform its daily activities. These can be classified into two types, namely, on-premise and cloud. On-premise infrastructure is a conventional infrastructure that requires a lot of physical space. So, it can be costly to maintain or upgrade its resources. Cloud infrastructure is affordable and doesn't require any physical space.    

A hybrid environment is a modern approach that combines both public and private cloud infrastructure. It helps create a unified environment for managing the data. It is becoming more popular owing to its flexibility and control.   

AWS: It provides various tools and services like Outposts for hybrid cloud deployments, combining its services and infrastructure with the on-premise systems. It also improves networking performance using tools like Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) to link its services with the on-premise infrastructure.   

Azure: It offers many hybrid cloud tools like Azure Arc to control and release services across environments like on-premise, multi-cloud and Edge. Apart from this, it can also spread its services to on-premise centres using a service called Stack.   

Analysing the features like third-party integration, supported programming languages development frameworks and tools, and hybrid cloud capabilities help properly evaluate a platform. You can use this information to choose the one that best suits your business needs.   

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Data privacy and protection 

Privacy is the most important criterion for many people when storing data. It is paramount for businesses dealing with tons of clients' data, as failing to maintain privacy will have catastrophic results.    

So, when choosing a cloud platform for your business, you should choose one that gives the utmost importance to data privacy and protection. In this regard, both platforms are excellent and offer many features and tools to ensure it.    

AWS: Regarding safety and security, it offers plenty of useful tools and various techniques like encryption for protecting data in rest and transit. Some of these tools and techniques are listed below:   

a) AWS Key Management Service: It helps create and handle encryption keys which can be used for data protection by adding an extra layer of security   

b) Identity and Access Management: This tool lets you control data and systems access in your organisation and ensure only authorised users get access.   

Azure: It also offers various tools and techniques for data protection. Disk encryption and Storage service encryption are some of the tools it uses for encrypting data. Here are some of the Azure tools used for securing data.   

a) Azure Key Vault: It is used for securely storing as well as accessing secrets like passwords, API keys and certificates   

b) Azure Active Directory: It is an access management service very similar to AWS IAM and provides access to external resources. 

Compliance  

No matter your industry, rules and regulations will always be there, and businesses must comply. Having a compliance certification help prove that your business is following the rules and regulations. Security and compliance are the most necessary features when it comes to safety and security. Some of the security and compliance measures provided by both these platforms are listed below:   

AWS: It is very well known for complying with the safety requirements. These certifications help fulfil the high standards set by regulatory bodies across several industries. Some of its compliance certifications are listed below:   

a) ISO 27001   

b) HIPAA   

c) GPDR   

d) SOC 1   

e) SOC 2   

Azure: It is also fully committed to safety and security and offers various certifications, such as ISO 27001, GPDR and HIPAA, etc.   

Security features 

Both AWS vs Azure provide robust security features and controls to protect cloud environments. Let's take a look at some of their security features below:   

AWS: It has many safety features and controls that help better protect your data. Here are the tools it uses for protecting your data:   

a) Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (VPC): It lets you build a virtual network without requiring hardware and VPNs. 

b) AWS Web Application Firewall (WAF): It is a type of firewall that helps protect your application from web-based attacks.   

c) AWS Shield: It helps protect applications and services running on its cloud platform from Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks. 

Azure: It has many in-built features for protecting the applications and services running on its cloud platform. Let's have a look at some of its security features below:   

a) Azure firewall: It is very similar to WAF that helps safeguards applications from web attacks   

b) Azure Virtual Network (VNet): It helps create secure, isolated environments called subnets, which helps your resources connect to the internet in a safe way   

c) Azure DDoS: It helps safeguard your apps and services by minimising and preventing DDoS attacks   

Network  

When it comes to network performance, both have stable and secure networks, and the latency is very low. So, you can expect optimal networking performance on both platforms. Let’s see how both of them fare against each other when it comes to network security.  

AWS: Amazon Web Services lets you build safe and secure private networks in the cloud. So, if you are stressed about privacy and security, then this is your cup of tea.  

Azure: It also has the capability to build secure private networks. It can also create a private environment where your resources can safely connect to the internet.  

However, since Azure is not open source but is in the process of transitioning, the open-source community wildly favours AWS over others. They believe it to be better and more effective for maintaining and using the networks effectively. Thus, from the viewpoint of network, in this debate of AWS vs Azure, AWS is the clear winner.  

Which one is better and what to choose?  

You have learned about AWS vs Azure with a detailed side-by-side comparison. However, when it comes to ultimately deciding which one is better, you need to consider a few factors, like their benefits.  

Benefits of Azure

It has various benefits like superior performance, in-built tools, end-to-end services, etc. Here are the benefits of Azure:   

Performance: 

It allows you to scale your current capacity by upgrading your plans and providing new tools and features. It has multiple data centres located all across the globe, which also helps accelerate the scaling process.   

In-built tools: 

One of the main problems many organisations face when using a cloud provider is that you have very few tools to start with. If you need to use a tool, you either have to obtain it from a third-party provider, or you need to create it from scratch. This process is very expensive and time-consuming.    

Azure provides many in-built tools to overcome this issue, so you don't need to waste your time and money. Plus, it allows you to focus on developing your business without worrying about the technical side of things.   

End-to-End services:    

It offers end-to-end services that cover all the processes from source control to service delivery. The best part is that these services are created in a way without affecting the current services that are already deployed and used.   

Benefits of AWS

From flexibility to scalability, it has many benefits; learning about them can help you determine which is best and what to choose.   

Easy to use:    

The user interface of AWS is very simple, intuitive and easy to use, so even a complete beginner can use it without any issues. If you want to explore the UI, you can create a free account immediately. Besides, it provides detailed guides and documentation to learn more about its services and integration processes.   

Storage:    

It offers unlimited data, which you can use for data archiving and backups. Its S3 storage system has advanced features and capabilities and completely covers your storage needs.   

Security:    

It uses security measures like Identity Access management to ensure safe access for authorised users and prevent unauthorised persons from accessing the platform. It also can prevent threats and security issues using Transport Layer Security certificates.   

Global backups:     

Imagine a situation where you rely on a cloud provider for data storage. Let's assume this provider stores your data in a regional facility, and all your backups are stored in the same facility or facilities nearby the same region. Now, you are at risk of losing your entire data if something happens to the regional facility, like a power surge or a natural disaster.   

Amazon has created multiple data centres across the globe that has backups of your data across various regions. So even if one region were to experience data loss, your data would still be safe and secure at its global centre.   

Open source:  

Amazon AWS is one of the pioneers in open source on the cloud. It integrates with apps built using open source and supports platforms like Linux. So, if you are a Linux enthusiast, you will probably like it as you can get more out of it.    

Conclusion    

We hope you understand everything about AWS vs Azure with a detailed comparison. You would have also gained insight into which one is better and what to choose. Both platforms offer many useful features and functionalities and give significant importance to data security.  

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