Which cloud infrastructure provider is right for you? The answer really depends on what your needs are, and what you want to do with the services they offer. AWS and Azure each provide a different set of features that make them unique. AWS offers a wide range of storage solutions, while Azure focuses more on its compute power. Let’s take a look at some pros and cons so we can help you decide which service will work best for your business!
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What is AWS?
AWS is a popular cloud computing service that was introduced by Amazon in 2006. AWS provides services like compute power, databases, and storage at an affordable price for individuals and businesses. It has grown over the years to offer additional features such as web hosting,
compute engines, or data analytics tools. With this many options available on one platform, it’s no wonder why so many companies choose AWS!
What is Azure?
Azure is a cloud computing service from Microsoft. Azure provides services like compute power, databases, and storage at an affordable price for individuals and businesses. Microsoft has put a lot of effort into making Azure a secure cloud solution.
Both of the cloud platforms are high comparative, however, a couple of things we need to consider when choosing a cloud platform.
AWS has a larger number of regions than Azure
Azure is offered in 18 regions or locations, while AWS currently has 33.
AWS also tends to be more expensive than Azure for some of the same services. On average, AWS pricing is about 20% higher than that of Azure.
AWS offers more features, such as Elastic Load Balancing and Auto Scaling, that are not available in Azure
AWS offers features, such as Elastic Load Balancing and Auto Scaling that are not available in Azure.
These features allow customers to more dynamically scale their resources up or down based on their current needs without having the hassle of manually doing this themselves. These services are typically charged per usage instead of a flat monthly rate like other AWS products. This means they can be costly for some organizations with lower traffic volumes because there is no set-up fee or long-term contract for these services when trying them out before purchasing them outright.
AWS has more support options than Azure
Support Options: AWS has more support options than Azure. For example, they offer 24/365 phone support and some chat features as well. They also have a service called Answer Desk that can be used to ask questions about services or products not listed in the knowledge base for free with no wait time. Azure does offer this as an additional option at an additional cost though there are generally fewer third-party providers available when it comes to doing customer research on their offerings like AWS and Google Cloud Platform (GCP).
Windows-based applications run better on Azure
- Azure is a better choice than AWS for businesses that need to run Windows-based applications or software. AWS uses Linux and Amazon’s own fork of it called “Amazon Linux” while Azure runs on Windows Server with Hyper V being the underlying virtualization platform.
- This means that customers who are using Microsoft SQL server will have a better experience running these databases in an environment like Azure as they would be far more compatible, faster, and offer greater performance overall.
Who is best for small businesses with limited resources
If you are a small business and have limited resources then Azure might be the better choice for you. Azure is cheaper than AWS and has more features, with its own data center in many different countries across the world which means that it can offer greater speed and performance to customers running applications on their servers while also not having to worry about any of the physical infrastructure needed by Amazon’s cloud service.
- They also give each customer an individualized quota plan so they don’t need to pay upfront but instead get billed based on how much space they use as well as other factors like bandwidth or compute usage. This way there is no risk if your company starts out needing less power than what was originally planned for.
AWS has better options for DevOps
Even though Azure is cheaper but AWS has better options for DevOps and customers who are looking to make more of their infrastructure development in-house.
AWS is also better suited for storing highly sensitive data, as the company has a very strict security program that includes encrypting all customer content both at rest and on the wire with AES 256 bit encryption or higher. Azure does not offer this level of protection.
Final Thoughts on the Best Cloud Infrastructure Provider for You
The answer really depends on the size and needs of the business. If you are a large enterprise, AWS is probably your best bet because it offers more robust support for DevOps and data protection than Azure does. For smaller businesses that need to keep their IT costs down but still want access to quality services like virtual desktops or Active Directory authentication, then Microsoft’s offering would be better suited.
Conclusion
Choosing an IT provider can be a difficult process. But, it doesn’t have to be! The information we’ve provided will help you discern which of these cloud providers is the best choice for your business needs and budget. If you still feel uncertain or would like more guidance in making this important decision, please leave us a comment below. We’re happy to answer any questions that may arise during our discussion about AWS VS Azure Cloud Infrastructure Providers – so keep reading if you want even more information on choosing one!
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