AWS vs Azure vs Google Cloud: Which One Should You Learn?
Organizations today are increasingly migrating to the cloud to become more cost-efficient, agile, and innovative in operating their businesses. This has opened up huge job opportunities for professionals with cloud skills.
If you are new to cloud computing or want to add cloud experience to your resume, this blog can help you get started in this booming field. In this article, we will compare the leading cloud vendors – AWS vs Azure vs Google Cloud. We will take a closer look at the top three cloud platforms and their key differences to help you decide which one should you learn.
In this article, we will cover:
- Overview of Cloud Computing
- AWS vs Azure vs Google Cloud Comparison
- Amazon Web Service
- Microsoft Azure
- Google Cloud Platform
- Which one should you learn?
Overview of Cloud Computing
Cloud computing refers to the delivery of on-demand computing services such as applications, storage, and processing power. All these resources are offered over the web on a pay-as-you-go basis. It means that instead of investing in computing infrastructure and incurring upfront costs, organizations rent access to the services from a cloud-based service provider. They only pay for what they use. The cloud service providers benefit from great economies of scale as they deliver similar services to different clients.
Benefits of Migrating to the Cloud
- Flexibility
- Agility
- Cost reduction
- Faster innovation
- Security
- Quality control
- Competitive advantage
- Sustainability
- Loss Prevention
- Improved performance
Best Cloud Computing Courses
Regardless of the cloud platform you choose, you should have a good understanding of the core concepts and architecture of cloud computing before deep-diving into a specific cloud platform. It will help you understand vendor-specific technology better.
Here are some of the best courses to learn cloud computing
- Introduction to Cloud Computing on Coursera
- Cloud Computing Basics: Enhance your career as Cloud Engineer on Udemy
- Cloud Computing by NPTEL
- Cloud Computing Basics (Cloud 101) on Coursera
- TOTAL: Cloud Computing / CompTIA Cloud+ Cert. (CV0-002) on Udemy
- Cloud Computing for Enterprises on edX
Best-suited AWS Certification courses for you
Learn AWS Certification with these high-rated online courses
AWS vs Azure vs Google Cloud Comparison
| Basis Of Comparison | Amazon Web Services (AWS) | Microsoft Azure | Google Cloud Platform (GCP) |
| Market Share (As of Q2 2021) | Leads the cloud market share (31%) | Takes second place in the market share (22%) | Third in the market share (8%) |
| Availability Zones | 81 availability zones in 25 geographic regions | 60+ global regions | 85 zones in 200+ countries & territories |
| Top Customers | Netflix, Airbnb, Capital One | Toyota, Daikin, Fujifilm | PayPal, Twitter, Forbes, FedEx |
| Certification Levels | Foundational, Associate, Professional, Specialty | Fundamental, Associate, Expert | Foundational, Associate, Professional, Looker |
| Popular Learning Paths/Job Roles | Solutions Architect, DevOps Engineer, SysOps Administrator, Cloud Practioner, Data Analytics | Administrator, Business Analyst, Data Scientist, DevOps Engineer, Network Engineer, Solution Architect | Cloud Digital Leader, Cloud Engineer, Cloud Architect, Data Engineer, Cloud DevOps Engineer, Looker Business Analyst |
| Top Online Courses | Top AWS Courses | Top Azure Courses | Top GCP Courses |
Amazon Web Services (AWS) vs Microsoft Azure vs Google Cloud Platform
Here’s the overview of each of the top three cloud service providers to help you make an informed decision.
Amazon Web Services
Amazon Web Services (AWS) is a comprehensive cloud computing platform offered by Amazon. It was the early leader in public cloud computing that began offering IT infrastructure services to businesses in the form of web services in 2006. AWS holds the largest share of the cloud market.
AWS consists of many different cloud computing products and services including compute, storage, analytics, databases, networking, mobile, developer tools, management tools, and IoT. It has a huge community of customers and partners which include enterprises, startups, and government agencies.
Updates in AWS in 2023
- AWS has introduced new features and services to enhance cloud computing, including the launch of new instances and additional support for containerized applications.
- The AWS Wavelength has expanded to additional locations, providing ultra-low latency and high bandwidth for mobile and edge devices.
- AWS has made advancements in machine learning with the introduction of new tools and capabilities.
Explore the Top Reasons to Learn AWS
Key Features of AWS
- Reliable, scalable, and low-cost infrastructure platform
- Over 200 fully-featured services
- A flexible and secure cloud computing environment
- 81 availability zones in 25 geographic regions across the world
AWS Certifications
AWS offers a variety of certifications to help you validate your AWS Cloud skills and enhance your credibility. AWS certifications show that you have a conceptual knowledge of the platform and hands-on experience with the AWS infrastructure. To know more about AWS certifications, read our blog – Different Levels of AWS Certifications Explained
AWS Courses
- AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional on Pluralsight
- AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner – Complete Course NEW 2021 on Udemy
- AWS Certification Training for Solutions Architect on Edureka
- AWS Certified Machine Learning Specialty 2021 – Hands On! on Udemy
Also Read: Which AWS Certification Should You Choose and Why?
Microsoft Azure
Microsoft Azure is Microsoft’s public cloud computing platform that was announced in October 2008 and became available in February 2010. It is the closest competitor of AWS. The platform offers a broad range of products and cloud services to enable businesses to address today’s challenges and create the future. Azure’s product portfolio includes compute, AI & Machine Learning, analytics, databases, DevOps, IoT, networking, storage, web, and security. Azure’s customers include enterprises, governments, and startups
Key Features of Azure
- More than 200 products and cloud services
- 90+ compliance offerings
- 95 percent of the Fortune 500 companies rely on Azure
- Datacentres in 60+ global regions
Updates in Microsoft Azure in 2023
- Azure announced the retirement of unmanaged disks scheduled for 30 September 2025.
- The retirement date for Classic VM has been extended to September 1st, 2023.
- Azure has made the automatic deletion of a VM and its associated resources simultaneously generally available.
- Azure Data Lake Analytics now supports new policies for managing compute resources.
- Availability Zones (AZ) support for Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) is in development.
Microsoft Azure Certifications
Microsoft certifications provide globally recognized validation of mastering skills in digital and cloud businesses. They are categorized into a role-based structure which includes Fundamental, Associate, and Expert Levels.
Top Microsoft Azure Courses
- Microsoft Certified Azure Fundamentals by Microsoft
- Implementing Web and Mobile Services on Microsoft Azure on Pluralsight
- Getting Started with Azure on Coursera
- AZ-900: Microsoft Azure Fundamentals Exam Prep – MAY 2021 on Udemy
Google Cloud Platform
Google Cloud Platform (GCP) is a suite of cloud computing services offered by Google. Many leading companies across industries rely on Google Cloud to solve their business challenges. Some of its popular cloud services include computing, data analytics, data storage, networking, IoT, and machine learning.
Key Features of GCP
- Open source, multi-cloud, and hybrid cloud
- Over 100 products
- A global network spanning across 200+ countries & territories, 85 zones
- Trust and security
Updates in Google Cloud Platform in 2023
- Google Cloud announced the general availability of C3 machine series on Intel Sapphire Rapids.
- Google Cloud now includes 200 GB free Standard Tier internet data transfer per month.
- New firewall policies and IAM-governed Tags have been introduced to make customizations easier.
- Google Cloud introduced flexible new cloud services and pricing.
- Google Distributed Cloud announced new AI and data services.
Google Cloud Platform Certifications
Google Cloud certifications validate your knowledge and skills to transform businesses with Google Cloud technology. GCP certifications are categorized into Foundational, Associate, Professional, and Looker levels.
Top GCP Courses
- Understanding Your Google Cloud Platform (GCP) Costs on Coursera
- Google Cloud Platform Professional Cloud Architect by Google
- Designing Scalable Data Architectures on the Google Cloud on Pluralsight
- Modernizing Data Lakes and Data Warehouses with GCP on Coursera
Want to become a Cloud Expert? Read our detailed Google Cloud Platform Courses And Careers Guide
AWS vs Azure vs Google Tools & Services
| Basis Of Comparison | Amazon Web Services (AWS) | Microsoft Azure | Google Cloud Platform (GCP) |
| Compute | Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) | Virtual Machines | Compute Engine |
| Caching | Elastic Cache | Redis Cache | Cloud CDN |
| Storage of Object | Amazon S3 | Block Blob | Cloud Storage |
| Maximum processors in VM | 128 | 128 | 96 |
| File Storage | EFS | Azure Files | ZFS and Avere |
| Managed Data Warehouse | Redshift | SQL Warehouse | Big Query |
| Networking | Amazon VPC | Virtual Network | Cloud Virtual Network |
AWS vs Azure vs Google Cloud – Which One Should You Learn?
| Why Learn Amazon Web Services (AWS)? | Why Learn Microsoft Azure? | Why Learn Google Cloud Platform (GCP)? |
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Check out the Top Reasons to Learn AWS
Conclusion
Today, Amazon Web Services is leading the public cloud market and is continuing to grow. At the same time, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud Platform are also progressing to gain market share.
Many companies which have already finished moving to the cloud are now considering a multi-platform approach. They are focusing on enabling a multi-cloud strategy where they can choose the best features and strengths of each cloud service provider.
So, which platform is good to have AWS or Azure or Google Cloud? It depends on several factors such as your educational background, work experience, the industry you work in, and your long-term goals.
Choosing a particular cloud platform from AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud will help you focus your learning efforts and start your cloud journey. Later on, you can expand your knowledge by learning about other platforms. You can build diverse cloud skills and gain a competitive edge in this growing field.
FAQs
What are the different types of cloud computing services?
The different types of cloud computing services are Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), Platforms-as-a-Service (PaaS), and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS).
Which are the top cloud computing providers?
The top three cloud computing providers are Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP).
What are the advantages of cloud computing?
Some of the advantages of cloud computing are lowered costs, security, flexibility, scalability, and disaster recovery.
What are the job opportunities for those with cloud certifications?
AWS vs Azure vs GCP certifications can open doors to endless job opportunities. All three certifications can help you land high-paying and rewarding jobs in the cloud field. Some of the popular job roles in the cloud computing field include Cloud Software Engineer, Operational Support Engineer, DevOps Engineer, AWS Solutions Architect, Azure Administrator, Azure Solution Architect, Azure DevOps Engineer, Cloud Developer, and Cloud Administrator.
What are the skills required to learn cloud computing?
The top skills required to build a successful career in the cloud field as a cloud computing architect or engineer include Platform Expertise, Selecting the Right Services, Cloud Security, Database skills, DevOps, Machine Learning and AI, Cloud migration and deployment, Serverless architecture, Programming languages, Automation, and Linux.
How to develop cloud computing skills?
To gain cloud computing skills, you can consider an online course in cloud computing. There are many online cloud computing courses available on popular platform vendors such as Coursera, Udemy, and edX that are designed by industry experts and instructors from top universities across the world. Online courses enable you to build your cloud computing skills through video lectures, hands-on projects, real-world examples, case studies, and more. Besides online courses, you can gain cloud computing skills through books, video tutorials, and blogs.
Anshuman Singh is an accomplished content writer with over three years of experience specializing in cybersecurity, cloud computing, networking, and software testing. Known for his clear, concise, and informative wr... Read Full Bio
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