HomeBlogCloud ComputingAzure vs GCP (Google Cloud Platform): Which One to Choose?
Azure vs Google Cloud: Which is better? This question is often asked as businesses continue to understand the cloud’s usefulness and services. Sometimes, considering the three leading players in the cloud market, businesses search for the right cloud among the three to adopt. Questions such as which is better and easier to learn AWS, Azure, or GCP are often asked by organization leaders before starting out on their cloud journey. These cloud platforms offer many services catering to modern businesses and their IT needs. With the changing post-COVID pandemic world, cloud platforms continue to transform and lead the IT ecosystem.
After the inception of the Generative AI era and with Generative AI cloud services competing head-on, the major players in the market continue to be Azure and Google Cloud Platform. In my professional experience, I have seen a boom in demand for Generative AI cloud services after the introduction of ChatGPT and Bard.
Today, businesses want to transform digitally, foster innovation, and reinvent their existing processes using the power of cloud services while saving huge costs and upfront investments. But how do you really know which is better - AWS, GCP, or Azure? Azure Architect course will help you decide which one to go forward with.
In this article, we will explore two leading platforms, Azure and GCP, and how they compare. We will probe into deep technical dimensions, understand which cloud platform might be a preferred choice for a specific use case, and finally answer this question: GCP or Azure, which is better? So, let’s dive in!
Microsoft Azure, also called Azure, is a cloud computing platform created by Microsoft. It provides more than 200 cloud services and products that enable organizations to build, run, and manage applications and services through Microsoft-managed data centers. Azure can serve businesses of all sizes, from startups to massive corporations. We can build, deploy, run, and manage our workloads across multiple Azure services. With Azure, organizations can operate in hybrid cloud environments seamlessly.
Azure's robust and secure infrastructure helps customers migrate to the cloud with confidence. If a particular service doesn't fit our use case, there is another service that is most suitable for our requirements. The diverse services in Azure come with a variety of features that help businesses pick the right solution to their problem.
Reflecting upon some of the capabilities of Azure, we can build scalable websites and web workloads and deploy them faster with DevOps tools such as Azure DevOps, Azure Functions, and Azure Logic apps. We can simplify cloud management and deployment with the Azure Automation service. To fully manage and scale the storage needs of the workloads, we can leverage Azure Database services, Managed Disks, Archive Storage, and Azure Cosmos. Businesses can accelerate their cloud migration journey by using Azure services such as Azure Migrate. To make the customer's digital transformation journey easier and more compliant, Azure offers cloud management and governance tools such as Cloud Monitor, Resource Manager, Azure Lighthouse, etc.
This is not an exhaustive list of all the offerings of Azure, but these services are enough to bring out the power, diverse portfolio, and flexibility of the Azure platform.
The Google Cloud Platform (GCP) is a cloud computing platform created by Google. GCP provides over 150 products and services to help build, deploy, run, and analyze large workloads quickly. It provides a diverse range of services to solve industry challenges or use cases. It helps improve efficiency and agility, reduce costs, and build innovative solutions. From building a three-tier web app to deploying an AI/ML image processing pipeline, Google Cloud is capable of a lot. Infrastructure and application modernization, smart analytics, artificial intelligence, security, productivity and work transformation, etc. are some of the solutions that GCP provides to its customers. Google Cloud's strength lies in data-driven transformation and its ability to analyze and process humongous amounts of data. GCP leverages its extensive global network of data centers to offer speed and scalability in its offerings.
Google's BigQuery, which is a managed enterprise data warehousing service, is the unique selling point of Google Cloud. Because of its distributed parallel processing architecture, Google BigQuery is a prominent choice for petabyte-scale data analytic workloads in any industry. We can even build analytics and operationalize machine learning models on top of BigQuery data using the built-in BigQuery ML feature. Apart from this, GCP provides extensive offerings for computing, databases, storage, security and compliance, key management, identity and administration, machine learning, big data, etc. to its users.
As Google Cloud was late to the cloud computing party, it continues to evolve with new offerings and new features in existing offerings. It is strengthening its service portfolio and gaining more traction from customers day by day.
Though both cloud platforms Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud Platform (GCP) offer a wide range of comprehensive tools and services, they have distinct strengths. Still, we might wonder: GCP or Azure: which is better? While Azure focuses on building and deploying applications, Google Cloud is best known for its machine learning and data analytics offerings.
Below is the comparison table highlighting the key parameters for Azure and Google Cloud:
Parameter | Microsoft Azure | Google Cloud Platform (GCP) |
Market Position | Second-largest cloud computing platform, with a 23% market share in Q1 2023. | Third-largest cloud computing platform, with a 10% market share in Q1 2023. |
Pricing Models | Pay-as-you-go model, reserved instances, spot instances, hybrid cost benefits | Pay-as-you-go model, sustained use discounts, preemptible instances, and custom pricing benefits |
Storage Services | Azure Blob Storage, Azure Files, Azure Tables, Azure Queues, and Azure Data Lake | Cloud SQL, Cloud Spanner, BigTable, Cloud Storage, and BigQuery |
Compute Services | Virtual Machines, Azure App Service, Azure Kubernetes Service, and Azure Functions | Google Compute Engine, Kubernetes Engine, and App Engine |
Networking Services | Azure Virtual Network, Azure ExpressRoute, Azure Load Balancer, and VPN Gateway | Cloud VPC, Cloud Interconnect, Cloud Load Balancing, VPN, and Cloud DNS |
Machine Learning | Azure AI and Cognitive Services for AI and ML applications | AutoML, TensorFlow, and Vertex AI |
Enterprise Focus | Strong enterprise focus with integration with the Windows environment. | Focus on cloud-native development, data analytics, Generative AI, and ML. |
Integration | Suitable for organizations using mostly Windows-based systems. Strong integration with Microsoft products and services. | Integrates well with Google Workspace, Gmail, and Google Analytics. |
| Virtual Machines | Provides a diverse selection of VM kinds and sizes. Windows and Linux are supported. | Custom machine types are available. Provides several virtualization alternatives, with a focus on Linux. |
| Content Delivery | Azure Content Delivery Network | Google Cloud CDN |
| Data Analytics | Azure Synapse Analytics, Azure Data Factory, and Azure Databricks | BigQuery (the most famous), Dataflow, Dataproc, and Dataprep |
| Data transfer costs | Inbound data is often free; however, data transfer between Azure regions may incur costs. | Data transfer costs are applicable between regions and to and from the internet. |
| Data warehousing | Redshift | BigQuery |
| Cost Management | Azure Advisor, Azure Cost Management, and Azure Billing | Google Cloud Cost Management, Billing Reports, and Cost Explorer |
| Kubernetes Service | Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) | Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) |
| Strengths | Strong compliance offerings, Windows integration, and enterprise capabilities | Data analytics, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and Kubernetes |
Additionally, we can refer to Google’s blog on GCP and Azure service comparisons to understand and answer our main question: GCP or Azure: which is better?
Azure offers a flexible and all-inclusive pricing structure that can support various consumption patterns. Important elements of Azure's price include:
To accommodate varied company demands, Google Cloud Platform also offers variable pricing choices. Important elements of GCP's price include:
Using the Azure pricing calculator and the Google Cloud pricing calculator, we will find that although, in general, the pricing is similar for both platforms, there are certain services that are expensive and that are cheaper in Azure than in Google Cloud.
Azure, for instance, charges more for virtual machines with fewer than 4 vCPUs, while Google Cloud charges more for those with more than 8 vCPUs.
Azure and Google Cloud both provide similar storage services in general. However, there are a few significant variations:
The ideal storage option will ultimately depend on our unique needs and demands.
Azure and Google Cloud both offer primary compute services which can be compared as follows:
In general, networking services are comparable between Azure and Google Cloud. However, there are a few significant variations:
Microsoft Azure:
Microsoft Azure was officially launched in October 2010 as Windows Azure. Its development began as a part of a project named "Project Red Dog". Later in 2014, the name changed to Microsoft Azure. Microsoft Azure’s establishment was heavily influenced by the years-long dominant presence of Microsoft’s technologies such as Windows Server,.NET, Active Directory, etc. Azure aimed to integrate seamlessly with these technologies to bring a whole cloud package to the customer that was compatible with the existing platforms.
Talking about Azure's data center, Microsoft’s extensive experience in building software, hardware, and data center management helped Azure build a global network of data centers at a fast pace.
Google Cloud:
Google Cloud was launched in April 2008 with a preview of App Engine, an offering to build and run web-based applications. Google Cloud’s establishment was rooted in Google’s extensive experience in managing and optimizing data centers for its own services such as Gmail, Google Search, etc. Because of its experience dealing with and handling humongous amounts of data, GCP became a popular choice for data analytics among the three cloud giants: AWS, Azure, and GCP. Moreover, Google developed Kubernetes, which is an open-source container orchestration platform that was later integrated into the cloud as a managed Kubernetes Engine. Other cloud platforms, like AWS and Azure, are also using Kubernetes.
Availability zones are a part of cloud infrastructure, and both Azure and GCP provide them. Availability zones are designed to bring availability and resiliency to applications and data by providing physically and logically separate data centers within a region. Availability zones help maintain business continuity because of the presence of a different availability zone in case the first one goes down or fails.
Azure has over 140 availability zones across 60 regions, while Google has over 200 availability zones across 35 regions around the world. The number of zones may vary depending on the new region launched by either cloud platform.
Since both Azure and GCP provide multiple availability zones, the choice depends on factors such as the number of zones available in the region, specific service requirements, and other geographical considerations. You can check out Cloud Computing courses to understand basic concepts on cloud platforms.
Cloud computing is a highly dynamic market, and the three cloud giants—AWS, Azure, and GCP—continue to grow at a rapid pace. Talking about market share, AWS leads the other two cloud platforms.
Coming on to the Azure Cloud vs. Google Cloud discussion, Azure’s market share in the first quarter of 2023 was around 23%, whereas Google Cloud’s was 10%. Some of the contributing factors to Azure's increased market share are its strong focus on enterprise applications and its strong integration with Microsoft’s products and services, which many organizations already use.
Although both cloud platforms are growing rapidly, Azure seems to be growing at a faster pace than GCP. In the first quarter of 2023, Azure showed a growth rate of 50%, while GCP showed a growth rate of 28%.
Both Azure and GCP are popular choices among businesses of any type and size. Azure is used by:
Google Cloud is used by:
Let’s see how Azure and GCP compare in terms of the offerings provided by the two cloud providers.
Service Category | Microsoft Azure | Google Cloud |
Compute Services | Azure Virtual Machines, Azure App Service, Azure Functions (serverless), and Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) | Google Compute Engine, Google App Engine, and Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) |
Data Services | Azure SQL Database, Cosmos DB, Azure Data Lake Storage, Azure Synapse Analytics, and Azure Databricks | Cloud SQL, Cloud Bigtable, Google Cloud Storage, BigQuery, and Dataflow |
Networking | Azure Virtual Network, Azure Load Balancer, Azure ExpressRoute, and Azure Firewall | Virtual Private Cloud (VPC), Cloud Load Balancing, Cloud VPN, Cloud Interconnect |
Storage & Databases | Azure Blob Storage, Azure Files, Azure Cosmos DB, Azure Table Storage, and Azure SQL Database | Cloud Storage, Cloud Filestore, Cloud Spanner, and Cloud Firestore |
AI and Machine Learning | Azure Machine Learning, Azure Cognitive Services, and Azure Databricks | AI Platform, Cloud Vision AI, Cloud Natural Language, and AutoML |
Edge and CDN | Azure Content Delivery Network (CDN) | Google Cloud CDN |
DevOps | Azure DevOps, Visual Studio Code, and GitHub integration | Google Cloud Source Repositories, Cloud Build, and Cloud Code for Visual Studio Code |
IOT (Internet of Things) | Azure IoT Hub, Azure IoT Central, and Azure IoT Edge | Google Cloud IoT Core, Edge TPU (Tensor Processing Unit) |
Due to its Windows integration, numerous compliance certifications, and hybrid cloud features, Azure is frequently seen as a solid option for businesses. Data analytics, machine learning, and the usage of open-source technology are areas in which GCP excels.
Let’s compare Azure vs. GCP on the basis of key cloud tools that help both clouds deploy, manage, and optimize cloud resources.
Azure:
Google Cloud:
Now consider hybrid and multi-cloud options in Azure and GCP. These options assist enterprises in extending their on-premises data centers into the cloud and managing resources across multiple cloud environments.
Azure Arc and Azure Stack are intended to provide a consistent management and deployment experience across on-premises, multi-cloud, and edge environments, whereas Google Anthos focuses on containerized workloads based on Kubernetes.
Both Azure ExpressRoute and Google Cloud Interconnect provide private connectivity, but which one to choose may be determined by considerations such as location and existing network infrastructure.
Anthos and GKE On-Premises may be particularly appealing to organizations searching for Kubernetes-centric hybrid and multi-cloud solutions within GCP.
When deciding amongst these solutions, it is critical to consider data residency, compliance, and network requirements, as well as our organization's specific demands and existing technological stack.
Pricing for cloud services depends on a variety of factors, such as the services you use, your consumption habits, and the region in which you deploy resources. Azure and GCP both provide competitive pricing methods.
Azure has several pricing methods, including:
GCP provides several pricing models, including:
Azure Pros:
GCP Pros:
Both Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud are public cloud platforms that have good business in the market. Azure has Microsoft, Coca-Cola, and HSBC, to name a few. Google Cloud has Spotify, Uber, Netflix, and many more customers. They both offer diverse sets of cloud services that serve a variety of workload needs. Azure and Google Cloud have their data centers in multiple regions, making them more scalable and performant. The level of security offered by Google Cloud and Azure makes them a good choice for the finance industry. Both come with a high uptime guarantee. This means that we can be confident that our applications and data will be available when we need them. So, now, GCP or Azure—which is better? Cloud Computing syllabus will help you know about the topics and weightage to go forward with the study.
Choosing between the two public cloud providers depends on the specific requirements of the business. Understanding which is better, GCP or Azure, depends on several factors, such as the existing technical stack, budget, specific needs, problems, business, and technical requirements.
However, we can break down the strengths of the two platforms to make an informed decision.
When the focus is on cloud-native development, data and analytics, and machine learning workloads, and when the organization already uses Google Workspace, choosing Google Cloud helps.
When the focus is on hybrid solutions where we integrate on-premises environments with cloud environments, the applications run on a Windows-based environment, and strict enterprise support and compliance are required, then going with Azure is a good call.
This might have given you some ideas on deciding the answer to the question: GCP or Azure, which is better?
It is critical to understand that both cloud platforms offer robust infrastructure and solutions. They both have their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Ultimately, which is better, Azure or Google Cloud? This depends on the business needs, existing infrastructure, development preferences, and the organization’s long-term goals. It is very important to assess the technical and business requirements and evaluate what is needed and what is not needed. Proper evaluation will lead to the right choice that will align best with the organization's vision. Additionally, the cloud continues to evolve for the better, so keeping ourselves updated with the latest innovations is of utmost importance. KnowledgeHut Azure Architect course will boost and level up your learning experience.
Yes, we can use both GCP and Azure together. This is called a multi-cloud strategy. Many businesses are adopting this strategy to avoid vendor lock-in and to utilize the strengths of each cloud. Moreover, this helps in saving costs and increasing reliability.
Both Azure and GCP follow a pay-as-you-go pricing model. The cost-effectiveness of the platform depends on varying factors such as the service used, the amount of resources consumed, etc. The best way to determine which one will be cost-effective is to assess your usage, budget, and needs.
Yes, Azure and Google Cloud are both very flexible in terms of third-party solution integrations. These platforms provide good support for integrations to enhance the quality of their service and be better able to streamline workflows and meet specific business needs. However, before any third-party integrations, we must check the compatibility of the tools with the cloud platforms to avoid any surprises.
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