Cloud War 2020: Compare Google/Azure/AWS by 4 Parameters

It is no longer news that Google, Azure, and AWS are the best three Cloud contenders. Clearly, Amazon remains the top leader with Microsoft Azure right on its heels. Although Google may be a little behind these two, the fact remains that it is still a strong competitor in the industry.

For the organizations, the issue has moved beyond whether to embrace Cloud technology or not. This is more of a choice of the appropriate provider among these three. Interestingly, each has its own distinct benefits that are worth exploring. In this blog article, we will take a look at these three platforms and check out what makes them popular among their niche market. We will discover them systematically and compare these three based on certain parameters.

1. Market Share

Google: The estimated revenue for Google Cloud in 2019 was placed at about $6.8 billion. This represents an annual growth of around 94%. This growth puts Google in third place with regards to market share.

Azure: Microsoft reported its revenue in commercial Cloud in 2019 was $23.2 billion. However, this value is a combination of different Cloud properties, one of which is Azure. This means this figure is quite deceiving. According to the analysts, the actual revenue of Azure is estimated to be about $13.5 billion a year, and this indicates about 82% of annual growth. Its market share is placed at about 13.7%, which puts Azure in second place with the highest market share in Cloud.

AWS: Amazon Web Services has taken its leadership position right from its launch. With the revenue of about $25.7 billion in 2019, the annual growth of this Cloud provider is placed at 47%. It is not such a surprise that AWS has retained the leadership position over the years, especially when you consider the fact that it has a seven-year launch advantage over Google and Microsoft.

2. Price Comparison

If you are not very familiar with the framework of these Cloud providers, you are likely to assume that they offer the same things, which include Cloud services and the Cloud platform. No doubt, this is true to some extent but that is not all.

For instance, if you only consider computing services for Google, Azure, and AWS, the prices seem quite simple. However, it is more intricate than easy. The users have the opportunity to choose from a wide range of computing types, different uses, and prices. Amazon Web Services alone has 10 operating systems and over 150 instance types that the individuals can choose from. The same goes for Microsoft Azure. When you consider the prospective multi-year discounts and storage options, pricing becomes more complex. The implication of this is that it’s difficult to really compare the prices of each provider based on usage. However, if you are planning to choose between the three based on price, you can find a calculator on each of their sites to calculate the approximate monthly costs.

3. Feature Comparison

Google, Azure, and AWS have nearly the same high-level features. Each of them has storage, computing, as well as other services. The greatest area of differentiation will come under ‘other services’. If all you want is to host a basic website or an app, it’s quite simple, and you can just make a choice based on cost. However, if you are considering specialized services such as machine learning or analytics, there is more that goes into it. Let’s look at the overview of the high-level features of these three Cloud providers.

Google: No doubt, Google is a pioneer that maintains its reputation even on its Cloud platform. The greatest advantage of the Google Cloud Platform (GCP) is its innovative abilities. Google specializes in analytics, big data, containerization, and machine learning. These seem to place this provider ahead of others as far as IT-focused services are concerned. Although its infrastructure is the best, it is still restricted in terms of scope. Google doesn’t offer many features and services such as Microsoft and Amazon, which can make it really difficult to opt for it as a one-stop shop for customized applications.

Azure: Microsoft offers about 154 Azure services, which cover everything from Bing Custom Search to the mixed reality apps. Azure has a strong competitive edge in interoperability. While Amazon Web Services focuses mainly on public Cloud computing, Microsoft Azure Cloud offers its services to those users who want the opportunity to interoperate with their personal data center. As a matter of fact, Azure can be classified as a hybrid Cloud alternative.

AWS: This Cloud provider is like a Swiss army knife. It offers practically everything. Its biggest strength lies in the wealth of its services. Unfortunately, this also stands as the point of its biggest weakness. Sometimes, it’s difficult to maintain the same pace with the new innovative services offered by AWS. With these many services, it’s hard to comprehend and manage costs that come with them.

4. Cloud for Startups

Cloud services enable startups to access scalable, easily manageable, and pay-as-you-go services. Below are some of the special programs designed for startups by these three providers. Let’s explore them in detail.

Google: Its specialized Cloud program for startups include mentorship, credits, and training. Some of the features that GCP offers are as follows:

• Up to $100k credit in a year;
• $600/month of GMA (Google Maps API);
• Free Hire by Google for six months;
• Up to ten free users on G-Suite Basic per year.

Azure: Microsoft also offers a specialized program for startups and gives them access to free Cloud, marketing support, and technical resources. Some of the marketing features include:

• Social and digital campaign;
• Customized Go-To-Market Plan;
• Success Manager for unlocking best opportunities for business;
• Worldwide enterprise sales force.

AWS: Amazon offers AWS Activate. This provides training, support, and credits for startups. It also offers a wide range of cost-effective options, which include:

• Discount on Atlassian products, Twilio, and Slack;
• Up to $100k AWS promotional credits;
• Access to Amazon network, including AWS Marketplace, Amazon Launchpad, and Amazon Media Group.

Conclusion

As far as the Cloud War is concerned, no one can actually predict who will be the winner in the coming years. However, AWS has maintained the victory over the past decade.