AI/ML

Bedrock vs Azure OpenAI vs Vertex AI — GenAI Platforms Compared

Compare AWS Bedrock, Azure OpenAI Service, and Google Vertex AI for generative AI. Model access, pricing, and enterprise features.

Feature Comparison

FeatureAWS BedrockAzure OpenAI ServiceGoogle Vertex AI (Generative)
Model varietyMulti-vendor (Claude, Llama, etc.)OpenAI exclusiveGemini + Model Garden
RAG supportKnowledge BasesAI Search + On Your DataVertex AI Search
Enterprise securityVPC, IAM, encryptionAzure AD, VNet, complianceVPC-SC, IAM
Fine-tuningSelect modelsGPT modelsGemini + open models

Service Details

AWS Bedrock

AWS

Managed service for foundation models. Access Anthropic Claude, Meta Llama, Mistral, and Amazon Titan via a unified API.

Per-token pricing varies by model. Claude 3.5 Sonnet: $3/M input, $15/M output tokens. Provisioned throughput for predictable pricing.
Strengths
  • Multi-model access (Anthropic, Meta, Mistral, etc.)
  • Knowledge Bases for RAG
  • Agents for task automation
  • Guardrails for responsible AI
Limitations
  • No OpenAI GPT models
  • Newer than Azure OpenAI
  • Some models region-limited

Azure OpenAI Service

Azure

Enterprise access to OpenAI models (GPT-4, DALL-E, Whisper) with Azure's security, networking, and compliance.

GPT-4o: $2.50/M input, $10/M output tokens. Provisioned throughput units for predictable pricing and latency.
Strengths
  • Exclusive enterprise OpenAI access
  • Azure enterprise security/compliance
  • Content filtering built-in
  • Global deployment options
Limitations
  • OpenAI models only (no Anthropic, Meta)
  • Capacity quotas and waitlists
  • Pricing can be higher than direct OpenAI

Google Vertex AI (Generative)

GCP

Access to Google's Gemini models plus open models via Model Garden. Best for organizations using Google's AI ecosystem.

Gemini 1.5 Pro: $1.25/M input, $5/M output tokens. Imagen and other models priced separately.
Strengths
  • Gemini models (Google's best)
  • Model Garden with 100+ models
  • Grounding with Google Search
  • Strong multimodal capabilities
Limitations
  • No OpenAI or Anthropic models
  • Newer platform
  • Some models still in preview

When to Use Which

Choose Bedrock for multi-model flexibility (especially Claude + Llama). Choose Azure OpenAI for enterprise GPT access with Azure compliance. Choose Vertex AI for Gemini models and Google ecosystem integration.

GenAI costs can be unpredictable. CloudExpat helps monitor token usage, optimize model selection, and identify provisioned throughput opportunities to control AI inference costs.

Optimize Your Cloud Costs Across All Providers

CloudExpat works with AWS, Azure, and GCP. Connect in 30 seconds and see where you're overspending.