EC2 vs Azure VMs vs Compute Engine — Cloud Compute Compared
Compare AWS EC2, Azure Virtual Machines, and GCP Compute Engine. Instance types, pricing models, and which to choose.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Amazon EC2 | Azure Virtual Machines | Google Compute Engine |
|---|---|---|---|
| Instance families | 700+ types | 400+ types | Custom + predefined |
| Automatic discounts | No (manual RI/SP) | No (manual reservations) | Yes (sustained use, up to 30%) |
| Custom sizing | No (fixed types) | Limited | Yes (custom machine types) |
| Spot savings | Up to 90% | Up to 90% | Up to 91% |
| Windows licensing | Included or BYOL | Hybrid Benefit (40-80% off) | Included or BYOL |
| Commitment flexibility | Savings Plans (flexible) | Exchange/refund within term | CUDs (less flexible) |
Service Details
Amazon EC2
The original cloud compute service. Widest selection of instance types, most pricing options, and deepest ecosystem integration.
- Most instance types (700+)
- Most mature spot market
- Graviton processors for best price-performance
- Widest regional availability
- RI/SP complexity requires active management
- Pricing page is overwhelming
- Instance selection paralysis
Azure Virtual Machines
Azure's IaaS compute with strong enterprise features. Hybrid Benefit for Windows/SQL licensing, reserved VM instances, and spot VMs.
- Azure Hybrid Benefit saves 40-80% on Windows workloads
- Strong enterprise licensing integration
- Dev/Test pricing for non-production
- Good hybrid with Azure Arc
- Fewer instance families than EC2
- Spot market less mature than AWS
- Regional availability gaps for some SKUs
Google Compute Engine
GCP's compute service with automatic sustained use discounts, custom machine types, and per-second billing from the start.
- Automatic sustained use discounts (no commitment needed)
- Custom machine types (exact CPU/RAM you need)
- Live migration during maintenance
- Simpler pricing than EC2
- Smaller instance selection than EC2
- Less regional coverage
- CUDs less flexible than AWS Savings Plans
When to Use Which
Choose EC2 for the widest instance selection and most mature spot market. Choose Azure VMs for Windows workloads with Hybrid Benefit. Choose Compute Engine for automatic discounts and custom machine types that eliminate over-provisioning.
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