"Should we go with AWS or Azure?" It's one of the most common questions when companies move to the cloud — and understandably so, because it's a choice with consequences for years. The good news: you really can't lose. Both platforms are among the absolute world leaders. The real work is figuring out which platform best fits your business, your people and your existing software. In this article we go beyond the clichés and give you a concrete framework to decide.
Two giants, each with its own character
Amazon Web Services (AWS) is the pioneer (since 2006), holds the largest market share and offers the widest range — over 200 services. AWS is often first with new technology and has an enormous community, plenty of documentation and a lot of available talent.
Microsoft Azure grew strongly out of the Microsoft world and excels at integrating with what many companies already use: Microsoft 365, Windows Server, SQL Server and Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Active Directory). Azure is also strong in enterprise governance and hybrid scenarios.
Where AWS traditionally excels
- The breadth and depth of its service catalogue, often with the newest innovation first.
- Very mature serverless (Lambda) and containers (ECS, EKS).
- A large ecosystem of tooling, integrations and knowledge.
- A natural choice for scalable (web) platforms, data-intensive applications and start-ups that want to move fast.
Where Azure traditionally excels
- Deep integration with Microsoft 365, Windows, SQL Server and Entra ID.
- Licensing benefits (Azure Hybrid Benefit) if you already own Windows or SQL licenses.
- Strong governance, hybrid cloud (Azure Arc) and an extensive compliance offering.
- A familiar environment for teams already working fully in the Microsoft ecosystem.
"Microsoft → Azure, open source → AWS"? It's not that simple
Time to nuance a common rule of thumb. Yes, your existing ecosystem weighs heavily — but it's one factor, not a law. AWS runs Windows and SQL Server perfectly well, and a large share of Azure workloads actually run on Linux and open source. The question isn't "which camp do we belong to", but "where do our specific applications run best, at what cost and with what knowledge". Don't let yourself be pinned down by a slogan.
The real decision framework: 6 questions
Weigh each question according to your own situation:
- Existing landscape and licenses. Do you rely heavily on Microsoft 365, Windows Server or SQL Server? Then Azure, with Hybrid Benefit, can save costs and simplify integration. Are you mostly cloud-native or open source? Then AWS is strong — though Azure does it just as well.
- Type of workloads. Data and AI, serverless, containers, IoT, heavy compute: look at the concrete service you need per platform, not the general image. Sometimes one specific service is decisive.
- Knowledge in your team (and at your partner). The best technology is the one your people can manage. Existing experience and certifications are a legitimate, significant factor.
- Data and compliance. Both offer EU regions. For sensitive data, deliberately choose a European region and check the compliance certifications. For sectors such as healthcare or legal services, this weighs especially heavily.
- Cost model and commitment. Both charge based on usage, with discounts when you commit capacity in advance (Savings Plans on AWS, Reservations on Azure). The actual cost depends more on your architecture than on the platform.
- Ecosystem and support. Which partners, integrations and support do you need? A local partner with certifications on the chosen platform makes a big difference.
The reality: it's rarely black and white
Many organizations end up running multi-cloud: their Microsoft workplace and identity management on Azure, their customer-facing web platform on AWS. That's not an inability to choose, but a deliberate strategy to use each platform where it's strongest. With the right architecture — Infrastructure as Code and clear governance — that stays perfectly manageable.
And the cost?
Don't expect a clear "cheapest". AWS and Azure are close on pricing. The difference lies in how well your environment is set up: rightsizing, automatic scaling, cleaning up unused resources and choosing the right pricing models. A poorly managed cloud costs more than necessary on any platform.
How we help you choose
At Digitall.Expert we're an official partner of both AWS and Microsoft Azure, with certified engineers for both. That's a deliberate choice: it lets us advise you independently. We don't push you towards the platform that suits us best, but walk through the framework above with you — and sometimes the outcome is a combination of both.
Conclusion
AWS and Azure are both excellent choices. Avoid the simplistic rules of thumb and decide based on your existing landscape, your workloads, your in-house knowledge, compliance and cost. Do that well, and the cloud becomes an engine for growth instead of a cost item.
Want to walk through this framework together for your specific situation? Discover our cloud expertise or schedule a no-obligation conversation.