Both Microsoft Azure and Amazon AWS are excellent cloud platforms, but they excel in different areas. Here's our practical guide based on helping dozens of California businesses choose the right platform.
Choose Azure If...
You're a Microsoft Shop: If you use Microsoft 365, Teams, and Windows Server, Azure integrates seamlessly. Single sign-on, unified management, and deep integration make Azure the natural choice.
You Need Hybrid Cloud: Azure Arc and Azure Stack offer the best hybrid cloud experience, letting you run Azure services on-premises.
Enterprise Agreements: If you have a Microsoft EA, you likely have Azure credits already included.
Choose AWS If...
You Need Maximum Flexibility: AWS has the most services (200+) and the largest global infrastructure. If you have specialized workloads, AWS probably has a service for it.
You're Building Custom Applications: AWS's developer tools and serverless offerings (Lambda) are industry-leading.
Cost Optimization is Priority: AWS's spot instances and savings plans often provide the lowest compute costs for flexible workloads.
Cost Comparison
Pricing varies wildly based on workload. In general, we've found Azure to be 10-15% more cost-effective for Microsoft-heavy workloads, while AWS wins for compute-intensive and custom application scenarios.
Our Recommendation
For most California small businesses running Microsoft 365, we recommend Azure. The integration benefits and simplified management typically outweigh AWS's broader service catalog.
Need Help Deciding?
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