Amazon Web Services (AWS) vs Google Cloud Comparison
Compare Amazon Web Services (AWS) vs Google Cloud features, pricing, and more.
Last updated: November 2026
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
7.6/10
Amazon's public cloud platform, with over 200 pay-as-you-go services for compute, storage, databases, networking and AI, used by startups through large enterprises and governments.
Google Cloud
7.3/10
Google's public cloud platform providing pay-as-you-go virtual machines, Kubernetes, serverless, databases, storage, networking, data analytics and AI services for businesses of every size.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | | |
|---|---|---|
| Scores | ||
| Overall Rating | 7.6/10 | 7.3/10 |
| Integration | 10/10 | 8/10 |
| Analytics | 8/10 | 9/10 |
| Customization | 10/10 | 9/10 |
| Ease of Use | 4/10 | 5/10 |
| Support | 6/10 | 5/10 |
| Cost | 5/10 | 5/10 |
| Scalability | 10/10 | 10/10 |
| Security | 9/10 | 9/10 |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Cheapest paid plan | Contact for pricing | Contact for pricing |
| Estimated cost for 10 users | Free Free plan | Free Always Free |
| Features | ||
| API and CLI | Not listed | |
| Managed Databases | ||
| Multiple Regions | ||
| Object Storage | ||
| Uptime SLA | ||
| Serverless Functions | ||
| Managed Kubernetes | ||
| VPS Hosting | Not listed | |
| Cloud Compute | ||
| Content Delivery Network | ||
| DDoS Protection | Not listed | |
Amazon Web Services (AWS) vs Google Cloud cost by team size
Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Google Cloud cost the same at every team size we checked.
| Team size | Amazon Web Services (AWS) | Google Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| 1 user | FreeFree plan | FreeAlways Free |
| 5 users | FreeFree plan | FreeAlways Free |
| 10 users | FreeFree plan | FreeAlways Free |
| 25 users | FreeFree plan | FreeAlways Free |
| 50 users | FreeFree plan | FreeAlways Free |
The plan that fits each team size, billed monthly, before add-ons and usage charges. Each cost opens that tool's pricing calculator for the team size.
Which One Should You Choose?
Why choose Amazon Web Services (AWS)
- Higher Integration score (10/10 vs 8/10)
- Higher Customization score (10/10 vs 9/10)
Why choose Google Cloud
- Higher Analytics score (9/10 vs 8/10)
- Higher Ease of Use score (5/10 vs 4/10)
Pros & Cons
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Pros
- The service catalogue is unusually broad, with over 200 services across 38 regions, so most infrastructure needs can be met on one platform.
- EC2 has a 99.99% region-level SLA with credits of up to 100%, and instances unavailable for more than six minutes in an hour are not billed for that hour.
- The free plan gives up to $200 in credits, and more than 30 always-free services let new teams experiment at low cost.
- Support scales from a $29 minimum up to dedicated Enterprise and Unified Operations tiers for mission-critical workloads.
- G2 rates it 4.4 across more than 17,000 reviews, and reviewers praise its scalability and global reach.
Cons
- Reviewers widely cite a steep learning curve across the console and services.
- Usage pricing is complex and can produce unexpected bills unless spend is monitored closely.
- Paid support is billed as a percentage of total AWS spend, so support costs rise with usage.
- A July 2025 billing console bug showed customers estimated charges in the billions, which hurt trust in its cost tooling.
Google Cloud
Pros
- Very broad managed catalogue that spans VMs, GKE, serverless, several database engines, a CDN and Cloud Armor, so most infrastructure can come from one vendor.
- Global footprint, which Wikipedia put at 40 regions and 121 zones in early 2024, helps teams deploy close to users and across zones.
- A 300 USD, 90-day credit plus a permanent Always Free tier, including a small VM, lets developers prototype at no cost.
- Capterra reviewers credit its scalability with helping them adapt quickly to changing client demand.
Cons
- Capterra reviewers repeatedly say the billing is complex, hard to audit and sometimes produces unexpected charges.
- Technical support requires a paid plan priced as a percentage of spend, and Premium starts at 15,000 USD a month.
- Reviewers report a steep learning curve and inconsistent documentation.
- The free e2-micro VM is limited to three US regions, so other regions incur standard charges.
Not sold on either?
Frequently Asked Questions
Amazon Web Services (AWS) scores higher on our AI Software criteria: 7.6/10 against 7.3/10 for Google Cloud. The largest gap is in Integration: 10/10 for Amazon Web Services (AWS) and 8/10 for Google Cloud.
Both are free for 10 users.
Yes, both Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Google Cloud have a free plan.
