Google Cloud vs Microsoft Azure Comparison
Compare Google Cloud vs Microsoft Azure features, pricing, and more.
Last updated: November 2026
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.
Microsoft Azure
6.9/10
Microsoft's public cloud platform offering virtual machines, containers, serverless, databases, storage and AI services on pay-as-you-go pricing for businesses of all sizes.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | | |
|---|---|---|
| Scores | ||
| Overall Rating | 7.3/10 | 6.9/10 |
| Analytics | 9/10 | 8/10 |
| Cost | 5/10 | 4/10 |
| Customization | 9/10 | 9/10 |
| Ease of Use | 5/10 | 4/10 |
| Integration | 8/10 | 9/10 |
| Scalability | 10/10 | 9/10 |
| Security | 9/10 | 9/10 |
| Support | 5/10 | 5/10 |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Cheapest paid plan | Contact for pricing | Contact for pricing |
| Estimated cost for 10 users | Free Always Free | Free Azure free account |
| Features | ||
| Managed Databases | ||
| Multiple Regions | ||
| DDoS Protection | Not listed | |
| Object Storage | ||
| Uptime SLA | Not listed | |
| Serverless Functions | ||
| Managed Kubernetes | ||
| Cloud Compute | ||
| Content Delivery Network | ||
| VPS Hosting | Not listed | |
| Shared Hosting | Not listed | |
| Free SSL Certificates | Not listed | |
Google Cloud vs Microsoft Azure cost by team size
Google Cloud and Microsoft Azure cost the same at every team size we checked.
| Team size | Google Cloud | Microsoft Azure |
|---|---|---|
| 1 user | FreeAlways Free | FreeAzure free account |
| 5 users | FreeAlways Free | FreeAzure free account |
| 10 users | FreeAlways Free | FreeAzure free account |
| 25 users | FreeAlways Free | FreeAzure free account |
| 50 users | FreeAlways Free | FreeAzure free account |
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 Google Cloud
- Higher Analytics score (9/10 vs 8/10)
- Higher Cost score (5/10 vs 4/10)
- Better fit for developers (9/10 vs 7/10)
Why choose Microsoft Azure
- Higher Integration score (9/10 vs 8/10)
Pros & Cons
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.
Microsoft Azure
Pros
- Free account includes a 200 USD credit plus always-free allowances such as 1 million Functions requests and Azure DevOps for 5 users.
- Close integration with Microsoft products such as Entra ID and Power BI is repeatedly praised by reviewers.
- Very broad catalogue covering compute, Kubernetes, serverless, databases, storage and AI services.
- Global footprint of over 400 datacenters across 70 regions as of fiscal 2025.
- Reviewers credit built-in identity management and security.
Cons
- Reviewers on Capterra and TrustRadius say monthly bills are hard to understand and predict.
- Steep learning curve, with many services carrying similar names.
- Some PeerSpot reviewers report support tickets taking weeks or months to resolve.
- Paid support is extra, from 29 to 1,000 USD per month beyond the free Basic plan.
- Integration with non-Microsoft platforms and documentation for new releases draw criticism.
Not sold on either?
Frequently Asked Questions
Google Cloud scores higher on our AI Software criteria: 7.3/10 against 6.9/10 for Microsoft Azure. The largest gap is in Analytics: 9/10 for Google Cloud and 8/10 for Microsoft Azure.
Both are free for 10 users.
Yes, both Google Cloud and Microsoft Azure have a free plan.
Google Cloud is the better fit for developers: we rate it 9/10 for them, against 7/10 for Microsoft Azure.
