AWS vs Google Cloud vs Azure: Best US Cloud Platform?

Choosing the right cloud platform is critical for US businesses in 2026. Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud Platform (GCP), and Microsoft Azure dominate the landscape, each offering strong features tailored for different workloads, budgets, and business goals. With cloud usage skyrocketing, the platform chosen influences costs, performance, security, scalability, and future innovation potential. Understanding their differences helps companies select the option best suited to their projects, technical stack, and compliance needs.

I’m Riten, founder of Fueler, a platform that helps freelancers and professionals get hired through their work samples. This article offers a deep dive into how AWS, GCP, and Azure compare in terms of services, pricing, security, and developer ecosystem. Excelling in these platforms and showcasing real project experience can open doors in the increasingly competitive US cloud market.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) – The Industry Leader with Massive Service Breadth

AWS remains the most mature and widely adopted cloud platform globally, holding roughly 33% of the market share among US businesses. It offers the broadest array of cloud products and the largest global infrastructure footprint, making it ideal for diverse workloads ranging from simple web hosting to complex AI research.

• AWS provides over 200 fully featured services including EC2 virtual machines, S3 object storage, Lambda serverless compute, RDS managed databases, and SageMaker for machine learning.
• Compute services allow low-cost burstable instances and high-powered GPU clusters for demanding applications.
• S3 storage offers durable, scalable data at $0.023 per GB in the US East (N. Virginia) region for standard tier, with archival storage as low as $0.004 per GB.
• AWS pricing is flexible with pay-as-you-go, 1- or 3-year reserved instances, and spot market discounts up to 90% for spare capacity.
• An extensive partner network and AWS Marketplace connect users to thousands of third-party cloud solutions, supporting almost any enterprise need.

Why it matters: AWS’s unparalleled service variety, global reach, and mature ecosystem make it the default choice for many US enterprises seeking maximum flexibility, innovation capacity, and reliability.

Google Cloud Platform (GCP) – Best for Data, AI, and Hybrid Cloud

GCP is the fastest growing major cloud provider in the US market, with particular strengths in data analytics, machine learning, and containerized application management. Its global fiber network ensures low latency and high availability for demanding cloud-native applications.

• BigQuery offers a fully managed, serverless data warehouse enabling super-fast analysis on petabyte-scale data sets at $0.02 per GB for storage and $5 per TB scanned for queries.
• Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) offers automatic container orchestration and advanced security features to efficiently manage microservices.
• GCP’s AI services include AutoML, Vision AI, and Vertex AI, letting users build custom machine learning workflows with minimal code.
• Anthos enables hybrid and multi-cloud management, supporting running workloads consistently across GCP, on-premises, and other clouds.
• GCP storage costs $0.020 per GB for standard storage, $0.010 for nearline and $0.002 for archival storage tiers.

Why it matters: GCP’s AI prowess, hybrid flexibility, and commitment to sustainability make it ideal for US companies focusing on AI innovation, data analytics, and cloud-native modernization.

Microsoft Azure – Enterprise Hybrid Cloud and Microsoft Ecosystem Leader

Azure is preferred by many US organizations with existing Microsoft investments, offering seamless integration with Windows Server, SQL Server, Office 365, and Dynamics 365. It holds around 24% of the US cloud market, noted for robust hybrid cloud and compliance focus.

• Azure Virtual Machines offer a wide range of instance types, with pricing around $0.096 per hour for a standard D2s_v5 instance (2 vCPU, 8 GB RAM).
• Azure Blob Storage is among the cheapest at $0.018 per GB for standard tier, with cold and archival storage as low as $0.012 and $0.002 per GB respectively.
• Azure AI services like Cognitive Services and Azure Machine Learning integrate easily with enterprise workflows.
• Azure Arc extends management and security to hybrid cloud, on-premises, and multi-cloud environments.
• Azure Reserved Instances give up to 80% savings on compute costs with 1- or 3-year commitments, and hybrid benefits allow existing Windows and SQL licenses to reduce cost by 40%.

Why it matters: Azure’s hybrid capabilities and deep Microsoft product integration provide US enterprises with a flexible, compliant, and familiar cloud solution, enabling smooth digital transformation.

Pricing Summary and Cost Comparison

On average, for a standard virtual machine with 2 virtual CPUs and 8 GB RAM in the US East region, the following pricing applies when using reserved instances with a one-year upfront commitment:

• AWS charges roughly $0.050 per hour ($35 per month approx.) for a t4g.micro instance.
• Google Cloud offers a similar n2-standard-2 instance at about $0.045 per hour ($32 per month approx.).
• Microsoft Azure prices a comparable D2s_v5 instance at about $0.048 per hour ($34.50 per month approx.).

Storage costs for standard object storage per GB per month are:

• AWS S3 charges around $0.023 per GB.
• Google Cloud Storage is slightly cheaper at $0.020 per GB.
• Azure Blob Storage is the most economical at $0.018 per GB.

Spot or Preemptible instances allow users to access unused capacity at discounts of 80-90% if workloads tolerate interruptions. AWS and Azure offer these heavily discounted pricing options for both general-purpose and compute-optimized instances. Google Cloud offers Preemptible VMs similarly.

Networking costs for outbound data can range around $0.08 to $0.09 per GB depending on region and provider, with minor variation among AWS, Azure, and GCP.

Security and Compliance

All three providers offer robust security controls including encryption at rest and in transit, identity and access management, distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) protection, and compliance certifications covering HIPAA, SOC 2, GDPR, PCI DSS, and more. Azure especially focuses on government and regulated industry clouds, AWS offers deep security posture management, and Google Cloud invests heavily in zero-trust architectures and AI-driven threat detection.

Developer Ecosystem and Support

AWS has the largest third-party marketplace and extensive DevOps tooling. Google is a leader in open-source contributions and container orchestration. Azure benefits from tight integration with Visual Studio, GitHub, and Microsoft 365 productivity apps, making it appealing for enterprise developers.

How Fueler Helps Showcase Cloud Expertise

Successfully using AWS, GCP, or Azure requires technical skills and project experience. Fueler allows professionals to build portfolios showcasing architecture diagrams, infrastructure code, AI model deployments, and cloud migration projects. Presenting hands-on results proves your expertise to US employers and clients.

Final Thoughts

AWS, Google Cloud, and Azure each offer powerful, mature cloud platforms tailored to different US business needs. AWS leads in service breadth and scale, Google Cloud excels in AI and data analytics, and Azure provides unmatched hybrid cloud and Microsoft integration. Choosing the best cloud platform involves analyzing workloads, budgets, and compliance needs carefully. Mastery of these platforms, combined with visible project proof on Fueler, will accelerate your success in today’s cloud-driven economy.

FAQs

1. How do AWS, Google Cloud, and Azure pricing compare?

Azure and AWS offer similar reserved instance prices around $0.048-$0.05/hr for common VM types, with Google Cloud slightly lower around $0.045/hr, and storage costs ranging from $0.018-$0.023/GB.

2. Which platform offers the best AI services?

Google Cloud excels with AutoML and Vertex AI, but AWS and Azure also offer powerful AI and machine learning tools integrated into their ecosystems.

3. Are hybrid cloud capabilities important?

Yes, Azure leads in true hybrid cloud management, with AWS and Google Cloud offering growing support for hybrid architectures.

4. How can I reduce cloud compute costs?

Using reserved instances and spot/preemptible instances can lower costs by up to 90% compared to on-demand pricing.

5. What is the best way to showcase cloud skills to employers?

Use Fueler to create online portfolios with project samples, architecture designs, and cloud deployments demonstrating practical expertise.

What is Fueler Portfolio?

Fueler is a career portfolio platform that helps companies find the best talent for their organization based on their proof of work. You can create your portfolio on Fueler, thousands of freelancers around the world use Fueler to create their professional-looking portfolios and become financially independent. Discover inspiration for your portfolio

Sign up for free on Fueler or get in touch to learn more.