As businesses continue to rely on cloud computing for their operations, the demand for cloud service providers has increased. 

The three leading providers in the market are Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP). 

Each platform has strengths and weaknesses, making choosing the right one daunting. 

This article will provide a detailed comparison of AWS vs Azure vs Google Cloud to help businesses make an informed decision.

Overview of AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud

Amazon Web Services (AWS)

AWS is a cloud computing platform offered by Amazon. It is one of the world's most popular cloud service providers, with millions of customers across various industries. AWS provides multiple services, including computing, storage, networking, databases, analytics, machine learning, and security.

Microsoft Azure

Microsoft Azure is a cloud computing platform offered by Microsoft. It is one of the leading cloud service providers in the market, with a wide range of services, including computing, storage, networking, databases, analytics, machine learning, and security. Azure is used by millions of customers across various industries, including healthcare, finance, and technology.

Google Cloud Platform (GCP)

Google Cloud Platform (GCP) is a cloud computing platform offered by Google. It is a relatively new player in the market. Still, it has gained popularity due to its innovative services and a strong focus on machine learning and artificial intelligence. GCP offers various services, including computing, storage, networking, databases, analytics, machine learning, and security.

AWS vs Azure vs Google Cloud: Comparison

Compute

Compute refers to the ability of a cloud platform to process data and run applications. All three cloud providers offer virtual machines (VMs) and containers to help businesses run their applications.

AWS offers a wide range of computing services, including Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2), Elastic Container Service (ECS), Elastic Kubernetes Service (EKS), and Lambda. EC2 is a popular service that allows businesses to rent virtual machines to run their applications. ECS is a container management service that enables enterprises to deploy and manage containerised applications. EKS is a fully managed Kubernetes service that makes deploying, managing, and scaling containerised applications easy. Lambda is a serverless computing service that allows businesses to run their code without worrying about the underlying infrastructure.

Azure offers similar computing services, including Virtual Machines, Container Instances, Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS), and Azure Functions. Virtual Machine is a service that allows businesses to rent virtual machines to run their applications. Container Instances is a container management service that enables enterprises to deploy and manage containerised applications. AKS is a fully managed Kubernetes service that makes deploying, managing, and scaling containerised applications easy. Azure Functions is a serverless computing service that allows businesses to run their code without worrying about the underlying infrastructure.

GCP also offers a similar range of computing services, including Compute Engine, Kubernetes Engine, and Cloud Functions. Compute Engine is a service that allows businesses to rent virtual machines to run their applications. Kubernetes Engine is a fully managed Kubernetes service that makes it easy to deploy, manage, and scale containerised applications. Cloud Functions is a serverless computing service that allows businesses to run their code without worrying about the underlying infrastructure.

Computer Services Comparison

Cloud Provider	Service Name	Description
AWS	EC2	Virtual machines in the cloud
	Lambda	Serverless computing service
	Elastic Beanstalk	Platform as a Service
Azure	Virtual Machines	Virtual machines in the cloud
	Functions	Serverless computing service
	App Service	Platform as a Service
GCP	Compute Engine	Virtual machines in the cloud
	Cloud Functions	Serverless computing service
	App Engine	Platform as a Service

Storage

Storage refers to the ability of a cloud platform to store and manage data. All three cloud providers offer a wide range of storage services, including object storage, block storage, and file storage.

AWS offers a wide range of storage services, including Simple Storage Service (S3), Elastic Block Store (EBS), Elastic File System (EFS), and Glacier. S3 is a popular service that allows businesses to store and retrieve data from anywhere on the web. EBS is a block storage service enabling enterprises to attach persistent storage volumes to their EC2 instances. EFS is a file storage service allowing businesses to create and mount files to their EC2 instances. Glacier is a low-cost archival storage service enabling companies to store data for long-term retention.

Azure offers similar storage services, including Blob, Disk, File, and Archive Storage. Blob Storage is a service that allows businesses to store unstructured data in the cloud. Disk Storage is a block storage service enabling enterprises to attach persistent storage volumes to their VMs. File Storage is a file storage service that allows businesses to create file shares that can be accessed from anywhere. Archive Storage is a low-cost archival storage service enabling companies to store data for long-term retention.

GCP offers similar storage services, including Cloud Storage, Persistent Disk, Cloud Filestore, and Cloud Storage Nearline. Cloud Storage is a service that allows businesses to store and retrieve data from anywhere on the web. Persistent Disk is a block storage service enabling enterprises to attach persistent storage volumes to their VMs. Cloud Filestore is a file storage service that allows businesses to create file systems and mount them to their VMs. Cloud Storage Nearline is a low-cost archival storage service that enables companies to store data for long-term retention.

Storage Services Comparison

Cloud Provider	Service Name	Description
AWS	S3	Object storage service
	EBS	Block storage service
	EFS	File storage service
Azure	Blob Storage	Object storage service
	Disk Storage	Block storage service
	File Storage	File storage service
GCP	Cloud Storage	Object storage service
	Persistent Disk	Block storage service
	Cloud Filestore	File storage service

Networking

Networking refers to the ability of a cloud platform to connect resources and distribute traffic across them. All three cloud providers offer various networking services, including virtual private networks (VPNs), load balancers, and content delivery networks (CDNs).

AWS networking services include Virtual Private Cloud (VPC), Elastic Load Balancing (ELB), and Amazon CloudFront. VPC allows businesses to create a private network in the cloud. ELB is a load-balancing service that distributes traffic across EC2 instances. Amazon CloudFront is a CDN that delivers content to users from edge locations worldwide.

Azure offers similar networking services, including a Virtual Network, Load Balancer, and Azure Content Delivery Network. Virtual Network is a service that allows businesses to create a private network in the cloud. Load Balancer is a load-balancing service that distributes traffic across VMs. Azure Content Delivery Network is a CDN that delivers content to users from edge locations worldwide.

GCP offers similar networking services, including Virtual Private Cloud (VPC), Load Balancing, and Cloud CDN. VPC is a service that allows businesses to create a private network in the cloud. Load Balancing is a load-balancing service that distributes traffic across VMs. Cloud CDN is a CDN that delivers content to users from edge locations around the world.

Networking Services Comparison

Cloud Provider	Service Name	Description
AWS	VPC	Virtual Private Cloud
	Direct Connect	Dedicated network connection to AWS
	Route 53	DNS management service
Azure	Virtual Network	Virtual Private Cloud
	ExpressRoute	Dedicated network connection to Azure
	Azure DNS	DNS management service
GCP	Virtual Private Cloud	Virtual Private Cloud
	Cloud Interconnect	Dedicated network connection to GCP
	Cloud DNS	DNS management service

Databases

Databases refer to the ability of a cloud platform to store and manage data in a structured way. All three cloud providers offer various database services, including relational databases, NoSQL databases, and in-memory databases.

AWS offers multiple databases, including Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS), Amazon DynamoDB, and Amazon ElastiCache. RDS is a service that allows businesses to set up, operate, and scale relational databases in the cloud. DynamoDB is a NoSQL database service that enables companies to store and retrieve data in a flexible and scalable way. ElastiCache is an in-memory caching service that allows businesses to improve the performance of their applications.

Azure offers similar database services, including Azure SQL Database, Azure Cosmos DB, and Azure Cache for Redis. Azure SQL Database is a service that allows businesses to set up, operate, and scale relational databases in the cloud. Cosmos DB is a NoSQL database service that enables companies to store and retrieve data in a globally distributed, multi-model database. Azure Cache for Redis is an in-memory caching service that allows businesses to improve the performance of their applications.

GCP offers a similar range of database services, including Cloud SQL, Cloud Bigtable, and Cloud Memorystore. Cloud SQL is a service that allows businesses to set up, operate, and scale relational databases in the cloud. Cloud Bigtable is a NoSQL database service that enables companies to store and retrieve data in a high-performance, scalable way.

Cloud Memorystore is an in-memory caching service that allows businesses to improve the performance of their applications.

Database Services Comparison

Cloud Provider	Service Name	Description
AWS	RDS	Managed relational database service
	DynamoDB	NoSQL database service
	Elasticache	In-memory caching service
Azure	SQL Database	Managed relational database service
	Cosmos DB	Multi-model, globally distributed database service
	Azure Cache for Redis	In-memory caching service
GCP	Cloud SQL	Managed relational database service
	Cloud Bigtable	NoSQL database service
	Cloud Memorystore	In-memory caching service

AI and Machine Learning

AI and machine learning refers to the ability of a cloud platform to provide tools and services that allow businesses to build and deploy machine learning models and AI applications. All three cloud providers offer a range of AI and machine learning services, including machine learning APIs, pre-built models, and machine learning platforms.

AWS offers various AI and machine learning services, including Amazon SageMaker, Rekognition, and Amazon Comprehend. SageMaker is a fully-managed machine learning platform that allows businesses to build, train, and deploy machine learning models at scale. Rekognition is a service that will enable companies to add image and video analysis to their applications. Comprehend is a service that allows businesses to extract insights from unstructured text.

Azure offers a similar range of AI and machine learning services, including Azure Machine Learning, Azure Cognitive Services, and Azure Databricks. Azure Machine Learning is a fully-managed machine learning platform that allows businesses to build, train, and deploy machine learning models at scale. Cognitive Services is a pre-built API enabling enterprises to add intelligent application features. Databricks is a cloud-based data processing and machine learning platform.

GCP also offers a similar range of AI and machine learning services, including Cloud AutoML, Cloud AI Platform, and Cloud Vision API. Cloud AutoML is a suite of machine learning products that allows businesses to build custom machine learning models. Cloud AI Platform is a fully-managed machine learning platform that enables companies to build, train, and deploy machine learning models at scale. Vision API is a service that allows companies to add image and video analysis to their applications.

AI and Machine Learning Services Comparison

Cloud Provider	Service Name	Description
AWS	Amazon SageMaker	Fully-managed machine learning platform
	Amazon Rekognition	Image and video analysis service
	Amazon Comprehend	Natural language processing service
Azure	Azure Machine Learning	Fully-managed machine learning platform
	Azure Cognitive Services	Pre-built APIs for intelligent features
	Azure Databricks	Data processing and machine learning platform
GCP	Cloud AutoML	A suite of machine-learning products
	Cloud AI Platform	Fully-managed machine learning platform
	Cloud Vision API	Image and video analysis service

AWS, Azure, and GCP are the three major players in the cloud computing market. While all three cloud providers offer a wide range of services and features, there are some critical differences between them in pricing, performance, and features. 

Businesses should carefully evaluate their needs and requirements before selecting a cloud provider. 

It is also worth noting that businesses can use multiple cloud providers to take advantage of the strengths of each platform.