AWS vs Azure: Which MCP should you use?
AWS
Amazon's public cloud (market leader)
Azure
Microsoft's enterprise-friendly cloud
TL;DR
AWS is the market leader with the broadest catalog. Azure is #2 with deep Microsoft enterprise integration (AD, Office, Windows Server, SQL Server, .NET) and strong government/regulated footing. Pick AWS for greenfield / open-source stacks; Azure for Microsoft-shop enterprises.
Pick AWS
Pick AWS when you're on an open-source stack (Linux, Postgres, Node, Python).
Pick Azure
Pick Azure when you're a Microsoft enterprise (AD, .NET, SQL Server, Windows licensing).
Feature-by-feature comparison
| Feature | ☁️AWS | 🟦Azure | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service catalog | Broadest | Very broad (~200) | A |
| Microsoft integration | Third-party | Native (AD, M365, .NET) | B |
| Enterprise agreements | Deep | Deep (via M365 EA) | Tie |
| Serverless | Lambda (mature) | Functions (mature) | Tie |
| Kubernetes | EKS | AKS | Tie |
| Gov / regulated | GovCloud | Azure Government (strong) | B |
| AI stack | Bedrock + SageMaker | Azure OpenAI + Copilot | B |
| Pricing clarity | Complex | Complex (EA-heavy) | Tie |
Service catalog
AAWS
Broadest
Azure
Very broad (~200)
Microsoft integration
BAWS
Third-party
Azure
Native (AD, M365, .NET)
Enterprise agreements
TieAWS
Deep
Azure
Deep (via M365 EA)
Serverless
TieAWS
Lambda (mature)
Azure
Functions (mature)
Kubernetes
TieAWS
EKS
Azure
AKS
Gov / regulated
BAWS
GovCloud
Azure
Azure Government (strong)
AI stack
BAWS
Bedrock + SageMaker
Azure
Azure OpenAI + Copilot
Pricing clarity
TieAWS
Complex
Azure
Complex (EA-heavy)
Best for
AWS
- Service catalog: Broadest
Best for
Azure
- Microsoft integration: Native (AD, M365, .NET)
- Gov / regulated: Azure Government (strong)
- AI stack: Azure OpenAI + Copilot
Migration path
Treat it as a net-new infra buildout: define in Terraform/OpenTofu, migrate VMs with AWS MGN or Azure Migrate, port databases with DMS. For Microsoft workloads (Windows, SQL Server, AD), Azure has 'Azure Hybrid Benefit' that reuses your on-prem licenses at a discount — usually enough to shift TCO in Azure's favor. Budget 6-18 months.
Frequently asked questions
What is the main difference between AWS and Azure?
AWS is the market leader with the broadest catalog. Azure is #2 with deep Microsoft enterprise integration (AD, Office, Windows Server, SQL Server, .NET) and strong government/regulated footing. Pick AWS for greenfield / open-source stacks; Azure for Microsoft-shop enterprises. In short: AWS — Amazon's public cloud (market leader). Azure — Microsoft's enterprise-friendly cloud.
When should I pick AWS over Azure?
Pick AWS when you're on an open-source stack (Linux, Postgres, Node, Python).
When should I pick Azure over AWS?
Pick Azure when you're a Microsoft enterprise (AD, .NET, SQL Server, Windows licensing).
Can I migrate from one to the other?
Treat it as a net-new infra buildout: define in Terraform/OpenTofu, migrate VMs with AWS MGN or Azure Migrate, port databases with DMS. For Microsoft workloads (Windows, SQL Server, AD), Azure has 'Azure Hybrid Benefit' that reuses your on-prem licenses at a discount — usually enough to shift TCO in Azure's favor. Budget 6-18 months.
Do AWS and Azure both work with MCP-compatible AI agents?
Yes. Both have MCP servers installable via MCPizy (mcpizy install aws and mcpizy install azure). They work identically across Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf, and any other MCP-compatible client. You can install both side by side and route queries in your agent's prompt.
More Infrastructure & Deploy comparisons
AWS vs Google Cloud
AWS has the broadest service catalog, largest market share, and deepest enterprise footprint. GCP wins on data/AI (BigQuery, Vertex AI, TPU), networking simplicity, and developer UX in specific areas. Both are production-ready at any scale — the call is usually driven by existing team expertise and contracts.
Cloudflare vs Fastly
Cloudflare is the largest CDN + edge platform — free tier, Workers, R2, D1, WAF, DNS, tunnels, Zero Trust. Fastly is the premium real-time CDN — instant purge, VCL power, used by Reddit/GitHub/NYT. Cloudflare wins on breadth + cost; Fastly wins on configurability and real-time invalidation.
Kubernetes vs Nomad
Kubernetes is the industry-standard orchestrator — massive ecosystem, every cloud supports it. HashiCorp Nomad is dramatically simpler (one binary, fewer abstractions), supports containers + VMs + raw executables, and is cheaper to operate for small-to-medium fleets.
Install both with MCPizy
Not sure? Run both side by side — swap between them in your AI agent with a single config line.