Direct comparison
AWS vs Google Cloud
AWS or Google Cloud? The direct cloud comparison of services, data centers, costs and sovereignty. Services, pricing, data centers and sovereignty in a direct comparison.
Management summary
As of 2026-07AWS and Google Cloud are global hyperscalers with US jurisdiction, primarily distinguished by their strategic focuses. AWS positions itself as the most comprehensive platform with the broadest service portfolio (Strategic Opportunities 10/10) and an unsurpassed global infrastructure (114 data centers), making it the first choice for international scaling and complex enterprise migrations. Google Cloud focuses technologically on data and AI excellence, achieving the maximum score of 10/10 in the categories Big Data and Containerization, thereby strongly promoting data-driven innovation. Both providers exhibit comparatively low sovereignty scores due to US jurisdiction (AWS SEAL 4.1/10, Google Cloud SEAL 4.3/10) and are therefore suitable for strictly regulated DACH scenarios only in combination with specific sovereign cloud offerings or partner solutions. The decision depends less on pure infrastructure maturity, which is high for both, but rather on the specific use case: AWS for maximum flexibility and global reach, Google Cloud for in-depth analytics and modern container architectures.
Methodology & data basisAWS
HyperscalerUSP: Market leader with the widest range of features and global reach
Recommendation: Recommended for innovation drivers and international scaling
Google Cloud
HyperscalerUSP: Leading in data analytics, AI, and Kubernetes, adjustable vCPU/RAM ratio
Recommendation: Recommended for data-driven organizations and developers focused on innovation
Performance chart
AWS and Google Cloud across 8 core categories, compared with the average of all providers (1–10).
Market positioning
All 13 providers by sovereignty and portfolio performance — purely computed from the category ratings.
Positions are purely computational: X = mean of technological & operational sovereignty, Y = mean of all remaining rating categories (each 1–10). Not a ranking recommendation. Methodology & data basis
Strengths & weaknesses
Automatically derived from the editorially reviewed rating data and backed by the category ratings (1–10) — fair to both sides.
Strengths
- Broadest service portfolio on the market with a score of 10/10 in Strategic Opportunities, ranging from IaaS to Quantum Computing (Braket).
- Top scores in core infrastructure areas: Databases, Storage, Network, Virtualization, and High Availability are each rated 10/10.
- Unsurpassed global presence with a score of 9/10 in Global Reach, supported by 114 data centers and 700 Points of Presence.
- Strong data security with 9/10, supported by extensive encryption options such as CloudHSM, KMS, and Nitro Enclaves.
Points to consider
- Low technological sovereignty with only 4/10 (average of all providers: 7.4), indicating proprietary technologies and a high lock-in risk.
- Weak price competitiveness with a score of 4/10 (average of all providers: 6.4), particularly for CPU (4.2/10) and Egress (3.0/10).
- Low SEAL score of 4.1/10 (41%), due to US jurisdiction and a SOV-2 Legal Score of only 2/10.
Strengths
- Leading position in data analytics with a perfect score of 10/10 in Big Data, driven by BigQuery, Looker, and Dataproc.
- Excellent container platform with 10/10 in Containerization, based on the market readiness of Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) and Cloud Run.
- Strong AI capabilities with a score of 9/10 in AI, supported by Vertex AI and specialized APIs such as Document AI.
- High technical maturity in Linux workloads and virtualization, both rated 10/10, as well as a strong compliance portfolio including C5.
Points to consider
- Relatively low technological sovereignty with 6/10 (average of all providers: 7.4), which can make an exit more difficult.
- Moderate pricing with a score of 5/10 (average of all providers: 6.4), with egress costs being particularly high at 3.0/10.
- Limited support for Microsoft workloads with only 5/10 (average of all providers: 4.5), which is limiting for Windows-heavy environments.
Which provider when?
Use-case-based decision aid — both options are a valid choice.
Choose AWS if:
- You require the broadest available cloud portfolio with over 200 services for maximum strategic flexibility and future innovations.
- Your application requires a global presence with access to 30+ regions and 114 data centers across six continents.
- You are migrating complex enterprise infrastructures that rely on VMware Cloud on AWS or extensive DBaaS solutions (Aurora, RDS).
- Data security and encryption (score 9/10) are top priorities, and you wish to use proprietary AWS technologies such as Nitro Enclaves.
Choose Google Cloud if:
- Your core business is data-driven and you require the leading big data platform (score 10/10) with BigQuery and Looker.
- You are developing modern, containerized applications and benefit from the leading Kubernetes platform (GKE, score 10/10).
- AI and machine learning workloads (score 9/10) are the focus, particularly with Vertex AI for training and inference.
- You are looking for a platform with a strong focus on Linux workloads (score 10/10) and sustainable energy supply (SOV-8 Environmental 8/10).
Service comparison by category
All 19 rating categories in a head-to-head duel (1–10). A notable lead is marked from a 2-point difference.
| Category | AWSvsGoogle CloudScale 1–10 | Avg. all | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data Security & Encryption | 99 | 7.8 | balanced |
| Technological Sovereignty | 46 | 7.4 | Lead Google Cloud |
| Operational Sovereignty | 76 | 8 | balanced |
| Strategic Capabilities | 109 | 6.2 | balanced |
| Price | 45 | 6.4 | balanced |
| Collaboration Tools | 48 | 5.1 | Lead Google Cloud |
| Global Reach | 97 | 4.5 | Lead AWS |
| Big Data | 910 | 4.8 | balanced |
| AI | 79 | 4.8 | Lead Google Cloud |
| Bare Metal | 33 | 5.2 | balanced |
| Virtualization | 1010 | 5.7 | balanced |
| Containerization | 910 | 7.3 | balanced |
| Databases | 1010 | 6.9 | balanced |
| High Availability | 109 | 6.7 | balanced |
| Microsoft | 65 | 4.5 | balanced |
| Linux | 1010 | 8.8 | balanced |
| Encryption | 99 | 6.8 | balanced |
| Storage | 1010 | 7.7 | balanced |
| Network | 1010 | 7.8 | balanced |
Management Summary
Sovereign Cloud
SEAL Framework
Strategic (15 %)
Legal & Jurisdictional (10 %)
Data & AI (10 %)
Operational (15 %)
Supply Chain (20 %)
Technology (15 %)
Security & Compliance (10 %)
Environmental (5 %)
Availability & Locations
Compute
shared & low-budget
Hot Storage
Cold Storage
Managed Databases
Network & Security
Orchestration
Virtualization
Management
Big Data
AI & Machine Learning
Quantum Computing
Compliance & Certificates
German cloud security catalogue
IT service management system standard
Information security management system
Cloud security controls for providers
Personal data protection for cloud
Privacy information management extension
Energy management for data centers
Cloud Security Alliance assurance registry
Service organization control audit reports
Payment card data security standard
Quality management system standard
Cost Indication
vCPU/h
H100/h
GB/h
CPU/h
Ratio1/4
GB/h | 3000 IOPS
GB/h
GB/h
GB/h
Cluster/h
per 1 Mil Requests
GB-Sec
LLama3.3-70B per 1Mil tokens
LLama3.3-70B per 1Mil tokens
per GB
Our comparison methodology
The scores show a relative price comparison per service category. The lowest price earns 10 points; higher prices are marked down proportionally. Missing services are treated neutrally.
As of: List prices as of 11 September 2025, location Germany (DE).
More cloud comparisons
Frequently asked questions: AWS vs Google Cloud
What is the main difference between AWS and Google Cloud?
AWS offers the deepest and broadest portfolio on the market (Strategic Opportunities 10/10) with strong global infrastructure (114 data centers), making it ideal for international scaling and complex enterprise migrations. Google Cloud focuses technologically on data and AI excellence, achieving the maximum score of 10/10 in Big Data and Containerization. While AWS offers maximum flexibility and reach, Google Cloud is the preferred choice for data-driven innovations and modern container architectures.
Which provider is more sovereign for DACH customers?
Both providers are US companies and therefore exhibit comparatively low sovereignty scores. AWS has a SEAL score of 4.1/10 (41%), Google Cloud a slightly higher score of 4.3/10 (43%). Both score below the average of all providers in the category Technological Sovereignty (AWS 4/10, Google Cloud 6/10 vs. average 7.4). For strictly regulated scenarios, both providers must be supplemented by specific sovereign cloud offerings (e.g., AWS Euro or Google Sovereign Folder by Telekom), as the pure basic infrastructure is subject to US jurisdiction.
Who is cheaper: AWS or Google Cloud?
Google Cloud performs slightly better in the price rating (5/10) than AWS (4/10), although both are below the average of all providers (6.4/10). Actual costs are highly workload-dependent: AWS has higher costs for CPU (4.2/10) and RAM (3.0/10), while Google Cloud is cheaper for Managed MySQL (7.4/10) than AWS (6.9/10). For egress costs, both providers are on par with a low score of 3.0/10. An accurate cost assessment requires an individual analysis of specific resource usage.
Which provider is better for Big Data and AI?
Google Cloud is leading in these areas. In the category Big Data, Google Cloud achieves the maximum score of 10/10, supported by BigQuery and Looker, while AWS, with 9/10, is also strong but slightly behind. In the category AI, Google Cloud is rated 9/10, based on Vertex AI, while AWS has a score of 7/10. For organizations that strongly align their strategy with data analytics and artificial intelligence, Google Cloud offers the technologically more advanced platform.
How do the container platforms compare?
Google Cloud leads in the category Containerization with a perfect score of 10/10, driven by Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) and Cloud Run. AWS follows with a very strong score of 9/10, supported by Elastic Kubernetes Service (EKS) and Fargate. Both platforms are highly mature, but Google Cloud has a slight technological advantage here, making it the first choice for container-native development.
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