AWS vs Azure vs Google Cloud: Service Equivalents and Interview Questions

Key takeaways

• Learn the concepts first, then the product names. Compute, storage, networking, identity, databases and monitoring exist on all three clouds.
• Key differences are mostly about identity and organisation (IAM, Entra ID, resource hierarchy), networking scope, and ecosystem fit.
• Pricing models are similar in concept: pay as you go, commitments, spot or preemptible capacity. Never quote prices from memory in an interview. Say where you would check.
• The best answer to "which cloud is best" is "it depends on workload, existing skills, compliance and cost", followed by how you would decide.
• Check current service names. Cloud vendors rename and retire services often.

What are the equivalent core services on AWS, Azure and Google Cloud?

Service names and offerings change, so check the current catalogues at AWS, Microsoft Learn and Google Cloud.

How do the three clouds organise resources and identity?

• AWS: accounts grouped in AWS Organizations; IAM users, roles and policies; regions and availability zones.
• Azure: management groups, subscriptions and resource groups; Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD) for identity; Azure RBAC for resource permissions. Strong fit where an organisation already uses Microsoft 365.
• Google Cloud: organisation, folders and projects; IAM roles granted at any level and inherited downwards.

What are common networking differences?

All three have virtual networks, subnets, routing, firewalls and private connectivity. A frequently cited difference is scope: in AWS a VPC is regional, in Azure a VNet is regional, and in Google Cloud a VPC network is global with regional subnets. Know how to explain security groups and network ACLs (AWS), network security groups (Azure) and firewall rules (Google Cloud). Verify current behaviour in the docs.

How do pricing models compare?

All three use pay-as-you-go pricing for most services, with discounts for commitments (reserved capacity, savings plans, committed use) and cheaper interruptible capacity (spot or preemptible VMs). Prices differ by region, service and usage and change over time, so in an interview describe the model and the method: use each provider's pricing calculator and estimate with real usage. Do not quote numbers from memory.

How do you compare serverless options?

Lambda, Azure Functions and Cloud Functions all run code in response to events, scale automatically, and bill by usage. Differences interviewers probe: supported runtimes, maximum execution time, event sources, cold start behaviour and local development tools. Also know container-based serverless (AWS Fargate and App Runner, Azure Container Apps, Google Cloud Run).

What is vendor lock-in and how do you reduce it?

Lock-in is the cost of moving away from a provider because you depend on its proprietary services. Reduce it by using open standards where it makes sense (Kubernetes, PostgreSQL, Terraform, containers), keeping data portable, and putting provider-specific code behind clear interfaces. Accept some lock-in when a managed service saves real effort. The goal is a conscious choice, not zero lock-in.

When would you choose each cloud?

• AWS: broad service range and a large ecosystem; common for startups and many enterprises.
• Azure: strong when the company runs Windows, Active Directory, Microsoft 365 and.NET workloads.
• Google Cloud: often chosen for data analytics, machine learning and Kubernetes-centred platforms.

These are tendencies, not rules. The right answer also weighs compliance, team skills, existing contracts, data location and cost. See our AWS, Azure and Google Cloud comparison.

What is multi-cloud and when does it make sense?

Multi-cloud means using more than one provider. Reasons include regulation, resilience, acquisitions and picking best-of-breed services. Costs include more skills to maintain, more complex security and data transfer charges. A single primary cloud with a tested exit plan is often simpler than true active multi-cloud.

How do certifications compare?

Each provider has foundational, associate and professional levels. Check each provider's official page: AWS Certification, Microsoft Credentials and Google Cloud certification.

Sample interview questions to practise

1. Explain the shared responsibility model and how it differs by service type (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS).
2. Design a three-tier web app on each cloud. Which services do you use?
3. How do you give an application access to storage without embedding keys? (IAM role, managed identity, service account.)
4. How would you migrate a VM-based app from AWS to Azure?
5. How do you control cost across accounts, subscriptions or projects (budgets, tags or labels, rightsizing)?
6. How do you make a service highly available across zones and regions?

Next steps

Choose one cloud and go deep first. WebAsha offers AWS training, Azure Fundamentals and Google Cloud Associate Cloud Engineer courses. Related prep: cloud service models interview questions.

Related reading

• [2026] Top 50+ Cloud Architecture Interview Questions and Answers