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Government & Public Sector · head to head

Azure Government vs AWS GovCloud

Azure Government logo

Azure Government

Government & Public Sector

Trusted Cloud for Government

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
AWS GovCloud logo

AWS GovCloud

Government & Public Sector

Secure Cloud for Government

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Azure Government restricted to US government entities, their solution providers and contractors handling government data, with Microsoft validating eligibility first; AWS GovCloud access is restricted to vetted US entities, with account holders screened for US citizenship or permanent residency
  • They diverge on capability: Azure Government covers DOD IL5 Approved, AWS GovCloud covers ITAR Compliant.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Azure Government and AWS GovCloud actually diverge.

Attributes where Azure Government and AWS GovCloud differ
AttributeAzure GovernmentAWS GovCloud
Founded19752006

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (usage-based), free tier (No), platforms (Web, Cli, Sdk), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Government & Public Sector).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Azure Government

  • DOD IL5 Approved
  • Isolated Datacenters
  • Hybrid Cloud
  • AI & ML Services
  • Microsoft 365
  • Dynamics 365
  • Power Platform

Only in AWS GovCloud

  • ITAR Compliant
  • DOD SRG Levels
  • Isolated Infrastructure
  • Full AWS Services
  • Third-party Tools
  • Government Systems
  • Security Tools

Both cover

  • FedRAMP High Authorized
  • Web support
  • Cli support
  • Sdk support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Azure Government

  • Hosting US government workloads in dedicated domestic datacentresnot AWS GovCloud
  • Systems needing FedRAMP High, DoD IL2 to IL5, CJIS or ITAR authorisationnot AWS GovCloud
  • State, local and tribal government cloud servicesnot AWS GovCloud
  • Contractors processing controlled government datanot AWS GovCloud

AWS GovCloud

  • Hosting controlled unclassified information for US federal agenciesnot Azure Government
  • Workloads requiring FedRAMP High, ITAR or DFARS compliancenot Azure Government
  • Defence and public sector systems needing US-person operationnot Azure Government
  • Regulated contractors handling government datanot Azure Government

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Azure Government

  • Restricted to US government entities, their solution providers and contractors handling government data, with Microsoft validating eligibility first
  • A narrower service catalogue than commercial Azure
  • New features arrive later than in the commercial regions
  • Pricing is not published and runs through federal contract vehicles such as JWCC, GSA and NASA SEWP

AWS GovCloud

  • Access is restricted to vetted US entities, with account holders screened for US citizenship or permanent residency
  • Separate IAM, console, CLI and APIs from commercial AWS, so accounts and tooling do not carry across
  • Not every AWS service is available in the two GovCloud regions
  • Pricing is not published on the product page

Pricing, plan by plan

Azure Government

On request
  • Pay-as-you-goFree
    • Virtual Machines
    • Azure SQL
    • Storage

AWS GovCloud

On request
  • Pay-as-you-goFree
    • Compute
    • Storage
    • Database

Which should you pick?

Choose Azure Government if

  • You need dod il5 approved.
  • You work on Web, Cli, Sdk.
  • You also want isolated datacenters.
Azure Government review

Choose AWS GovCloud if

  • You need itar compliant.
  • You work on Web, Cli, Sdk.
  • You also want dod srg levels.
AWS GovCloud review

Questions people ask

Is Azure Government or AWS GovCloud better?
Neither clearly leads. Azure Government starts at On request and AWS GovCloud at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Azure Government or AWS GovCloud?
Azure Government starts at On request and AWS GovCloud at On request.
Does Azure Government or AWS GovCloud run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Cli, Sdk, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What is Azure Government best used for?
Azure Government is most often used for hosting us government workloads in dedicated domestic datacentres, systems needing fedramp high, dod il2 to il5, cjis or itar authorisation, state, local and tribal government cloud services, contractors processing controlled government data. Of those, hosting us government workloads in dedicated domestic datacentres and systems needing fedramp high, dod il2 to il5, cjis or itar authorisation are not what AWS GovCloud is typically brought in for.
What can Azure Government do that AWS GovCloud cannot?
Azure Government covers DOD IL5 Approved, Isolated Datacenters, Hybrid Cloud, AI & ML Services. AWS GovCloud covers ITAR Compliant, DOD SRG Levels, Isolated Infrastructure, Full AWS Services. Both handle FedRAMP High Authorized, Web support, Cli support, Sdk support.
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Related pages

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