Cloud Infrastructure Comparison
Cloud Infrastructure Platforms
Compare infrastructure services, managed offerings, regional choices, costs and operational requirements. Availability varies by service and region. Cost, complexity and fit ratings are qualitative assessments, not measured performance benchmarks. Reviewed 9 October 2026.
Compute & Core
Core Infrastructure Services
Provider services for common infrastructure building blocks; availability varies by product and location.
| Platform | Virtual Machines | Object Storage | Block Storage | Load Balancing | Private Networking | DNS Services |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AWS | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Microsoft Azure | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Google Cloud | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| DigitalOcean | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Hetzner | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
← Scroll horizontally to view the full comparison →
Managed Services
Managed Services
Provider-operated services are distinguished from software you manage yourself or obtain through a third party. Hetzner entries refer to Hetzner Cloud, not its separate managed-hosting products.
| Platform | Managed Kubernetes | Managed Databases | Serverless Functions | Container Registry | Monitoring Tools | Backup Services |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AWS | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Microsoft Azure | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Google Cloud | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| DigitalOcean | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Metrics; Insights in public preview | Yes |
| Hetzner | Self-managed / third party | Self-managed on Cloud | No | Self-hosted / external registry | Server metrics / self-managed tools | Server backups; excludes Volumes |
← Scroll horizontally to view the full comparison →
Regions & EU Residency
Regions, Data Residency & Global Reach
A choice of EU regions does not by itself guarantee EU-only processing or regulatory compliance. Check storage, backups, support access and each service’s residency terms. Availability zones are distinct from separate datacenter locations.
| Platform | Global Region Coverage | EU Regions | Data Residency Options | Edge / CDN Services | Availability-zone Model |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AWS | Very High | Yes | Region / service controls | Yes | Yes; region / service dependent |
| Microsoft Azure | Very High | Yes | Region / service controls | Yes | Yes; region / service dependent |
| Google Cloud | High | Yes | Region / service controls | Cloud CDN / Media CDN | Yes; region / service dependent |
| DigitalOcean | Medium | Yes | Region-based | Spaces CDN / App Platform CDN | Separate datacenters; not equivalent AZs |
| Hetzner | Focused | Strong EU Focus | Location selection | Limited / External Tools | Locations / placement groups |
← Scroll horizontally to view the full comparison →
Cost & Complexity
Cost Model & Operational Complexity
Qualitative cost and workload-fit assessments. Infrastructure charges depend on resource size, usage, traffic and add-ons; operational effort depends on the services selected and your team.
| Platform | Pricing Complexity | Entry Cost | SMB Fit | Enterprise Fit | Operational Complexity | Free Tier / Trial |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AWS | High | Pay-as-you-go (Variable) | Medium | High | High | Yes |
| Microsoft Azure | High | Pay-as-you-go (Variable) | Medium | High | High | Yes |
| Google Cloud | High | Pay-as-you-go (Variable) | Medium | High | High | Yes |
| DigitalOcean | Lower | Bundled plans capped; v5 usage-based | High | Medium | Lower | Credits / Trial |
| Hetzner | Lower | Cloud hourly rates / monthly caps | High | Medium | Medium | Limited |
← Scroll horizontally to view the full comparison →
Security & Compliance
Security, Governance & Compliance
Controls and documentation vary by service and plan. Provider certifications do not automatically make a customer deployment compliant; access, logging and encryption still require configuration.
| Platform | IAM Controls | Audit Logs | Encryption Controls | Compliance Documentation | Enterprise Support | Marketplace Ecosystem |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AWS | Advanced | Yes | Advanced | Available | Yes | Large |
| Microsoft Azure | Advanced | Yes | Advanced | Available | Yes | Large |
| Google Cloud | Advanced | Yes | Advanced | Available | Yes | Large |
| DigitalOcean | Standard | Standard | Yes | Available | Plan-dependent | Medium |
| Hetzner | Standard | Limited / Setup-dependent | Setup-dependent | Available | Standard | Smaller |
← Scroll horizontally to view the full comparison →
Products Covered
Base Layer product overviews for the platforms included in this comparison.
AWS
Large-scale cloud platform with broad compute, storage, networking, AI, and managed service coverage.
Microsoft Azure
Microsoft cloud platform for infrastructure, applications, identity, analytics, and hybrid environments.
Google Cloud
Cloud platform focused on infrastructure, data, analytics, AI, Kubernetes, and developer services.
DigitalOcean
Developer-friendly cloud platform focused on simpler infrastructure, apps, databases, and Kubernetes.
Hetzner
Cost-focused European cloud and dedicated server provider with strong infrastructure pricing.
Reference material
Documentation & Architecture References
Security & Governance
Architecture & Core Specifications
Service Availability & Operating Details
Disclosure:Certain links on this website are affiliate links. Revenue generated through these links helps cover hosting, research, and maintenance costs. All comparisons are conducted using the same evaluation framework regardless of commercial relationships.