Cloud Cost Calculator: AWS vs Azure vs GCP
Compare cloud hosting costs across Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform. Enter your workload and see which provider is cheapest.
Compute
Storage
Network
How Cloud Cost Comparison Works
This calculator compares pricing across AWS (Amazon Web Services), Azure (Microsoft), and GCP (Google Cloud Platform) for identical workloads. It uses published on-demand pricing for compute instances, storage, and data transfer egress. Prices are updated to reflect 2026 rates and vary by region, instance family, and operating system.
On-demand pricing is the baseline — most organizations save 30-60% with reserved instances (1-3 year commitments) or spot/preemptible instances. GCP offers automatic sustained-use discounts (up to 30% off) without commitments, which this calculator factors into estimates.
AWS vs Azure vs GCP: Key Differences
AWS has the broadest service catalog and largest market share (31%). Azure integrates best with Microsoft enterprise tools (Active Directory, Office 365) and holds 25% market share. GCP offers the most competitive pricing for compute and storage, best AI/ML tools (Vertex AI, TPUs), and 11% market share but is growing fastest.
For startups and small teams, GCP typically wins on raw price. For enterprises already using Microsoft tools, Azure offers the most seamless integration. For the broadest service selection and most mature ecosystem, AWS remains the default choice. This calculator helps you compare the actual dollar costs for your specific workload.
Tips for Reducing Cloud Costs
Use reserved instances for predictable workloads (save 30-60%). Enable auto-scaling to avoid paying for idle capacity. Use spot/preemptible instances for fault-tolerant batch jobs (save 60-90%). Choose the right storage tier — cold storage costs 80% less than SSD. Minimize data transfer between regions. Use free tiers for development and testing. Set up billing alerts to catch unexpected charges early.
Cloud Cost Optimization in 2026
FinOps (cloud financial operations) has become a standard practice, with dedicated teams managing cloud spend. Tools like Spot.io, Cast AI, and Vantage automatically optimize instance types and pricing. Serverless architectures (Lambda, Cloud Functions, Azure Functions) eliminate idle compute costs entirely for event-driven workloads. The shift to ARM-based instances (AWS Graviton, Azure Cobalt, GCP Axion) offers 20-40% better price-performance than x86.