Here's a side-by-side comparison of the free tier offerings from AWS, GCP, and Azure, highlighting the key differences:
| Feature | AWS | GCP | Azure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | 12 months of free access with usage limits | $300 credit for 90 days | $200 credit for 30 days |
| Always Free | ✅ (Includes Lambda, S3, DynamoDB with limits) | ✅ (20+ products with limits, e.g., Compute Engine, Cloud Storage) | ✅ (25+ products with limits, e.g., Functions, Cosmos DB) |
| Compute Engine | ✅ (t4g.micro instances with limits) | ✅ (f1-micro instances with limits) | ✅ (B-series VMs with limits) |
| Storage | ✅ (S3 with 5GB storage) | ✅ (Cloud Storage with 5GB storage) | ✅ (Blob Storage with 5GB storage) |
| Serverless Compute | ✅ (Lambda with limits) | ✅ (Cloud Functions with limits) | ✅ (Functions with limits) |
| Database | ✅ (Limited DynamoDB, RDS) | ✅ (Limited BigQuery, Cloud SQL) | ✅ (Limited Cosmos DB, SQL Database) |
| Focus | Broad range of services with usage limits | $300 credit for flexibility, strong in AI/ML | Blend of credits and 12-month free for popular services |
| Best For | Long-term exploration within limits | Short-term projects, trying various services | Testing popular services, Microsoft-centric users |
Key Takeaways:
- AWS: Provides the longest free trial period (12 months) but with stricter usage limits.
- GCP: Offers the most flexibility with $300 in credits to use on any service.
- Azure: Balances free credits with 12 months of free access to popular services.
Choosing the Right Free Tier:
The best free tier for you depends on your needs and goals. Consider these factors:
- Specific services: Check which platform offers the best free tier for the services you're most interested in.
- Project duration: If you have a short-term project, GCP's free credits might be more suitable. For longer-term exploration, AWS or Azure could be better.
- Existing ecosystem: If you're already using Microsoft products, Azure's free tier might integrate more seamlessly.
By carefully comparing the free tier offerings, you can choose the platform that best suits your cloud computing journey.
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