guideupdated may 24, 2026 · 6 min read
AWS vs Azure Compute Pricing Compared (2026)
TL;DR
Azure D-series sits roughly at parity with AWS m5 on-demand. AWS pulls ahead with Savings Plans flexibility. Azure tends to win for Windows workloads thanks to Hybrid Benefit licensing.
Equivalent SKUs · monthly cost
us-east-1 / us-central1 · linux · on-demand
| Workload | AWS | $/mo | Azure | $/mo | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General web/api | AWSm5.xlarge | $140 | AZD4s_v5 | $140 | Azure −0% |
| Mid-tier app servers | AWSm5.2xlarge | $280 | AZD8s_v5 | $280 | Azure −0% |
| CPU-bound batch jobs | AWSc5.xlarge | $124 | AZF4s_v2 | $123 | Azure −1% |
| In-memory caches | AWSr5.xlarge | $184 | AZE4s_v5 | $184 | Azure −0% |
| ML inference (GPU) | AWSg5.xlarge | $734 | AZNC4as_T4_v3 | $384 | Azure −48% |
Best for X workload
Best for Windows workloadsAzure wins
Azure Hybrid Benefit reduces Windows VM cost by up to 40% if you bring existing Windows Server licenses.
D4s_v5 · hybridOpen in tool
Best for flexible commitmentsAWS wins
AWS Savings Plans apply across instance families — Azure Reserved Instances are per-SKU.
m5 · savings planOpen in tool
Best for burstable workloadsAzure wins
Azure B-series (B4ms) is cheaper than AWS T-series for low-baseline workloads.
B4msOpen in tool
Best for GPU inferenceAWS wins
AWS g5.xlarge with the A10G has consistently lower $/inference than Azure's T4-based NC4as_T4_v3.
g5.xlargeOpen in tool
Frequently asked
Is AWS or Azure cheaper for Windows workloads?
Azure wins decisively if you have existing Windows Server licenses (Hybrid Benefit). Without that, both are roughly within 5% on-demand.
How do Reserved Instances compare?
AWS Savings Plans are more flexible (apply across instance families). Azure Reserved Instances are per-family, but Azure Hybrid Benefit can stack with RIs for greater savings.
What about egress fees?
Azure egress is broadly similar to AWS (~$0.085/GB at moderate volumes). Both offer volume discounts and free egress within the same region.