AWS vs Azure vs GCP — What We Chose and Why

In the constantly changing age of Cloud Computing, there stand three giants which are prominent in the field - Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP). As students, we tend to think which one is better or which one to use and throughout our experience at JECRC’s AWS Cloud Club, we have jot down the things which are necessary in choosing which one is better for us.

In this blog, let us break down the Key Differences between the Top Cloud Providers, and explain why AWS has been our platform of choice.

🤜🏻The War Participants :

(*Market share data from latest industry reports)

What does really Matter ?

While all the platforms are very much powerful and capable, students have very different opinions and priorities compared to Industry/Enterprises.

Here’s what really matters to us :

• FREE, FREE and FREE resources to Learn and Experiment

• A readable and english-free documentation

• Strong community support 💪🏻 (like us 😉)

• Certificates (Deep-down we all know that we don’t 🙂 want but we have to.)

• Real-projects to Work and show our Potential

  Now, let’s see if the Platforms are up to the mark or not ?

Why we choose AWS ?

1. Powerful Free Tier for Real-World Projects 📽️:

There is 12 months of free usage in AWS for core services like EC2, S3, RDS and some services that are always free, like Lambda (Serverless functions) and DynamoDB. This is ideal for student portfolios and club projects.

Our team members have hosted:

• Static Sites on S3

• Backend APIs using Lambda + API Gateway

2. AWS Educate & Student Credits 📝:

AWS is Student Centric and provides them with the following:

• AWS Educate : A free learning portal with badges and pathways, where students get a crafted roadmap for the course.

• Student Credits : Through AWS Academy or Club participation, we can get Student Credits, which create a impact in the resumes.

• Qwiklabs & Skill Builder : Hands-on labs to learn services interactively.

These helped many of us clear the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner exam — a great boost for LinkedIn profiles and internships.

3. Massive Ecosystem and Career Value :

AWS is chosen among all the cloud job listings and is widely used in:

• Startups and Tech Unicorns like Netflix, Airbnb and Slack.

• Business like Samsung, BMW and Coca-Cola

• Public sector and government organizations, including NASA and the U.S. government.

Learning AWS early gives us an edge in DevOps, backend, cloud security, and data engineering roles.

In short, learning AWS doesn’t just make us good students—it makes us job-ready cloud professionals. That’s why we’re investing our time and energy in this ecosystem.

4. Community Support :

The AWS Cloud Club program connects us with mentors, other colleges, and even AWS Community Builders. We get:

• Swag, sponsorships, and event kits

• Access to exclusive sessions

• Direct interaction with AWS experts

This isn’t just a club. It’s a launchpad.

But now, the big question…..

⚖️ How Azure and GCP Compare

While Amazon Web Services are our in the primary focus here 🥸, we still have the some options to choose from, which are Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud Platform (GCP).

Both have a good share of market in the field and also student programs but still, here is a quick comparison for a student’s perspective:

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🔹 Microsoft Azure

• .NET, Windows, or Visual Studio, if you are working with these and want to make career in them, it is more preferable that you use Azure for them, as they are out of box supported for it.

• Azure offers $100 in credits for students (no credit card needed) for learning and experiment purpose.

• Widely used in large enterprises and IT departments .

• Less beginner-friendly — interface and documentation can feel complex.

• It is more tailored towards Industry rather than being student focused, which we need at this stage

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🔹 Google Cloud Platform (GCP)

• Has a Clean and Intuitive UI, which is very much helpful for a newbie.

• Excellent for machine learning, data analytics, and Firebase app development.

• The whole of GCP is centered more towards Machine Learning, Data Analytics and Firebase app development.

• GCP also offers Free Credits and Skill Boost Labs for learning and hands-on practice but with downside of Credits Expiring Quickly and often required re-registration.

• There is a shortage Job Listings and Certifications when compared to AWS, especially in India, which in itself is a very big marketplace for Cloud Engineers.

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🧠 Our Verdict

• Both Azure and GCP are valuable platforms, and we occasionally explore them.

• However, AWS offers the best mix of learning resources, hands-on opportunities, community support, and career relevance.

• That’s why AWS remains our go-to choice for any project we are working on.

🚀 Final Thoughts

Cloud computing isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution — and that’s exactly what makes it so exciting. Each platform offers something unique, and every student’s path into tech is different. But at our Cloud Club, our choice of AWS wasn’t just about popularity or market share. It was about possibility.

AWS empowers students to do more than just learn — it enables us to build, break, rebuild, and grow. From launching our first websites to deploying real-world backend services, we’ve gained not just technical skills, but also problem-solving abilities, confidence, and a real sense of community.

It’s a platform where:

• Curiosity turns into hands-on projects

• Mistakes become lessons

• And ideas become products

Whether you're just starting out or aiming to become a certified cloud architect, AWS provides the tools, resources, and support to scale your learning journey at every level.

So while the “cloud wars” continue in the tech industry, with companies and analysts debating who’s winning the market, our focus is simpler: learning, building, and sharing. And in that mission, AWS has been our launchpad, our lab, and our playground.

*These are our opinion and we do not force these on anyone, at the end of the you pick what suits you the best *