AWS Outposts vs Azure Stack: What are the differences?

Introduction

In this article, we will discuss the key differences between AWS Outposts and Azure Stack, two hybrid cloud solutions offered by Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure respectively.

1. Deployment Model: AWS Outposts follows a fully managed service model, where AWS manages the entire infrastructure including hardware, networking, and software updates. On the other hand, Azure Stack provides a flexible deployment model, allowing customers to choose between a fully integrated system or a validated system integrated by third-party hardware partners.

2. Cloud Provider Compatibility: AWS Outposts is tightly integrated with the AWS ecosystem, allowing customers to seamlessly extend their AWS infrastructure on-premises. In contrast, Azure Stack is closely tied to the Microsoft Azure cloud, enabling customers to build and deploy applications using Microsoft's services, APIs, and tools.

3. Hardware Options: AWS Outposts offers a limited choice of hardware configurations, which are pre-certified and optimized for specific use cases. In contrast, Azure Stack provides more hardware flexibility, allowing customers to choose from various hardware configurations provided by different partners.

4. Networking Capabilities: AWS Outposts uses the Amazon VPC for networking, which provides a seamless extension of the AWS network infrastructure. Azure Stack utilizes the Azure Virtual Network, enabling customers to connect their on-premises environment to the Azure cloud using virtual private networking (VPN) or dedicated connections.

5. Regional Availability: AWS Outposts is available in a broader range of regions, providing customers with more options for deploying their hybrid cloud infrastructure worldwide. Azure Stack, although expanding its availability, currently has a more limited regional presence compared to AWS Outposts.

6. Pricing Model: AWS Outposts follows a subscription-based pricing model, where customers pay for the Outpost hardware, usage of AWS services, and any additional software licenses. Azure Stack, on the other hand, follows a licensing model where customers purchase the necessary hardware and software licenses upfront.

In summary, the key differences between AWS Outposts and Azure Stack lie in their deployment models, cloud provider compatibility, hardware options, networking capabilities, regional availability, and pricing models.