Virtual machines & images · AWS vs Google Cloud
Amazon Machine Images (AMIs) vs Compute Engine custom images and machine images
AMIs map to Compute Engine custom images (boot disk images, grouped into image families) and machine images (all disks plus the instance's configuration).
Side-by-side comparison
| Aspect | Amazon Web Services | Google Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| Service | Amazon Machine Images (AMIs) | Compute Engine custom images and machine images |
| Lifecycle | Generally available | Generally available |
| What it is | Regional launch images (EBS snapshots plus launch metadata) that you can share with accounts, organizations, or publicly, and copy across Regions. | Custom OS images (boot disk images, grouped into image families) and machine images (all disks plus instance configuration), shareable across projects with IAM. |
| Pricing model | There's no AMI charge. You pay for the EBS snapshots behind the AMI, and copying across Regions incurs data transfer. | Billed per GB-month of image storage, with rates by storage location. |
| Docs | Amazon Machine Images (AMIs) docs | Compute Engine custom images and machine images docs |
| Pricing page | Amazon Machine Images (AMIs) pricing | Compute Engine custom images and machine images pricing |
Key differences
- A custom image covers one boot disk; a machine image is closer to a full AMI with all attached disks and instance properties.
- Images are global resources shared across projects with IAM, rather than per-region copies shared by account ID.
Pricing summary
Pricing models only. No prices are quoted because they change by region and over time.
- AWS
- There's no AMI charge. You pay for the EBS snapshots behind the AMI, and copying across Regions incurs data transfer. Amazon Machine Images (AMIs) pricing →
- GCP
- Billed per GB-month of image storage, with rates by storage location. Compute Engine custom images and machine images pricing →
And on Azure?
Direct match Azure's equivalent is Azure Compute Gallery (and legacy managed images). AWS vs Azure comparison →
FAQ
What is the Google Cloud equivalent of Amazon Machine Images (AMIs)?
AMIs map to Compute Engine custom images (boot disk images, grouped into image families) and machine images (all disks plus the instance's configuration).
How does pricing compare between Amazon Machine Images (AMIs) and Compute Engine custom images and machine images?
AWS: There's no AMI charge. You pay for the EBS snapshots behind the AMI, and copying across Regions incurs data transfer. Google Cloud: Billed per GB-month of image storage, with rates by storage location. Check the official pricing pages for current rates.
What is the Azure equivalent?
Azure Compute Gallery (and legacy managed images) (direct match). Amazon Machine Images (AMIs) map to Azure Compute Gallery image versions.