APIs & web front ends
AWS AppSync vs Azure API Management / Azure Web PubSub
AWS AppSync maps to two Azure services.
API Management covers GraphQL (pass-through or synthetic GraphQL with resolvers), and Azure Web PubSub covers real-time WebSocket pub/sub (like AppSync Events).
Side-by-side comparison
| Aspect | Amazon Web Services | Microsoft Azure |
|---|---|---|
| Service | AWS AppSync | Azure API Management Azure Web PubSub |
| Lifecycle | Generally available | Generally available Generally available |
| What it is | Managed GraphQL APIs (resolvers to DynamoDB, Lambda, RDS, HTTP, and more, with merged APIs and subscriptions) and AppSync Events for serverless WebSocket pub/sub. | API gateway, developer portal, and management plane (policies, products, subscriptions, versioning) for REST, SOAP, GraphQL, WebSocket, and gRPC APIs. Includes AI gateway features. Tiers are Consumption, Developer, Basic, Standard, Premium, and v2 tiers. Managed real-time messaging over WebSockets (and Socket.IO) with publish/subscribe to groups and server event handlers. |
| Pricing model | Per million query and mutation operations, real-time messages and connection minutes, plus optional caching. | API Management tier pricing. Web PubSub is billed per unit per day plus messages beyond the included quota. |
| Docs | AWS AppSync docs | Azure API Management docs Azure Web PubSub docs |
| Pricing page | AWS AppSync pricing | Azure API Management pricing Azure Web PubSub pricing |
| Exams | DVA-C02 Retiring | AZ-204 Retired |
Key differences
- AppSync is a dedicated GraphQL engine with resolvers (JavaScript or VTL) for DynamoDB, Aurora, OpenSearch, Lambda, and HTTP, plus subscriptions, caching, and merged APIs. API Management's synthetic GraphQL uses resolver policies (for example HTTP data sources), and pass-through GraphQL fronts an existing GraphQL server.
- Real-time. AppSync GraphQL subscriptions and AppSync Events (channels over WebSockets). Web PubSub provides WebSocket and Socket.IO pub/sub with groups and serverless event handlers.
- Data API Builder (open source) and Microsoft Fabric GraphQL are other Azure options for GraphQL over databases.
Pricing summary
Pricing models only. No prices are quoted because they change by region and over time.
- AWS
- Per million query and mutation operations, real-time messages and connection minutes, plus optional caching. AWS AppSync pricing →
- Azure
- API Management tier pricing. Web PubSub is billed per unit per day plus messages beyond the included quota. Azure API Management pricing → Azure Web PubSub pricing →
Certification exam mapping
| Exam | Provider | Level | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| AWS Certified Developer – Associate DVA-C02 | AWS | Associate | retiring Being updated to DVA-C03. Registration for DVA-C03 opens Oct 27, 2026. Last day to take DVA-C02 is Nov 30, 2026. |
| Microsoft Certified – Azure Developer Associate AZ-204 | Azure | Associate | retired The certification and renewal assessment are retired (the page doesn't give a date). The closest current developer credential is AI-200 (Azure AI Cloud Developer Associate). That's our reading, not an official mapping. |
Relevance is based on each exam's published scope, not a line-by-line objective match. Check the official study guide.
FAQ
What is the Azure equivalent of AWS AppSync?
AWS AppSync maps to two Azure services. API Management covers GraphQL (pass-through or synthetic GraphQL with resolvers), and Azure Web PubSub covers real-time WebSocket pub/sub (like AppSync Events).
How does pricing compare between AWS AppSync and Azure API Management and Azure Web PubSub?
AWS: Per million query and mutation operations, real-time messages and connection minutes, plus optional caching. Azure: API Management tier pricing. Web PubSub is billed per unit per day plus messages beyond the included quota. Check the official pricing pages for current rates.
Which certification exams cover this topic?
AWS Certified Developer – Associate (DVA-C02) [retiring]; Microsoft Certified – Azure Developer Associate (AZ-204) [retired].