Backup & disaster recovery
AWS Backup vs Azure Backup
AWS Backup maps to Azure Backup.
Both are policy-based managed backup services that cover VMs, disks, file shares, object storage, databases, and Kubernetes, plus some on-premises workloads.
Side-by-side comparison
| Aspect | Amazon Web Services | Microsoft Azure |
|---|---|---|
| Service | AWS Backup | Azure Backup |
| Lifecycle | Generally available | Generally available |
| What it is | Policy-based, centralized backup across EC2, EBS, S3, EFS, FSx, RDS, Aurora, DynamoDB, EKS, and more, plus VMware on premises, with cross-Region and cross-account copies, Vault Lock, and AWS Organizations backup policies. | Policy-based backup for Azure VMs, disks, Blob Storage, Azure Files, AKS, SQL Server and SAP HANA/ASE in VMs, PostgreSQL and MySQL flexible servers, and on-premises machines (MARS agent, MABS), using Recovery Services vaults and Backup vaults. |
| Pricing model | Per GB-month of backup storage (warm or cold tier) by resource type, plus restores and cross-Region transfer. | A monthly protected-instance fee based on size, plus backup storage per GB-month (LRS, ZRS, or GRS) and snapshot storage. |
| Docs | AWS Backup docs | Azure Backup docs |
| Pricing page | AWS Backup pricing | Azure Backup pricing |
| Exams | SAA-C03 SOA-C03 SAP-C02 Retiring | AZ-104 AZ-305 |
Key differences
- Vaults. AWS Backup uses backup vaults, with cross-Region and cross-account copies. Azure Backup uses two vault types. Recovery Services vaults cover VMs, SQL Server and SAP HANA in VMs, Azure Files, and on-premises machines. Backup vaults cover disks, blobs, AKS, and PostgreSQL.
- Databases. AWS Backup covers RDS, Aurora, DynamoDB, and other AWS databases. Azure Backup covers SQL Server, SAP HANA, and SAP ASE in VMs, plus PostgreSQL and MySQL flexible servers. Azure SQL Database and Cosmos DB rely on their own built-in backups.
- Object storage. AWS Backup backs up S3 buckets. Azure Backup has operational backup for blobs (local and continuous) and vaulted backup (offsite copies).
- On premises. AWS Backup supports VMware VMs through a gateway appliance. Azure Backup uses the MARS agent or Microsoft Azure Backup Server (MABS).
- Governance. AWS Backup integrates with AWS Organizations backup policies. Azure Backup uses Azure Policy and at-scale management in the Azure portal.
Pricing summary
Pricing models only. No prices are quoted because they change by region and over time.
- AWS
- Per GB-month of backup storage (warm or cold tier) by resource type, plus restores and cross-Region transfer. AWS Backup pricing →
- Azure
- A monthly protected-instance fee based on size, plus backup storage per GB-month (LRS, ZRS, or GRS) and snapshot storage. Azure Backup pricing →
Certification exam mapping
| Exam | Provider | Level | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate SAA-C03 | AWS | Associate | current Italian version retires after Dec 31, 2026. |
| AWS Certified CloudOps Engineer – Associate SOA-C03 | AWS | Associate | current Replaces AWS Certified SysOps Administrator – Associate (SOA-C02), whose last exam day was Sep 29, 2025. Simplified Chinese and Korean versions retire after Nov 19, 2026. |
| AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional SAP-C02 | AWS | Professional | retiring Being updated to SAP-C03. Registration for SAP-C03 opens Oct 27, 2026. Last day to take SAP-C02 is Nov 16, 2026. |
| Microsoft Certified – Azure Administrator Associate AZ-104 | Azure | Associate | current |
| Microsoft Certified – Azure Solutions Architect Expert AZ-305 | Azure | Expert | current English version updated Apr 17, 2026. |
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 Backup?
AWS Backup maps to Azure Backup. Both are policy-based managed backup services that cover VMs, disks, file shares, object storage, databases, and Kubernetes, plus some on-premises workloads.
How does pricing compare between AWS Backup and Azure Backup?
AWS: Per GB-month of backup storage (warm or cold tier) by resource type, plus restores and cross-Region transfer. Azure: A monthly protected-instance fee based on size, plus backup storage per GB-month (LRS, ZRS, or GRS) and snapshot storage. Check the official pricing pages for current rates.
Which certification exams cover this topic?
AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate (SAA-C03); AWS Certified CloudOps Engineer – Associate (SOA-C03); AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional (SAP-C02) [retiring]; Microsoft Certified – Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104); Microsoft Certified – Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305).