AI agents · AWS vs Google Cloud
Amazon Bedrock Agents Classic / Amazon Bedrock AgentCore vs Agent Studio (formerly Vertex AI Studio) / Agent Runtime (formerly Agent Engine)
For console-configured agents like classic Bedrock Agents, Google Cloud's path is to prototype in Agent Studio and deploy to Agent Runtime.
Side-by-side comparison
| Aspect | Amazon Web Services | Google Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| Service | Amazon Bedrock Agents Classic Maintenance Amazon Bedrock AgentCore | Agent Studio (formerly Vertex AI Studio) Agent Runtime (formerly Agent Engine) |
| Lifecycle | The original Bedrock Agents (launched Nov 2023), renamed Agents Classic. Not open to new customers from July 30, 2026. AWS recommends migrating to AgentCore. Generally available | Generally available Renamed from Vertex AI Agent Engine on Apr 22, 2026. |
| What it is | Configuration-based agents with action groups and knowledge bases. Modular agent platform. Harness (managed agent loop), Runtime, Memory, Gateway (MCP), Identity, Code Interpreter, Browser, Observability, Evaluations, Optimization, Policy, Registry, Payments. Works with any framework and any model. | Console workspace for trying models, refining system instructions and prompts, and prototyping agents. Managed runtime to deploy and scale agents built with ADK or other frameworks, with Sessions, Memory Bank, code execution, and observability. |
| Pricing model | Agents Classic charges no separate agent fee. You pay for model tokens and the resources invoked. | Agent Runtime compute (vCPU-hours and GiB-hours) plus model tokens. |
| Docs | Amazon Bedrock Agents Classic docs Amazon Bedrock AgentCore docs | Agent Studio (formerly Vertex AI Studio) docs Agent Runtime (formerly Agent Engine) docs |
| Pricing page | Amazon Bedrock Agents Classic pricing Amazon Bedrock AgentCore pricing | Agent Studio (formerly Vertex AI Studio) pricing Agent Runtime (formerly Agent Engine) pricing |
Key differences
- Bedrock Agents (classic) is in maintenance in favor of AgentCore; Google's equivalent path is also code-first (ADK on Agent Runtime).
- Action groups map to ADK tools or MCP servers; knowledge bases map to RAG Engine or Agent Search.
Pricing summary
Pricing models only. No prices are quoted because they change by region and over time.
- AWS
- Agents Classic charges no separate agent fee. You pay for model tokens and the resources invoked. Amazon Bedrock Agents Classic pricing → Amazon Bedrock AgentCore pricing →
- GCP
- Agent Runtime compute (vCPU-hours and GiB-hours) plus model tokens. Agent Studio (formerly Vertex AI Studio) pricing → Agent Runtime (formerly Agent Engine) pricing →
And on Azure?
Partial match Azure's equivalent is Foundry Agent Service. AWS vs Azure comparison →
FAQ
What is the Google Cloud equivalent of Amazon Bedrock Agents Classic and Amazon Bedrock AgentCore?
For console-configured agents like classic Bedrock Agents, Google Cloud's path is to prototype in Agent Studio and deploy to Agent Runtime.
How does pricing compare between Amazon Bedrock Agents Classic and Amazon Bedrock AgentCore and Agent Studio (formerly Vertex AI Studio) and Agent Runtime (formerly Agent Engine)?
AWS: Agents Classic charges no separate agent fee. You pay for model tokens and the resources invoked. Google Cloud: Agent Runtime compute (vCPU-hours and GiB-hours) plus model tokens. Check the official pricing pages for current rates.
What is the Azure equivalent?
Foundry Agent Service (partial match). Bedrock Agents Classic is in maintenance (no new customers since July 30, 2026).