Audit, configuration & compliance · AWS vs Google Cloud
AWS CloudTrail vs Cloud Audit Logs
AWS CloudTrail maps to Cloud Audit Logs: Admin Activity, Data Access, System Event, and Policy Denied logs in Cloud Logging.
Side-by-side comparison
| Aspect | Amazon Web Services | Google Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| Service | AWS CloudTrail | Cloud Audit Logs |
| Lifecycle | Generally available | Generally available |
| What it is | Records API activity. Event history gives 90 days of management events for free, trails deliver events to S3 and CloudWatch Logs, and CloudTrail Lake stores and queries events with SQL. | Admin Activity, Data Access, System Event, and Policy Denied audit logs in Cloud Logging. |
| Pricing model | The first copy of management events in trails is free. Data events, extra copies, and CloudTrail Lake are billed. | Billed through Cloud Logging ingestion and storage; check which log types are free. |
| Docs | AWS CloudTrail docs | Cloud Audit Logs docs |
| Pricing page | AWS CloudTrail pricing | Cloud Audit Logs pricing |
Key differences
- Admin Activity logs are always on; most Data Access logs must be enabled.
- Use aggregated sinks to collect logs organization-wide.
Pricing summary
Pricing models only. No prices are quoted because they change by region and over time.
- AWS
- The first copy of management events in trails is free. Data events, extra copies, and CloudTrail Lake are billed. AWS CloudTrail pricing →
- GCP
- Billed through Cloud Logging ingestion and storage; check which log types are free. Cloud Audit Logs pricing →
And on Azure?
Direct match Azure's equivalent is Azure Monitor activity log (and Entra audit logs). AWS vs Azure comparison →
FAQ
What is the Google Cloud equivalent of AWS CloudTrail?
AWS CloudTrail maps to Cloud Audit Logs: Admin Activity, Data Access, System Event, and Policy Denied logs in Cloud Logging.
How does pricing compare between AWS CloudTrail and Cloud Audit Logs?
AWS: The first copy of management events in trails is free. Data events, extra copies, and CloudTrail Lake are billed. Google Cloud: Billed through Cloud Logging ingestion and storage; check which log types are free. Check the official pricing pages for current rates.
What is the Azure equivalent?
Azure Monitor activity log (and Entra audit logs) (direct match). AWS CloudTrail maps to the Azure Monitor activity log for resource operations, plus Microsoft Entra audit and sign-in logs for identity events.