ML platform (SageMaker AI ↔ Azure ML)
AWS Deep Learning AMIs vs Data Science Virtual Machines
The Azure equivalent of AWS Deep Learning AMIs is Data Science Virtual Machines.
Side-by-side comparison
| Aspect | Amazon Web Services | Microsoft Azure |
|---|---|---|
| Service | AWS Deep Learning AMIs | Data Science Virtual Machines |
| Lifecycle | Generally available | Generally available |
| What it is | Prebuilt EC2 machine images with GPU drivers and deep learning frameworks. | Preconfigured VM images with Python, R, Jupyter, and deep learning frameworks. |
| Pricing model | No charge for the AMI. You pay EC2 instance pricing. | No charge for the image. You pay VM pricing. |
| Docs | AWS Deep Learning AMIs docs | Data Science Virtual Machines docs |
| Pricing page | AWS Deep Learning AMIs pricing | Data Science Virtual Machines pricing |
| Exams | MLA-C01 Retiring | AI-300 |
Key differences
- Both are VM images with drivers and frameworks. Microsoft suggests pairing DSVMs with Azure ML for managed training and MLOps.
- AWS also ships Deep Learning Containers. On Azure, curated Azure ML environments play that role.
Pricing summary
Pricing models only. No prices are quoted because they change by region and over time.
- AWS
- No charge for the AMI. You pay EC2 instance pricing. AWS Deep Learning AMIs pricing →
- Azure
- No charge for the image. You pay VM pricing. Data Science Virtual Machines pricing →
Certification exam mapping
| Exam | Provider | Level | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| AWS Certified Machine Learning Engineer – Associate MLA-C01 | AWS | Associate | retiring Being updated to MLA-C02 (beta registration opened Sep 1, 2026). Last day for MLA-C01 in English was Sep 28, 2026; Korean, Japanese, and Simplified Chinese remain until MLA-C02 GA. |
| Microsoft Certified – Machine Learning Operations Engineer Associate AI-300 | Azure | Associate | current MLOps and GenAIOps infrastructure on Azure (IaC with Bicep/CLI, GitHub Actions). Closest successor in scope to the retired DP-100. |
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 Deep Learning AMIs?
The Azure equivalent of AWS Deep Learning AMIs is Data Science Virtual Machines.
How does pricing compare between AWS Deep Learning AMIs and Data Science Virtual Machines?
AWS: No charge for the AMI. You pay EC2 instance pricing. Azure: No charge for the image. You pay VM pricing. Check the official pricing pages for current rates.
Which certification exams cover this topic?
AWS Certified Machine Learning Engineer – Associate (MLA-C01) [retiring]; Microsoft Certified – Machine Learning Operations Engineer Associate (AI-300).