Block storage
Amazon EBS vs Azure managed disks
The Azure equivalent of Amazon EBS is Azure managed disks.
Microsoft maps gp2/gp3 to Standard SSD or Premium SSD, gp3 to Premium SSD v2, and io2 to Ultra Disk, and recommends testing, because performance limits don't line up exactly.
Side-by-side comparison
| Aspect | Amazon Web Services | Microsoft Azure |
|---|---|---|
| Service | Amazon EBS | Azure managed disks |
| Lifecycle | Generally available | Using Standard HDD as an OS disk retires on Sep 8, 2028. |
| What it is | Network block volumes for EC2 in a single AZ. SSD types gp3, gp2, io2 Block Express, and io1, and HDD types st1 and sc1. gp3 goes up to 64 TiB, 80,000 IOPS, and 2,000 MiB/s; io2 Block Express goes up to 64 TiB, 256,000 IOPS, and 4,000 MiB/s. | Block storage for VMs. Ultra Disk (up to 64 TiB, 400,000 IOPS), Premium SSD v2 (up to 64 TiB, 80,000 IOPS, 3,000 IOPS and 125 MB/s included), Premium SSD, Standard SSD, and Standard HDD. LRS by default, with ZRS for Premium SSD and Standard SSD. |
| Pricing model | Per GB-month by volume type, plus provisioned IOPS and throughput above the baselines (gp3, io1, io2). | Premium SSD, Standard SSD, and Standard HDD are billed per size tier per month (Standard types also per transaction). Premium SSD v2 and Ultra Disk are billed per GiB plus provisioned IOPS and throughput. |
| Docs | Amazon EBS docs | Azure managed disks docs |
| Pricing page | Amazon EBS pricing | Azure managed disks pricing |
| Exams | CLF-C02 SAA-C03 SOA-C03 | AZ-900 AZ-104 AZ-305 |
Key differences
- Performance model. gp3 includes 3,000 IOPS and 125 MiB/s and lets you buy more separately, the same idea and baseline as Premium SSD v2. Classic Premium SSD and Standard SSD use fixed size tiers where performance comes with size, plus bursting.
- Limits. gp3 goes to 64 TiB, 80,000 IOPS, and 2,000 MiB/s, and io2 Block Express to 64 TiB, 256,000 IOPS, and 4,000 MiB/s. Premium SSD v2 goes to 64 TiB, 80,000 IOPS, and 2,000 MB/s, and Ultra Disk to 64 TiB, 400,000 IOPS, and 10,000 MB/s. VM or instance limits often bind first.
- OS disks. Any EBS SSD type can be a boot volume. On Azure, Premium SSD v2 and Ultra Disk can only be data disks, so OS disks use Premium SSD, Standard SSD, or (until Sep 8, 2028) Standard HDD.
- Zones. EBS volumes live in one AZ. Azure Premium SSD and Standard SSD also offer ZRS disks that replicate synchronously across three zones.
- Durability. io2 Block Express is designed for 99.999% durability and other EBS types for 99.8–99.9%. Azure documents 11 nines for LRS managed disks.
- HDD. EBS st1 and sc1 are throughput-oriented HDDs for big sequential workloads. Azure Standard HDD is a general low-cost disk without that throughput focus.
Pricing summary
Pricing models only. No prices are quoted because they change by region and over time.
- AWS
- Per GB-month by volume type, plus provisioned IOPS and throughput above the baselines (gp3, io1, io2). Amazon EBS pricing →
- Azure
- Premium SSD, Standard SSD, and Standard HDD are billed per size tier per month (Standard types also per transaction). Premium SSD v2 and Ultra Disk are billed per GiB plus provisioned IOPS and throughput. Azure managed disks pricing →
Certification exam mapping
| Exam | Provider | Level | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner CLF-C02 | AWS | Foundational | current Italian and German versions retire after Dec 31, 2026. |
| 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. |
| Microsoft Certified – Azure Fundamentals AZ-900 | Azure | Fundamentals | current |
| 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 Amazon EBS?
The Azure equivalent of Amazon EBS is Azure managed disks. Microsoft maps gp2/gp3 to Standard SSD or Premium SSD, gp3 to Premium SSD v2, and io2 to Ultra Disk, and recommends testing, because performance limits don't line up exactly.
How does pricing compare between Amazon EBS and Azure managed disks?
AWS: Per GB-month by volume type, plus provisioned IOPS and throughput above the baselines (gp3, io1, io2). Azure: Premium SSD, Standard SSD, and Standard HDD are billed per size tier per month (Standard types also per transaction). Premium SSD v2 and Ultra Disk are billed per GiB plus provisioned IOPS and throughput. Check the official pricing pages for current rates.
Which certification exams cover this topic?
AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner (CLF-C02); AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate (SAA-C03); AWS Certified CloudOps Engineer – Associate (SOA-C03); Microsoft Certified – Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900); Microsoft Certified – Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104); Microsoft Certified – Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305).
What is the Azure equivalent of EBS gp3?
Premium SSD v2 is the closest. It also includes 3,000 IOPS and 125 MB/s and lets you set capacity, IOPS, and throughput independently. Unlike gp3, it can't be used as an OS disk.