Virtual machines & images
Amazon EC2 instance types vs Azure VM sizes (series)
EC2 instance types map to Azure VM sizes (series).
Both group shapes by workload type and use letters in the name for the CPU vendor and features, but the naming schemes are different.
Side-by-side comparison
| Aspect | Amazon Web Services | Microsoft Azure |
|---|---|---|
| Service | Amazon EC2 instance types | Azure VM sizes (series) |
| Lifecycle | Generally available | Generally available |
| What it is | Instance families by workload (general purpose M/T, compute C, memory R/X/U, storage I/D/H, accelerated P/G/Inf/Trn, HPC Hpc). Each family uses a generation number and processor/feature suffixes (g = Graviton, a = AMD, i = Intel, d = local NVMe, n = network-enhanced). | VM series grouped by type (general purpose B/D, compute F, memory E/M, storage L, GPU N, HPC H). Names encode the CPU vendor (a = AMD, p = Arm) and features (d = local disk, s = premium storage, l = low memory) plus a version, for example Dasv6. |
| Pricing model | Each instance type has its own per-second On-Demand price per Region and OS. Newer generations are usually cheaper per unit of performance. | Each size has its own per-second price per region and OS. Newer versions (v6, v7) and AMD or Arm variants usually cost less for the same vCPU count. |
| Docs | Amazon EC2 instance types docs | Azure VM sizes (series) docs |
| Pricing page | Amazon EC2 instance types pricing | Azure VM sizes (series) pricing |
| Exams | SAA-C03 SOA-C03 | AZ-104 AZ-305 |
Key differences
- Rough family mapping: general purpose M/T ↔ D/B, compute optimized C ↔ F, memory optimized R/X/U ↔ E/M, storage optimized I/D ↔ L, GPU P/G ↔ N (ND/NC/NV), HPC Hpc ↔ H (HB/HX).
- Naming. EC2 is family + generation + suffix + size (m7i.2xlarge, where i = Intel, a = AMD, g = Graviton, d = local NVMe, n = network). Azure is family + vCPUs + features + version (Standard_D8as_v6, where a = AMD, p = Arm, d = local disk, s = premium storage capable, l = low memory).
- Burstable. T-series uses CPU credits, with an "unlimited" mode. Azure B-series uses banked credits as well. Check each side's credit and baseline rules before comparing.
- Azure sizes are named by vCPU count, while EC2 uses size words (large, xlarge, and so on). The vCPU:memory ratios per family are similar but not identical, so map by numbers, not names.
- End of sale. AWS stopped new launches of U-9tb1 through U-24tb1 (move to U7i). Azure regularly retires older series too (for example, isolated sizes give 12 months' notice). Check both lifecycle pages before standardizing.
Pricing summary
Pricing models only. No prices are quoted because they change by region and over time.
- AWS
- Each instance type has its own per-second On-Demand price per Region and OS. Newer generations are usually cheaper per unit of performance. Amazon EC2 instance types pricing →
- Azure
- Each size has its own per-second price per region and OS. Newer versions (v6, v7) and AMD or Arm variants usually cost less for the same vCPU count. Azure VM sizes (series) 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. |
| 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.
Verification notes
- Family letters change as new generations ship. Check the size lists on both sides at decision time.
FAQ
What is the Azure equivalent of Amazon EC2 instance types?
EC2 instance types map to Azure VM sizes (series). Both group shapes by workload type and use letters in the name for the CPU vendor and features, but the naming schemes are different.
How does pricing compare between Amazon EC2 instance types and Azure VM sizes (series)?
AWS: Each instance type has its own per-second On-Demand price per Region and OS. Newer generations are usually cheaper per unit of performance. Azure: Each size has its own per-second price per region and OS. Newer versions (v6, v7) and AMD or Arm variants usually cost less for the same vCPU count. 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); Microsoft Certified – Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104); Microsoft Certified – Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305).