Container platforms & registries
Amazon ECR vs Azure Container Registry
Amazon ECR maps to Azure Container Registry (ACR).
Both are private OCI registries with vulnerability scanning, replication, and upstream caching.
Side-by-side comparison
| Aspect | Amazon Web Services | Microsoft Azure |
|---|---|---|
| Service | Amazon ECR | Azure Container Registry |
| Lifecycle | Generally available | Generally available |
| What it is | Private and public OCI registries with lifecycle policies, scan-on-push (basic or enhanced through Inspector), cross-Region and cross-account replication, pull-through cache, and managed signing. | Private OCI registry in Basic, Standard, or Premium tiers, with geo-replication, private endpoints, ACR Tasks (builds), artifact cache, Entra ID auth, and Defender for Cloud scanning. |
| Pricing model | Per GB-month of storage plus data transfer out. Enhanced scanning is billed through Inspector. | A daily fee per tier with included storage, plus overage per GB and ACR Tasks build minutes. Defender scanning is billed separately. |
| Docs | Amazon ECR docs | Azure Container Registry docs |
| Pricing page | Amazon ECR pricing | Azure Container Registry pricing |
| Exams | DVA-C02 Retiring DOP-C02 | AZ-104 AI-200 |
Key differences
- Pricing model. ECR has no tiers and bills per GB stored and data transferred. ACR has Basic, Standard, and Premium tiers with included storage. Geo-replication and private endpoints need Premium.
- Replication. ECR does cross-Region and cross-account replication as a registry setting. ACR Premium geo-replication gives one registry name served from many regions.
- Builds. ACR Tasks build and patch images in the cloud (including base-image update triggers). AWS uses CodeBuild or EC2 Image Builder for container recipes.
- Scanning and signing. ECR has basic or enhanced scanning (Inspector) and managed signing. ACR uses Microsoft Defender for Cloud (Defender for Containers) for scanning, and Notation with Key Vault or Trusted Signing for signatures.
- Public images. ECR Public hosts public repositories. ACR supports anonymous pull on Standard and Premium, and Microsoft's own images ship through MCR.
Pricing summary
Pricing models only. No prices are quoted because they change by region and over time.
- AWS
- Per GB-month of storage plus data transfer out. Enhanced scanning is billed through Inspector. Amazon ECR pricing →
- Azure
- A daily fee per tier with included storage, plus overage per GB and ACR Tasks build minutes. Defender scanning is billed separately. Azure Container Registry pricing →
Certification exam mapping
| Exam | Provider | Level | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| AWS Certified Developer – Associate DVA-C02 | AWS | Associate | retiring Being updated to DVA-C03. Registration for DVA-C03 opens Oct 27, 2026. Last day to take DVA-C02 is Nov 30, 2026. |
| AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional DOP-C02 | AWS | Professional | current Korean version retires after Dec 31, 2026. |
| Microsoft Certified – Azure Administrator Associate AZ-104 | Azure | Associate | current |
| Microsoft Certified – Azure AI Cloud Developer Associate AI-200 | Azure | Associate | current Back-end services, containers, and architecture for AI solutions on Azure. |
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 ECR?
Amazon ECR maps to Azure Container Registry (ACR). Both are private OCI registries with vulnerability scanning, replication, and upstream caching.
How does pricing compare between Amazon ECR and Azure Container Registry?
AWS: Per GB-month of storage plus data transfer out. Enhanced scanning is billed through Inspector. Azure: A daily fee per tier with included storage, plus overage per GB and ACR Tasks build minutes. Defender scanning is billed separately. Check the official pricing pages for current rates.
Which certification exams cover this topic?
AWS Certified Developer – Associate (DVA-C02) [retiring]; AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional (DOP-C02); Microsoft Certified – Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104); Microsoft Certified – Azure AI Cloud Developer Associate (AI-200).