Managed file systems

Amazon EFS vs Azure Files

Microsoft maps Amazon EFS to Azure Files with NFS 4.1 shares.

Both are managed NFS services, but EFS grows automatically and bills for what you store, while Azure Files NFS shares are SSD-only and provisioned.

Partial match Use it to: Share one elastic file system across many Linux servers or containers over NFS without managing file servers.

Last verified: Oct 24, 2026 · Edit on GitHub · Report an error

Side-by-side comparison

Serverless NFS file system for Linux: AWS vs Azure side by side
Aspect	Amazon Web Services	Microsoft Azure
Service	Amazon EFS	Azure Files
Lifecycle	Generally available	Generally available
What it is	Serverless, elastic NFS (v4.0 and v4.1) file system for Linux, Regional (multi-AZ) or One Zone, with Standard, Infrequent Access, and Archive storage classes and Elastic, Provisioned, or Bursting throughput.	Fully managed SMB (2.1 to 3.1.1) and NFS 4.1 file shares, either classic shares in a storage account or top-level Microsoft.FileShares shares (NFS on SSD only, GA June 2026). Identity-based SMB access through AD DS, Entra Domain Services, or Entra Kerberos.
Pricing model	Per GB-month by storage class (Standard, IA, Archive), per-GB access charges for IA and Archive, and throughput charges (Elastic is billed per GB read and written).	Provisioned v2 bills the storage, IOPS, and throughput you provision each month, whether you use them or not, plus snapshots.
Docs	Amazon EFS docs	Azure Files docs
Pricing page	Amazon EFS pricing	Azure Files pricing
Exams	SAA-C03 SOA-C03	AZ-104 AZ-305

Key differences

Billing. EFS is elastic and billed on stored data by storage class, plus throughput charges. Azure Files NFS uses SSD shares, and Microsoft recommends the provisioned v2 model (you set storage, IOPS, and throughput) for new shares.
Tiers. EFS has Standard, Infrequent Access, and Archive storage classes with lifecycle policies. Azure Files NFS has no colder tier.
Redundancy. EFS Regional stores data across multiple AZs, and One Zone uses a single AZ. Azure Files NFS supports LRS and ZRS, but not GRS or GZRS.
Protocol. EFS supports NFSv4.0 and 4.1, with IAM authorization and access points. Azure Files NFS supports most of NFSv4.1, but not Kerberos, delegations, or NFS ACLs, and it isn't supported on Windows clients.
Resource model. Microsoft.FileShares (GA June 2026) lets you create NFS shares as top-level resources without a storage account, with per-share networking and billing.
Alternatives. For higher performance or richer NFS features on Azure, look at Azure NetApp Files.

Pricing summary

Pricing models only. No prices are quoted because they change by region and over time.

AWS: Per GB-month by storage class (Standard, IA, Archive), per-GB access charges for IA and Archive, and throughput charges (Elastic is billed per GB read and written). Amazon EFS pricing →
Azure: Provisioned v2 bills the storage, IOPS, and throughput you provision each month, whether you use them or not, plus snapshots. Azure Files 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

Microsoft.FileShares supports NFS only and isn't in every region yet. Check the regional list.

FAQ

What is the Azure equivalent of Amazon EFS?

Microsoft maps Amazon EFS to Azure Files with NFS 4.1 shares. Both are managed NFS services, but EFS grows automatically and bills for what you store, while Azure Files NFS shares are SSD-only and provisioned.

How does pricing compare between Amazon EFS and Azure Files?

AWS: Per GB-month by storage class (Standard, IA, Archive), per-GB access charges for IA and Archive, and throughput charges (Elastic is billed per GB read and written). Azure: Provisioned v2 bills the storage, IOPS, and throughput you provision each month, whether you use them or not, plus snapshots. 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).