Backup & disaster recovery
AWS Elastic Disaster Recovery (DRS) vs Azure Site Recovery
AWS Elastic Disaster Recovery (DRS) maps to Azure Site Recovery (ASR).
Both replicate servers continuously, run non-disruptive test failovers, and support failback.
Side-by-side comparison
| Aspect | Amazon Web Services | Microsoft Azure |
|---|---|---|
| Service | AWS Elastic Disaster Recovery (DRS) | Azure Site Recovery |
| Lifecycle | Generally available | Generally available |
| What it is | Continuous block-level replication of physical, virtual, and cloud servers into a low-cost staging area in an AWS Region, with point-in-time recovery, non-disruptive drills, and failback. | Continuous replication, failover, and failback for Azure VMs between regions (Extended Zones support is in preview), and for on-premises VMware and Hyper-V VMs and physical servers into Azure, with recovery plans and test failovers. |
| Pricing model | Per replicating source server per hour, plus staging-area EC2, EBS, and snapshots, and recovery instances while running. | Per protected instance per month, plus replica disk storage and compute after failover. |
| Docs | AWS Elastic Disaster Recovery (DRS) docs | Azure Site Recovery docs |
| Pricing page | AWS Elastic Disaster Recovery (DRS) pricing | Azure Site Recovery pricing |
| Exams | SAA-C03 SAP-C02 Retiring | AZ-104 AZ-305 |
Key differences
- Sources. DRS replicates on-premises and cloud servers into AWS, and EC2 instances between Regions. ASR replicates Azure VMs between regions, plus on-premises VMware and Hyper-V VMs and physical servers into Azure.
- Staging. DRS keeps a low-cost staging area (lightweight replication servers and volumes) and launches full instances only for drills or recovery. ASR replicates to disks in the target region and creates VMs on failover.
- Orchestration. ASR has recovery plans with scripts and manual steps. DRS uses launch settings and post-launch actions.
Pricing summary
Pricing models only. No prices are quoted because they change by region and over time.
- AWS
- Per replicating source server per hour, plus staging-area EC2, EBS, and snapshots, and recovery instances while running. AWS Elastic Disaster Recovery (DRS) pricing →
- Azure
- Per protected instance per month, plus replica disk storage and compute after failover. Azure Site Recovery 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 Solutions Architect – Professional SAP-C02 | AWS | Professional | retiring Being updated to SAP-C03. Registration for SAP-C03 opens Oct 27, 2026. Last day to take SAP-C02 is Nov 16, 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.
FAQ
What is the Azure equivalent of AWS Elastic Disaster Recovery (DRS)?
AWS Elastic Disaster Recovery (DRS) maps to Azure Site Recovery (ASR). Both replicate servers continuously, run non-disruptive test failovers, and support failback.
How does pricing compare between AWS Elastic Disaster Recovery (DRS) and Azure Site Recovery?
AWS: Per replicating source server per hour, plus staging-area EC2, EBS, and snapshots, and recovery instances while running. Azure: Per protected instance per month, plus replica disk storage and compute after failover. Check the official pricing pages for current rates.
Which certification exams cover this topic?
AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate (SAA-C03); AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional (SAP-C02) [retiring]; Microsoft Certified – Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104); Microsoft Certified – Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305).