Identity & access management · AWS vs Google Cloud
IAM Roles Anywhere / AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) vs Workload Identity Federation
IAM Roles Anywhere maps to Workload Identity Federation, which lets workloads on AWS, Azure, or any OIDC or SAML 2.0 identity provider access Google Cloud without service account keys.
Side-by-side comparison
| Aspect | Amazon Web Services | Google Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| Service | IAM Roles Anywhere AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) | Workload Identity Federation |
| Lifecycle | Generally available Generally available | Generally available |
| What it is | Lets workloads outside AWS get temporary AWS credentials by presenting X.509 certificates from a CA you register as a trust anchor. Users, groups, roles, and JSON policies that authorize every AWS API call, with identity-based and resource-based policies, permissions boundaries, and conditions. | Lets workloads on AWS, Azure, or OIDC/SAML identity providers access Google Cloud without service account keys. |
| Pricing model | IAM and Roles Anywhere are free (Private CA, if used, is billed). | No charge for Workload Identity Federation. |
| Docs | IAM Roles Anywhere docs AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) docs | Workload Identity Federation docs |
| Pricing page | IAM Roles Anywhere pricing AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) pricing | — |
Key differences
- Workload Identity Federation also accepts X.509 client certificates, similar to Roles Anywhere.
- Federated identities get short-lived tokens; no long-lived keys are stored.
Pricing summary
Pricing models only. No prices are quoted because they change by region and over time.
- AWS
- IAM and Roles Anywhere are free (Private CA, if used, is billed). IAM Roles Anywhere pricing → AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) pricing →
- GCP
- No charge for Workload Identity Federation.
And on Azure?
Partial match Azure's equivalent is Microsoft Entra workload identity federation. AWS vs Azure comparison →
FAQ
What is the Google Cloud equivalent of IAM Roles Anywhere and AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM)?
IAM Roles Anywhere maps to Workload Identity Federation, which lets workloads on AWS, Azure, or any OIDC or SAML 2.0 identity provider access Google Cloud without service account keys.
How does pricing compare between IAM Roles Anywhere and AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) and Workload Identity Federation?
AWS: IAM and Roles Anywhere are free (Private CA, if used, is billed). Google Cloud: No charge for Workload Identity Federation. Check the official pricing pages for current rates.
What is the Azure equivalent?
Microsoft Entra workload identity federation (partial match). IAM Roles Anywhere (X.509 certificates) and IAM OIDC identity providers map to Microsoft Entra workload identity federation, which trusts OIDC tokens from external issuers such as GitHub Actions, Kubernetes, Google, or AWS.