Identity & access management
IAM roles for AWS services vs Managed identities for Azure resources
IAM roles for EC2, Lambda, ECS, and EKS map to Azure managed identities (system-assigned or user-assigned).
Both hand short-lived tokens to code through the platform.
Side-by-side comparison
| Aspect | Amazon Web Services | Microsoft Azure |
|---|---|---|
| Service | IAM roles for AWS services | Managed identities for Azure resources |
| Lifecycle | Generally available | Generally available |
| What it is | Roles assumed by EC2 instance profiles, Lambda execution roles, ECS task roles, and EKS Pod Identity, giving workloads temporary credentials from AWS STS with no stored keys. | System-assigned or user-assigned Entra identities for Azure resources, so code gets tokens for Azure services without storing credentials. |
| Pricing model | Free. | Free. |
| Docs | IAM roles for AWS services docs | Managed identities for Azure resources docs |
| Pricing page | IAM roles for AWS services pricing | Managed identities for Azure resources pricing |
| Exams | SAA-C03 DVA-C02 Retiring SCS-C03 | AZ-104 AI-200 SC-500 |
Key differences
- Lifecycle. A system-assigned managed identity is created and deleted with its resource, while a user-assigned identity is standalone and reusable, much like an IAM role shared by many instances.
- Kubernetes. EKS uses Pod Identity or IRSA, and AKS uses Microsoft Entra Workload ID (federation to a managed identity).
Pricing summary
Pricing models only. No prices are quoted because they change by region and over time.
- AWS
- Free. IAM roles for AWS services 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 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 Security – Specialty SCS-C03 | AWS | Specialty | current The current code (SCS-C03) is taken from the exam-prep link on the official certification page. Simplified Chinese, Spanish (Latin America), and Portuguese (Brazil) versions retire 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. |
| Microsoft Certified – Cloud and AI Security Engineer Associate SC-500 | Azure | Associate | current New certification. A practice assessment isn't available yet, which the page says usually means the exam recently left (or is in) beta. |
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 IAM roles for AWS services?
IAM roles for EC2, Lambda, ECS, and EKS map to Azure managed identities (system-assigned or user-assigned). Both hand short-lived tokens to code through the platform.
How does pricing compare between IAM roles for AWS services and Managed identities for Azure resources?
AWS: Free. Azure: Free. Check the official pricing pages for current rates.
Which certification exams cover this topic?
AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate (SAA-C03); AWS Certified Developer – Associate (DVA-C02) [retiring]; AWS Certified Security – Specialty (SCS-C03); Microsoft Certified – Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104); Microsoft Certified – Azure AI Cloud Developer Associate (AI-200); Microsoft Certified – Cloud and AI Security Engineer Associate (SC-500).