VM security & operations · AWS vs Google Cloud
AWS Nitro Enclaves / AMD SEV-SNP on Amazon EC2 vs Confidential VM / Confidential Space
AMD SEV-SNP on EC2 maps to Confidential VM (AMD SEV, AMD SEV-SNP, or Intel TDX), and Nitro Enclaves map to Confidential Space for attested processing of sensitive data.
Side-by-side comparison
| Aspect | Amazon Web Services | Google Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| Service | AWS Nitro Enclaves AMD SEV-SNP on Amazon EC2 | Confidential VM Confidential Space |
| Lifecycle | Generally available Generally available | Generally available Generally available |
| What it is | Isolated, hardened VMs carved out of an EC2 instance's vCPUs and memory, with no network, storage, or interactive access. Attestation integrates with AWS KMS. Memory encryption and attestation with AMD SEV-SNP on supported AMD-based instance types (M6a, C6a, and R6a at the time of verification), for shared tenancy or Dedicated Hosts. | Compute Engine VMs with hardware memory encryption using AMD SEV, AMD SEV-SNP, or Intel TDX. Attested, isolated environment built on Confidential VM for processing sensitive data from multiple parties. |
| Pricing model | There's no extra charge for Nitro Enclaves or SEV-SNP. You pay for the parent instance. | Confidential VM adds a flat per-vCPU and per-GB surcharge on top of the VM price. |
| Docs | AWS Nitro Enclaves docs AMD SEV-SNP on Amazon EC2 docs | Confidential VM docs Confidential Space docs |
| Pricing page | AWS Nitro Enclaves pricing AMD SEV-SNP on Amazon EC2 pricing | Confidential VM pricing |
Key differences
- Confidential Space runs a workload container on a hardened Confidential VM image with remote attestation; Nitro Enclaves carve an isolated enclave from a parent EC2 instance.
- Confidential VM is supported on specific machine series per technology.
Pricing summary
Pricing models only. No prices are quoted because they change by region and over time.
- AWS
- There's no extra charge for Nitro Enclaves or SEV-SNP. You pay for the parent instance. AWS Nitro Enclaves pricing → AMD SEV-SNP on Amazon EC2 pricing →
- GCP
- Confidential VM adds a flat per-vCPU and per-GB surcharge on top of the VM price. Confidential VM pricing →
And on Azure?
Partial match Azure's equivalent is Azure confidential computing (confidential VMs & enclaves). AWS vs Azure comparison →
FAQ
What is the Google Cloud equivalent of AWS Nitro Enclaves and AMD SEV-SNP on Amazon EC2?
AMD SEV-SNP on EC2 maps to Confidential VM (AMD SEV, AMD SEV-SNP, or Intel TDX), and Nitro Enclaves map to Confidential Space for attested processing of sensitive data.
How does pricing compare between AWS Nitro Enclaves and AMD SEV-SNP on Amazon EC2 and Confidential VM and Confidential Space?
AWS: There's no extra charge for Nitro Enclaves or SEV-SNP. You pay for the parent instance. Google Cloud: Confidential VM adds a flat per-vCPU and per-GB surcharge on top of the VM price. Check the official pricing pages for current rates.
What is the Azure equivalent?
Azure confidential computing (confidential VMs & enclaves) (partial match). AWS Nitro Enclaves and AMD SEV-SNP on EC2 map to Azure confidential computing (confidential VMs and SGX application enclaves).