Hybrid, edge & VMware
AWS Outposts (racks & servers) vs Azure Local (formerly Azure Stack HCI)
AWS Outposts maps to Azure Local (formerly Azure Stack HCI).
The key difference is ownership. AWS owns and manages Outposts hardware, while Azure Local runs on validated hardware you buy from partners.
Side-by-side comparison
| Aspect | Amazon Web Services | Microsoft Azure |
|---|---|---|
| Service | AWS Outposts (racks & servers) | Azure Local (formerly Azure Stack HCI) |
| Lifecycle | Generally available | Generally available |
| What it is | AWS-owned and AWS-managed hardware in your data center, as 42U racks or 1U/2U servers, running EC2, EBS, and selected services as an extension of a Region. | Microsoft's distributed infrastructure on customer-owned validated hardware, managed through Azure Arc, running VMs, AKS, and Azure Virtual Desktop. Connected or disconnected operation. |
| Pricing model | Outposts racks have 3-year terms (All, Partial, or No upfront) by configuration. Outposts servers have their own 3-year pricing. Hardware is AWS-owned. | A per-physical-core monthly host service fee (with different tiers for hyperconverged, multi-rack or external storage, and disconnected deployments). You also buy the hardware and pay for guest licensing and Azure services. |
| Docs | AWS Outposts (racks & servers) docs | Azure Local (formerly Azure Stack HCI) docs |
| Pricing page | AWS Outposts (racks & servers) pricing | Azure Local (formerly Azure Stack HCI) pricing |
| Exams | SAP-C02 Retiring | AZ-305 |
Key differences
- Hardware. Outposts racks (42U) and servers (1U/2U) are delivered, installed, and maintained by AWS. Azure Local runs on customer-owned hardware from a partner catalog with prescriptive bills of materials.
- Connectivity. Outposts needs a reliable connection to its parent Region (the control plane is in the Region). Azure Local supports connected operation through Azure Arc, and disconnected operation with a locally hosted control plane.
- Services. Outposts runs EC2, EBS, S3 on Outposts, ECS/EKS, RDS, and ElastiCache, among others. Azure Local runs Arc-managed VMs, AKS, Azure Virtual Desktop, and Arc-enabled data services.
- For locations too small for a rack, Outposts servers compare with Azure Local single-node or small clusters.
Pricing summary
Pricing models only. No prices are quoted because they change by region and over time.
- AWS
- Outposts racks have 3-year terms (All, Partial, or No upfront) by configuration. Outposts servers have their own 3-year pricing. Hardware is AWS-owned. AWS Outposts (racks & servers) pricing →
- Azure
- A per-physical-core monthly host service fee (with different tiers for hyperconverged, multi-rack or external storage, and disconnected deployments). You also buy the hardware and pay for guest licensing and Azure services. Azure Local (formerly Azure Stack HCI) pricing →
Certification exam mapping
| Exam | Provider | Level | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 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 Outposts (racks & servers)?
AWS Outposts maps to Azure Local (formerly Azure Stack HCI). The key difference is ownership. AWS owns and manages Outposts hardware, while Azure Local runs on validated hardware you buy from partners.
How does pricing compare between AWS Outposts (racks & servers) and Azure Local (formerly Azure Stack HCI)?
AWS: Outposts racks have 3-year terms (All, Partial, or No upfront) by configuration. Outposts servers have their own 3-year pricing. Hardware is AWS-owned. Azure: A per-physical-core monthly host service fee (with different tiers for hyperconverged, multi-rack or external storage, and disconnected deployments). You also buy the hardware and pay for guest licensing and Azure services. Check the official pricing pages for current rates.
Which certification exams cover this topic?
AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional (SAP-C02) [retiring]; Microsoft Certified – Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305).