AI infrastructure & chips · AWS vs Google Cloud
AWS Trainium (Trn1, Trn2, Trn3) vs Cloud TPU
AWS Trainium maps to Cloud TPU, Google's custom accelerator, with generations such as v6e (Trillium) and TPU7x (Ironwood).
Side-by-side comparison
| Aspect | Amazon Web Services | Google Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| Service | AWS Trainium (Trn1, Trn2, Trn3) | Cloud TPU |
| Lifecycle | Generally available | Generally available |
| What it is | AWS-designed AI training and inference chips, programmed through the AWS Neuron SDK. Trn3 UltraServers (Trainium3, 3nm) became generally available Dec 2, 2025. | Google's custom AI accelerators (for example v6e Trillium and TPU7x Ironwood) for both training and inference, on Compute Engine, GKE, or Agent Platform. |
| Pricing model | EC2 pricing for Trn instances (On-demand, Savings Plans, Capacity Blocks). | Billed per chip-hour, with on-demand, Spot, and committed-use options. Prices vary by generation and region. |
| Docs | AWS Trainium (Trn1, Trn2, Trn3) docs | Cloud TPU docs |
| Pricing page | AWS Trainium (Trn1, Trn2, Trn3) pricing | Cloud TPU pricing |
Key differences
- TPUs are used for both training and inference; AWS splits these between Trainium and Inferentia.
- TPUs work best with JAX, PyTorch/XLA, or TensorFlow; Trainium uses the AWS Neuron SDK.
Pricing summary
Pricing models only. No prices are quoted because they change by region and over time.
- AWS
- EC2 pricing for Trn instances (On-demand, Savings Plans, Capacity Blocks). AWS Trainium (Trn1, Trn2, Trn3) pricing →
- GCP
- Billed per chip-hour, with on-demand, Spot, and committed-use options. Prices vary by generation and region. Cloud TPU pricing →
And on Azure?
No equivalent Azure's equivalent is Microsoft Maia 200. AWS vs Azure comparison →
FAQ
What is the Google Cloud equivalent of AWS Trainium (Trn1, Trn2, Trn3)?
AWS Trainium maps to Cloud TPU, Google's custom accelerator, with generations such as v6e (Trillium) and TPU7x (Ironwood).
How does pricing compare between AWS Trainium (Trn1, Trn2, Trn3) and Cloud TPU?
AWS: EC2 pricing for Trn instances (On-demand, Savings Plans, Capacity Blocks). Google Cloud: Billed per chip-hour, with on-demand, Spot, and committed-use options. Prices vary by generation and region. Check the official pricing pages for current rates.
What is the Azure equivalent?
Microsoft Maia 200 (no equivalent). Azure has no rentable equivalent of AWS Trainium.