Private access to services
Amazon VPC Lattice vs Azure Private Link and private endpoints / Application Gateway for Containers / Azure API Management
Microsoft states there's no single Azure equivalent of Amazon VPC Lattice.
Depending on the scenario, combine Private Link (private access to services), Application Gateway for Containers (layer 7 routing for AKS), and API Management (centralized exposure and policy).
Side-by-side comparison
| Aspect | Amazon Web Services | Microsoft Azure |
|---|---|---|
| Service | Amazon VPC Lattice | Azure Private Link and private endpoints Application Gateway for Containers Azure API Management |
| Lifecycle | Generally available | Generally available Generally available Generally available |
| What it is | Application networking service that connects, secures, and monitors service-to-service and resource traffic across VPCs and accounts, with IAM auth policies. | Private endpoints place a private IP for an Azure PaaS resource, partner service, or your own Private Link service inside your virtual network. Layer 7 load balancing and traffic management for AKS workloads, configured through Kubernetes Gateway API or Ingress resources. API gateway, developer portal, and management plane (policies, products, subscriptions, versioning) for REST, SOAP, GraphQL, WebSocket, and gRPC APIs. Includes AI gateway features. Tiers are Consumption, Developer, Basic, Standard, Premium, and v2 tiers. |
| Pricing model | Per service-hour, per GB processed, and per request (and per resource-configuration-hour for resources). | Each service is billed separately. |
| Docs | Amazon VPC Lattice docs | Azure Private Link and private endpoints docs Application Gateway for Containers docs Azure API Management docs |
| Pricing page | Amazon VPC Lattice pricing | Azure Private Link and private endpoints pricing Application Gateway for Containers pricing Azure API Management pricing |
| Exams | ANS-C01 Retiring SAP-C02 Retiring | AZ-700 AZ-305 |
Key differences
- VPC Lattice provides service networks that span VPCs and accounts, with IAM auth policies, layer 7 routing, and resource configurations for TCP resources such as databases. On Azure, those capabilities come from separate services you configure together.
Pricing summary
Pricing models only. No prices are quoted because they change by region and over time.
- AWS
- Per service-hour, per GB processed, and per request (and per resource-configuration-hour for resources). Amazon VPC Lattice pricing →
- Azure
- Each service is billed separately. Azure Private Link and private endpoints pricing → Application Gateway for Containers pricing → Azure API Management pricing →
Certification exam mapping
| Exam | Provider | Level | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| AWS Certified Advanced Networking – Specialty ANS-C01 | AWS | Specialty | retiring The exam is being retired. The last day to take it is Dec 31, 2026. Existing certifications stay active for their three-year period. |
| 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 Network Engineer Associate AZ-700 | Azure | Associate | current |
| 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 Amazon VPC Lattice?
Microsoft states there's no single Azure equivalent of Amazon VPC Lattice. Depending on the scenario, combine Private Link (private access to services), Application Gateway for Containers (layer 7 routing for AKS), and API Management (centralized exposure and policy).
How does pricing compare between Amazon VPC Lattice and Azure Private Link and private endpoints, Application Gateway for Containers and Azure API Management?
AWS: Per service-hour, per GB processed, and per request (and per resource-configuration-hour for resources). Azure: Each service is billed separately. Check the official pricing pages for current rates.
Which certification exams cover this topic?
AWS Certified Advanced Networking – Specialty (ANS-C01) [retiring]; AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional (SAP-C02) [retiring]; Microsoft Certified – Azure Network Engineer Associate (AZ-700); Microsoft Certified – Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305).