Virtual networks, subnets & IP addressing
Amazon VPC vs Azure Virtual Network
Amazon VPC maps to Azure Virtual Network (VNet).
Both are regional, isolated networks with your own IPv4 and IPv6 address space, divided into subnets with routing and security controls.
Side-by-side comparison
| Aspect | Amazon Web Services | Microsoft Azure |
|---|---|---|
| Service | Amazon VPC | Azure Virtual Network |
| Lifecycle | Generally available | Generally available |
| What it is | Logically isolated virtual network in a Region, with your own IPv4 and IPv6 ranges, subnets, route tables, gateways, and security controls. | Isolated private network in a region, with your own IPv4 and IPv6 address space, subnets, routing, and security. Subnets are regional and span availability zones. |
| Pricing model | The VPC itself is free. You pay for NAT gateways, endpoints, public IPv4 addresses, VPN, Transit Gateway, and data transfer. | Virtual networks are free (up to limits). You pay for peering traffic, gateways, NAT Gateway, public IPs, and data transfer. |
| Docs | Amazon VPC docs | Azure Virtual Network docs |
| Pricing page | Amazon VPC pricing | Azure Virtual Network pricing |
| Exams | CLF-C02 SAA-C03 ANS-C01 Retiring | AZ-900 AZ-104 AZ-700 |
Key differences
- Subnets and zones. An AWS subnet sits in one Availability Zone, so you create one subnet per AZ. An Azure subnet is regional and spans all zones, so one subnet can hold zone-redundant resources.
- Internet access. A VPC reaches the internet only through gateways you attach (internet gateway, NAT gateway). Azure has no internet gateway object. Outbound access comes from NAT Gateway, load balancer outbound rules, public IPs, or a firewall, and new VNets now default to private subnets.
- Reserved addresses. Both clouds reserve five IP addresses in each subnet.
Pricing summary
Pricing models only. No prices are quoted because they change by region and over time.
- AWS
- The VPC itself is free. You pay for NAT gateways, endpoints, public IPv4 addresses, VPN, Transit Gateway, and data transfer. Amazon VPC pricing →
- Azure
- Virtual networks are free (up to limits). You pay for peering traffic, gateways, NAT Gateway, public IPs, and data transfer. Azure Virtual Network pricing →
Certification exam mapping
| Exam | Provider | Level | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner CLF-C02 | AWS | Foundational | current Italian and German versions retire after Dec 31, 2026. |
| AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate SAA-C03 | AWS | Associate | current Italian version retires after Dec 31, 2026. |
| 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. |
| Microsoft Certified – Azure Fundamentals AZ-900 | Azure | Fundamentals | current |
| Microsoft Certified – Azure Administrator Associate AZ-104 | Azure | Associate | current |
| Microsoft Certified – Azure Network Engineer Associate AZ-700 | Azure | Associate | current |
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?
Amazon VPC maps to Azure Virtual Network (VNet). Both are regional, isolated networks with your own IPv4 and IPv6 address space, divided into subnets with routing and security controls.
How does pricing compare between Amazon VPC and Azure Virtual Network?
AWS: The VPC itself is free. You pay for NAT gateways, endpoints, public IPv4 addresses, VPN, Transit Gateway, and data transfer. Azure: Virtual networks are free (up to limits). You pay for peering traffic, gateways, NAT Gateway, public IPs, and data transfer. Check the official pricing pages for current rates.
Which certification exams cover this topic?
AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner (CLF-C02); AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate (SAA-C03); AWS Certified Advanced Networking – Specialty (ANS-C01) [retiring]; Microsoft Certified – Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900); Microsoft Certified – Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104); Microsoft Certified – Azure Network Engineer Associate (AZ-700).
Is an Azure VNet the same as an AWS VPC?
Close enough to map one-to-one in most designs. The biggest practical difference is that Azure subnets span availability zones, while AWS subnets are tied to a single AZ.