Cloud and Email Services Cheat Sheet: AWS, Azure, Google Cloud
Cloud platforms today cover just about everything — from raw compute power to AI, networking, and collaboration apps. But when it comes to email and team communication, the picture is less clear. AWS, Microsoft and Google all push different bundles of tools, and the naming doesn’t make it easier.
This overview collects the essentials and lays them side by side. The focus is on the parts most useful for admins: email, collaboration, storage, networking and security. It’s not a full cloud catalog, but enough to navigate the basics without digging through endless vendor docs.
Email and Collaboration
| Use case | AWS | Microsoft Azure | Google Cloud |
| Core email | Amazon WorkMail | Exchange Online / Outlook | Gmail (Workspace) |
| Docs and sharing | WorkDocs | OneDrive, SharePoint | Google Drive, Docs |
| Messaging & meetings | Chime | Teams | Meet, Chat |
| Office suite | – | Microsoft 365 | Google Workspace |
Microsoft and Google dominate here. AWS WorkMail exists, but rarely breaks into enterprise deployments compared to Outlook or Gmail.
Security Layers
| Area | AWS | Azure | Google Cloud |
| Identity & access | IAM, Cognito | Azure AD / Entra | Cloud Identity |
| DLP & protection | Macie | Information Protection | Cloud DLP |
| DDoS defense | Shield | DDoS Protection | Cloud Armor |
| Threat detection | GuardDuty, Detective | Defender for Cloud, Sentinel | SCC |
| Secrets & keys | Secrets Manager, KMS | Key Vault | Secret Manager, Cloud KMS |
All three providers compete heavily here. The features look similar on paper, but integration with their ecosystems makes the difference.
Storage and Archiving
| Type | AWS | Azure | Google Cloud |
| Object storage | S3 | Blob Storage | Cloud Storage |
| File storage | EFS, FSx | Azure Files, NetApp Files | Filestore |
| Block storage | EBS | Disk Storage | Persistent Disk |
| Backup | AWS Backup | Azure Backup | Backup and DR |
| Archive | S3 Glacier | Archive Storage | Archive class in Cloud Storage |
Amazon S3 set the standard, but Azure and Google offer nearly identical capabilities now. The differentiators are pricing tiers, regional coverage, and integration with analytics.
Networking Basics
| Service | AWS | Azure | Google Cloud |
| Virtual network | VPC | Virtual Network | VPC |
| VPN | AWS VPN | VPN Gateway | Cloud VPN |
| Direct link | Direct Connect | ExpressRoute | Interconnect |
| Private links | PrivateLink | Private Link | Private Service Connect |
| Load balancing | ELB | Load Balancer, App Gateway | Cloud Load Balancing |
| DNS | Route 53 | Azure DNS | Cloud DNS |
Networking is where naming diverges the most, but the core ideas are the same — a private network, VPN, dedicated link, and global DNS/load balancer services.
Running email in the cloud is never just about mailboxes. It needs secure networking, dependable storage, and identity services around it. That’s why comparing providers across these categories helps to see the bigger picture:
– Microsoft leans on its M365 ecosystem.
– Google integrates Gmail and Drive tightly into Workspace.
– AWS is stronger in infrastructure, but its own collaboration tools remain niche.
For admins planning deployments, the choice is usually less about raw features and more about which ecosystem the company already lives in.