AWS vs Azure for Indian small businesses — September 2026
You're moving servers to the cloud, or your cloud bill needs a second look, and the choice is between the two biggest providers. For what a small business runs — servers, databases, backups — they cost almost exactly the same in India, list price for list price. What separates them is what you already use: Windows Server, SQL Server and Microsoft 365, or open-source software. We manage both, so we have no reason to push either.
Updated · 7-minute read
Which should you choose?
You run Windows Server, SQL Server or Tally, and your team lives in Microsoft 365
Azure
Azure Hybrid Benefit lets you use Windows Server and SQL Server licences you own; AWS doesn't allow your own Windows Server licences on shared servers. Azure also shares Microsoft 365's sign-in.
You run Linux and open-source software — WordPress, PHP, Node, Python, PostgreSQL
Either
The same server costs the same on both in India. Choose on the services you need and what your team already knows.
Your load is steady and you don't need either cloud's own services
Neither
A managed dedicated server or VPS at a fixed monthly price is simpler to run and to budget.
AWS and Azure, side by side
| AWS | Azure | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regions in India | Mumbai and Hyderabad, three zones each | Pune, Chennai, Mumbai and Hyderabad; zones in Pune and Hyderabad | Azure has more |
| Linux server, 2 vCPU / 8 GB, Intel | $0.101 an hour, about $74 a month | $0.101 an hour, about $74 a month | Equal |
| The same server with Windows | $0.193 an hour, about $141 a month | $0.193 an hour, about $141 a month | Equal |
| The same size on AMD | About $0.056 an hour | About $0.056 an hour | Equal — and 45% less than Intel |
| Traffic out, after 100 GB free a month | $0.1093 a GB | $0.11–$0.12 a GB | AWS, slightly |
| Windows licences you already own | Not on shared servers; SQL Server with Software Assurance allowed | Azure Hybrid Benefit for Windows Server and SQL Server | Azure |
| One- or three-year discounts | Savings Plans, up to 66–72% | Reservations up to 72%; savings plan up to 65% | Equal |
| Uptime SLA, single server | 99.5% | 99.9% with Premium SSD disks | Azure |
| Entry paid support | Business Support+: $29 a month or 9% of the bill, whichever is more | Developer $29 a month; Standard $100 | Depends on your bill |
| Sign-in with Microsoft 365 | Through IAM Identity Center, connected to Entra ID | The same Entra tenant as Microsoft 365 | Azure is simpler |
| Free credit for new accounts | $100, up to $200, used within 6 months | $200 within 30 days, plus 12 months of free services | Azure, to start |
| Managed Kubernetes control plane | EKS: $0.10 an hour | AKS: free tier, or $0.10 an hour with an uptime SLA | Azure, for small clusters |
| Billing in India | AWS India invoices in rupees with 18% GST | Microsoft bills Indian addresses in rupees | Both |
US dollar list prices, on demand, excluding GST: AWS Mumbai and Azure Central India, checked 29 September 2026. A month = 730 hours.
Which is cheaper in India, AWS or Azure?
Neither, for the same server. A 2 vCPU, 8 GB Linux server lists at $0.101 an hour on both — about $74 a month — and the Windows version at $0.193 on both. The real differences come from licences you already own, data transfer and how you commit.
Both clouds charge far less for AMD servers than Intel ones in India: about $0.056 an hour for the same size, 45% less. Most Linux software runs on either.
Both cut prices by up to 72% for a one- or three-year commitment, through AWS Savings Plans or Azure reservations. Commit only to the steady part of your usage.
| 2 vCPU, 8 GB, on demand | AWS Mumbai | Azure Central India |
|---|---|---|
| Linux, Intel | $0.101 an hour | $0.101 an hour |
| Linux, AMD | $0.0556 an hour | $0.0556 an hour |
| Windows, Intel | $0.193 an hour | $0.193 an hour |
| Windows, AMD | $0.148 an hour | $0.148 an hour |
AWS m6i.large and m6a.large; Azure D2s v5 and D2as v5. US dollars, excluding GST, 29 September 2026.
Which is better for Windows Server and SQL Server?
Azure, if you already own the licences. Azure Hybrid Benefit lets you use Windows Server and SQL Server licences with Software Assurance on Azure, instead of paying for them again in the server's price. AWS doesn't allow your own Windows Server licences on shared servers.
On AWS you can bring Windows Server licences only to dedicated hosts, and only licences bought before October 2019. SQL Server licences with Software Assurance can move to AWS. If you don't own licences, the Windows price is the same on both.
We already use Microsoft 365 — does that decide it?
It tips the balance towards Azure, but doesn't decide it alone. Azure uses the same Microsoft Entra tenant as Microsoft 365, so your people sign in to both with one account. AWS can use Entra ID too, through IAM Identity Center, with a little more set-up.
Where it matters more is a Microsoft-heavy stack: Windows file servers, SQL Server, Remote Desktop for Tally, Active Directory. Those fit Azure naturally. A Linux web application doesn't care which cloud its users' email is on.
Which has more of a presence in India?
Azure has more regions — Pune, Chennai, Mumbai and Hyderabad — against AWS's Mumbai and Hyderabad. For most small businesses, one region with availability zones is enough, and both clouds have that.
AWS's two Indian regions each have three availability zones. On Azure, Pune and Hyderabad have zones. Either way, your data can stay in India — which matters for clients who ask and for the RBI's rule on payment system data.
What about uptime and support?
Azure promises more for a single server: 99.9% with Premium SSD disks, against 99.5% for one AWS server. Spread across availability zones, both promise 99.99%. Paid support starts at $29 a month on both.
AWS's entry plan, Business Support+, costs the greater of $29 a month or 9% of the bill, so it grows with your usage. Azure's plans are flat: $29 for Developer, $100 for Standard.
Neither plan runs your servers for you. That's what a managed service provider does — patching, monitoring, backups and the 2 am call — and we do it on both. AWS managed services · Azure managed services
Which is cheaper to try?
Azure, for the first month: $200 of credit to use within 30 days, plus 12 months of free services. New AWS accounts get $100 of credit, and up to $100 more, to use within six months.
Neither credit goes far with production servers. Use it to test your application, not to judge the running cost.
What does it cost to move between them?
More in time than in fees. Servers and databases move with the providers' own tools; the effort goes into anything built on one cloud's own services. Data transfer out costs $0.11–$0.12 a GB after the first 100 GB a month.
| Move | Moves easily | Takes effort |
|---|---|---|
| AWS → Azure | Servers and databases, with Azure Migrate, Microsoft's free migration service | Lambda functions, AWS-specific services, IAM roles |
| Azure → AWS | Servers and databases, with AWS's migration tools | Azure-specific services, apps tied to Entra ID |
| Office servers or a VPS → either | Windows and Linux servers, file shares, databases | Old software that expects to run on your office network |
What we actually recommend
We manage both, for a fee agreed after a free assessment, so we have no reason to push either. For a small business running Windows Server, SQL Server or Tally, whose people live in Microsoft 365, we usually recommend Azure.
For Linux and open-source software, either works: we lean to AWS when your developers already know it, or you need a service only AWS offers.
And for a steady workload that needs neither cloud's own services, a managed server at a fixed monthly price is often simpler and easier to budget. The free assessment tells you which case you're in.
Questions people ask
Is Azure cheaper than AWS in India?
Not for the same server: a 2 vCPU, 8 GB Linux server lists at $0.101 an hour on both, and Windows at $0.193. Azure comes out cheaper if you own Windows Server or SQL Server licences with Software Assurance, through Azure Hybrid Benefit.
Which is better for a small business already on Microsoft 365?
Usually Azure, especially if you also run Windows Server or SQL Server: one sign-in for everything, and licences you already own count. For a Linux web application, Microsoft 365 doesn't decide it.
Can I pay for AWS or Azure in rupees?
Yes. AWS India invoices Indian accounts in rupees with 18% GST, and Microsoft bills Indian addresses in rupees. Our management fee comes on our own GST invoice.
Do AWS and Azure have data centres in India?
Yes. AWS has regions in Mumbai and Hyderabad; Azure has four, in Pune, Chennai, Mumbai and Hyderabad.
Which has better uptime?
On paper, Azure for a single server: 99.9% with Premium SSD disks, against 99.5% on AWS. Across availability zones both commit to 99.99%. For anything important, run more than one server.
Can one company manage both?
Yes — we do. The same engineers look after AWS and Azure accounts, with the same monitoring, patching, backups and support. AWS managed services · Azure managed services
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