AWS vs Google Cloud vs Azure Certifications: Which First?

Certify in the cloud your current or target employer uses; if you have no preference, AWS is the usual first choice because it shows up in the most job ads. Pick Azure for Microsoft-heavy enterprises and Google Cloud for data and AI roles.

On cost, AWS exams run USD 100 to 300 and Google Cloud exams USD 99 to 200. Microsoft sets Azure exam prices by country. Exam facts below come from the vendor pages under Sources, checked October 15, 2026.

All guides and practice apps for these vendors are on the AWS certification hub, Google Cloud certification hub.

AWS vs GCP vs Azure Certifications: Which Cloud Provider Should You Certify In? — hero

Which cloud certification is best: AWS, Azure or Google Cloud?

None is best for everyone. The provider your employer runs on matters more than the badge. As a rough guide:

AWS: common at startups, SaaS and tech companies; the largest pool of training material
Azure: common in enterprises, government and healthcare that already use Microsoft 365 and Active Directory
Google Cloud: common in data engineering, analytics and AI teams (BigQuery, Dataflow, Kubernetes)

Job demand differs by country and changes monthly. Search current postings where you want to work and count which cloud each one asks for.

How much do AWS, Azure and Google Cloud exams cost?

Level	AWS	Google Cloud	Azure
Entry	USD 100 (Foundational, e.g. CLF-C02)	USD 99 (Cloud Digital Leader)	Set by country (e.g. AZ-900)
Associate	USD 150 (e.g. SAA-C03)	USD 125 (Associate Cloud Engineer)	Set by country (e.g. AZ-104)
Professional / Expert	USD 300 (e.g. SAP-C02)	USD 200 (e.g. Professional Cloud Architect)	Set by country (e.g. AZ-305)
Specialty	USD 300 (e.g. SCS-C03)	—	—

AWS also lists local-currency prices for JPY, INR, EUR and a few other currencies on its before-testing page. Google prices exclude tax.

How are the certification programs structured?

AWS

AWS’s exam guide index (October 2026) lists Foundational (AIF-C01, CLF-C02), Associate (SOA-C03, DEA-C01, DVA-C02, MLA-C02, SAA-C03), Professional (DOP-C02, AIP-C01, SAP-C02) and Specialty (ANS-C01, SCS-C03). There is also a Business-level exam, AI Business Strategist (AIB-C01).

Common starting points: Cloud Practitioner (CLF-C02) or Solutions Architect - Associate (SAA-C03)
Validity: 3 years
Several codes change in late 2026: DVA-C02 ends November 30, SAP-C02 ends November 16

Google Cloud

Google Cloud has Foundational, Associate and Professional levels.

Foundational: Cloud Digital Leader, Generative AI Leader (90 minutes, USD 99)
Associate: Associate Cloud Engineer (2 hours, 50-60 questions, USD 125)
Professional: Cloud Architect, Cloud Developer, Data Engineer, Machine Learning Engineer, Cloud Security Engineer and others (USD 200)
Validity: Professional 2 years; Foundational and Associate 3 years

Azure

Microsoft uses Fundamentals, role-based Associate and Expert certifications.

Fundamentals: Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900, 45-minute exam); Azure AI Fundamentals (AI-901, which replaced AI-900 on June 30, 2026)
Associate: Azure Administrator (AZ-104, 100-minute exam)
Expert: Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305), which requires the Azure Administrator Associate certification
Renewal: AZ-104 renews every 12 months through a free online assessment

StudyKits has no Azure apps.

Which cloud certification is hardest?

Vendors do not publish pass rates, so any difficulty ranking is an opinion. Exam length and passing scores give some signal:

Exam	Length	Questions	Passing score
AWS Cloud Practitioner (CLF-C02)	90 min	65	700 / 1,000
AWS Solutions Architect - Associate (SAA-C03)	130 min	65	720 / 1,000
Google Associate Cloud Engineer	2 h	50-60	Not published
Google Professional Cloud Architect	2 h	50-60	Not published
Azure Administrator (AZ-104)	100 min	See Microsoft Learn	See Microsoft Learn

Entry exams (CLF-C02, Cloud Digital Leader, AZ-900) test concepts. Associate and professional exams use scenarios that assume hands-on work. Google’s Associate Cloud Engineer leans on command-line and console tasks.

Which provider should you choose?

Choose AWS if

You want the widest range of job ads in most markets
You work, or want to work, at startups, SaaS or tech companies
You want the most third-party study material
You are not yet sure which industry you will work in

Choose Azure if

You work in enterprise, government or healthcare
Your company already runs Microsoft 365 and Active Directory
You are interested in hybrid cloud (Azure Arc)

Choose Google Cloud if

You want to work in data engineering, machine learning or AI
You already use Kubernetes
Your employer runs on Google Cloud

Should you certify in more than one cloud?

Often, later. A common sequence:

Start with one provider
Reach associate level there
Add a second provider at associate level
Go to professional level in the provider you use most

This gives depth in one cloud and enough breadth to work in multi-cloud teams. See multi-cloud certification strategy.

Which certification pays more?

Salary depends far more on your role, location and experience than on the provider. See the cloud certification salary guide for how we read salary surveys.

How should you practise for any of them?

The process is the same for every provider. Read the official exam guide, build hands-on skills in a free tier, then practise timed questions and review every explanation, including for questions you got right.

StudyKits has iOS and Android apps for 8 AWS exams and 6 Google Cloud exams, plus PMP and CAPM. Every question has an explanation, the apps work offline, and progress is tracked by exam domain.

See the StudyKits apps

Frequently asked questions

Is AWS or Google Cloud certification better?

AWS appears in more job ads in most markets. Google Cloud is a strong choice for data and AI work. Choose the one your employer uses.

Is AWS or Azure certification better?

AWS for startups and tech companies; Azure for Microsoft-heavy enterprises and government. Check local job ads before you decide.

Which cloud certification should a beginner take first?

An entry exam on your chosen cloud: AWS Cloud Practitioner (CLF-C02), Google Cloud Digital Leader or Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900).

Do cloud certifications expire?

Yes. AWS certifications last 3 years. Google Cloud professional certifications last 2 years, associate and foundational 3 years. Azure role-based certifications such as AZ-104 renew every 12 months. See cloud certifications that expire.

Sources

Checked October 15, 2026:

AWS vs GCP vs Azure Certifications: Which Cloud Provider Should You Certify In?