Compare AWS, Azure and Google Cloud around a real Canadian business workload: application support, operating cost, recovery, data handling and the people who will run it. Use the same requirements for each option, then validate the proposed design.
Choose the workload before choosing the provider
Compare AWS, Azure and Google Cloud against one documented application or business task. An existing Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace subscription is context, not proof that its associated infrastructure platform is the cheapest, simplest or suitable choice. This guide is a decision framework, not a benchmark or a vendor ranking.
Record the application owner's requirements: supported operating system and database, vendor support conditions, integrations, user locations, peak usage, acceptable downtime and recoverable data loss. Consider whether an existing service, SaaS product or a retained on-premises system meets the need before funding an infrastructure migration.
AWS, Azure and Google Cloud: what to check for your workload
AWS
If the application or development team already uses AWS, inspect its deployment instructions, identity setup and operational runbooks. Existing familiarity can inform a shortlist, but it does not replace a current cost model or a supported recovery design. Confirm every required service in the proposed region rather than selecting a platform because of catalogue size.
Azure
If Microsoft identity or existing Windows workloads influence the decision, document the exact integration and licensing requirements. Do not assume Microsoft 365 licences pay for Azure resources or that a familiar sign-in removes the need for separate permissions, billing controls and workload administration. Have the licensing owner verify any proposed benefit against the actual entitlement.
Google Cloud
If a proposed data, application or container workflow depends on Google Cloud, identify the specific service and the team's ability to operate it. Compare the same requirements with the other shortlisted designs. Neither a Google Workspace subscription nor a broad claim about analytics makes a platform the automatic winner.
Canadian regions are a design input, not a compliance verdict
The AWS region list includes Canada Central and Canada West (Calgary). Microsoft's Azure region list identifies Canada Central in Toronto and Canada East in Quebec City. Google Cloud's locations guide lists Montreal and Toronto regions. These primary references were checked on 9 September 2026; confirm current service availability before selecting a design.
A region name alone does not establish compliance with PIPA, PIPEDA or a contract. Record where the chosen services store and process application data, backups and logs, what support or administration arrangements apply, and which requirements your responsible privacy reviewer has approved. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner's business guidance is a starting point for federal privacy obligations, not a determination of every province or sector's requirements.
Compare the same operating cost and responsibility
Use the same region, compute assumptions, operating hours, storage growth, traffic pattern, backup retention and support requirement in each estimate. Include migration, parallel running, monitoring, internal administration and exit work. Identify currency, taxes, discounts and commitment terms. A missing estimate is unknown, not zero; do not compare a discounted long-term commitment with an on-demand price without showing that difference.
Assign responsibility for access reviews, patching where applicable, cost alerts, backup failures, incident escalation and recovery testing. For each task, record the business owner, technical operator and out-of-hours handoff. A provider contract and a managed-service agreement can cover different work. See cloud cost optimisation for ongoing cost review rather than treating launch estimates as a fixed future bill.
Run a decision pilot with an exit condition
Use an authorised non-production workload and agreed spending limit. Record a baseline, then check the specific user task, integration, backup restoration and operational handoff. Agree acceptance criteria before testing; retain observed results and unresolved issues. Do not invent latency, savings or recovery figures when no test has run.
Define how data and configuration can be exported, who can restore the previous service, and what triggers a rollback. A pilot that opens the application but has no recovery owner is incomplete. If the business depends on unreliable connectivity or local equipment, include that constraint in the pilot and assess a hybrid-cloud approach rather than assuming every task should move.
Prepare a useful cloud assessment
Bring an application inventory, approximate usage, current monthly cost, dependencies, recovery requirements and the decision deadline. Use summaries rather than credentials or confidential customer records. Ask for a documented shortlist, assumptions, exclusions and the next validation step, not a guaranteed vendor winner.
Request a cloud project assessment or review our cloud migration process. The initial assessment is project triage; detailed design, migration, operating scope and platform suitability must be agreed separately.