The question is not which cloud is better. It is which certification track gets you to your next job or your next pay band faster. That depends on where you work, where you want to work, and which cloud your employer runs. Here is how to figure it out.
Market share and job volume
AWS has the largest cloud market share globally, around 30-32% as of early 2026 per Synergy Research Group. Azure sits at roughly 21-23%. For raw job count, AWS certifications appear more frequently in job postings across the US and Asia-Pacific. In Europe, especially Germany, the Netherlands, and the Nordics, the gap is narrower: Azure is well-represented in enterprise and public sector roles because of Microsoft's existing ELA relationships.
If you are job-hunting in Europe and you come from a Microsoft stack background (Windows Server, Active Directory, Microsoft 365), Azure certification will directly translate to job requirements you will see. If you are in the US and targeting startups or tech companies, AWS has more volume.
Cert track comparison
| Dimension | AWS track | Azure track |
|---|---|---|
| Entry cert | AWS Cloud Practitioner ($100) | AZ-900 Azure Fundamentals ($99) |
| Associate cert | SAA-C03 Solutions Architect ($150) | AZ-104 Administrator ($165) |
| Professional cert | AWS SAP-C02 ($300) | AZ-305 Solutions Architect ($165) |
| Renewal | Every 3 years via recertification exam | Every 12 months via free online assessment |
| Study resources | Stephane Maarek (Udemy), A Cloud Guru, Adrian Cantrill | Microsoft Learn (free), John Savill (YouTube), Cloud Evolvers |
Exam style and difficulty
AWS associate exams tend to ask scenario-heavy questions that require selecting the most cost-effective or most resilient architecture from four options. The AWS exam environment heavily tests your knowledge of specific service capabilities and limits (S3 storage classes, EC2 instance families, RDS Multi-AZ vs read replicas). Studying for AWS requires memorising service specifics.
Azure exams mix scenario questions with interactive components: drag-and-drop, build-list, case studies, and active labs in some certifications. AZ-104 in particular has portal-based questions where you configure resources during the exam. Azure rewards hands-on familiarity over rote memorisation of service details.
Cost to certify at the associate level
- AWS SAA-C03: $150 USD per attempt via Pearson VUE or PSI
- AZ-104: $165 USD per attempt via Pearson VUE
The cost difference is small. What matters more is pass rate on the first attempt. AZ-104 has a reputation for a higher first-attempt pass rate among candidates who complete the official lab exercises. AWS SAA-C03 has a 65-70% first-attempt pass rate based on community-reported data on r/AWSCertifications.
Which to pick based on your situation
Pick Azure if: you already work in a Microsoft-heavy environment, your employer uses Azure, you want a cert that transfers to architectural and governance roles quickly (AZ-305 builds directly on AZ-104), or you are in the Netherlands, Belgium, or Germany where Azure is dominant in enterprise.
Pick AWS if: you are targeting US job markets, you work at a company running AWS, you want broader market optionality globally, or you prefer the AWS service ecosystem.
Pick both eventually: in practice, cloud engineers with both AWS and Azure certs at the associate level are more hireable than those with only one. Budget 12-18 months to get both associate certs if you are serious about a cloud engineering career.
CLI example: cross-cloud identity check
# Azure: confirm current subscription context
az account show --output table
# AWS: confirm current identity and region
aws sts get-caller-identity
aws configure get region
If you are studying for both cloud tracks, running both clouds side by side on your local machine forces the muscle memory that makes the exams easier. Most engineers who hold both certs say that studying the second cloud was faster because the concepts transfer.