# Azure Virtual Machines vs Google Compute Engine Comparison
---
## AI Generated Summary
- **G2 reviewers report** that Google Compute Engine excels in overall user satisfaction, boasting a significantly higher G2 Score compared to Azure Virtual Machines. Users appreciate its **impressive performance** and **flexibility** , making it a preferred choice for those seeking a reliable IaaS solution.
- **According to verified reviews** , both platforms offer ease of use, but Google Compute Engine stands out for its user-friendly interface. Users mention that creating and managing virtual machines is straightforward, especially with the **guidelines and tutorials** provided, which enhance the onboarding experience.
- **Reviewers mention** that Azure Virtual Machines provide great flexibility and stability, particularly within the Azure ecosystem. Users highlight the ease of deploying and scaling resources, with features like **Availability Sets** and **SKU options** that help optimize cost versus performance.
- **Users say** that Google Compute Engine integrates seamlessly with other Google Cloud services, which simplifies deployment and management. This integration is a significant advantage for teams already utilizing Google’s ecosystem, enhancing overall productivity.
- **G2 reviewers note** that while both platforms have strong security features, Azure Virtual Machines are particularly favored for handling sensitive information. Users appreciate the security measures in place, such as **AVD access** for remote work, which is crucial for organizations managing client data.
- **According to recent user feedback** , Google Compute Engine has a larger volume of reviews, indicating a broader user base and more reliable insights. This extensive feedback highlights its strengths in **cost-effective pricing** and **resource management** , making it a compelling option for small businesses.



| | Azure Virtual Machines | Google Compute Engine | 
|---|---|---|
| **Star Rating** | 4.4 out of 5 | 4.5 out of 5 | 
| **Total Reviews** | 393 | 953 | 
| **Largest Market Segment** | Enterprise (35.2% of reviews) | Small-Business (36.3% of reviews) | 
| **Entry Level Price** | No pricing available | Pay As You Go Per Month | 

---
## Top Pros & Cons

### Azure Virtual Machines

Pros:
- Ease of Use (45 reviews)
- Cloud Storage (29 reviews)

Cons:
- Complexity (26 reviews)
- Cost Issues (23 reviews)

### Google Compute Engine

Pros:
- Ease of Use (65 reviews)
- Scalability (60 reviews)

Cons:
- Pricing Issues (42 reviews)
- Expensive (38 reviews)

---
## Ratings Comparison
| Rating | Azure Virtual Machines | Google Compute Engine | 
|---|---|---|
  | **Meets Requirements** | 9.0 (339 reviews) | 9.0 (506 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Use** | 8.6 (339 reviews) | 8.7 (508 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Setup** | 8.6 (206 reviews) | 8.6 (333 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Admin** | 8.6 (192 reviews) | 8.6 (213 reviews) | 
  | **Quality of Support** | 8.4 (326 reviews) | 8.4 (467 reviews) | 
  | **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?** | 8.9 (184 reviews) | 8.8 (205 reviews) | 
  | **Product Direction (% positive)** | 9.2 (327 reviews) | 9.4 (483 reviews) | 

---
## Pricing

### Azure Virtual Machines

#### Entry-Level Pricing

No pricing available

#### Free Trial

No information available

### Google Compute Engine

#### Entry-Level Pricing

Plan: Beyond Free Tier and Free Trial

Price: Pay As You Go Per Month

Description: Pricing for Compute Engine is based on per-second usage of the machine types, persistent disks, and other resources that you select for your virtual machines. 

Key Features:
- Compute Engine charges for usage based on the following price sheet: https://cloud.google.com/compute/all-pricing

[Browse all 2 editions](https://www.g2.com/products/google-compute-engine/pricing)

#### Free Trial

Yes

---
## Features Comparison By Category

### Cloud Management Platforms

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Azure Virtual Machines** | N/A | N/A |
| **Google Compute Engine** | 8.6/10 | 153 |

#### Functionality

| Feature | Azure Virtual Machines | Google Compute Engine | 
|---|---|---|
| **Cloud Consolidation** | Not enough data | 8.8 (136 reviews) | 
| **Cloud Orchestration** | Not enough data | 8.7 (135 reviews) | 
| **Cloud Optimization** | Not enough data | 8.8 (136 reviews) | 

#### Management

| Feature | Azure Virtual Machines | Google Compute Engine | 
|---|---|---|
| **Cloud Cost Analytics** | Not enough data | 8.3 (135 reviews) | 
| **Cloud Security** | Not enough data | 8.9 (136 reviews) | 
| **Security Management** | Not enough data | 8.7 (134 reviews) | 
| **Cloud Backup and Recovery** | Not enough data | 8.9 (135 reviews) | 
| **Capacity Analytics** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Compliance Management** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Disaster Recovery** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

#### Agentic AI - Cloud Management Platforms

| Feature | Azure Virtual Machines | Google Compute Engine | 
|---|---|---|
| **Autonomous Task Execution** | Not enough data | 7.9 (14 reviews) | 
| **Cross-system Integration** | Not enough data | 8.6 (14 reviews) | 
| **Decision Making** | Not enough data | 8.3 (14 reviews) | 
| **Data Integration** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Third-Party Integrations** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

#### Additional Functionality

| Feature | Azure Virtual Machines | Google Compute Engine | 
|---|---|---|
| **Performance Analysis** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Service Catalog** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Activity Tracking** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Anomaly Detection** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Real-Time Monitoring** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Data Visualization** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Alerts/Notifications** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Multitenancy** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Generative AI** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Self Service Portal** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Network Monitoring** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **API** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Reporting & Statistics** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Data Import/Export** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **AI Copilot** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Search/Filter** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Access Controls/Permissions** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Database Support** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Cloud Encryption** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Data Migration** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Event Logs** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Monitoring** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

### Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Azure Virtual Machines** | 8.7/10 | 75 |
| **Google Compute Engine** | 8.6/10 | 204 |

#### Infrastructure Provision

| Feature | Azure Virtual Machines | Google Compute Engine | 
|---|---|---|
| **Public Cloud** | 9.0 (66 reviews) | 8.8 (174 reviews) | 
| **Private Cloud** | 8.6 (55 reviews) | 8.4 (173 reviews) | 
| **Hybrid Cloud** | 9.0 (53 reviews) | 8.5 (164 reviews) | 
| **Bare Metal** | 7.2 (48 reviews) | 7.9 (157 reviews) | 
| **High-Performance Computing (HPC)** | 8.3 (54 reviews) | 8.7 (165 reviews) | 
| **Virtual Machines (VMs)** | 9.3 (67 reviews) | 9.2 (179 reviews) | 
| **Edge Computing** | 8.5 (49 reviews) | 8.3 (159 reviews) | 
| **Virtual Networks** | 9.1 (59 reviews) | 8.8 (176 reviews) | 
| **Cloud Computing** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

#### Management

| Feature | Azure Virtual Machines | Google Compute Engine | 
|---|---|---|
| **Pay by Usage** | 8.9 (62 reviews) | 8.6 (174 reviews) | 
| **Usage Tracking** | 8.9 (55 reviews) | 8.7 (170 reviews) | 
| **Performance Tracking** | 8.7 (55 reviews) | 8.5 (176 reviews) | 
| **Activity Tracking** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

#### Functionality

| Feature | Azure Virtual Machines | Google Compute Engine | 
|---|---|---|
| **Resource Auto-Scaling** | 8.9 (57 reviews) | 8.9 (173 reviews) | 

#### Additional Functionality

| Feature | Azure Virtual Machines | Google Compute Engine | 
|---|---|---|
| **Version Control** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Database Support** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Real-Time Monitoring** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Monitoring** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Activity Dashboard** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **SSL Security** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Configurable Workflow** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Performance Metrics** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Performance Management** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Server Monitoring** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Data Security** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Reporting/Analytics** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **API** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Compliance Management** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Access Controls/Permissions** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Authentication** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Real-Time Analytics** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Audit Management** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Single Sign On** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Generative AI** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Third-Party Integrations** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Alerts/Escalation** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Data Storage Management** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **AI Copilot** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Resource Management** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Activity Management** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Scheduling** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Load Balancing** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Backup and Recovery** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **User Management** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Role-Based Permissions** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Secure Login** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Reporting & Statistics** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Network Monitoring** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Service Level Agreement (SLA) Management** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Task Scheduling** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Application Management** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Resource Allocation & Planning** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Real-Time Notifications** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Data Migration** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Configuration Management** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Log Access** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Data Visualization** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Real-Time Data** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Audit Trail** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Secure Data Storage** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Data Capture and Transfer** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Workflow Management** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Performance Monitoring** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Search/Filter** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

### Server Virtualization

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Azure Virtual Machines** | 8.7/10 | 35 |
| **Google Compute Engine** | 8.6/10 | 125 |

#### Performance

| Feature | Azure Virtual Machines | Google Compute Engine | 
|---|---|---|
| **Scalability** | 8.5 (28 reviews) | 9.0 (115 reviews) | 
| **Portability** | 8.3 (26 reviews) | 8.6 (110 reviews) | 
| **Data Recovery** | 8.9 (27 reviews) | 8.5 (109 reviews) | 
| **Disaster Recovery** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

#### Functionality

| Feature | Azure Virtual Machines | Google Compute Engine | 
|---|---|---|
| **OS Integration** | 9.0 (31 reviews) | 8.7 (109 reviews) | 
| **Resource Saving** | 8.5 (30 reviews) | 8.6 (108 reviews) | 
| **Performance Management** | 8.7 (29 reviews) | 8.7 (110 reviews) | 
| **Security** | 9.3 (30 reviews) | 9.1 (114 reviews) | 
| **Third-Party Integrations** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **User Management** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Compliance Management** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Task Management** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

#### Agentic AI - Server Virtualization

| Feature | Azure Virtual Machines | Google Compute Engine | 
|---|---|---|
| **Autonomous Task Execution** | Not enough data | 8.1 (15 reviews) | 
| **Multi-step Planning** | Not enough data | 8.3 (14 reviews) | 
| **Cross-system Integration** | Not enough data | 8.8 (14 reviews) | 
| **Adaptive Learning** | Not enough data | 8.7 (14 reviews) | 
| **Proactive Assistance** | Not enough data | 8.1 (14 reviews) | 
| **Decision Making** | Not enough data | 8.7 (14 reviews) | 
| **File Transfer** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

#### Additional Functionality

| Feature | Azure Virtual Machines | Google Compute Engine | 
|---|---|---|
| **Cloud Computing** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Archiving & Retention** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Issue Tracking** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Virtual Machine Migration** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Server Monitoring** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Status Tracking** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Secure Login** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Activity Dashboard** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **API** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Graphical User Interface** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Secure Data Storage** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Alerts/Escalation** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Generative AI** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Virtual Server** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Remote Update/Installation** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Data Verification** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **AI Copilot** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Reporting & Statistics** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **VDI** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Database Support** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Data Synchronization** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Data Replication** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Virtual Machine Monitoring** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

### Auto Scaling

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Azure Virtual Machines** | N/A | N/A |
| **Google Compute Engine** | 8.5/10 | 133 |

#### Automated resource scaling

| Feature | Azure Virtual Machines | Google Compute Engine | 
|---|---|---|
| **Automatic resource discovery** | Not enough data | 8.6 (116 reviews) | 
| **Smart scaling** | Not enough data | 8.9 (118 reviews) | 

#### Scaling strategies

| Feature | Azure Virtual Machines | Google Compute Engine | 
|---|---|---|
| **Pre-defined optimization strategies** | Not enough data | 8.3 (117 reviews) | 
| **Predictive scaling** | Not enough data | 8.4 (116 reviews) | 

#### Visualization

| Feature | Azure Virtual Machines | Google Compute Engine | 
|---|---|---|
| **Unified scaling** | Not enough data | 8.3 (115 reviews) | 
| **Dashboard** | Not enough data | 8.4 (116 reviews) | 

---
## Categories
**Shared Categories (2):** [Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/infrastructure-as-a-service-iaas), [Server Virtualization Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/server-virtualization)


**Unique to Google Compute Engine (2):** [Cloud Management Platforms](https://www.g2.com/categories/cloud-management-platforms), [Auto Scaling Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/auto-scaling)


---
## Reviewer Demographics

### By Company Size

| Segment | Azure Virtual Machines | Google Compute Engine | 
|---|---|---|
| **Small-Business** | 31.7% | 36.3% | 
| **Mid-Market** | 33.1% | 30.6% | 
| **Enterprise** | 35.2% | 33.1% | 

### By Industry

#### Azure Virtual Machines

- **Information Technology and Services:** 30.3%
- **Computer Software:** 17.6%
- **Computer & Network Security:** 7.4%
- **Accounting:** 4.3%
- **Information Services:** 2.4%
- **Financial Services:** 2.1%
- **Banking:** 1.9%
- **Higher Education:** 1.9%
- **Marketing and Advertising:** 1.6%
- **Computer Networking:** 1.6%
- **Other:** 29.0%

#### Google Compute Engine

- **Information Technology and Services:** 20.7%
- **Computer Software:** 19.0%
- **Financial Services:** 6.5%
- **Computer & Network Security:** 4.2%
- **Marketing and Advertising:** 3.2%
- **Retail:** 2.8%
- **Internet:** 2.2%
- **Telecommunications:** 2.1%
- **Hospital & Health Care:** 2.1%
- **Consulting:** 2.0%
- **Other:** 35.4%

---
## Alternatives

### Alternatives to Azure Virtual Machines

- [VMware vSphere](https://www.g2.com/products/vmware-vsphere/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (767 reviews)
- [Amazon EC2](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-ec2/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (1200 reviews)
- [DigitalOcean](https://www.g2.com/products/digitalocean/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (756 reviews)
- [Akamai Cloud Computing](https://www.g2.com/products/akamai-cloud-computing/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (406 reviews)
- [Vultr](https://www.g2.com/products/vultr/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (288 reviews)
- [Oracle VM](https://www.g2.com/products/oracle-vm/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (73 reviews)
- [Proxmox VE](https://www.g2.com/products/proxmox-ve/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (37 reviews)
- [VirtualBox](https://www.g2.com/products/virtualbox/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (294 reviews)
- [VMware Cloud Director](https://www.g2.com/products/vmware-cloud-director/reviews) — 4.2/5 stars (17 reviews)
- [Hostwinds](https://www.g2.com/products/hostwinds/reviews) — 4.9/5 stars (438 reviews)

### Alternatives to Google Compute Engine

- [Vultr](https://www.g2.com/products/vultr/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (288 reviews)
- [Amazon EC2](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-ec2/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (1200 reviews)
- [DigitalOcean](https://www.g2.com/products/digitalocean/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (756 reviews)
- [Akamai Cloud Computing](https://www.g2.com/products/akamai-cloud-computing/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (406 reviews)
- [VMware vSphere](https://www.g2.com/products/vmware-vsphere/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (767 reviews)
- [Hostwinds](https://www.g2.com/products/hostwinds/reviews) — 4.9/5 stars (438 reviews)
- [Ubuntu](https://www.g2.com/products/ubuntu/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (2399 reviews)
- [VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF)](https://www.g2.com/products/vmware-cloud-foundation-vcf/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (688 reviews)
- [Red Hat Enterprise Linux](https://www.g2.com/products/red-hat-enterprise-linux/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (977 reviews)
- [SAP Business Technology Platform](https://www.g2.com/products/sap-business-technology-platform/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (421 reviews)

---
## Top Discussions

### Azure Virtual Machines

- Title: [What is Azure Virtual Machines used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-azure-virtual-machines-used-for) — 2 comments
  > **Top comment:** "Azure Virtual Machines (VMs) are used to run applications and workloads on virtualized server environments in the cloud. They allow you to deploy and manage..."
- Title: [What operating systems does an Azure virtual machine support?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-operating-systems-does-an-azure-virtual-machine-support) — 2 comments
  > **Top comment:** "2012 and above"
- Title: [What are Azure virtual machines used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-are-azure-virtual-machines-used-for) — 2 comments
  > **Top comment:** "Mission critical workloads"
- Title: [What is virtual machine in Azure portal?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-virtual-machine-in-azure-portal) — 1 comment
  > **Top comment:** "It is a computer file that behaves like a computer,it has computing environment that offers to run different operating system "
- Title: [Azure VM](https://www.g2.com/discussions/36714-azure-vm) — 1 comment, 1 upvote
  > **Top comment:** "Most powerful VM machine"

### Google Compute Engine

- Title: [What does Google Compute Engine do?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-does-google-compute-engine-do) — 4 comments, 1 upvote
  > **Top comment:** "You can deploy a VM instance within minutes via the Google Compute Engine, connect to your instance via SSH, and monitor metrics like CPU, Network, Memory..."
- Title: [What is Google Compute Engine used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-google-compute-engine-used-for) — 2 comments
  > **Top comment:** "Virtual machine implementation in the Cloud"
- Title: [What is a compute instance?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-a-compute-instance) — 2 comments, 2 upvotes
  > **Top comment:** "It is virtual machine offering from Google Cloud"
- Title: [Is Google Compute Engine PaaS?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/is-google-compute-engine-paas) — 1 comment, 1 upvote
  > **Top comment:** "No"
- Title: [Can I get the manual to understand the different features of it ?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/can-i-get-the-manual-to-understand-the-different-features-of-it) — 1 comment, 1 upvote
  > **Top comment:** "This is the official documentation: https://cloud.google.com/docs
This might help you.
"

---
**Source:** [G2.com](https://www.g2.com) | [Comparison Page](https://www.g2.com/compare/azure-virtual-machines-vs-google-compute-engine)