Microsoft Azure Arc vs AWS Outposts

Microsoft Azure Arc9.3Visit AWS Outposts8.7Visit

Higher score Microsoft Azure Arc #1 in Hybrid Cloud Hosting 9.3/10 Free plan · 30-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 0 of 3 features Visit Azure Arc

vs

AWS Outposts #6 in Hybrid Cloud Hosting 8.7/10 Paid ✓ 3 of 3 features Visit AWS Outposts

• Microsoft Azure Arc fits best

  Azure-centered hybrid and multicloud teams

• AWS Outposts fits best

  AWS services in customer facilities

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature	Microsoft Azure Arc 9.3/10 Visit ↗	AWS Outposts 8.7/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.3	8.7
Ranking	#1 in Hybrid Cloud Hosting	#6 in Hybrid Cloud Hosting
Best for	Azure-centered hybrid and multicloud teams	AWS services in customer facilities
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Paid
Starting price	—	Not checked yet
Free plan	✓ (best)	—
Free trial	30 days	—
Deployment	Cloud	Cloud
Platforms	Web, Windows, Linux	Web
Support	Docs	Phone, Live chat, Email, Community, Docs · 24/7
Integrations	12 integrations	11 integrations
Built for	Mid-market, Enterprise	Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Microsoft Azure Arc 0/3 · AWS Outposts 3/3
Kubernetes support	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Dedicated connectivity	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Bare-metal support	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Specs
Management model	Not checked yet	Managed
Public clouds supported	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Deployment scope	Not checked yet	Single-cloud
Our review
Pros	Free core control plane with a 30-day trial Manages servers, VMs, Kubernetes, VMware, and multicloud resources GitOps, Azure Policy governance, and broad Azure integrations	Runs local EC2, EBS, S3, ECS, EKS, and RDS services AWS manages installation, maintenance, patches, and upgrades Supports encrypted Regional connectivity and local network access
Cons	Additional management, security, monitoring, and data services cost extra Its strongest fit is organizations centered on Azure The platform covers many infrastructure types, requiring focused governance	Single-cloud scope limits multicloud deployment choices Pricing depends on configuration and location Original 1U and 2U server sales are discontinued
Our verdict	Microsoft Azure Arc extends Azure management, governance, security, and selected services to infrastructure outside Azure. It is designed for organizations operating hybrid, multicloud, edge, datacenter, and on-premises environments.… Read the review →	AWS Outposts extends selected AWS infrastructure, services, APIs, and management tools into customer facilities and edge locations. It is designed for organizations that need low-latency access to local systems, local data processing, data… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Microsoft Azure Arc — where it wins

  • Free core control plane with a 30-day trial
  • Manages servers, VMs, Kubernetes, VMware, and multicloud resources
  • GitOps, Azure Policy governance, and broad Azure integrations

  Where it doesn't

  • Additional management, security, monitoring, and data services cost extra
  • Its strongest fit is organizations centered on Azure
  • The platform covers many infrastructure types, requiring focused governance

• AWS Outposts — where it wins

  • Runs local EC2, EBS, S3, ECS, EKS, and RDS services
  • AWS manages installation, maintenance, patches, and upgrades
  • Supports encrypted Regional connectivity and local network access

  Where it doesn't

  • Single-cloud scope limits multicloud deployment choices
  • Pricing depends on configuration and location
  • Original 1U and 2U server sales are discontinued

• Microsoft Azure Arc9.3/10 · Free plan · 30-day trial

  A broad Azure control plane for managing distributed servers, VMs, Kubernetes, and clouds.

  Visit Azure ArcFull verdict →
• AWS Outposts8.7/10 · Paid

  Managed on-premises AWS services for low-latency, local-data, and residency needs.

  Visit AWS OutpostsFull verdict →