Among Canadian businesses of all sizes, cloud adoption is significantly increasing. According to Newswire.ca, 60% of Canadian organizations used hybrid IT environments – a combination of traditional on premises and public and private cloud deployments – in 2021. This is expected to increase to 85% by the end of 2025 and beyond.
The big three cloud providers that Canadian businesses often choose are Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud (GCP), and their presence is increasing in the country. In this article, we will share the advantages and disadvantages of each of these cloud computing services and explain how you can choose between them.
Overview of the Big Three Cloud Platforms
AWS, Microsoft Azure, and GCP are dominating the cloud market across the world and in Canada. While AWS is an on-demand internet computing resource with more than 200 featured services, Azure is the second-largest cloud platform supporting enterprises that are Microsoft-oriented, while GCP offers 200 services wide in scope, such as networking and big data.
AWS boasts a market share of 32%, exceeding Azure’s 20% and Google Cloud’s 9% in 2025. Each has a global presence but these services are ideal for Canadian operations since the platforms have local data centres in Canada.
The AWS platform has a data centre in Montreal and Calgary, while Azure’s data centres are in Toronto and Quebec City, and the GCP is expanding in Canada. This improves application performance and reduces latency for the Canada-based businesses that use them.
Amazon Web Services
There are many advantages and disadvantages of the Amazon Web Services cloud platform. We have explored these below to help you determine whether this platform is ideal for your company.
Pros
Here are the notable advantages of AWS:
- AWS is a market leader with an integrated environment made of tools, technologies, and services.
- The cloud provider has the largest range of services and third-party integrations such as New Relic, Sumo Logic, Opsgenie, CloudGuard, and CyberArk for logging performance and improving security.
- AWS has reliable and strong infrastructure across the globe and in Canada.
- The cloud provider is scalable and businesses can easily customize the cloud environment, including its services and infrastructure, to align with the technical and business needs.
Cons
Consider these disadvantages of AWS before making a choice:
- Since AWS has a complex pricing structure, with separate charges for data transfer, storage, compute services, I/O operations, API requests, there is a chance you may overspend on your bill.
- Technical knowledge of networking, operating systems, cloud architecture, and more is needed to fully grasp how AWS works.
- Because it has a vast number of services and a huge range of customization options, AWS can be misconfigured by smaller teams that lack cloud specialist team members.
Microsoft Azure
A range of pros and cons apply to the Microsoft Azure cloud platform, which we have analyzed below. Here are the advantages and disadvantages you should consider before selecting Azure for your business.
Pros
Microsoft Azure’s advantages include the following:
- Azure is easy to integrate with a range of Microsoft tools, from Office 365 and Windows Server to Active Directory, so it is ideal for Microsoft-centric businesses.
- Since Azure allows businesses to run workloads in the Azure cloud as well as on-premises, you can share data across your existing data centres and the public cloud and use the same tools for both.
- Canadian businesses can benefit from Azure because it has data centres in Toronto and Quebec City which lowers latency and helps with data residency when hosting data and processing it within Canadian borders.
- Businesses in Canada with teams that are familiar with the Microsoft stack can work with this similar environment and feel confident when using Azure.
Cons
Check the disadvantages of Microsoft Azure below before choosing this service:
- The advanced services and service overlaps Azure offers, such as using Kubernetes with Azure Monitor, may require a steep learning curve for newcomers.
- Compared with AWS, Azure’s interface and documentation is not as refined. The structured, API-driven AWS documentation exceeds the task-based, conceptual Azure documentation that occasionally lags behind the recent portal interface.
- There may be an inconsistent support experience with Azure, so businesses might note varying response times or a fragmented support process.
Google Cloud Platform
Several advantages and disadvantages are evident when using the Google Cloud Platform. We looked closely at this cloud platform’s pros and cons to help you choose.
Pros
Here are the advantages of the Google Cloud Platform:
- GCP offers artificial intelligence and machine learning tools, such as Vertex AI, as well as data analytics technology, such as BigQuery, to help companies train and deploy AI applications and store and query large data sets.
- The platform has a user-friendly interface that is easy to navigate and makes managing resources simple.
- GCP also offers Kubernetes and containerization support, helping businesses manage and scale containerized applications.
- As of 2021, GCP has a second cloud region in Canada, with one in Montreal and one in Toronto, reflecting its larger Canadian footprint.
Pros
Consider the following disadvantages of GCP before deciding on a platform:
- Compared with AWS and Azure, GCP has a smaller ecosystem and market share. Its breadth of integrations and tools means fewer services and a smaller network of products are available.
- It offers fewer enterprise and third-party integrations than other cloud platforms.
- While it is growing, its regional availability and support can stand to expand even more.
Comparison Table: AWS vs Azure vs GCP for Canadian Businesses
We have summarized the key benefits and features of AWS, Azure, and GCP below. Check these details to compare these platforms at a glance.
| Feature | AWS | Microsoft Azure | GCP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Global Market Share | 32% | 20% | 9% |
| Best Feature | Scalability and enterprise security | Hybrid integration and the Microsoft ecosystem | AI/ML tools and analytics |
| Canada-Based Use Case | Large enterprises | Public sector deployments | Startups / SMBs |
| Data Centres in Canada | Montreal and Calgary | Toronto and Quebec City | Montreal, Toronto, Calgary |
| Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Pay-as-you-go | Simplified pricing |
| Database Services | RDS, DynamoDB | Azure SQL, Cosmos DV | Cloud SQL, BigQuery |
| AI/ML Services | Amazon Bedrock, SageMaker | Azure ML | Vertex AI, BigQuery ML |
| Storage Services | S3, Glacier | Blob Storage, File Share | Cloud Storage, Nearline |
| Hybrid and Multi-Cloud Tools | AWS Outposts, Wavelength | Azure Arc, Stack | Anthos, BigQuery Omni |
| Ideal For | Enterprises looking for breadth of services | Microsoft-centric clients | Startups or AI-first companies |
Choosing the Right Cloud Platform
When selecting a cloud platform for Canadian businesses, there are a few things to consider. We recommend evaluating the following factors:
- Your Tech Stack - If you rely on the Microsoft ecosystem, Azure is your best option, but if you use open-source tech stacks or Kubernetes, these are ideal for AWS and GCP, respectively.
- Consider Scalability and Budget - If you need services that can scale up as you do, AWS is ideal, but if your business lacks internal expertise and has a small budget, GCP might be best because of its cost effectiveness.
- Canadian Data Residency - To strictly comply with acts such as PIPEDA, Canadian data residency is crucial in a cloud platform. Check whether the platform you pick is definitely isolated from the jurisdiction of foreign countries.
Align Cloud Strategies with Your Business Goals with Tech Masters Inc
The big three cloud platforms all have a global presence and data centres in Canada, making them ideal for Canada-based businesses. It is important to remember that choosing one of these software as a service tools will depend on your unique business needs.
It is therefore best to evaluate the needs of your company as a first step. Doing so is easier when working with a Canadian managed cloud service in Canada and managed IT solutions providers like Tech Masters. Assess your business needs now. Choose the right cloud platform to gain the benefits of cloud computing with Tech Masters.
FAQs
Is Azure or AWS More Popular in Canada?
According to recent cloud computing statistics, AWS is more popular than Azure in Canada. Amazon Web Services leads the industry with 32% of the market, and Azure has a 20% market share. It is a preferred service among Canadian companies who have a larger workload.
Which is Better, Google Cloud, AWS or Azure?
Since all of these platforms offer a wide selection of services, it is difficult to say which is better or ‘the best’ service. While AWS is the most advanced, Azure offers hybrid cloud solutions, while Google Cloud Platform provides AI and machine learning expertise. They are all unique, so it is best to align your needs with the platforms when making a choice.
Is Google Cloud PIPEDA-Compliant?
Yes, the Google Cloud Platform has security and privacy controls that align with PIPEDA regulations. Yet it’s worth mentioning that companies need to configure the GCP services to fully meet PIPEDA regulations.