If you’re already using AWS to handle your data and applications or even just thinking about cloud migration, you have to come up with Plan B. In case AWS prices skyrocket or Azure develops a better solution for your needs, there must be a way to switch from AWS to Azure.

Good news! There indeed is a way to migrate from AWS to Azure, and today we’re going to lay it out for you. But, first, let’s answer the question below.

Whenever someone wants to compare cloud providers, they opt for these two. This is because Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure are the leaders of the cloud market today. In 2019, AWS was estimated to take almost 32% of the global market share, while Azure had around 17%, according to the Canalys report.

With that in mind, it would seem that AWS is the ultimate winner of this competition and is better than Azure in every way. In reality, things are a little different. The growth rates of both companies tell us a different story. 36% growth in AWS against almost 64% in Azure.

Numbers are only numbers. But, if you compare the services, you might still be confused. Amazon EC2 vs Azure Virtual Machine, or Amazon EC2 Container Service vs Azure Kubernetes Service, or Amazon Aurora vs Azure Cosmos DB.

For those who are looking for hybrid cloud implementation options, Azure is the #1 provider. Compared to AWS, Azure has long been focusing on this type of computing. Now, they even have a self-titled section on their website. So, if you want to leave some of the corporate data for yourself, Microsoft can help you with that.

In general, the services of both cloud providers are decent for usage. So which do we choose, Azure or AWS? The question remains open. But, let’s think about this.

Of course, Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure are similar since they are both cloud providers. Companies use their clouds to store, access, and manage their data via the Internet. It’s time to say goodbye to good old on-premises servers. Check out the comparison table below to get a clearer picture of the differences between the two.

Really, why? Well, take a look at the table above and answer this question. What services does your business require? Is it worth it to migrate from AWS to Azure to make use of that service or another? Or maybe you think that there won’t be enough memory for your files?

Anyway, people proceed with migration from AWS to Azure because the latter is gaining momentum and growing like crazy every year. Besides, it is pretty much comparable to AWS in terms of pricing. You basically pay the same amount of money, no matter what you choose.

So, why move between AWS and Azure if the price is more or less the same? First off, because Azure is much more hybrid-friendly than AWS. Therefore, you can protect the data by storing the fragile pieces on your own servers. You choose for yourself whether to entrust the cloud with all the bits and pieces of your corporate information or not.

For these purposes, Azure provides its customers with Arc, Sentinel, Stack, Security Center, ExpressRoute, Active Directory, SQL, DevOps, and other tools. They run, scale, and implement Azure Hybrid Cloud in your stead.

Moreover, you will probably opt for AWS to Azure migration if your one and only operating system is Windows (or Linux). Microsoft has done everything possible to make its products integrate into one another flawlessly.

Another thing to consider while migrating from AWS to Azure is more advanced management of asset access. With Active Directory by Microsoft, a system admin doesn’t have to rush to decide whether or not to grant access for certain employees. The system does it for them.

Another plus, whenever you want to transfer an application to Azure, you can activate auto-authentication. This way, your app authenticates to other services without any problems when you’re in the migration process.

To make your data migration and synchronization as effective and stress-free as possible, follow these simple steps:

1. Perform a migration assessment

You don’t need to take a piece of paper and a pen to do it yourself, Microsoft has already taken care of it. Just launch the Azure Migrate tool to transfer any application from AWS to Azure. This tool evaluates your Virtual Machine on AWS and comes up with an action plan for future migration.

2. Make sure you have a supported operating system

You need to have either Windows or Linux to set up the Azure cloud. Unfortunately, they don’t support other operating systems yet. Everything will work a lot better on Windows, by the way.

3. Prepare your server for AWS migration to Azure

Many people ask: “How do I migrate my Azure server?” Microsoft has you covered even here. Remember the Azure Migration tool we’ve been talking about? Here’s the thing, it has the Server Migration tool. This tool helps with backing up your server while migrating.

4. Prepare resources and instances

This is done through Azure Migrate as well. You need to replicate your apps and other data before the transfer in order not to lose anything. This type of preparation also presupposes verifying permissions for virtual machine creation.

5. Follow other rules for proper migration

Don’t forget to thoroughly read and follow other rules for the migration of tools from AWS to Azure. Microsoft cares about your safety and convenience. Thus, they provide a free guide with screenshots for you to move your applications from AWS to Azure in a few easy steps.

There are so many reasons for migration from one cloud to another. Some move to Azure because it’s cheaper. Others do it because they want better cloud compliance with Windows. There are also those who move to the Microsoft cloud to meet their hybrid cloud requirements.

No matter the reason, you need to know that the migration process is a pretty complicated task. You need to prepare by closely reading all the rules of migration or hiring a specialist.

The most important part of all of this is you caring about the future of your corporate data. What will it look like? How much will you spend on cloud usage? What services will you need? To know for sure, check out the comparison of AWS and Azure cloud providers. Good luck!