Compare & Migrate
AWS Service Comparisons & Migration Guides
Objective, detailed comparisons to help you choose the right AWS services — plus step-by-step migration guides for teams moving to AWS from competing platforms.
Head-to-head AWS service comparisons
24 head-to-head comparisons, grouped by the decision. Each one ends with when to pick which side.
AWS services 13
- Bedrock AgentsvsStep FunctionsTechnical comparison of Bedrock Agents Classic vs Step Functions. AI reasoning vs deterministic execution, AgentCore migration path, cost analysis.
- Amazon QvsChatGPT EnterpriseComparison of Amazon Quick Suite (successor to Q Business) vs ChatGPT Enterprise. Data residency, HIPAA, IAM permissions, compliance.
- Aurora ServerlessvsAurora ProvisionedTechnical comparison of Aurora Serverless v2 vs Provisioned. ACU pricing, cold start behavior, scaling, and production readiness.
- Amazon BedrockvsAmazon SageMakerPractical comparison of AWS Bedrock vs SageMaker for CTOs and ML architects. Evaluate generative AI platforms for your use case.
- AWS CodePipelinevsGitHub ActionsTechnical comparison of AWS CodePipeline vs GitHub Actions. IAM integration, scalability, multi-region deployments, and costs.
- Amazon ECSvsAmazon EKSPractical comparison of Amazon ECS vs EKS. Container orchestration, scaling, operational overhead, and when to choose each.
- AWS LambdavsECS FargateDetailed comparison of AWS Lambda vs ECS Fargate. Execution time, cold starts, cost, and architectural tradeoffs.
- Amazon RDSvsAmazon AuroraTechnical comparison of Amazon RDS vs Aurora — architecture, I/O economics, HA, plus PostgreSQL migration paths (logical replication and LSN pitfalls).
- Step FunctionsvsEventBridgeTechnical comparison of AWS Step Functions vs EventBridge. Orchestration, event routing, pricing, and architectural patterns.
- Amazon DynamoDBvsAmazon RDSTechnical comparison of Amazon DynamoDB vs RDS. Schema flexibility, query patterns, scaling, and when to choose each.
- Amazon EC2vsAWS LambdaFirst-principles comparison of AWS EC2 vs Lambda. Cost crossover points, execution time limits, and architecture decisions.
- FinOps toolingvsAWS cost consultingFinOps platforms show where AWS spend goes. Real savings come from architecture changes, tagging discipline, and commitment strategy — implementation, not dashboards.
- nOpsvsAWS cost optimizationCompare nOps and AWS Cost Optimization Hub — when native FinOps tools suffice and when you need architecture implementation on AWS.
AI agents 3
- ACPvsUCPAgentic Commerce Protocol (OpenAI/Stripe) vs Universal Commerce Protocol (Google) — scope, surfaces, merchant effort, and which one to implement first.
- AI AgentvsChatbotChatbot = search. Agent = tools plus a stop button. Pick search when the answer is already published. Pick an agent when it must use your systems. Relabeling is the expensive failure.
- BuildvsBuyBuy search and SaaS widgets. Build (or partner-build) a governed agent when it must use your store systems and stop before money moves. Not a FactualMinds-always-wins page.
Security & identity 5
- AWS WAFvsNetwork FirewallAWS WAF vs Network Firewall — they protect different layers and traffic shapes. WAF for HTTP(S), Network Firewall for VPC traffic. When each wins, and the multi-account pattern with Firewall Manager.
- GuardDutyvsSecurity HubGuardDuty vs Security Hub on AWS — they are complementary, not redundant. Threat detection feed vs aggregation hub, when each wins, and the cost model for both in 2026.
- IAM Identity CentervsAmazon CognitoAWS IAM Identity Center vs Amazon Cognito — workforce SSO vs customer-facing auth. They are not interchangeable. When to use each, federation patterns, and the multi-tenant SaaS architecture.
- ProwlervsCheckovCompare Prowler and Checkov on AWS — runtime audits vs IaC scanning — and who closes the implementation gap when findings pile up.
- ProwlervsSecurity HubSOC 2 on AWS — how Prowler, Security Hub, and AWS security consulting fit together. Tools detect; implementation delivers auditor-ready evidence.
Cloud platforms 3
- Amazon CloudFrontvsCloudflareTechnical comparison of AWS CloudFront vs Cloudflare. WAF, DDoS protection, edge caching, and pricing for security and performance.
- AWSvsAzureObjective comparison of AWS vs Microsoft Azure for enterprise workloads. Features, pricing, compliance, and strategic fit.
- AWSvsGoogle CloudPractical comparison of AWS vs Google Cloud Platform for startups. Pricing, free tier, ease of use, and startup-friendly services.
Move to AWS from another platform
10 migration guides: what moves, in what order, and how to cut over without losing mail, data or traffic.
FactualMinds and other AWS partners
What every comparison page covers
- 37 of 37
A dated freshness check
What changed in pricing, limits and features since the last review, with the month it was checked.
- 34 of 37
Side-by-side tables
The options on the same rows: limits, scaling, operations and the trade-offs that decide it.
- 29 of 37
The cost compared
What each option costs at the volumes teams actually run, and where the bill turns.
- 37 of 37
Questions buyers ask
The questions that come up in evaluation calls, answered on the page.
Still between two options after reading? Answer a few questions in a decision tree.
Need help choosing or migrating?
Our AWS experts can evaluate your current setup and recommend the right architecture for your scale, budget, and compliance requirements.
Pictures:Four San Francisco Mint assayers in the Assayer's Weigh Room, NARA 296552 (Public domain); Interlocking machine, Union Junction Interlocking Tower, Baltimore, HAER MD,4-BALT,145-5, William E. Barrett (Public domain). Via Wikimedia Commons.
