Looking to invest in public cloud hosting services? With the market projected to hit $2.19 trillion by 2032 (SEMrush 2023 Study), choosing the right provider is crucial. Our buying guide compares the top players like AWS, Azure, and GCP. AWS leads with 33% market share in Q4 2024, but Azure and GCP are growing fast. We’ll explore their unique features, pricing models, and more. Get a Best Price Guarantee and Free Installation Included when you act now! Decide between Premium vs Counterfeit Models and choose the best cloud hosting for your business today.

Public cloud hosting services

The global cloud services market is on an upward trajectory, projected to reach a staggering $2.19 trillion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 17.10% from 2023 (SEMrush 2023 Study). This exponential growth showcases the increasing reliance on public cloud hosting services by businesses worldwide.

Definition and concept

IT model and delivery

A public cloud is a cloud computing model where a third – party service provider makes computing resources accessible to users via the public internet. It serves as an alternative to traditional on – premises IT architectures. In this basic model, the third – party provider hosts scalable, on – demand IT resources and delivers them over a network connection. For example, a small startup can easily access server space, storage, and software applications through a public cloud provider instead of investing in expensive on – site servers.
Pro Tip: When considering a public cloud for IT resource delivery, assess your current and future needs to choose a provider with flexible resource scaling options.

Multiple – customer service

Public clouds are designed to serve multiple customers simultaneously. This multi – tenant model allows providers to optimize resource utilization and offer services at a lower cost. For instance, a cloud provider may host the applications of several small e – commerce businesses on the same set of servers, but each business has its own isolated environment for security and privacy.

Features

Infrastructure and virtualization

Infrastructure in public cloud hosting services is highly virtualized. This allows for efficient use of physical resources and easy scalability. Providers create virtual machines (VMs) that can be customized according to the customer’s requirements. For example, a media company may need high – performance VMs for video processing, and a public cloud provider can quickly provision such VMs. According to Gartner, the eight top cloud platform service providers account for 97 percent of the global cloud services market, which emphasizes the scale and efficiency of their infrastructure and virtualization capabilities.
Pro Tip: Look for a public cloud provider that offers advanced virtualization features like live migration of VMs for seamless operations during maintenance.

Provider responsibilities

The cloud service provider is responsible for maintaining the underlying infrastructure, including servers, storage, and networking equipment. They also handle security updates, software patches, and ensure the availability of services. For example, Amazon Web Services (AWS) has a dedicated team working on security efforts through its AWS Security Guardians program to maintain high – quality security standards for its customers.
Pro Tip: Before choosing a provider, review their service – level agreements (SLAs) to understand their responsibilities and the level of service you can expect.

Customer access

Customers can access public cloud services from anywhere with an internet connection. This flexibility is a major advantage, especially for businesses with remote or distributed teams. For instance, a multinational corporation can have its employees access the company’s cloud – hosted applications and data from different locations around the world.
Pro Tip: To enhance security when accessing public cloud services, use multi – factor authentication (MFA).

Cost – effectiveness

Public cloud hosting services are generally cost – effective compared to on – premises solutions. Customers only pay for the resources they use, and there are no upfront capital expenditures for hardware and software. For example, a small business can start with a basic cloud hosting plan and scale up as its business grows. Additionally, providers like Azure offer transparent pricing with discounts for long – term use.
Pro Tip: Analyze your resource usage patterns and choose a pricing model (e.g., pay – as – you – go, reserved instances) that best suits your budget.
As recommended by industry cloud assessment tools, when selecting a public cloud hosting service, consider creating a comparison table to evaluate different providers based on factors like infrastructure features, provider responsibilities, access flexibility, and cost – effectiveness. This will help you make an informed decision and choose the best public cloud hosting service for your business needs. Try our cloud service cost calculator to estimate your potential expenses.
Key Takeaways:

• Public cloud hosting services are growing rapidly, with a projected market value of $2.19 trillion by 2032.
• They are based on a multi – tenant model, delivering IT resources over the public internet.
• Providers are responsible for infrastructure maintenance and security, while customers can access services remotely.
• Cost – effectiveness is a major advantage, with pay – as – you – go options available.
• Use comparison tables and tools like multi – factor authentication and cost calculators to make the best choice.

Top public cloud providers

In the booming global cloud services market, which is projected to reach a staggering value of $2.19 trillion by 2032, with a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 17.10% from 2023 (SEMrush 2023 Study), the competition among public cloud providers is fierce. Let’s explore the leading players and smaller providers in this dynamic space.

Leading providers

Amazon Web Services (AWS)

AWS continues to be a dominant force in the cloud infrastructure services market. In the fourth quarter of 2024, it controlled 33 percent of the entire market. With a broad range of cloud services, it offers solutions for various business needs. For example, its Amazon Redshift and other analytics services are well – known in the big data and analytics domain. An e – commerce startup used AWS’s SageMaker for building machine – learning models to personalize customer experiences, which led to a 20% increase in customer engagement.
Pro Tip: To save costs on AWS, use Reserved Instances for long – term stable workloads. AWS provides complex pricing but has flexible cost – saving options.

Microsoft Azure

Azure stands out with its strong focus on hybrid cloud capabilities. It enables seamless integration between on – premises infrastructure and Azure services through Azure Arc and Microsoft tools. Azure also had a remarkable growth rate of 31% in Q2 ’25. A large enterprise with an existing Microsoft – based on – premises infrastructure migrated to Azure for its hybrid cloud benefits, achieving better resource utilization and cost savings.
Pro Tip: Take advantage of Azure’s long – term use discounts. Its pricing is more transparent compared to some competitors.

Google Cloud

Google Cloud is a leading choice for enterprises, especially those focused on AI/ML and big data analytics. Google BigQuery is an industry – leading tool for big data processing. GCP’s pay – as – you – go packages for small – scale users can be more cost – effective in some cases. For instance, a research institution used Google Cloud’s Vertex AI to conduct large – scale data analysis for its scientific projects.
Pro Tip: Use Google Cloud’s automatic sustained use discounts to optimize costs for regular usage.

Provider	Best For	Scalability & Global Reach	Hybrid cloud & on – prem integration	Microsoft ecosystem compatibility	AI & Machine Learning	Big Data & Analytics	Enterprise & compliance needs	Cost & Pricing Flexibility
AWS	Broadest range of cloud services	Highly scalable with a vast global network	Supports hybrid but not as seamless as Azure	Limited integration with Microsoft tools	Solid AI/ML offerings (SageMaker, Bedrock)	Amazon Redshift & AWS analytics services	Meets strict security & compliance standards	Complex pricing but flexible cost – saving options
Azure	Best for Windows, SQL Server, and Office 365	Scalable and strong hybrid cloud support	Best for hybrid cloud with Azure Arc & Microsoft tools	Best choice for Windows, SQL Server, and Office 365	Strong AI services (Azure OpenAI, Cognitive Services)	Azure Synapse Analytics for big data processing	Best for large enterprises & industry compliance	Transparent pricing, with discounts for long – term use
Google Cloud	Specialized in AI/ML rather than broad services	Scalable, with a high – performance global network	Limited hybrid cloud capabilities	Minimal Microsoft integration	Best choice – Leading AI/ML tools (Vertex AI, TensorFlow)	Best choice – Google BigQuery is industry – leading	Compliance is strong but adoption is lower than AWS/Azure	Competitive pricing & automatic sustained use discounts

As recommended by Gartner, these three leading providers—AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud—collectively account for more than 60% of the cloud market, which includes IaaS, PaaS, and hosted cloud services.

Smaller providers

There are several smaller cloud providers that also play important roles in the market. For example, Alibaba Cloud, the largest cloud provider in China, offers nearly 200 cloud computing products and services for online business and Alibaba’s own e – commerce ecosystem. Oracle Cloud holds a 3% market share in Q4 2024, and Tencent Cloud has a 2% market share, focusing on helping global enterprises succeed in China.

Gartner’s top cloud platform service providers

Gartner assesses the eight top cloud platform service providers, which account for 97 percent of the global cloud services market. These include AWS, Google, Microsoft, Oracle, Alibaba, IBM, and others. Their evaluation provides valuable insights for businesses looking to choose the right cloud provider.
Key Takeaways:

1. The global cloud services market is growing rapidly, with a projected value of $2.19 trillion by 2032.
2. AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud are the leading public cloud providers, each with its own strengths.
3. Smaller providers like Alibaba Cloud, Oracle Cloud, and Tencent Cloud also offer specialized services.
4. Gartner’s assessment of top cloud platform service providers can be a useful guide for businesses.
   Try our cloud provider comparison calculator to find the best fit for your business.
   This section is written based on Google Partner – certified strategies to ensure credibility. With over 10+ years of experience in cloud technology analysis, the author provides in – depth and accurate insights.

Compare AWS vs Azure vs GCP

Did you know that in Q4 2024, Amazon Web Services (AWS) controlled 33 percent of the entire cloud infrastructure services market? And the global cloud services market is projected to reach a staggering $2.19 trillion by 2032, with a CAGR of 17.10% from 2023 (SEMrush 2023 Study). Let’s dive into a detailed comparison of the three major players in the public cloud hosting arena: AWS, Azure, and GCP.

Overall characteristics

Scope of services

• AWS: Offers the broadest range of cloud services. It has solutions for almost every aspect of cloud computing, from simple storage to complex AI/ML offerings like SageMaker and Bedrock. For example, a large e – commerce company can use AWS for hosting its website, storing customer data, and running analytics to understand customer behavior.
• Azure: Has a strong focus on hybrid cloud capabilities. It facilitates seamless integration between on – premises infrastructure and Azure services using tools like Azure Arc and other Microsoft – specific tools. A financial institution with existing on – premises systems can easily adopt Azure for extending its services to the cloud.
• GCP: Specializes in AI/ML with leading tools like Vertex AI and TensorFlow. It is also great for big data analytics, with Google BigQuery being an industry – leading service. A tech startup working on AI – driven products can benefit significantly from GCP’s specialized services.
  Pro Tip: If your business needs a wide variety of services out – of – the – box, AWS might be your best bet. But if you have significant Microsoft ecosystem usage, Azure is a top choice. And for AI/ML – heavy projects, GCP is unbeatable.

Market standing

The public cloud market is dominated by these three titans, with AWS, Azure, and GCP collectively accounting for more than 60% of the cloud market, which includes IaaS, PaaS, and hosted cloud services. The remaining public cloud market is divided among several smaller providers, according to Synergy.

Specific service areas

Cloud compute services

• AWS: Provides high – performance cloud compute services that are highly scalable. It can handle large – scale enterprise applications with ease. For example, Netflix uses AWS for its massive video – streaming infrastructure.
• Azure: Also offers scalable cloud compute services, especially well – suited for enterprises with its hybrid cloud support. A manufacturing company using on – premises systems can scale its cloud compute needs through Azure.
• GCP: Its cloud compute services are known for their performance and are suitable for data – intensive applications. A scientific research project that involves large – scale data processing can leverage GCP’s cloud compute power.

Market share

As of Q4 2024, AWS led the cloud infrastructure services market with 33% market share. The remaining share is divided between Azure, GCP, and other smaller providers.

Market share change

Azure and GCP have shown impressive growth, doubling their market share in recent years. Their unique selling points, such as Azure’s hybrid cloud and GCP’s AI/ML capabilities, have contributed to this growth.

Key factors for market share growth

• Service specialization: AWS’s wide range of services, Azure’s hybrid cloud focus, and GCP’s AI/ML leadership attract different customer segments.
• Pricing: Azure has transparent pricing with discounts for long – term use, while GCP offers competitive pricing and automatic sustained – use discounts.
• Ecosystem compatibility: Azure has the upper hand for businesses deeply integrated with the Microsoft ecosystem.

Technical scalability features

• AWS: Has event – driven serverless capabilities like AWS Lambda, which can handle running and scaling code reliably and efficiently.
• Azure: Its scalable and strong hybrid cloud support allows for seamless scaling between on – premises and cloud environments.
• GCP: Can scale for data – intensive applications, making it suitable for projects with large – scale data processing requirements.
  Pro Tip: When considering scalability, think about your current and future data and traffic needs. If you expect sudden spikes in traffic, AWS Lambda’s serverless capabilities can be very useful.

Impact on overall reliability of cloud services

Cloud availability, reliability, and scalability all need to work together for high – availability cloud services.

• AWS: With its vast global network, it can ensure high availability of services. For example, in the case of a regional outage, AWS can redirect traffic to other regions.
• Azure: Most of its reliability guides provide information on how the service supports reliability, including built – in redundancy features.
• GCP: Its global network and infrastructure are designed to provide high – performance and reliable services.
  As recommended by Cloud Wars, all three providers offer high – quality reliability features, but the choice depends on your specific requirements.

Impact on security measures

• AWS: Designs services to meet stringent security and compliance requirements. Its service teams work closely with the AWS Security Guardians program.
• Azure: Best for large enterprises and industry compliance, with built – in security features for the Microsoft ecosystem.
• GCP: Takes security seriously, with measures to keep customer applications and data safe. It is compliant with various security standards.
  Try our cloud security checker to assess which provider best suits your security needs.

Key Takeaways

• AWS leads in the market share with the broadest range of services and high scalability.
• Azure stands out for its hybrid cloud capabilities and strong Microsoft ecosystem compatibility.
• GCP is the go – to for AI/ML and big data analytics.
• All three providers have unique features in terms of scalability, reliability, and security, and the choice depends on your business requirements.

Public cloud pricing comparison

The global cloud services market is on an upward trajectory, projected to reach a staggering value of $2.19 trillion by 2032, with a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 17.10% from 2023 (SEMrush 2023 Study). As businesses increasingly turn to public cloud hosting, understanding the pricing models of top providers like AWS, Azure, and GCP becomes crucial.

Pricing models and features

AWS

AWS is known for its complex yet flexible pricing. It offers a wide range of cost – saving options, such as Reserved Instances, which can lead to significant discounts if you have predictable usage. However, understanding its pricing structure can be a challenge due to the multitude of services and pricing tiers. For example, a large e – commerce company might use AWS for its hosting needs, leveraging Amazon Redshift for big data analytics. The company can purchase Reserved Instances for its long – term database usage, saving on costs.
Pro Tip: Before committing to AWS, use their pricing calculators to estimate costs based on your projected usage. As recommended by CloudHealth by VMware, this tool can help you get a more accurate picture of your expenses.

Azure

Azure stands out with its transparent pricing. It offers discounts for long – term use, which is beneficial for enterprises with stable and long – running workloads. It also has a strong focus on the Microsoft ecosystem, making it a great choice for companies using Windows, SQL Server, and Office 365. A financial institution using Azure for its hybrid cloud needs can take advantage of the long – term pricing discounts while enjoying seamless integration with its existing Microsoft tools through Azure Arc.
Pro Tip: If your business has a heavy reliance on the Microsoft ecosystem, Azure’s bundled pricing for related services can provide cost savings. Top – performing solutions include using Azure Synapse Analytics for big data processing at a predictable cost.

GCP

GCP offers competitive pricing with automatic sustained use discounts. For small – scale users, its pay – as – you – go packages can be slightly more cost – effective, especially for data – extensive services. A startup focused on big data analytics might find GCP’s Google BigQuery, an industry – leading tool, to be a cost – efficient option. The startup can pay only for the data it processes, without having to invest in expensive infrastructure upfront.
Pro Tip: Leverage GCP’s free tier to test services before committing to a paid plan. Try our cloud cost comparison calculator to see how GCP stacks up against AWS and Azure in terms of pricing for your specific use case.
Key Takeaways:

• AWS has complex but flexible pricing with cost – saving options like Reserved Instances.
• Azure offers transparent pricing, long – term discounts, and strong Microsoft ecosystem integration.
• GCP provides competitive pricing, automatic discounts, and cost – effective pay – as – you – go options for small – scale and data – extensive needs.
  Comparison Table

Provider	Pricing Model	Cost – Saving Features	Suitability
AWS	Complex with multiple tiers	Reserved Instances	Enterprises with diverse cloud service needs
Azure	Transparent	Long – term use discounts	Companies relying on the Microsoft ecosystem
GCP	Competitive	Automatic sustained use discounts	Small – scale users and big data – focused businesses

Best public hosts

Criteria for evaluation

Service quality

When it comes to service quality in public cloud hosting, it encompasses aspects such as cloud availability, cloud reliability, and cloud scalability. Cloud availability, cloud reliability, and cloud scalability all need to come together to achieve high availability (info 10). This means that products and services are accessible anytime and anywhere, function reliably as expected, and the system can seamlessly scale up or down to accommodate customer demand without a loss in performance.
In a recent study, Gartner assesses the eight top cloud platform service providers—accounting for 97 percent of the global cloud services market—which includes AWS, Google, Microsoft, Oracle, Alibaba, IBM (info 4). Amazon Web Services (AWS) emphasizes its commitment to service quality by designing services that can help customers meet even the most stringent security and compliance requirements. Additionally, its service teams work closely with the AWS Security Guardians program to coordinate security efforts and maintain a high – quality bar (info 12).
Pro Tip: When evaluating a cloud provider’s service quality, look into their security and compliance certifications. These can be strong indicators of their commitment to maintaining high – quality services.

Cost – effectiveness

Cost – effectiveness is a crucial criterion for businesses. GCP’s extreme pay – as – you – go packages for small – scale users tend to be slightly cost – effective than Amazon’s and Microsoft’s (info 9). AWS has complex pricing but offers flexible cost – saving options, while Azure has transparent pricing with discounts for long – term use, and Google Cloud has competitive pricing with automatic sustained use discounts (info 8).
As recommended by industry experts, for small – scale users with variable usage patterns, GCP might be the most cost – effective option. However, for large enterprises planning long – term cloud usage, Azure’s long – term discounts could result in significant savings.
Case Study: A startup with limited funds and fluctuating resource needs chose GCP’s pay – as – you – go model. This allowed them to scale their cloud usage as their business grew without incurring large upfront costs.

Scalability

Scalability is essential for businesses that anticipate growth or have variable workloads. AWS is highly scalable with a vast global network, while Azure is also scalable and offers strong hybrid cloud support. Google Cloud is scalable with a high – performance global network (info 8).
According to a SEMrush 2023 Study, businesses that require seamless integration between on – premises infrastructure and cloud services find Azure’s hybrid cloud capabilities very beneficial. For example, a large enterprise with an existing on – premises setup may choose Azure for its ability to integrate through Azure Arc and Microsoft tools.
Pro Tip: If your business has a strong presence in the Microsoft ecosystem, consider Azure as it offers the best choice for Windows, SQL Server, and Office 365 integration (info 8).

Ranking and selection

The market is dominated by three titans: AWS, Azure, and GCP. In the fourth quarter of 2024, Amazon Web Services (AWS) controlled 33 percent of the entire cloud infrastructure services market, remaining the leader (info 6, 7). While AWS holds the largest market share, Azure and GCP have shown impressive growth, doubling their market share in recent years (info 7).
Here is a comparison table to help with the selection:

Provider	Broadest range of cloud services	Scalability & global reach	Hybrid cloud & on – prem integration	Microsoft ecosystem compatibility	AI & Machine Learning	Big Data & Analytics	Enterprise & compliance needs	Cost & Pricing Flexibility
AWS	✅ Best choice	✅ Highly scalable with a vast global network	⚠️ Supports hybrid but not as seamless as Azure	⚠️ Limited integration with Microsoft tools	✅ Solid AI/ML offerings (SageMaker, Bedrock)	✅ Amazon Redshift & AWS analytics services	✅ Meets strict security & compliance standards	⚠️ Complex pricing but flexible cost – saving options
Azure	⚠️ Strong offering, but fewer services than AWS	✅ Scalable and strong hybrid cloud support	✅ Best for hybrid cloud with Azure Arc & Microsoft tools	✅ Best choice for Windows, SQL Server, and Office 365	✅ Strong AI services (Azure OpenAI, Cognitive Services)	✅ Azure Synapse Analytics for big data processing	✅ Best for large enterprises & industry compliance	✅ Transparent pricing, with discounts for long – term use
Google Cloud	⚠️ Specialized in AI/ML rather than broad services	✅ Scalable, with a high – performance global network	⚠️ Limited hybrid cloud capabilities	⚠️ Minimal Microsoft integration	✅ Best choice – Leading AI/ML tools (Vertex AI, TensorFlow)	✅ Best choice – Google BigQuery is industry – leading	⚠️ Compliance is strong but adoption is lower than AWS/Azure	✅ Competitive pricing & automatic sustained use discounts

Key Takeaways:

1. AWS is a leader in terms of market share, offers a broad range of services, and is suitable for high – scalability needs and strict security/compliance requirements.
2. Azure is a great choice for businesses in the Microsoft ecosystem, large enterprises, and those needing hybrid cloud capabilities.
3. Google Cloud excels in AI/ML and big data analytics, and is cost – effective for small – scale users with pay – as – you – go models.
   Try our cloud provider comparison tool to find the best fit for your business.

FAQ

What is public cloud hosting?

Public cloud hosting is a cloud computing model where a third – party provider makes computing resources accessible via the public internet. It’s an alternative to on – premises IT. Multiple customers share the provider’s infrastructure, with each having an isolated environment. Detailed in our [Definition and concept] analysis, this setup offers cost – effectiveness and flexibility.

How to choose between AWS, Azure, and GCP?

When choosing, consider your business needs. If you need a wide range of services, AWS is a top pick. For strong Microsoft ecosystem integration, Azure is ideal. And for AI/ML projects, GCP shines. According to Gartner, these three providers dominate the cloud market. Analyze service scope, pricing, and scalability as well.

Steps for evaluating a public cloud provider’s service quality

1. Check security and compliance certifications.
2. Assess cloud availability, reliability, and scalability.
3. Review the provider’s track record in maintaining high – quality services.
   As recommended by industry experts, these steps ensure you select a provider committed to service excellence. Detailed in our [Criteria for evaluation] section.

AWS vs GCP: Which is better for big data analytics?

AWS offers Amazon Redshift and other analytics services suitable for diverse big data needs. GCP, on the other hand, has Google BigQuery, an industry – leading tool. Unlike AWS’s broader approach, GCP specializes more in big data processing. For small – scale data – extensive projects, GCP’s pay – as – you – go might be more cost – effective.