Azure Blob Storage vs Google Cloud Storage
Updated November 2026 · AppBreakup editorial
Azure Blob Storage
Microsoft Azure's object storage for unstructured data, backups, archives and data lakes.
Google Cloud Storage
Google Cloud's object storage service for files, backups, data lakes and website assets.
The short answer
Azure Blob Storage suits organisations on Microsoft Azure that want Entra ID access control and a Data Lake Storage layer. Google Cloud Storage suits teams on Google Cloud that want storage next to BigQuery and Vertex AI, with a small permanent free allowance. The biggest difference is ecosystem, since both bill storage, operations and egress in similar ways.
Azure Blob Storage or Google Cloud Storage: our take
Azure Blob Storage and Google Cloud Storage are close equivalents: both store files as objects, offer hot-to-archive tiers with lifecycle rules, and charge pay-as-you-go for storage, operations and outbound data transfer. Both have pricing that is hard to predict. Neither is self-hostable, and the decision usually comes down to which cloud already runs the rest of the workload.
Azure Blob Storage has five access tiers: Premium for low-latency workloads, Hot, Cool, Cold and Archive. Data Lake Storage adds a hierarchical namespace on top of Blob for analytics engines, and access can be managed through Entra ID and role-based access control, which suits organisations already using Microsoft identity. Reserved capacity gives discounts for large steady volumes. There is no permanent free tier; new accounts get a $200 credit for 30 days. It is not S3-compatible.
Google Cloud Storage has four storage classes: Standard, Nearline, Coldline and Archive, with minimum storage durations on the colder three. Autoclass and lifecycle rules can move objects between classes automatically based on access. Buckets can be regional, dual-region or multi-region. It plugs directly into BigQuery, Vertex AI and Cloud Run, which suits analytics and machine-learning work. It has a permanent free allowance of 5 GB-months of Standard storage, and new customers get $300 in free credits.
Pick Azure Blob Storage if the organisation manages users in Entra ID, runs analytics on Azure, or needs a Premium tier for low-latency workloads. Pick Google Cloud Storage if data feeds BigQuery or Vertex AI, if dual-region buckets matter, or for small projects that can live inside the free allowance.
Which should you pick?
Choose Azure Blob Storage if…
- Organisations on Microsoft Azure that want object storage tied into Entra ID and Azure analytics.
- Five access tiers from Premium down to Archive
- Entra ID and role-based access control built in
Choose Google Cloud Storage if…
- Teams on Google Cloud that need durable object storage close to their compute and analytics.
- You want a free option (Azure Blob Storage is paid only)
- Four storage classes with automatic lifecycle moves
- Small monthly free allowance plus starting credits
About each app
What is Azure Blob Storage?
Azure Blob Storage is Microsoft's object storage service, holding files of any kind as blobs inside storage accounts. You choose an access tier per object or account: Premium for low-latency workloads, Hot for frequently used data, Cool and Cold for infrequent access, and Archive for long-term retention at the lowest price, with lifecycle rules moving data between them. Data Lake Storage adds a hierarchical file namespace on top for analytics engines. Access can be controlled with Microsoft Entra ID and role-based access control, and data is encrypted at rest. It is used for app uploads, media, backups, tape replacement and analytics pipelines, and integrates with the rest of Azure. Billing is pay-as-you-go per gigabyte stored, operations and data transfer, with reserved capacity discounts; new accounts can try Azure free for a limited period. It suits organisations already invested in Microsoft's cloud and identity tools.
What is Google Cloud Storage?
Google Cloud Storage keeps files of any size as objects in buckets and serves them over an API, the Google Cloud counterpart to Amazon S3. It offers four main storage classes, Standard, Nearline, Coldline and Archive, which trade a lower monthly price for minimum storage periods on the colder classes. Lifecycle rules and Autoclass can move objects between classes automatically based on access. Buckets can be regional, dual-region or multi-region, and the service plugs directly into BigQuery, Vertex AI, Cloud Run and the rest of Google Cloud. Developers use it for app uploads, static assets, backups, analytics data and machine-learning datasets. Pricing is pay-as-you-go for storage, operations and outbound data transfer, with a small monthly free allowance and starting credits for new customers. It is a sensible default for teams already running on Google Cloud, and less so for those wanting zero egress fees.
Side by side
| Attribute | Azure Blob Storage | Google Cloud Storage |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Free plan + paid |
| Open source | No | No |
| Self-hostable | No | No |
| Platforms | Web | Web |
| Best for | Organisations on Microsoft Azure that want object storage tied into Entra ID and Azure analytics. | Teams on Google Cloud that need durable object storage close to their compute and analytics. |
| Status | Active | Active |
Azure Blob Storage vs Google Cloud Storage pricing
Azure Blob Storage: paid
Azure Blob Storage pricing pageGoogle Cloud Storage: free plan + paid
- Free tier: 5 GiB Standard storage per month source
- Free plan: Yes, 5 GB-months of Standard storage source
Platforms
| Platform | Azure Blob Storage | Google Cloud Storage |
|---|---|---|
| Web |
Azure Blob Storage facts
5 of 5 verified- Access tiers
- Premium, Hot, Cool, Cold, Archive
- Checked Nov 8, 2026azure.microsoft.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “Store performance-sensitive data in the Premium tier, frequently accessed data in the Hot tier, infrequently accessed data in the Cool and Cold tiers, and rarely accessed data in the Archive tier.”
- Analytics
- Data Lake Storage built on Blob
- Checked Nov 8, 2026azure.microsoft.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “Data Lake Storage extends Azure Blob Storage capabilities and is optimized for analytics workloads.”
- Reserved capacity example
- $18540 a year for 100 TB Hot LRS (US West 2)
- Checked Nov 8, 2026azure.microsoft.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “Hot LRS Data Stored (US West 2) = $18540 .”
- Free trial
- $200 credit for 30 days
- Checked Nov 8, 2026azure.microsoft.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “$200 credit to explore Azure for 30 days.”
- Access control
- Entra ID and RBAC
- Checked Nov 8, 2026azure.microsoft.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “Highly secure Authentication with Microsoft Entra ID and role-based access control (RBAC), plus encryption at rest and advanced threat protection.”
Google Cloud Storage facts
6 of 6 verified- Free tier
- 5 GiB Standard storage per month
- Checked Nov 8, 2026cloud.google.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “Get 5 GiB of standard storage, 55,000 operations, 100 GiB of data transfer, and more for free each month.”
- Storage classes
- Standard, Nearline, Coldline, Archive
- Checked Nov 8, 2026cloud.google.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “Product highlights Automatically transition to lower-cost storage classes Standard, nearline, coldline, and archive storage options”
- Minimum duration
- Applies to Nearline, Coldline and Archive
- Checked Nov 8, 2026cloud.google.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “Minimum storage duration A minimum storage duration applies to data stored using Nearline storage, Coldline storage, or Archive storage.”
- Dual-region Standard storage
- $0.022 per GB/month for each region SKU (Iowa + Oregon)
- Checked Nov 8, 2026cloud.google.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “billed at $0.022 per GB per month”
- Free plan
- Yes, 5 GB-months of Standard storage
- Checked Nov 8, 2026cloud.google.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “Resource Monthly Free Usage Limits 1 Standard storage 5 GB-months”
- New customer credit
- $300 in free credits
- Checked Nov 8, 2026cloud.google.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “$300 in free credits and 20+ free products.”
Pros and cons of Azure Blob Storage
- Five access tiers from Premium down to Archive
- Entra ID and role-based access control built in
- Data Lake Storage layer for analytics workloads
- Not S3-compatible, so S3 tools and SDKs need adapting
- Data transfer out and operations add to the bill
- Pricing page and tier rules are complex to compare
Pros and cons of Google Cloud Storage
- Four storage classes with automatic lifecycle moves
- Small monthly free allowance plus starting credits
- Works directly with BigQuery and other Google Cloud services
- Regional, dual-region and multi-region bucket options
- Outbound data transfer is billed, unlike Cloudflare R2
- Colder classes carry minimum storage durations
- Pricing has many line items and is hard to predict
Other apps to consider
Amazon S3Instead of Azure Blob Storage
The de facto object storage API, supported by almost every backup and data tool.
Cloudflare R2Instead of Azure Blob Storage
S3-compatible storage with no egress fees, cheaper when you serve a lot of data to users.
- WaWasabi
Instead of Azure Blob Storage
Single flat storage price with no egress or request fees, simpler to budget than Azure tiers.
MinIOInstead of Google Cloud Storage
S3-compatible object store you host yourself, for keeping data on your own hardware.
Azure Blob Storage vs Google Cloud Storage: common questions
Is Azure Blob Storage better than Google Cloud Storage?
Azure Blob Storage suits organisations on Microsoft Azure that want Entra ID access control and a Data Lake Storage layer. Google Cloud Storage suits teams on Google Cloud that want storage next to BigQuery and Vertex AI, with a small permanent free allowance. The biggest difference is ecosystem, since both bill storage, operations and egress in similar ways.
Is Azure Blob Storage free?
No. Azure Blob Storage is paid, though it may offer a trial.
Is Google Cloud Storage free?
Google Cloud Storage has a free plan, with paid plans for more features. See its verified pricing facts above for current limits.
Is Azure Blob Storage or Google Cloud Storage open source?
Neither is open source.
Which platforms do Azure Blob Storage and Google Cloud Storage support?
Azure Blob Storage: Web. Google Cloud Storage: Web.