AWS, Azure, and GCP Cloud Certifications Complete Comparison Guide (2025 Latest)

Table of Contents

Introduction

As cloud computing rapidly evolves, AWS, Azure, and GCP have become the core infrastructure for enterprise digital transformation. Obtaining cloud certifications not only validates your technical expertise but can bring substantial salary increases to your career development.

This article provides an in-depth comparison of the certification systems of AWS, Azure, and GCP, with special focus on the latest AI/ML certification trends in 2025 to help you choose the most suitable learning path.

Key 2025 Updates:

AWS launches new AI Practitioner and Generative AI Developer certifications
Azure AI Engineer (AI-102) updated in April 2025, strengthening enterprise AI applications
GCP Professional ML Engineer integrated Generative AI content in October 2024

Platform Certification Overview

AWS Certification Architecture

AWS offers four certification levels: Foundational, Associate, Professional, and Specialty. With 13 total certifications, covering everything from basic cloud concepts to advanced specialized domains.

Azure Certification Architecture

Azure uses a three-tier architecture: Fundamentals, Associate, and Expert. Clear certification pathways typically require passing Associate level before obtaining Expert level certifications.

GCP Certification Architecture

GCP is divided into three levels: Foundational, Associate, and Professional. Compared to AWS and Azure, GCP has fewer certifications but focuses more on core technology areas.

Foundational Certifications Comparison

Platform	Certification Name	Exam Code	Target Audience	2025 Updates
AWS	AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner	CLF-C02	Cloud beginners, business professionals	—
Azure	Azure Fundamentals	AZ-900	Cloud foundation entry	—
	Azure AI Fundamentals	AI-900	AI basic concepts entry	✅ Updated 05/2025
GCP	Cloud Digital Leader	—	Digital transformation strategy, cloud basics	—

Associate Certifications Comparison

Platform	Certification Name	Exam Code	Core Skills
AWS	Solutions Architect – Associate	SAA-C03	Architecture design, high availability, security
	Developer – Associate	DVA-C02	Application development, deployment, debugging
	SysOps Administrator – Associate	SOA-C02	System deployment, monitoring, troubleshooting
Azure	Azure Administrator	AZ-104	Virtual machines, storage, network management
	Azure Developer	AZ-204	Application development, Azure services integration
	Azure Security Engineer	AZ-500	Security control, threat response
GCP	Associate Cloud Engineer	—	Compute, storage, networking, security

AI/ML Certifications Deep Comparison (2025 Latest)

AWS AI/ML Certification Path

Level	Certification Name	Status	Target Audience	Key Technologies
Foundational	AWS Certified AI Practitioner	🆕 New	Business professionals, non-technical roles	AI, ML, Generative AI concepts
Associate	Machine Learning Engineer – Associate	🆕 New	ML engineers, MLOps engineers	ML workload implementation, model deployment
Professional	Generative AI Developer – Professional	🚀 Launching 2025	Generative AI developers	Generative AI application development
Specialty	Machine Learning – Specialty	❌ Retiring 03/31/2026	ML experts	SageMaker, model training and optimization

AWS Offer: 50% discount on AI Practitioner, ML Engineer, and Data Engineer certification exams.

Azure AI/ML Certification Path

Level	Certification Name	Exam Code	Target Audience	Key Technologies
Fundamentals	Azure AI Fundamentals	AI-900	AI beginners	ML and AI concepts, Azure AI services
Associate	Azure AI Engineer	AI-102	AI engineers	Cognitive Services, Azure OpenAI, AI Search
	Azure Data Scientist	DP-100	Data scientists	Model training, Azure ML

2025 Update Highlights:

AI-102 updated on April 30, 2025, strengthening Azure OpenAI integration
Enterprise demand for generative AI skills experiencing explosive growth, one-third of organizations have deployed generative AI tools

GCP AI/ML Certification Path

Level	Certification Name	Status	Target Audience	Key Technologies
Professional	Professional Machine Learning Engineer	✅ Updated Oct 2024	ML engineers	Vertex AI, TensorFlow, BigQuery, Gen AI
Professional	Generative AI Leader	🆕 New	AI strategists	Generative AI technology, business strategy

October 2024 Major Update:

Professional ML Engineer now includes Generative AI content
Covers Vertex AI Model Garden, AI Agent Builder, and other new tools
Exam includes practical questions on generative model deployment and management

Professional Certifications Comparison

Platform	Certification Name	Exam Code	Core Skills
AWS	Solutions Architect – Professional	SAP-C02	Large-scale complex architecture design
	DevOps Engineer – Professional	DOP-C02	CI/CD, automated deployment, monitoring
Azure	Azure Solutions Architect Expert	AZ-305	Expert-level architecture design and integration
	Azure DevOps Engineer Expert	AZ-400	Expert-level CI/CD and automation
GCP	Professional Cloud Architect	—	Enterprise-level GCP solution design
	Professional Cloud DevOps Engineer	—	GCP CI/CD, automation, monitoring

Specialty Certifications Comparison

Data and Analytics

Platform	Certification Name	Exam Code	Use Cases
AWS	Data Analytics – Specialty	DAS-C01	Kinesis, Redshift, data pipelines
	Database – Specialty	DBS-C01	Relational and non-relational databases
Azure	Azure Data Engineer	DP-203	Data pipelines, Data Lake, analytics platforms
	Azure Database Administrator	DP-300	Database management and operations
GCP	Professional Data Engineer	—	Big data processing, ML pipelines
	Professional Cloud Database Engineer	—	Cloud database design and operations

Network and Security

Platform	Certification Name	Exam Code	Use Cases
AWS	Advanced Networking – Specialty	ANS-C01	Large-scale network architecture, hybrid cloud connectivity
	Security – Specialty	SCS-C02	IAM, data protection, incident detection
Azure	Azure Network Engineer	AZ-700	Network routing, load balancing, hybrid connectivity
	Azure Cybersecurity Architect Expert	SC-100	Security strategy, architecture and risk management
GCP	Professional Cloud Network Engineer	—	GCP network architecture, hybrid and multi-cloud connectivity
	Professional Cloud Security Engineer	—	Access control, network security, compliance management

How to Choose the Right Certification?

By Career Stage

Beginner (0-1 years experience):

AWS: Cloud Practitioner + AI Practitioner
Azure: AZ-900 + AI-900
GCP: Cloud Digital Leader

Mid-Level Engineer (1-3 years experience):

AWS: Solutions Architect – Associate or Developer – Associate
Azure: AZ-104 or AZ-204
GCP: Associate Cloud Engineer

Senior Engineer (3+ years experience):

AWS: Solutions Architect – Professional or Specialty certifications
Azure: AZ-305 or Expert-level certifications
GCP: Professional series certifications

By Technical Specialization

AI/ML Focus:

AWS: New AI Practitioner + ML Engineer – Associate
Azure: AI-102 (2025 update with Azure OpenAI integration)
GCP: Professional ML Engineer (Oct 2024 update with Gen AI)

DevOps Focus:

AWS: DevOps Engineer – Professional
Azure: AZ-400
GCP: Professional Cloud DevOps Engineer

Data Engineering:

AWS: Data Analytics – Specialty
Azure: DP-203
GCP: Professional Data Engineer

ROI Analysis

Salary Impact

According to the latest 2025 research, AWS AI certifications can bring salary increases of up to 47%, reflecting strong market demand for cloud and AI skills.

Average Salaries by Platform (US Market Reference):

AWS: Professional-level certifications average salary $130,000 – $180,000
Azure: Expert-level certifications average salary $125,000 – $175,000
GCP: Professional-level certifications average salary $120,000 – $170,000

Learning Cost Comparison

Item	AWS	Azure	GCP
Foundational exam fee	$100	$99	$99
Associate exam fee	$150	$165	$125
Professional exam fee	$300	$165	$200
Free learning resources	135+ courses (AWS Skill Builder)	Microsoft Learn (free)	Coursera partial free
2025 Promotions	AI/ML certifications 50% off	—	—

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: Which platform certification is easiest to start with?

Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) is generally considered the easiest entry-level certification, with broad content but moderate depth. AWS Cloud Practitioner is second, while GCP Cloud Digital Leader focuses more on business strategy.

Q2: Which AI certification is most valuable in 2025?

Depends on your background:

Beginners: AWS AI Practitioner (newly released, covers latest Gen AI concepts)
Engineers: Azure AI Engineer (AI-102) (April 2025 update, high enterprise demand)
ML Experts: GCP Professional ML Engineer (Oct 2024 Gen AI integration, high technical depth)

Q3: Do certifications need regular renewal?

Yes. AWS and Azure certifications are typically valid for 3 years, GCP for 2 years. You must recertify or pass a higher-level certification before expiration to maintain validity.

Q4: Can I obtain certifications across multiple platforms?

Yes, and more and more enterprises are adopting multi-cloud strategies. Having both AWS and Azure certifications can enhance employment competitiveness, especially in enterprise environments with hybrid cloud architectures.

Conclusion

2025 marks an important turning point in cloud certification systems, with all three major platforms actively integrating generative AI and machine learning content:

AWS is launching the new AI Practitioner and Generative AI Developer certifications while retiring the old ML Specialty, demonstrating its strategic emphasis on generative AI.

Azure continues to update AI-102, strengthening integration with Azure OpenAI, reflecting enterprise demand for practical AI solutions.

GCP incorporated Gen AI into the Professional ML Engineer certification in October 2024 and introduced the Generative AI Leader certification, showcasing its technical leadership advantage.

Recommended Learning Path:

Start with foundational certification to build cloud concepts (3-6 months)
Choose Associate-level certification aligned with career goals (6-12 months)
Focus on AI/ML certifications to master future trends (12-18 months)
Obtain Professional or Specialty certifications to enhance competitiveness (18+ months)

Regardless of platform choice, continuous learning and hands-on experience are keys to success. Leverage free platform resources (such as AWS Skill Builder, Microsoft Learn, Google Cloud Training) and take advantage of 2025 promotional opportunities to invest in your cloud career.