AWS IAM vs Azure Entra ID vs Google Cloud IAM
Identity and Access Management (IAM) is critical to managing secure access to cloud resources. Each major cloud provider offers a unique IAM model:
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AWS IAM (Identity and Access Management)
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Azure Active Directory (Entra ID)
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Google Cloud IAM
This article compares these services in terms of architecture, access controls, authentication mechanisms, scalability, policy models, and enterprise use cases.
Core Capabilities
| Feature | AWS IAM | Azure Active Directory (AAD) | Google Cloud IAM |
|---|---|---|---|
| User and Group Management | Yes (IAM users, groups) | Yes (Entra ID users, security groups) | Yes (Cloud Identity users, groups) |
| Role-Based Access Control | Yes (IAM roles & policies) | Yes (RBAC & Azure Roles) | Yes (IAM roles + resource hierarchy) |
| Federated Identity Support | Yes (SAML, OIDC, Cognito) | Yes (SAML, OIDC, B2B/B2C, Entra ID) | Yes (SAML, OIDC) |
| MFA Support | Yes | Yes (built-in + conditional access) | Yes |
| API Access Controls | Fine-grained via IAM policies | Yes (OAuth tokens, RBAC) | IAM policies tied to resources |
Architecture & Scalability
| Feature | AWS IAM | Azure Active Directory | Google Cloud IAM |
|---|---|---|---|
| Global Identity Model | Region-independent | Global via Azure AD tenant | Global with org hierarchy |
| Resource Hierarchy | Account → Resource | Tenant → Subscription → Resource Group → Resource | Org → Folder → Project → Resource |
| Access Inheritance | Limited | Yes (RBAC hierarchy) | Yes (resource-level inheritance) |
| Scalability | Millions of users/roles | Enterprise-grade scale | Highly scalable |
Advanced Capabilities
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AWS IAM:
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Custom policies using JSON-based syntax.
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IAM Roles with assume-role policies.
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Service-linked roles for AWS services.
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Integration with AWS SSO, Cognito, STS.
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Azure Active Directory (Entra ID):
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Central identity across Microsoft 365, Azure, and SaaS apps.
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Conditional Access policies (location, device, risk-based).
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Integration with Defender for Identity and PIM (Privileged Identity Mgmt).
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Supports B2B, B2C, and hybrid identities (via AD Connect).
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Google Cloud IAM:
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Role-based access with predefined and custom roles.
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Resource hierarchy allows scoped policy inheritance.
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Native support for service accounts and Workload Identity Federation.
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IAM Conditions for context-aware access.
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Real-world Scenario: Multi-cloud Enterprise IAM Strategy
A global tech company needs secure, role-based access across dev teams working in multi-cloud:
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AWS IAM: Developers assume roles using AWS STS and enforce least-privilege policies.
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Azure AD: Enterprise-wide SSO with MFA, conditional access, and integration with on-premises AD.
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Google IAM: Uses folder- and project-level policies, federated identity for CI/CD pipelines, and service accounts for automation.
Compliance & Security Highlights
| Capability | AWS IAM | Azure AD | Google IAM |
|---|---|---|---|
| Policy Audit Trail | AWS CloudTrail | Azure AD Logs + Microsoft Defender | Cloud Audit Logs |
| Policy Simulation | IAM Policy Simulator | Access Review, Role Insights | Policy Troubleshooter |
| Temporary Credentials | STS Tokens | Access Packages (Entra ID Governance) | Identity Federation, Workload Identity |
| Identity Protection | Integrated with Cognito, SSO | Azure Identity Protection (AAD P2) | Context-aware access, no native threat detection |
Costing Models
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AWS IAM:
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Free service; charges only apply for related services like AWS SSO, Cognito, and STS calls.
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Azure Active Directory (Entra ID):
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Free tier available.
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Premium P1 & P2 tiers include conditional access, identity protection, and governance.
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Google Cloud IAM:
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Free; pricing applies only for Cloud Identity Premium, Workload Identity Federation, and API calls.
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Disclaimer
This article is independently developed and not affiliated with or endorsed by Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud Platform (GCP). All service names, prices, and descriptions are based on publicly available sources as of June 2025 and may change.
