AWS vs Azure vs GCP: Cloud Interview Questions and How to Tackle Them

In today’s tech-driven world, cloud computing has become the backbone of modern IT infrastructure. Whether you’re a DevOps engineer, cloud architect, or software developer, understanding the major cloud platforms — AWS, Azure, and GCP — is essential.

If you’re preparing for a multi-cloud interview, you’ll often face questions comparing these platforms, their services, and use cases. This blog will guide you through the AWS vs Azure vs GCP comparison, common cloud interview questions, and strategies to answer them effectively.

Why Cloud Skills Matter in Interviews

Before we dive into platform-specific questions, it’s important to know why recruiters focus on cloud knowledge. Companies today adopt multi-cloud strategies to reduce dependency on one provider, improve resilience, and optimize cost.

So, when an interviewer asks about cloud platform differences or DevOps cloud questions, they’re assessing not just your technical knowledge but also how you think about scalability, security, and cost efficiency in cloud environments.

AWS vs Azure vs GCP: The Core Comparison

Each of the three major cloud platforms—Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP)—has its strengths. Understanding these helps you answer comparative questions confidently.

1. Overview of Each Platform

• AWS (Amazon Web Services):
  Launched in 2006, AWS dominates the market with the widest range of services and mature infrastructure. It’s known for flexibility, scalability, and a pay-as-you-go model.
• Microsoft Azure:
  Microsoft’s Azure offers strong hybrid capabilities, seamless integration with Windows-based systems, and excellent enterprise support. It’s preferred by companies already using Microsoft products.
• Google Cloud Platform (GCP):
  GCP stands out with powerful data analytics, AI/ML services, and cost-efficient compute options. It’s widely used for containerization and big data workloads.

Common Multi-Cloud Interview Questions and How to Answer Them

Let’s look at frequently asked multi-cloud interview questions with sample answers that can help you during your preparation.

Q1. What are the key differences between AWS, Azure, and GCP?

How to answer: Focus on key points like service range, pricing, global reach, and unique strengths.

Sample answer: AWS has the largest service portfolio and global network, Azure integrates well with enterprise systems and Microsoft tools, while GCP leads in AI, data analytics, and containerization with Kubernetes. Choosing between them often depends on an organization’s existing ecosystem and project needs.

Keywords covered: AWS Azure GCP comparison, cloud platform differences

Q2. Which platform is better for DevOps practices?

How to answer: Highlight how each platform supports CI/CD, automation, and monitoring tools.

Sample answer: AWS offers CodePipeline and CodeDeploy for CI/CD automation. Azure uses Azure DevOps and Pipelines for complete integration. GCP provides Cloud Build and Cloud Deploy for automated workflows. All three platforms support Jenkins, GitLab, and GitHub integration, making them equally capable for DevOps cloud questions.

Q3. How do AWS, Azure, and GCP handle infrastructure as code (IaC)?

How to answer: Show familiarity with IaC tools and how they integrate across cloud providers.

Sample answer: AWS uses CloudFormation, Azure uses ARM Templates, and GCP uses Deployment Manager. However, tools like Terraform and Ansible allow you to manage infrastructure across multiple clouds, making them essential for multi-cloud environments.

Q4. What is the pricing model difference among AWS, Azure, and GCP?

How to answer: Explain the general approach to pricing rather than quoting numbers.

Sample answer: All three follow a pay-as-you-go pricing model. AWS offers per-second billing for EC2, Azure bills per minute, and GCP provides sustained-use discounts. The best approach is to use their pricing calculators to estimate cost based on workloads.

Q5. How do you ensure security and compliance across multiple clouds?

How to answer:  Discuss identity management, monitoring, and compliance.

Sample answer:  For AWS, use IAM, CloudTrail, and GuardDuty; Azure offers Active Directory, Security Center, and Defender; GCP provides Cloud IAM and Security Command Center. Security consistency can be maintained through DevSecOps practices, automated compliance policies, and monitoring tools like Prometheus, Grafana, and ELK Stack.

Cloud Platform Differences: Feature Comparison Table

DevOps Cloud Questions: What Recruiters Look For

When hiring for cloud or DevOps roles, interviewers look for practical knowledge. They expect you to:

• Understand automation using CI/CD pipelines
  Manage cloud resources efficiently with IaC tools
• Ensure observability through monitoring and logging
• Deploy scalable apps using Docker, Kubernetes, or containers
• Troubleshoot and optimize cloud infrastructure

They might ask scenario-based questions like:

• “How would you deploy a microservice application using Kubernetes on AWS vs GCP?”
• “What’s your approach to automating deployments using Jenkins or GitLab pipelines?”
• “How do you monitor performance in a multi-cloud setup?”

Strategies to Tackle Cloud Interview Questions

Here’s how you can structure your answers confidently:

1. Use the STAR Approach

Explain using Situation, Task, Action, Result. It keeps your answers clear and real-world-oriented.

2. Compare, Don’t Memorize

Instead of listing features, focus on use cases where one platform performs better than another.

3. Demonstrate Hands-On Experience

Mention personal or project-based experiences — like deploying an app on AWS EC2 or using Azure Functions for automation.

4. Stay Updated

Cloud platforms evolve rapidly. Familiarize yourself with the latest releases, certifications, and best practices from AWS, Azure, and GCP.

Top Cloud Services You Should Know

To prepare for cloud services interview questions, get comfortable with these frequently used services:

AWS

• EC2 (Compute)
• S3 (Storage)
• RDS (Database)
• Lambda (Serverless)
• CloudWatch (Monitoring)

Azure

• Virtual Machines
• Blob Storage
• SQL Database
• Functions
• Monitor

GCP

• Compute Engine
• Cloud Storage
• BigQuery
• Cloud Functions
• Operations Suite (Stackdriver)

Real-World Scenario Question Examples

Example 1:

Question: How would you set up a CI/CD pipeline across multiple clouds?
Answer Approach: Use a central CI/CD tool like Jenkins or GitLab CI. The pipeline can deploy AWS Lambda functions, Azure Web Apps, or GCP Cloud Run services using environment-specific configuration files (like YAML). Use Terraform for infrastructure provisioning and Kubernetes for container orchestration.

Example 2:

Question: How do you monitor and troubleshoot performance issues?
Answer Approach: Leverage native tools—AWS CloudWatch, Azure Monitor, or GCP Cloud Monitoring—to collect metrics. Use Grafana or ELK for visualization and centralized logging. Implement alerts for resource spikes and latency issues.

Conclusion

Preparing for cloud interviews isn’t about memorizing service names—it’s about understanding why and when to use them. Knowing the AWS vs Azure vs GCP comparison, their unique offerings, and how they integrate in a multi-cloud strategy gives you a strong advantage.

Whether you’re handling DevOps cloud questions or cloud services interview scenarios, focus on real-world use cases, automation practices, and how to deliver reliable solutions. The cloud industry values professionals who can think critically and adapt across platforms.