AWS SAA-C03 vs Azure AZ-104: Associate Cloud Certs Compared

Different Skills, Different Roles

These certs look comparable on paper but test completely different skills. AWS SAA-C03 is about designing cloud architectures — you need to know which services to combine and why. Azure AZ-104 is about managing cloud infrastructure — deploying, monitoring, and maintaining resources.

Think of it this way: SAA is the architect drawing blueprints. AZ-104 is the builder making sure everything runs.

AWS SAA-C03: The Architect

SAA-C03 tests your ability to design resilient, high-performing, secure architectures on AWS. Key topics:

• Designing secure architectures
• Designing resilient architectures
• Designing high-performing architectures
• Designing cost-optimized architectures

You need to understand 30+ AWS services deeply. The exam loves scenario-based questions: "A company needs X with Y requirements — which services and configuration?"

Best For

• Solutions Architects
• Cloud Engineers
• Technical Leads
• Pre-sales Engineers

Azure AZ-104: The Administrator

AZ-104 tests your ability to manage and monitor Azure environments. Key topics:

• Manage Azure identities and governance
• Implement and manage storage
• Deploy and manage compute resources
• Configure and manage virtual networking
• Monitor and maintain Azure resources

It's more hands-on and operational. You'll get questions about actual Azure CLI commands, PowerShell scripts, and portal configurations.

Best For

• Cloud Administrators
• System Administrators moving to cloud
• IT Operations Engineers
• Infrastructure Engineers

Which to Choose?

Choose AWS SAA-C03 if:

• You work at a startup or tech company (AWS dominates here)
• You want to focus on architecture and design
• You prefer scenario-based thinking over hands-on admin
• Your company uses or plans to use AWS

Choose Azure AZ-104 if:

• Your company is a Microsoft shop (Office 365, Active Directory)
• You work in enterprise IT
• You prefer hands-on administration tasks
• You want to leverage existing Windows/AD knowledge

Side-by-Side Comparison

Frequently Asked Questions