AWS vs Google Cloud

Beta and preview services come with no service-level agreements, can change at any time, and may be suspended or terminated without notice. AWS also says content used in beta may be deleted or inaccessible after termination.

You must ensure your own use, content, and downstream users comply with AWS rules and applicable law. That means privacy notices, consents, software licenses, and content moderation obligations can fall on you rather than AWS.

If AWS flags content as prohibited, you generally have only two business days to remove or disable access before AWS can do it for you or suspend the service. In some cases AWS can remove content immediately without notice.

Reserved Instances, Savings Plans, Dedicated Hosts, and Capacity Blocks are generally noncancellable and nonrefundable. If you commit to these products, your money is largely locked in unless a narrow AWS-triggered refund scenario applies.

AWS states it will delete your content after your account closes, which is a helpful baseline deletion commitment for user data stored on the service. The privacy notice also says personal information will be deleted under applicable law, though some records may remain for legal reasons.

The privacy notice gives users rights to access, correct, delete, restrict, object, and request portability of personal information, subject to local law. That is a strong set of account-control rights compared with many enterprise services.

AWS may delete your content after account closure, and some services may also remove inactive content after periods of non-use. This matters if you rely on AWS as a storage or archival location.

AWS collects information you provide, automatic usage data, and data from other sources, then shares it with service providers, marketplace sellers, and in business transfers. That creates a fairly expansive data ecosystem around your account activity.

For U.S. users, AWS says it is not in the business of selling customer personal information. That is a meaningful protection, even though AWS still shares data for service delivery, advertising, and other purposes.

AWS lets you manage cookie preferences and opt out of certain targeted advertising through privacy choices and browser settings. This gives users some practical control over tracking and ad personalization.

Google collects content, device/browser data, activity, location, and partner/public-source information. For users seeking minimal collection, this is a broad-collection model rather than a narrow service-specific one.

The policy explicitly says you can review, manage, export, and delete data through account tools. That gives users practical control over account contents and supports portability.

Most non-government customers must litigate claims in Santa Clara County, California under California law. That can make disputes more expensive and inconvenient for users outside that area.

Retention periods differ by data type; some data stays until you delete it, and some is kept longer for business or legal reasons. Backup deletion may also be delayed, so deletion is not always immediate.

If the account is managed by an organization, administrators may access stored data, change passwords, restrict settings, and suspend access. Users of workplace or school accounts should expect reduced privacy and control.

Google says it does not share personal information outside Google without consent except for administrators, service providers, legal reasons, or business transfers. That is a meaningful disclosure of the main exceptions.

Google says it may link data across its services and devices, including activity from third-party sites and apps using Google services. This can reduce compartmentalization between products and increase profiling.

Official notices are handled by email, and they are treated as received when sent. Users need to keep the notification email address current or risk missing legally important communications.

For EU/UK users, Google expressly lists access, update, removal, restriction, objection, and export rights. That is a useful rights summary, even though it applies only where those laws cover the processing.