Which page has the cheapest listed entry account?

Azure. The Azure Student $100 Credit Account is listed at $25 and the Azure Free Trail $200 Credit Account at $35. The smallest Google Cloud listing is the Google Cloud Prepaid $300 Credit Account at $70. The Azure options carry smaller balances, so weigh the balance you need against the listed price rather than comparing prices alone.

Does Google Cloud list an AI-enabled account like Azure does?

No. Azure lists AI-enabled variants of its $1k, $2k, $5k and $10k credit tiers, priced from $250 to $1750. Google Cloud listings are plain credit accounts, and the balance is applied to whichever services the account uses, which can include Vertex AI. Confirm service availability on the account itself before planning model workloads.

Is a pay-as-you-go account better than a credit account?

Neither is universally better. Azure Pay-As-you-Go Account ($40) bills on usage with no prepaid balance, which suits variable or client-billed work. Credit accounts on either platform give a known balance to draw down. The article on how cloud credits work across providers explains what to check before relying on a balance.

Azure vs Google Cloud accounts compared - Cloud Compare

Criteria	Azure	Google Cloud
Typical fit	Microsoft integration, hybrid identity, enterprise environments	Analytics, machine learning tooling, containers
Account options listed	13 options: student, trial, pay-as-you-go, credit and AI-enabled credit tiers	5 options, all credit-based
Starting price	$25 (Azure Student $100 Credit Account)	$70 (Google Cloud Prepaid $300 Credit Account)
Credit-backed options	$100 to $100k, including AI-enabled variants	$300 to $25K
Notable option	Azure Pay-As-you-Go Account, $40	Google Cloud $25K Credit Account, $4000
Region focus	Global	Global

Azure and Google Cloud are both hyperscale platforms, but they attract different teams. Azure is the natural choice where Microsoft identity and productivity services already exist. Google Cloud draws teams building around data analytics, machine learning tooling and containers.

The listings on Buy Cloud Now mirror that split in an unexpected way. Azure has the widest variety of small entry accounts on the marketplace, while Google Cloud is credit-only. This piece compares the two families and the use cases each serves.

What each provider is

Azure is Microsoft’s cloud platform, covering compute, storage, AI services and infrastructure with deep integration into Microsoft directory and productivity tools. The Buy Azure Account page lists thirteen options: a student credit account, a trial credit account, a pay-as-you-go account, plain credit tiers from $1k to $100k, and AI-enabled versions of the $1k, $2k, $5k and $10k tiers.

Google Cloud Platform provides compute, storage, networking, data analytics and artificial intelligence services, with Vertex AI for model training and a Kubernetes-native approach to containers. Access requires a Google Cloud account linked to an active Cloud Billing account. The Buy Google Cloud Account page lists five credit accounts from a prepaid $300 balance up to $25K.

Key differences

Small entry accounts. Azure lists Azure Student $100 Credit Account ($25), Azure Free Trail $200 Credit Account ($35) and Azure Pay-As-you-Go Account ($40). Google Cloud’s smallest listing is the Google Cloud Prepaid $300 Credit Account at $70.
AI-enabled tiers. Azure is the only one of the two with listings that name AI enablement, such as Azure $2k Credit With Ai Enable Account ($400). Google Cloud credit accounts do not distinguish AI use in the listing name.
Billing model. Azure includes a pay-as-you-go listing with no prepaid balance. Every Google Cloud listing is prepaid credit.
Range. Azure credit tiers reach $100k ($12500). Google Cloud tops out at $25K ($4000).

Account options compared

At matching credit values, the Azure plain tiers are listed below the Google Cloud tiers: $1k is $160 on Azure and $220 on Google Cloud, $5k is $750 against $950, $10k is $1650 against $1800, and $25k is $3500 against $4000. The Azure AI-enabled variants sit higher than the plain tiers, for example $250 for Azure $1k Credit With Ai Enable Account.

Google Cloud’s five listings are the Prepaid $300 Credit Account ($70), $1K ($220), $5K ($950), $10K ($1800) and $25K ($4000). The table summarizes both families side by side.

Fit by use case

Developers and students. Azure’s student and trial credit accounts are the smallest listings across both pages. The differences between them are explained in Azure student and trial credits.
Startups. Data-heavy or ML-first startups often choose Google Cloud. Startups selling into Microsoft-centric customers, or using Microsoft identity internally, tend toward Azure.
Agencies. Azure Pay-As-you-Go Account suits agencies that bill clients on usage rather than drawing down a balance. Google Cloud’s structure of billing accounts and projects, covered in Google Cloud billing accounts and projects, also separates client work cleanly.
Enterprise. Both platforms serve enterprise workloads. The choice usually follows existing vendor relationships and where the data already lives.

Considerations and limitations

Buy Cloud Now is an independent marketplace and is not affiliated with Microsoft or Google. Credit balances, expiry dates and enabled services must be verified on the account, and both providers’ terms of service govern how the account may be used.

The account holder remains responsible for identity settings, MFA, budgets and access control on either platform. Provider-specific questions are answered in the Cloud FAQ under Azure and Google Cloud.