AWS Direct Connect vs Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway comparison

Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft are both solutions in the Enterprise Infrastructure VPN category. Amazon Web Services (AWS) is ranked #13 with an average rating of 9.0, while Microsoft is ranked #4 with an average rating of 8.7. Amazon Web Services (AWS) holds a 1.8% mindshare in EIV, compared to Microsoft’s 4.8% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Amazon Web Services (AWS) users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 89% of Microsoft users who would recommend it.

AWS Direct Connect

Read 12 AWS Direct Connect reviews

1,022 Views
1,002 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway

Read 27 Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway reviews

3,040 Views
3,010 Comparison Views

89% willing to recommend

AWS Direct Connect

Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 6, 2024

AWS Direct Connect and Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway compete in the secure cloud connectivity category. AWS Direct Connect holds an upper hand due to its stable high-bandwidth connections.

Features: AWS Direct Connect offers high-speed, low-latency connections, robust security features, and direct access to AWS services. Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway features flexibility, a comprehensive suite of management tools, and integration with other Azure services.

Room for Improvement: Users of AWS Direct Connect seek easier setup processes, clearer pricing structures, and simplified maintenance. Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway users suggest enhancements in connection stability, more nuanced troubleshooting tools, and improved user guidance.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: AWS Direct Connect's deployment is praised for extensive documentation but criticized for complexity. Customer service is well-regarded but occasionally slow. Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway has a more straightforward deployment process, though some find the initial configuration challenging. Customer service is generally faster and more responsive than AWS.

Pricing and ROI: AWS Direct Connect has higher setup costs but delivers a strong ROI through performance and reliability. Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway offers a budget-friendly initial setup, with ROI benefitting from lower recurring costs and high flexibility.

To learn more, read our detailed AWS Direct Connect vs. Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway Report (Updated: December 2025).

Buyer's Guide

AWS Direct Connect vs. Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway

December 2025

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

AWS Direct Connect

Ranking in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN

13th

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway

Ranking in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN

4th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

6.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2026, in the Enterprise Infrastructure VPN category, the mindshare of AWS Direct Connect is 1.8%, down from 1.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway is 4.8%, down from 6.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Enterprise Infrastructure VPN Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway	4.8%
AWS Direct Connect	1.8%
Other	93.4%

Enterprise Infrastructure VPN

Featured Reviews

reviewer2231871

Product Manager at a comms service provider with 201-500 employees

Offers secure high-bandwidth connectivity without internet-related risks

Regarding the benefits from the multiple virtual interfaces in the product, there is no interface for the product; it is just a connection that we have. It is an ethernet connection we offer. The customer, from the customer side to AWS, receives an ethernet point-to-point connection, and that is it. The interface and everything along with the communication with AWS, the customer has to do by themselves to build the routes and everything. The connection speed that our clients are using ranges from 100 megabits up to 10 gigabits. The main concern is the port costs. Clients do not report technical problems, so it is mainly always an issue of money. The solution is nice, but sometimes they avoid it because the port costs are high. This is not a problem AWS has exclusively; Azure has the same costs, and these port costs are quite expensive. I would rate this review as an 8 out of 10.

Read full review

Mano Senaratne

Head of Digital Engineering, Management Consultant at Stax Inc.

Achieve seamless integration and fortified security while benefiting from a comprehensive suite of features

In Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway, there aren't too many areas for improvement, but the configuration part might be a little tricky. It took some time to get things to work, but once figured out, it becomes much easier. The documentation could use some improvement, particularly regarding point-to-site system setup with on-premise systems. Other than that, it's seamless, and you can connect things across regions. Regarding integration with Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway, we use Function Apps to create the integrations and Data Factory. All our data pipelines are written in Python, hosted within an Azure Data Factory or a Function App. This makes configuration easier and allows pipeline monitoring and creating integrations between different systems. We've created multiple integrations between SharePoint and our data warehouse, HubSpot and our data warehouse, and several other tools.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"AWS Direct Connect provides a secure and encrypted connection over the internet."

"AWS Direct Connect offers higher security options by avoiding internet-related problems such as DDoS attacks and provides stable bandwidth."

"AWS Direct Connect is highly secure and much faster compared to normal network infrastructure."

"Direct Connect provides an improved connection quality and a diversified link, which contributes to high availability and failover capabilities."

"The platform's most valuable feature for us is its robust network performance."

"The most valuable feature of Direct Connect is its low latency to the users."

"Overall, I rate the solution ten out of ten."

"AWS Direct Connect allows me to connect our on-premise infrastructure directly with AWS infrastructure."

More AWS Direct Connect pros

"It works perfectly for me. It is very user-friendly in terms of the configuration and the setup process."

"The interoperability with various firewall and access gateway vendors is one of this solution's most valuable features"

"The product has valuable virtual machines, viability options, and enhanced VPN services, enabling the option to use it in different zones."

"The solution is very quick to connect."

"What I like best about Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway is that it's a managed VPN, so it's one of the most powerful VPNs I've ever found. It also provides point-to-site VPNs configurable within a few minutes."

"The solution is user-friendly."

"The VPN Gateway is valued for its ease of use and redundancy."

More Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway pros

Cons

"It would be good if we could connect AWS Direct Connect from different networks."

"I would like to see better traffic visibility and higher throughput security, especially for organizations that require more than what the current limit allows."

"There is no room for improvement in Direct Connect right now."

"One area that needs improvement is the cost of the ports, which is a concern as these charges are quite high."

"AWS Direct Connect is straightforward and performs well for me."

"AWS Direct Connect should support cross-cloud connections, such as migrations between Azure and AWS, for disaster recovery purposes on different cloud platforms."

"Having more locations could improve the convenience of using the service."

"It can be difficult to configure compared to cloud-based GUIs."

More AWS Direct Connect cons

"There is a need to improve the paperwork and management approval process, which is currently painful, though not directly related to the VPN Gateway itself."

"Microsoft could work on having micro VPNs to integrate with mobile devices."

"The monitoring part needs to be improved."

"Considering my past interactions with Microsoft's support team, it is difficult to get the right support unless you find the right person to speak with from the customer support team."

"Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway could improve by providing IPS zero-day threat protection. For example, the IPS zero-day threat protection can monitor the user behavior to protect the infrastructure. The solution can only be used as a VPN, it is lacking features."

"Make it completely routable, for example, if I have a gateway, I should be able to connect to whatever network I want on either side of the gateway, and the gateway should figure out which packet goes where."

"The connectivity should be faster."

"Microsoft's support is rated at four due to issues such as speed of response and coordination difficulties."

More Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is an expensive solution."

"It has reasonable pricing in terms of the features offered."

"The solution is subscription-based and very cheap."

"Its price is reasonable for new technology."

"It's saved us money compared to getting a third-party appliance."

"Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway is the cheapest way for us to connect to our cloud infrastructure. Other solutions, such as ExpressRoute are very expensive."

"Payment for licensing the solution is part of the operating model. So, one needs to keep on paying while consuming the solution. In short, the payment is based on the solution's capacity."

"The product costs us $140 to $180 per month."

"There is a monthly license and the price depends on how many users are using Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway. The price could be less expensive."

"I pay the licensing charges associated with the tool on an hourly basis. The tool is affordable."

More Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

15%

Comms Service Provider

12%

University

Financial Services Firm

Computer Software Company

12%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Comms Service Provider

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	3
Midsize Enterprise	7
Large Enterprise	3

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	13
Midsize Enterprise	2
Large Enterprise	14

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about AWS Direct Connect?

AWS Direct Connect provides a secure and encrypted connection over the internet.

See all answers

What needs improvement with AWS Direct Connect?

We encountered issues with the connection. The VPN was not connecting on multiple occasions.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for AWS Direct Connect?

I'm not an end user of any of those SAP products. I wanted to have a comparison between different solutions for process mining and process modeling, but I'm not an end user of any. I have Microsoft...

See all answers

What do you like most about Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway?

The solution is user-friendly.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway?

Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway can be improved in security points with stronger encryption. I do not have additional feedback about needed improvements regarding configuration, support, or documentation.

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway?

My advice to others looking into using Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway is that if you have a specific use case such as site-to-site VPN, then this is a perfect option for you. I rate Microsoft Azure VP...

See all answers

Comparisons

Fortinet FortiClient vs AWS Direct Connect

Compared 20% of the time

AWS PrivateLink vs AWS Direct Connect

Compared 18% of the time

Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks vs AWS Direct Connect

Compared 17% of the time

SonicWall Connect Tunnel vs AWS Direct Connect

Compared 9% of the time

Ivanti Connect Secure vs AWS Direct Connect

Compared 6% of the time

More AWS Direct Connect Competitors

OpenVPN Access Server vs Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway

Compared 21% of the time

Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) vs Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway

Compared 14% of the time

Fortinet FortiClient vs Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway

Compared 10% of the time

Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks vs Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway

Compared 9% of the time

Ivanti Connect Secure vs Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway

Compared 6% of the time

More Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Enterprise Infrastructure VPN

January 2026

Download AWS Direct Connect product report

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway

January 2026

Download Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway product report

Also Known As

No data available

MS Azure VPN Gateway

Overview

AWS Direct Connect offers low-latency, reliable connectivity with secure data transfers between on-premise infrastructures and AWS environments. It ensures high availability and cost-effectiveness for large data transfers, integrating seamlessly with existing systems.

AWS Direct Connect is recognized for its robust network and security, providing minimal latency and reliable connectivity. It seamlessly integrates with on-premise infrastructure, enabling secure and fast data transfers. Users benefit from its high availability and low maintenance, making it cost-effective for large data transfers. Multi-account environment support is a key feature. Despite a complex configuration process compared to cloud GUIs, it enhances security by avoiding public internet exposure. Room for improvement includes the setup of credentials and terminology, upgrade process, BGP configuration, multi-network connections, traffic visibility, stability, and throughput security. Expanding data center locations and cross-cloud connections can be advantageous. Promotion is necessary for awareness. Some report VPN connection issues while some are content with its performance.

What are the key features of AWS Direct Connect?

Secure Connectivity: Enhances security by avoiding public internet exposure
Low Latency: Provides minimal latency for fast data transfers
High Availability: Ensures continuous connectivity with low maintenance
Cost-Effective: Reduces costs for large data transfers and multi-account environments
Seamless Integration: Easily integrates with on-premise infrastructure

What benefits and ROI should users look for?

Reliability: Sturdy and consistent connectivity minimizes downtime
Efficient Data Transfers: Cost reduction and efficiency for large data volumes
Security: Avoids exposure to the public internet, enhancing data protection
Resource Integration: Facilitates hybrid cloud environments by integrating on-premises and cloud resources

In industries like finance, healthcare, and media, AWS Direct Connect is implemented to ensure secure and efficient connectivity between on-premises data centers and AWS environments. It supports operations like database management and application deployment, facilitating data and application migration while enabling hybrid cloud connectivity.

Amazon Web Services (AWS)

A VPN gateway is a specific type of virtual network gateway that is used to send encrypted traffic between an Azure virtual network and an on-premises location over the public Internet. You can also use a VPN gateway to send encrypted traffic between Azure virtual networks over the Microsoft network. Each virtual network can have only one VPN gateway. However, you can create multiple connections to the same VPN gateway. When you create multiple connections to the same VPN gateway, all VPN tunnels share the available gateway bandwidth.

Microsoft

Sample Customers

Expedia, Intuit, Royal Dutch Shell, Brooks Brothers

Information Not Available

Buyer's Guide

AWS Direct Connect vs. Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway

December 2025

Free Report: AWS Direct Connect vs. Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway

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