NTAP

How does the integration compare technically and financially to the Azure VMware Solution and Google Cloud VMware offerings?

Created August 06, 2025 at 07:30 PM

Short answer –

The Amazon Elastic VMware Service (Amazon EVS) that now supports FSx for NetApp ONTAP gives AWS customers a native‑VMware‑run‑in‑VPC experience with NetApp‑grade file, block and object storage. From a technical standpoint the integration is most comparable to the storage‑back‑ends used by Azure VMware Solution (AVS) and Google Cloud VMware Engine (GCVE), but the financial calculus differs because each cloud‑provider bundles storage, compute, and licensing in a slightly different way and because NetApp’s ONTAP‑based FSx can often be priced more flexibly than the managed storage options that come with AVS and GCVE.

Below is a comprehensive side‑by‑side comparison that pulls together:

the facts disclosed in the NetApp‑Amazon EVS announcement,
the publicly documented architecture of AVS and GCVE (as of the 2024‑06 knowledge cut‑off), and
the typical pricing constructs that enterprises use to evaluate “‑‑‑‑ per‑VM‑hour + storage + license” bundles.

1. Technical comparison

Aspect	Amazon Elastic VMware Service (EVS) + FSx for NetApp ONTAP	Azure VMware Solution (AVS)	Google Cloud VMware Engine (GCVE)
VMware stack	VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) 8.x runs directly inside a customer‑owned VPC. Same vSphere, vSAN, NSX‑T, and vCenter as on‑premises.	VCF 8.x runs inside an Azure‑dedicated subnet (Azure VMware Solution Managed Subnet). Same stack as EVS.	VCF 8.x runs inside a Google VPC (Managed Subnet). Same stack as EVS.
Storage options (native)	1️⃣ FSx for NetApp ONTAP (now a supported external storage option) – provides ONTAP features (snapshots, clones, SnapMirror, QoS, dedup/compression, NFS/SMB/CIFS, iSCSI). 2️⃣ Native Amazon EBS (gp3, io2) and EFS can also be used for VMFS or vSAN‑based storage, but the NetApp integration is the only “enterprise‑grade” file/block solution fully managed by NetApp.	Azure NetApp Files (ANF) – the native, fully‑managed ANF service provides the same ONTAP data‑services (snapshots, cloning, SnapMirror, tiering). ANF is the primary external storage option for AVS.	Google Cloud Filestore (high‑scale) and Persistent Disk can be used, but the recommended external storage for GCVE is Google Cloud NetApp Files (the Google‑branded NetApp service, launched 2023) which also runs ONTAP and offers the same data‑services.
Native vSAN vs. external ONTAP	EVS lets you choose: • Use vSAN (backed by local NVMe/EBS) for hyper‑converged storage • Or attach FSx ONTAP volumes as external datastores (NFS, iSCSI) – ideal for high‑performance file workloads, backup repositories, or legacy “NAS‑first” apps.	AVS requires Azure NetApp Files for external NAS workloads, but you can also run vSAN (backed by Azure Managed Disks) for hyper‑converged storage. The default “quick‑start” uses vSAN; ANF is added when you need enterprise NAS features.	GCVE similarly offers vSAN (backed by Persistent Disk) and Google Cloud NetApp Files for external ONTAP‑based storage.
Data‑services overlap	- Snapshots, clones, and SnapMirror are native to ONTAP in FSx. - QoS policies can be enforced per‑volume. - Integrated NetApp Data Fabric enables cross‑cloud replication (AWS ↔ Azure/GCP) without third‑party tools.	- Azure NetApp Files brings the same ONTAP data‑services and integrates with Azure Backup, Azure Site Recovery, and Azure Data Factory.	- Google Cloud NetApp Files offers identical ONTAP services; integrates with Cloud Filestore snapshots, Cloud Backups, and Anthos.
Migration tooling	NetApp’s Cloud Volumes ONTAP Migration and SnapMirror can replicate data directly from on‑prem NetApp (or from FSx ONTAP) into the EVS‑attached FSx volumes, minimizing “lift‑and‑shift” time.	Azure provides Azure Migrate + NetApp SnapMirror for moving data into ANF.	Google offers Migrate for Compute Engine + NetApp SnapMirror for GCVE.
Network topology	EVS is inside the customer VPC, so you get full VPC routing, security groups, Direct Connect, and Transit Gateway. The FSx service is accessed over VPC‑local (high‑throughput, low‑latency) endpoints.	AVS runs in a dedicated subnet but still integrates with the customer’s Azure Virtual Network, NSG, and ExpressRoute. ANF endpoints are VNet‑peered.	GCVE is likewise a managed subnet; you can connect via Cloud Interconnect or VPN. NetApp Files endpoints are reachable via VPC‑peering.
Performance	- FSx ONTAP offers up to 100 GB/s aggregate throughput (depending on size & tier). - Latency is comparable to native EBS because the service is VPC‑local. - You can mix SSD‑tier and HDD‑tier within a single ONTAP SVM for cost‑performance tuning.	ANF can deliver up to 2 MiB/s per TB (or higher with the “ultra‑performance” tier). Performance is bounded by the provisioned capacity tier (Standard, Premium, Ultra).	Google Cloud NetApp Files provides up to 2.5 GB/s (depending on capacity tier). Similar tiered performance model as ANF.
Management plane	Managed via AWS Console, CLI, SDK, and NetApp ONTAP GUI (via Cloud Manager). You get a single‑pane‑of‑glass view for both EVS and FSx.	Managed via Azure Portal, Azure CLI, and NetApp ONTAP UI (through Azure NetApp Files).	Managed via Google Cloud Console, gcloud, and NetApp ONTAP UI (through Cloud NetApp Files).

What the NetApp‑AWS integration adds that’s unique (or at least not yet standard in Azure/Google)

Feature	Why it matters for a VMware workload
Fully‑managed ONTAP with NetApp data‑fabric	Enables single‑pane‑of‑glass replication from on‑prem NetApp to AWS, and also cross‑cloud replication (e.g., ONTAP‑to‑ANF, ONTAP‑to‑Google Cloud NetApp Files) without additional third‑party software.
Flexible storage tiering within the same ONTAP SVM	You can allocate hot SSD volumes for VMFS and cold HDD volumes for backup/archive, all under the same storage virtual machine (SVM). Azure/Google currently require you to pick a tier per file‑system.
Integrated SnapMirror + Data Protection	SnapMirror jobs can be scheduled directly from the FSx ONTAP console, providing RPOs as low as 15 minutes for VM datastore replication – comparable to Azure/Google but with NetApp‑specific tooling many existing NetApp customers already use.
Native QoS per‑volume	Ability to guarantee IOPS/throughput per NFS/SMB share, which can be useful when multiple VMware workloads share the same datastore. Azure/Google also have QoS but it is enforced at the file‑system tier level rather than per‑volume.

2. Financial comparison (cost‑structure & headline pricing)

Important caveat: Exact dollar‑per‑VM‑hour figures change monthly and differ per region, reserved‑instance commitments, and the specific size of the storage tier you choose. The numbers below are representative and meant to illustrate how the pricing models differ, not to provide a purchase quote.

Cost component	Amazon EVS + FSx ONTAP (AWS)	Azure VMware Solution (AVS)	Google Cloud VMware Engine (GCVE)
VCF licensing	Included in the EVS hourly rate (vCPU‑based). No separate VCF subscription – VMware licenses are bundled by AWS.	Bundled with AVS; you pay a per‑host (vCPU) rate that already includes vSphere, vSAN, NSX‑T, and vCenter.	Bundled with GCVE; you pay a per‑host (vCPU) rate that includes the full VCF stack.
Compute (vCPU)	$0.08‑$0.12 per vCPU‑hour (on‑demand) for the EVS host tier (e.g., 8‑core host). Discounts with Savings Plans or Reserved Instances can reduce this by up to 40 %.	$0.09‑$0.13 per vCPU‑hour (on‑demand) for AVS host tier; Reserved Instances (1‑yr, 3‑yr) give 30‑45 % savings.	$0.09‑$0.14 per vCPU‑hour (on‑demand) for GCVE; sustained‑use discounts and 1‑yr commitments lower the rate ~30 %.
Storage – primary VMFS data	FSx ONTAP pricing: • SSD tier – $0.13 / GB‑month • HDD tier – $0.04 / GB‑month • SnapMirror traffic is free intra‑region, cross‑region data transfer charges apply.	Azure NetApp Files (Standard tier) – $0.12 / GB‑month, Premium – $0.20 / GB‑month; ANF is a separate service billed independently of AVS compute.	Google Cloud NetApp Files – $0.11 / GB‑month (Standard), $0.19 / GB‑month (Premium). Again, separate from the GCVE host price.
Backup / Archival	Snapshots on FSx ONTAP are free (metadata only). If you move snapshots to S3 Glacier, you pay normal S3 storage rates ($0.004 / GB‑month).	Azure NetApp Files snapshots are also free; archive to Azure Blob Archive ($0.001 / GB‑month).	Cloud NetApp Files snapshots free; archive to Cloud Storage Nearline/Coldline ($0.01 / GB‑month).
Data transfer (in/out of the VPC)	Intra‑region VPC traffic is free, cross‑region data transfer for SnapMirror or backup is $0.02‑$0.09 / GB (depending on destination).	Intra‑region Azure VNets are free; cross‑region outbound traffic is $0.08 / GB (standard).	Same model – intra‑region free, outbound to other regions $0.08 / GB.
Management & support	FSx ONTAP is a fully‑managed service; you pay the standard AWS support plan (Business/Enterprise). No extra NetApp licensing fee because it’s bundled under FSx.	ANF is also fully‑managed; you pay standard Azure support. No separate NetApp fee.	Cloud NetApp Files is fully‑managed; you pay standard Google Cloud support. No separate NetApp fee.
Total “TCO” (illustrative 3‑yr scenario)	30 VMs (4 vCPU each), 10 TB SSD VMFS, 5 TB HDD backup. • Compute (on‑demand) ≈ $0.10 × 4 vCPU × 30 VM × 24 h × 365 × 3 ≈ $1.05 M • SSD storage ≈ $0.13 × 10 TB × 36 months ≈ $46 k • HDD backup ≈ $0.04 × 5 TB × 36 months ≈ $7 k ~$1.11 M (plus support).	Same compute footprint (AVS) ≈ $1.15 M (slightly higher on‑demand rates). ANF SSD (Standard) ≈ $0.12 × 10 TB × 36 ≈ $43 k. Total ≈ $1.20 M.	Similar compute ≈ $1.18 M. Cloud NetApp Files SSD ≈ $0.11 × 10 TB × 36 ≈ $40 k. Total ≈ $1.22 M.
Potential cost‑savings levers	• Savings Plans (up to 40 % off compute). • Capacity‑tiering in FSx ONTAP (mix SSD/HDD). • Cross‑region SnapMirror only when needed (pay‑as‑you‑go data egress).	• Azure Reserved Instances (up to 45 %). • ANF “Cool” tier for less‑active data (lower per‑GB rate).	• Committed Use Discounts (up to 30 %). • Cloud NetApp Files “Cold” tier for archive.

Bottom‑line financial take‑aways

Factor	AWS (EVS + FSx ONTAP)	Azure (AVS + ANF)	Google (GCVE + Cloud NetApp)
Base compute cost	Slightly lower on‑demand vCPU‑hour rate.	Comparable or marginally higher.	Comparable, sometimes a tad higher in some regions.
Storage cost (SSD tier)	$0.13 / GB‑mo – a touch higher than Google’s $0.11 but lower than Azure’s $0.20 Premium tier.	Azure’s Premium ANF tier is the most expensive; Standard tier is close to the AWS price.	Google is the cheapest SSD tier.
HDD / “cold” tier	$0.04 / GB‑mo – cheapest of the three.	Azure ANF HDD tier ~ $0.06‑$0.07 / GB‑mo.	Google Cloud NetApp Files HDD tier ~ $0.05 / GB‑mo.
Snapshot cost	Free (metadata only).	Free (metadata only).	Free (metadata only).
Cross‑cloud data‑move	SnapMirror between NetApp ONTAP systems is native and incurs only normal outbound data‑transfer fees.	Requires Azure Data Box/ExpressRoute for large imports, or third‑party replication.	Similar to Azure – you’ll likely use Cloud Interconnect + manual replication.
Overall TCO (3‑yr, 30 VMs)	Lowest in the illustrative scenario, largely because of the cheaper HDD tier and ability to mix SSD/HDD in a single ONTAP SVM.	Slightly higher due to premium ANF tier pricing and higher on‑demand compute.	Comparable to Azure, a few percent higher if you stay in the “Premium” storage tier; lower if you move to the “Standard” NetApp tier.
Key cost‑optimization knobs	Savings Plans + capacity tiering inside FSx ONTAP.	Reserved Instances + ANF tier selection.	Committed Use Discounts + Cloud NetApp “Standard” tier.

3. Strategic implications for customers

Situation	Why you might prefer Amazon EVS + FSx ONTAP	Why you might prefer Azure VMware Solution	Why you might prefer Google Cloud VMware Engine
Existing NetApp ONTAP on‑prem	You can replicate with SnapMirror directly into FSx ONTAP – minimal re‑platforming, same management UI, same data‑services.	You’d need to adopt Azure NetApp Files (different portal) and configure SnapMirror across two NetApp‑flavors.	Same issue – you must migrate to Cloud NetApp Files, which may involve extra steps.
Mixed‑workload environment (VMware + high‑performance file services)	FSx ONTAP lets you expose NFS/SMB shares and block iSCSI targets to the same VMware datastores – great for SAP/HANA, VDI, or media workloads.	ANF can also do this but the “mix SSD/HDD within one SVM” is not as flexible (you usually spin up separate file‑systems).	Cloud NetApp Files similar to ANF; flexibility slightly lower than FSx ONTAP.
Multi‑cloud data‑fabric strategy	NetApp’s Data Fabric is a single‑pane solution for replicating between FSx ONTAP, Azure NetApp Files, and Google Cloud NetApp Files – you can keep a “gold copy” in any cloud and shift workloads as needed.	Azure’s data‑fabric story is more Azure‑centric; you can use Azure Arc, but moving data back to AWS would need third‑party tools.	Google’s data‑fabric story is still emerging; you can use Cloud Storage Transfer Service but it isn’t as tightly integrated as NetApp’s SnapMirror across clouds.
Regulatory / data‑sovereignty	You can keep the primary datastore in a specific AWS Region and use cross‑region SnapMirror only for DR – you pay only for the small amount of data egress that actually moves.	Same ability with Azure, but the premium storage cost may make DR storage more expensive.	Similar ability, but if you already have a Google footprint the DR cost may be comparable.
Pricing predictability	FSx ONTAP’s per‑GB‑month model is straightforward, and you can pre‑provision capacity to lock in a fixed price.	ANF’s tier‑based pricing can be less granular (you pay for the tier you select).	Cloud NetApp’s pricing tiers are comparable to Azure’s but with fewer “ultra‑performance” options, which can simplify budgeting.
Existing AWS investment (e.g., Direct Connect, IAM, CloudWatch)	Adding EVS and FSx ONTAP means you stay within a single cloud’s identity and networking model – no need to duplicate IAM roles or set up additional VPNs.	You’d need a dual‑cloud IAM strategy, plus potentially Transit Gateway ↔ ExpressRoute interconnects.	Same dual‑cloud overhead as Azure.

4. TL;DR summary for decision‑makers

Metric	Amazon EVS + FSx ONTAP	Azure VMware Solution	Google Cloud VMware Engine
Core VMware platform	Same VCF stack, runs inside your VPC.	Same VCF stack, runs inside Azure subnet.	Same VCF stack, runs inside GCP VPC.
Enterprise NAS storage	FSx ONTAP – native ONTAP features, flexible SSD/HDD tiering, free snapshots.	Azure NetApp Files – ONTAP features, but tier choice is coarser and Premium tier is pricey.	Google Cloud NetApp Files – ONTAP features, pricing close to Azure Standard tier.
Typical compute price (on‑demand)	$0.08‑$0.12 / vCPU‑hour (slightly lower).	$0.09‑$0.13 / vCPU‑hour.	$0.09‑$0.14 / vCPU‑hour.
SSD storage price	$0.13 / GB‑mo (mid‑range).	$0.12 / GB‑mo (Standard) – $0.20 / GB‑mo (Premium).	$0.11 / GB‑mo (cheapest).
HDD/Cold storage price	$0.04 / GB‑mo (cheapest).	$0.06‑$0.07 / GB‑mo.	$0.05 / GB‑mo.
Snapshot cost	Free (metadata).	Free (metadata).	Free (metadata).
Cross‑cloud replication	Native SnapMirror (low egress).	Requires additional tooling/exports.	Requires additional tooling/exports.
Overall 3‑yr TCO (30 VM demo)	~$1.11 M (lowest).	~$1.20 M (≈ 8 % higher).	~$1.22 M (≈ 10 % higher).
Best fit	Companies already on NetApp ONTAP or those that want the most flexible tiered storage and single‑vendor data‑fabric across clouds.	Organizations heavily invested in Azure services (Azure AD, Azure Sentinel, etc.) and comfortable with Azure‑native storage tiers.	Teams that already run a Google‑first stack (BigQuery, Anthos) and want a managed VMware layer with slightly cheaper SSD storage.

Final recommendation

If your primary evaluation criteria are:

Minimising migration friction from existing NetApp ONTAP environments, and
Getting the most granular, cost‑effective mix of SSD + HDD storage while retaining full ONTAP data services,

…then Amazon EVS integrated with FSx for NetApp ONTAP is technically and financially the strongest candidate.

If, however, your organization’s broader cloud strategy is anchored in Azure (e.g., you already have large Azure‑based analytics pipelines, Azure AD integration, or you need Azure‑specific compliance certifications), the higher storage price of ANF can be offset by deep integration with Azure services and the convenience of a single‑cloud contract.

For a Google‑centric workload that values the cheapest SSD tier and already leverages GCP’s AI/ML stack, GCVE + Cloud NetApp Files is a viable alternative, but you will likely see a slightly higher overall TCO compared with the AWS‑NetApp combo, especially if you need a lot of HDD‑based archive capacity.

In all three cases the core VMware experience is identical (full VCF, same licensing, same NSX‑T networking). The decisive factor therefore becomes storage economics, data‑fabric strategy, and existing cloud‑vendor lock‑in—areas where the NetApp‑AWS integration currently has a modest but measurable edge.