Azure compute services
Compare common compute options: virtual machines, containers, and serverless functions.
Learning objectives
Work through each idea below. Use Listen to hear the explanation — pick a voice next to Listen anytime (Sophia is the default).
- Virtual machines
- Containers
- Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS)
- Azure Functions
- Azure App Service
- Pick based on control needs, scaling model, and how much infrastructure you want to manage.
Virtual machines
Speed
IaaS compute with full OS control; you manage the guest environment.
Containers
Speed
package apps + dependencies; run on ACI, Container Apps, or AKS.
Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS)
Speed
managed Kubernetes for orchestrating containers at scale.
Azure Functions
Speed
serverless, event-driven code without managing dedicated servers.
Azure App Service
Speed
PaaS hosting for web apps, APIs, and mobile backends.
Pick based on control needs, scaling model, and how much infrastructure you want to manage.
Speed
Pick based on control needs, scaling model, and how much infrastructure you want to manage.