Amazon Direct Connect vs Azure ExpressRoute: Pricing Comparison (2026)
Updated Oct 7, 2026AWSAzure
Overall Winner
AWS
AWS Wins
2
Azure Wins
2
Ties
0
Pricing Analysis
AWS wins 2 of 4 price comparisons, averaging 76.7% lower prices in categories where it leads.
Prices range from $0.0300/hr to $23.29/hr across comparable tiers.
- ●AWS leads in Direct Connect (2/4 tiers, avg 77% difference)
Choose AWS
Best for Direct Connect workloads
Side-by-Side Pricing
Comparing Amazon Direct Connect and Azure ExpressRoute across 4 equivalent tiers. On-demand hourly rates are shown in USD for the default region.
Sort by:
| Category | AWS Amazon Direct Connect | Azure Azure ExpressRoute | Diff | Cheapest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Direct Connect - Direct Connect | $0.0300/hr USE1-EQMI1-HCPortUsage:50M ($21.90/mo) | $0.1900/hr Standard - Standard Gateway ($138.70/mo) | +84.2% | AWS |
Direct Connect - Direct Connect | $0.1600/hr USE1-EQNY5-HCPortUsage:400M ($116.80/mo) | $0.3610/hr ErGw1AZ - ErGw1AZ Gateway ($263.53/mo) | +55.7% | AWS |
Direct Connect - Direct Connect | $8.5600/hr USE1-165HS-FlatRatePortUsage:10G-Pair-Tier2 ($6,248.80/mo) | $2.1510/hr ErGw3AZ - ErGw3AZ Gateway ($1,570.23/mo) | +74.9% | Azure |
Direct Connect - Direct Connect | $23.2900/hr USE1-EQNY5-FlatRatePortUsage:10G-Tier3 ($17,001.70/mo) | $1.8700/hr Ultra High Performance - Ultra High Performance Gateway ($1,365.10/mo) | +92.0% | Azure |
When to Choose AWS Amazon Direct Connect
- ✓Direct Connect - Direct Connect - saves $116.80/mo (84.2% cheaper)
- ✓Direct Connect - Direct Connect - saves $146.73/mo (55.7% cheaper)
When to Choose Azure Azure ExpressRoute
- ✓Direct Connect - Direct Connect - saves $4,678.57/mo (74.9% cheaper)
- ✓Direct Connect - Direct Connect - saves $15,636.60/mo (92% cheaper)
Monthly Cost Examples
Direct Connect - Direct Connect
AWS USE1-EQMI1-HCPortUsage:50M$21.90/mo
Azure Standard - Standard Gateway$138.70/mo
Direct Connect - Direct Connect
AWS USE1-165HS-FlatRatePortUsage:10G-Pair-Tier2$6,248.80/mo
Azure ErGw3AZ - ErGw3AZ Gateway$1,570.23/mo
Direct Connect - Direct Connect
AWS USE1-EQNY5-FlatRatePortUsage:10G-Tier3$17,001.70/mo
Azure Ultra High Performance - Ultra High Performance Gateway$1,365.10/mo
Individual Pricing Details
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