AWS IAM vs Azure RBAC — Identity & Access Compared

📖 Overview

Both AWS IAM and Azure RBAC are designed to secure cloud resources by defining who can do what on which resources.

However:

AWS IAM emphasizes policy-driven, fine-grained access control.

Azure RBAC focuses on role-based assignments tightly integrated with Azure Active Directory.

Understanding these differences is key for architects and security teams operating in multi-cloud environments.

🧾 2. Terminology Differences

Concept AWS IAM Azure RBAC

Identity User Azure AD User

Grouping Group Azure AD Group

Temporary Access Role Role Assignment

Permissions Policy (JSON) Role Definition (Built-in / Custom)

Scope Global or resource-level Subscription, Resource Group, Resource

⚙️ 3. Setup Experience

🔹 AWS IAM

Uses JSON-based policies for precise permission control

Steeper learning curve for beginners

Extremely powerful for complex, large-scale environments

Deep integration with all AWS services

Best suited for:

Advanced users, DevOps engineers, and large AWS-centric architectures

🔹 Azure RBAC

Role assignments can be done easily via Azure Portal UI

Beginner-friendly and visually intuitive

Tight integration with Azure Active Directory

Ideal for enterprises already using Microsoft tools

Best suited for:

Organizations using Microsoft 365, Active Directory, and Azure-native workloads

🔐 4. Best Practices

✅ AWS IAM Best Practices

Apply least privilege policies

Rotate access keys regularly

Enable MFA for all users

Prefer IAM roles over long-term credentials

✅ Azure RBAC Best Practices

Assign roles at the resource group level for easier management

Use Azure AD groups instead of individual users

Regularly audit role assignments

Combine RBAC with Azure Policies for governance

📊 5. Summary Comparison

Criteria Winner

Ease of Use Azure RBAC

Fine-Grained Control AWS IAM

Microsoft Integration Azure RBAC

Ecosystem Breadth AWS IAM

🚀 6. What’s Next?

In the next post, we’ll shift focus to cloud networking fundamentals, starting with AWS VPC (Virtual Private Cloud)—covering subnets, routing, and security groups.

Explore our AWS and Azure security solutions https://rshnetwork.com/services