Exam comparison
AZ-104 vs SAA-C03: First Associate cert on Azure or AWS?
AZ-104 (Azure Administrator – Associate) and SAA-C03 (AWS Solutions Architect – Associate) are both Associate-level cloud certifications (Microsoft lists AZ-104 as « Level Intermediate »), but they focus on different skill sets. AZ-104 teaches you to administer Azure resources: manage subscriptions, virtual machines, storage, and identity. SAA-C03 teaches you to design AWS architectures: choose services, optimize for performance and cost, ensure security and resilience.
In short: Choose AZ-104 if you manage cloud infrastructure day-to-day; choose SAA-C03 if you design cloud solutions.
| AZ-104 | SAA-C03 | |
|---|---|---|
| Exam Code | AZ-104 | SAA-C03 |
| Role / Level | Azure Administrator – Associate (operations/admin), Level Intermediate | Solutions Architect – Associate (design) |
| Duration | 100 minutes | 130 minutes |
| Passing Score | 700/1,000 | 720/1,000 |
| Questions | Not published | 65 total (50 scored, 15 unscored) |
| Prerequisites | None | At least 1 year of hands-on experience designing cloud solutions that use AWS services (recommended) |
| Platform | Microsoft Azure | Amazon Web Services (AWS) |
Skills Tested
AZ-104 (Azure Administration)
- Manage Azure identities and governance 20–25%
- Implement and manage storage 15–20%
- Deploy and manage Azure compute resources 20–25%
- Implement and manage virtual networking 15–20%
- Monitor and maintain Azure resources 10–15%
SAA-C03 (AWS Architecture)
- Design Secure Architectures 30%
- Design Resilient Architectures 26%
- Design High-Performing Architectures 24%
- Design Cost-Optimized Architectures 20%
What Overlaps and What Differs
Overlap: Both test foundational cloud concepts: identity and access control, networking, storage, monitoring, and resilience. Both assume no prior cloud certification.
Difference: AZ-104 is operational: "How do I create a VM in Azure? Assign RBAC roles? Configure a load balancer?" SAA-C03 is strategic: "Which AWS services should I use to solve this architectural problem? How do I optimize cost while maintaining performance?" AZ-104 tests hands-on Azure portal skills; SAA-C03 tests conceptual design choices.
Which Should You Choose?
Choose AZ-104 if…
- Your organization uses Microsoft Azure or Microsoft cloud services (Office 365, Dynamics, Teams).
- Your role involves provisioning, configuring, and managing cloud resources day-to-day.
- You work as a systems administrator or DevOps engineer transitioning to cloud.
- You want a stepping stone to AZ-305 (Azure Solutions Architect Expert) later.
Choose SAA-C03 if…
- Your organization uses AWS or is evaluating AWS for strategic projects.
- Your role involves designing cloud solutions, advising on architecture, or technical consulting.
- You want to advance toward AWS Professional Architect or other advanced certifications.
- You prefer architectural thinking over hands-on platform operations.
Exam Experience and Difficulty
AZ-104 lasts 100 minutes; Microsoft does not publish the number of questions. SAA-C03 is 130 minutes with 65 questions (50 scored), including multiple-response scenarios. Both exams are regularly updated to reflect service changes.
How to Prepare
- Read the official study guide: AZ-104 or SAA-C03.
- AZ-104: use Azure portal labs and Microsoft Learn modules. SAA-C03: practice designing architectures on paper and understand trade-offs.
- Practice with our AZ-104 exam and SAA-C03 exam. Review weak areas with study mode.
Try both, free
Original questions, each answer explained with a link to the documentation. Study mode is free and needs no account.
Practice Exam AZ-104: Azure Administrator Associate
25 free questions with explanations
Practice Exam SAA-C03: AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate
25 free questions with explanations