How Azure Key Vault and Google Cloud KMS differ on scope, key custody, deployment and cost.
| Azure Key Vault | Google Cloud KMS | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Cloud KMS | Cloud KMS |
| Scope | Keys, secrets, certificates | Encryption keys |
| Deployment | SaaS (Azure) | SaaS (GCP) |
| Key custody | Premium tier: FIPS 140-2 Level 2/3 HSMs; Managed HSM available | HSM tier FIPS 140-2 Level 3; External Key Manager for off-cloud keys |
| How it works | One service holding three different things: cryptographic keys, arbitrary secrets and TLS certificates. Standard is software-protected, Premium is HSM-backed, and Managed HSM gives a single-tenant pool. Certificate lifecycle is included, which the other clouds keep separate. | Key rings and key versions with explicit rotation, offered in software, HSM and external tiers. External Key Manager is the differentiator: the key stays in your own system and Google calls out to it, so the cloud can be denied access by design rather than by policy. |
| Pricing* | Metered per operation; Premium adds HSM | Metered per key version + operations |
| Free tier | No | No |
| Licence | — | — |
| Best for | Microsoft-centric estates | GCP workloads and hold-your-own-key rules |
Choose Azure Key Vault for microsoft-centric estates. Choose Google Cloud KMS for gcp workloads and hold-your-own-key rules.
* Published list pricing (vendor pricing pages, August 2026).