The best cloud certification for beginners

The main foundational options

Each major cloud provider publishes its own no-prerequisite entry exam, and they play the same role on their respective platforms:

• AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner — AWS’s foundational exam, built for people with no hands-on experience; see our guide on how to prepare for AWS Cloud Practitioner.
• Microsoft Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) — the Azure equivalent, covering core cloud concepts alongside Azure-specific services; see our guide on whether AZ-900 is worth it.
• A Google Cloud foundational certification — Google Cloud’s entry point, covering cloud concepts through a Google Cloud lens.
• Vendor-neutral entry options also exist for learners who want cloud concepts without committing to a specific provider first, though most beginners get more direct value from a platform-specific foundational exam once they know which cloud they will actually use.

How to choose between them

The deciding factor is almost always which platform is relevant to you, not which exam is “better”. Look at what your target job market or current employer actually runs — job listings in your area or field, or the cloud your company already uses, are a far more reliable signal than general popularity claims.

If nothing points you in a particular direction yet, AWS is the most widely referenced platform across job listings in most markets, which is a reasonable default rather than a rule. For a fuller comparison of AWS against Azure specifically, see our guide on AWS versus Azure — which to learn first, and for the general decision process, our guide on how to choose your first cloud certification.

Why foundational-first is right for most beginners

Foundational exams exist precisely for this stage: no prerequisites, no assumed hands-on experience, and a syllabus built around concepts rather than deep technical trade-offs. That combination makes them approachable while still being a real, credible exam — and passing one gives you both a syllabus to have studied against and a dated, verifiable credential at the point where you likely have nothing else cloud-shaped on your CV.

They also build the vocabulary every later, role-based exam assumes: shared responsibility, core service categories, how cloud pricing behaves. Skipping straight to a role-based associate exam is possible, but for most beginners it means learning the foundational concepts anyway, just without a structured syllabus for them.

Cost and validity, honestly

AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner costs $100 at the time of writing — check AWS’s pricing page for the current figure before you book, as exam fees do change. Azure and Google Cloud pricing varies by region and changes too, so check Microsoft Learn or Google Cloud’s official pages directly rather than relying on a figure quoted elsewhere.

Validity differs by vendor in a way worth knowing before you choose: AWS certifications, including Cloud Practitioner, are valid for three years and then need recertifying, while Microsoft Azure Fundamentals does not expire at all.

“Best” depends on your goals

There is no universally best cloud certification for beginners — there is the one that matches the platform you actually intend to work with. Someone targeting an AWS-heavy job market gets little from an Azure credential, and the reverse is equally true, regardless of which exam has a reputation for being easier.

What comes after a foundational certification

Once the foundational level is solid, the natural next step is a role-based associate certification on the same platform — architecture, development or operations, matched to the work you want to do. The foundational concepts you studied carry directly into it, so it is a continuation of the same learning rather than a fresh start.