CloudLearn vs AWS Academy & Microsoft Learn for Educators
AWS Academy and Microsoft Learn for Educators (MSLE) are free vendor programs that give accredited institutions official curriculum, labs and exam discounts, each for its own cloud. CloudLearn works alongside them, adding multi-cloud guided labs and classroom administration.
Choose CloudLearn if
you teach both Azure and AWS, need guided labs that check student work automatically, or need a program open to bootcamps, training providers and continuing-education teams outside the vendor programs.
Choose AWS Academy / MSLE if
you are an accredited institution teaching a single vendor’s official curriculum and want free courseware, labs and certification voucher discounts from that vendor.
Why teams choose CloudLearn
Built for hands-on skills you can prove
Every step verified
Automatic checks inspect the real environment, so completion proves the work happened.
Live in under 2 minutes
A real AWS or Azure environment per learner. No personal cloud account, no billing risk.
Built for classrooms and teams
Sections, CSV rosters, assignments with due dates, and instructor and manager roles.
See progress as it happens
Live session monitoring and progress reports with CSV export.
Your own catalog
A private, org-only catalog and custom labs built for your environment.
Canadian vendor
Built and supported in Canada.
Side by side
CloudLearn vs AWS Academy / MSLE at a glance
| Feature | CloudLearn | AWS Academy / MSLE |
|---|---|---|
| Lab environments | Yes: real AWS and Azure environments, live in under 2 minutes | AWS Academy Learner Lab: a temporary AWS account with access to over 100 AWS services. MSLE: lab environments for teaching, free for institutions. |
| Azure depth | Real Azure subscriptions, plus assessments for AZ-900, AZ-104, AZ-305, AZ-500 and SC-200 | AWS Academy: AWS only. MSLE: Microsoft Official Courseware, e.g. AZ-900 and AI-102. |
| Kubernetes & Docker | Yes: live Kubernetes and Docker environments | Not published |
| Team admin & reporting | Seats, admin/manager/instructor roles, assignments with due dates, live session monitoring, progress reports with CSV export | AWS Academy educators create Learner Lab classes and see per-student AWS spend and lab time. MSLE uses a portal for course registration and lab access. |
| Education / classroom tools | Classes and sections, CSV rosters, assignments, instructor roles, private org-only catalog | Accredited institutions only (MSLE also admits STEM-focused secondary schools). Not open to individuals. |
| Team price (published) | Contact us for team pricing | AWS Academy: no cost to join. MSLE: free curriculum; labs free for institutions, discounted for individual educators. |
| Headquarters | Canada | Not published |
Lab environments
CloudLearn
Yes: real AWS and Azure environments, live in under 2 minutes
AWS Academy / MSLE
Azure depth
CloudLearn
Real Azure subscriptions, plus assessments for AZ-900, AZ-104, AZ-305, AZ-500 and SC-200
AWS Academy / MSLE
Kubernetes & Docker
CloudLearn
Yes: live Kubernetes and Docker environments
AWS Academy / MSLE
Team admin & reporting
CloudLearn
Seats, admin/manager/instructor roles, assignments with due dates, live session monitoring, progress reports with CSV export
AWS Academy / MSLE
Education / classroom tools
CloudLearn
Classes and sections, CSV rosters, assignments, instructor roles, private org-only catalog
AWS Academy / MSLE
Team price (published)
CloudLearn
Contact us for team pricing
AWS Academy / MSLE
Headquarters
CloudLearn
Canada
AWS Academy / MSLE
Pricing
What it costs
AWS Academy / MSLE
Free for eligible institutions
- AWS Academy: no cost to join. Exam discount vouchers are available for educators and learners.
- MSLE: free curriculum. Labs are free for institutions and discounted for an individual educator whose institution has not joined.
- Eligibility: institutions offering accredited degree, diploma, certificate or continuing-education programs.
From AWS Academy / MSLE's published pricing as of September 22, 2026. Prices as published and subject to change.
CloudLearn
Free labs to start, team pricing on request
- Individuals can start free labs with no credit card.
- Team and education licences are priced per seat or per program. Book a demo for a quote.
Fair is fair
When to choose AWS Academy / MSLE instead
- You are an accredited institution and want free, official vendor curriculum.
- You teach toward one vendor’s certifications and want voucher discounts for students and faculty.
- Your course follows AWS Academy or Microsoft Official Courseware and you need vendor-aligned material.
Where we fit
When CloudLearn is the better fit
- You teach Azure and AWS in the same program and want one platform, one roster and one report.
- You want guided lab steps with automatic checks, so instructors spend less time grading by hand.
- You run a bootcamp, training company or corporate program that the vendor programs don’t cover.
- You want sections, CSV rosters, assignments with due dates and live session monitoring.
- You want to add CloudLearn labs to an existing AWS Academy or MSLE course, not replace it.
FAQ
CloudLearn vs AWS Academy / MSLE: common questions
AWS Academy is free. Why would a college pay for CloudLearn?
Many don’t replace it. They add CloudLearn for what the free programs don’t cover: Azure and AWS in one place, guided labs with automatic verification, and classroom tools such as sections, rosters, due dates and CSV progress exports. AWS Academy stays the source of official AWS curriculum.
Can CloudLearn be used alongside Microsoft Learn for Educators?
Yes. MSLE provides Microsoft Official Courseware. CloudLearn adds hands-on Azure labs with automatic checks, plus 130+ assessments including AZ-900, AZ-104, AZ-305, AZ-500 and SC-200 that instructors can assign.
Who is eligible for AWS Academy and MSLE?
Both programs are for accredited institutions offering degree, diploma, certificate or continuing-education programs. MSLE also admits STEM-focused secondary schools. Neither is open to individual learners, as of September 2026.
How is CloudLearn priced for education?
Education licences are priced per student or per program. Book a demo for a quote for your institution.
See the difference in a real cloud environment
Launch a free lab in under 2 minutes, or talk to us about training your team.
AWS Academy & Microsoft Learn for Educators is a trademark of its respective owner. CloudLearn is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by AWS Academy / MSLE. Competitor information comes from publicly available sources as of September 22, 2026 and may have changed since. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we'll correct it.