AZ-104 vs AZ-900: Key Differences & Which Azure Certification Is Right for You?

Microsoft Azure certifications have become some of the most valuable credentials for professionals entering cloud computing or advancing their IT careers. As organizations continue moving workloads to the cloud, demand for Azure-skilled professionals keeps growing. Two of the most common starting points in the Microsoft certification path are AZ-900 and AZ-104. While both certifications focus on Azure, they serve very different purposes, skill levels, and career goals. Choosing the right one depends on your background, technical experience, and long-term objectives.

If you are unsure whether to begin with AZ-900 or move directly into AZ-104, understanding the key differences can save time, money, and study effort.

What Is AZ-900?

AZ-900, also known as Microsoft Azure Fundamentals, is an entry-level certification designed for beginners who want to understand cloud computing concepts and Azure services. It introduces the basics of cloud models, Azure pricing, security, governance, compliance, and core services such as compute, networking, storage, and identity.

AZ-900 is ideal for people who are new to cloud technology and need foundational knowledge rather than hands-on administration skills. It is often chosen by students, sales professionals, managers, business analysts, and technical beginners.

What Is AZ-104?

AZ-104, Microsoft Azure Administrator, is a more advanced role-based certification focused on managing Azure environments. It tests practical skills such as deploying virtual machines, configuring networking, managing storage, securing identities, monitoring resources, and handling governance tasks.

Unlike AZ-900, AZ-104 requires stronger technical understanding and practical experience with Azure services. It is designed for system administrators, cloud engineers, IT professionals, and those pursuing technical cloud careers.

Main Difference Between AZ-900 and AZ-104

The biggest difference is depth.

AZ-900 teaches what Azure is, why organizations use cloud services, and how core services work at a high level.

AZ-104 teaches how to configure, deploy, secure, troubleshoot, and manage Azure resources in real environments.

AZ-900 is theory-focused and beginner-friendly. AZ-104 is hands-on and operations-focused.

Difficulty Level Comparison

AZ-900 is considered easier because it focuses on concepts rather than complex technical implementation. Many beginners with basic study preparation can pass it.

AZ-104 is significantly more challenging because it covers real administrative tasks, scenario-based questions, networking concepts, storage management, permissions, monitoring, and troubleshooting.

If you have never used Azure before, AZ-900 is usually the smoother starting point.

Skills You Learn in AZ-900

AZ-900 helps you understand:

• Cloud computing models (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS)
• Azure global infrastructure
• Core Azure services
• Pricing and cost management basics
• Security and compliance concepts
• Governance principles
• Shared responsibility model

These concepts build strong cloud awareness.

Skills You Learn in AZ-104

AZ-104 develops practical skills such as:

• Managing Azure users and identities
• Configuring role-based access control
• Creating virtual machines
• Managing storage accounts and Blob Storage
• Designing virtual networks and subnets
• Monitoring Azure resources
• Configuring backups and disaster recovery
• Managing subscriptions and policies

These are job-ready operational skills.