Top cloud migration tools for AWS, Azure and Google Cloud (2026)
Country Manager, India
AI, Manufacturing, DevOps, and Managed Services. 17+ years across Manufacturing, E-commerce, Retail, NBFC & Banking
The best cloud migration tools in 2026 are the providers' own: AWS Transform MGN and AWS DMS for AWS, Azure Migrate and Azure Database Migration Service for Azure, and Migrate to Virtual Machines and Database Migration Service for Google Cloud. Most are free or charge only for the resources you run. Third-party tools fill gaps such as cloud-to-cloud moves.
Key takeaways
- Pick tools by migration phase: discovery and assessment, server rehosting, database migration, bulk data transfer and modernisation.
- AWS Server Migration Service and CloudEndure Migration are gone; both product pages now redirect to AWS Transform MGN (formerly AWS Application Migration Service).
- AWS Migration Hub closed to new customers on 7 November 2025, and AWS Snowball devices lose support on 31 December 2026. Plan around both.
- Native tools are usually free to use: AWS Transform MGN gives 2,160 free hours per server, Azure Migrate is a free service, and Google's VM migration tool has no charge.
- A tool moves servers; it does not decide what to move. Dependency mapping, a pilot wave and a rollback plan matter more than the brand of replication engine.
What do migration tools actually do?
They automate the repetitive parts of a move: finding what you run, copying it, converting it to run in the target cloud and switching traffic over. Each tool covers one or two of these steps, so a real project uses several.
- Discovery and assessment: inventory servers, measure utilisation, map dependencies between applications and estimate target size and cost.
- Server rehosting (lift and shift): replicate disks block by block from the source machine, then launch a converted copy in the cloud with a short cutover window.
- Database migration: copy schemas and data, keep source and target in sync with change data capture, and convert schemas when the engine changes (for example Oracle to PostgreSQL).
- Bulk data transfer: move file shares and object stores online, or ship large volumes offline on physical devices.
- Modernisation: help refactor applications, containerise them or move them to managed services after (or instead of) rehosting.
If you have not yet decided which workloads to rehost, replatform or refactor, start with the 7 Rs of cloud migration. The strategy decides the tool, not the other way round.
Native migration tools compared: AWS, Azure and Google Cloud
Each provider has a free or low-cost tool for every main phase. This table shows the current names.
| Phase | AWS | Microsoft Azure | Google Cloud |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discovery, assessment, planning | AWS Transform (agentic assessment and planning) | Azure Migrate (discovery appliance, assessments, business case) | Migration Center |
| Server rehosting | AWS Transform MGN | Azure Migrate (agentless or agent-based) | Migrate to Virtual Machines |
| Databases | AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) with schema conversion | Azure Database Migration Service | Database Migration Service |
| Online file and object data | AWS DataSync | Azure Storage Mover, AzCopy | Storage Transfer Service |
| Offline bulk data | AWS Snowball (support ends 31 Dec 2026) | Azure Data Box | Transfer Appliance |
| Modernisation | AWS Transform (VMware, Windows, mainframe) | Azure Migrate application assessments, Copilot migration agent (preview) | Migrate to Containers |
AWS
AWS Transform MGN, formerly AWS Application Migration Service, converts physical, virtual or cloud servers into native Amazon EC2 instances using continuous block-level replication. Each source server gets a free period of 2,160 hours, which is 90 days of continuous replication. You pay for the EC2 and storage resources used during replication and testing.
AWS DMS handles homogeneous and heterogeneous database moves from Oracle, SQL Server, PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, MariaDB and others, with AI-assisted schema conversion for engine changes. AWS Transform is the newer, agent-based service for assessment, VMware migration and application modernisation (Windows, mainframe and custom code).
Microsoft Azure
Azure Migrate is a free service for discovery, assessment and migration of servers, databases and web applications. For VMware machines it supports both agentless migration, using the same appliance as discovery, and agent-based replication. Azure Data Box covers large offline transfers. Azure Database Migration Service moves SQL Server and other databases to Azure SQL targets.
Google Cloud
Migrate to Virtual Machines moves VMs from vSphere, AWS, Azure or Google Cloud VMware Engine into Compute Engine, replicating disks continuously without downtime on the source. Google provides it at no charge; you pay for the Compute Engine, storage and network you use. Google's Database Migration Service targets Cloud SQL and AlloyDB with continuous replication.
Which tools from older lists are gone or renamed?
Many "top tools" lists, including the earlier version of this article, still recommend products that no longer exist in that form. Check before you plan.
- AWS Server Migration Service (SMS) and CloudEndure Migration: both product URLs now redirect to AWS Transform MGN. Use MGN for rehosting to AWS.
- AWS Migration Hub: per the Migration Hub user guide, it is no longer open to new customers as of 7 November 2025. AWS points new users to AWS Transform.
- AWS Snowball: the Snowball page states that support for Snowball Edge devices ends in all commercial Regions on 31 December 2026. Plan offline transfers now or use online transfer.
- AWS DMS Fleet Advisor: AWS announced it would stop supporting this database inventory feature on 20 May 2026.
- Velostrata: Google announced its acquisition in May 2018. Google's current VM tool is Migrate to Virtual Machines.
Several smaller vendors from older lists have been acquired or merged into other products. If a vendor's page has not been updated for a year or two, treat it as a risk.
When do third-party migration tools make sense?
Native tools are the default because they are free, supported by the provider and follow its APIs. Third-party products earn their place in a few situations:
- Cloud-to-cloud or multi-cloud moves, where one tool should handle AWS, Azure and Google Cloud targets with one runbook. Vendors such as RiverMeadow focus on this.
- Replication you already own, for example a disaster recovery product that can also run a planned migration.
- Specialist sources: mainframes, old Unix systems, SaaS data (email, file sync) or proprietary databases the native tools do not support.
- Right-sizing and cost modelling across clouds, where tools such as IBM Turbonomic analyse utilisation before and after the move.
Weigh licence cost, data protection (where the vendor's control plane runs and what metadata it stores) and whether your managed service provider supports the tool day to day.
How to choose a migration tool: a checklist
- Source and target support: does it support your hypervisor, OS versions, database engines and target cloud services?
- Cutover method: continuous replication with a short cutover, or snapshot and restore with a longer outage?
- Dependency mapping: can it show which servers talk to each other, so you can plan migration waves?
- Testing: can you launch test instances without affecting replication, and roll back cleanly?
- Network and bandwidth: does it throttle, compress and use private connectivity (VPN or Direct Connect / ExpressRoute)?
- Security: encryption in transit and at rest, least-privilege IAM roles, audit logs of every action.
- Data residency: does replication stay within the EU or India Region you chose, including staging areas?
- Cost and lifecycle: what is free, what is billed, and is the product still actively developed?
Are migration tools secure?
The native tools are secure enough for regulated workloads when you configure them properly. The risk sits in setup, not in the replication engine.
Encrypt replication traffic and target volumes with keys you control, and use private connections instead of public endpoints where you can. Give replication agents and service roles only the permissions they need, then remove them after cutover. Log every action in CloudTrail, Azure Activity Log or Cloud Audit Logs. For personal data under GDPR, record the migration as a processing activity and confirm staging resources sit in the same Region as the target. If you are subject to NIS2, the migration plan belongs in your risk management documentation.
A real migration: SilverRail on AWS
Rail technology company SilverRail migrated its Nordic branch onto AWS to merge it with its global organisation on one platform. Opsio ran the project in three phases: Assessment, Mobilize and Migrate.
According to the SilverRail case study, the Mobilize phase included a pilot with test migrations of selected workloads, used to adjust the process and the AWS services. Data was migrated with native PostgreSQL tools under a detailed cutover plan, and cutovers ran in tight service windows to limit customer impact. AWS Control Tower, Systems Manager and Patch Manager were set up for governance and automated operations after the move. The lesson for tool selection: the pilot and the cutover plan carried as much weight as the replication technology.
How Opsio helps
Opsio is an AWS Advanced Tier Services Partner with the AWS Migration Competency, working from Karlstad, Sweden and Bangalore, India. We choose and run the tooling for AWS migrations, Azure migrations and database migrations, from discovery and wave planning to cutover and 24/7 operations afterwards. See our cloud migration services for how an engagement runs.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best tool for cloud migration?
For a single target cloud, the provider's own tool is usually best: AWS Transform MGN for AWS, Azure Migrate for Azure and Migrate to Virtual Machines for Google Cloud. They are free or nearly free, supported by the provider and kept current. Add a third-party tool only for cloud-to-cloud moves or unsupported sources.
Are AWS, Azure and Google migration tools free?
Largely, yes. AWS Transform MGN is free for 2,160 hours per source server, Azure Migrate is a free service, and Google Migrate to Virtual Machines has no charge. In all three you pay for the compute, storage and network resources used during replication, testing and after cutover.
What replaced AWS Server Migration Service?
AWS Transform MGN, which was called AWS Application Migration Service until recently. The old SMS and CloudEndure Migration product pages now redirect to it.
Which tool should I use to migrate a database?
Use the target cloud's database migration service: AWS DMS, Azure Database Migration Service or Google Database Migration Service. For same-engine moves, the engine's own tools are often simpler; SilverRail's data moved with native PostgreSQL tools. For engine changes, add schema conversion and plan time for application testing.
How long does a migration with these tools take?
Replicating a single server can take hours or days depending on disk size and bandwidth. A whole programme takes weeks to months because of assessment, wave planning, testing and business sign-off. The tools shorten the copying, not the decisions.
Related guides: migration strategies for your business and AWS migration tools in detail.
Related reading: Effortless IT Modernization.
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About the Author
Country Manager, India
Praveena leads Opsio's India operations, bringing 17+ years of cross-industry experience spanning AI, manufacturing, DevOps, and managed services.
Editorial standards: This article was written by a certified practitioner, named in the byline above. We revise it when the technology or regulation it covers changes; the dates above show the latest update. Opsio maintains editorial independence — we recommend solutions on technical merit, not commercial relationships.
