AWS (Amazon Web Services) is a secure, comprehensive and continuously evolving cloud platform offered by Amazon. It is a broad combination of services that include packaged software as a service (SaaS), infrastructure as a service (IaaS) and platform as a service (PaaS).
AWS deploys services like computational power, security, networking and developer tools, analytics, storage and enterprise applications. While AWS offers a wider set of services than other providers, there are setbacks, like technology and knowledge limitations. This is where AWS alternatives come into action.
What to Look for in an AWS Alternative?
When it comes to Cloud Service providers, there are plenty of alternatives you can choose from. However, not everyone lives up to their promise. To ensure that you get what you are looking for, here are a few points to look at when looking for an AWS alternative.
Data resiliency and security
Data resiliency is the ability of the server or the overall data center to recover from failure, whether from a power outage, equipment issue or any other complication. The best AWS alternatives should allow complete control over where you store data and recover your data quickly in case of a disaster. Look for an alternative that keeps data resiliency and security as their top priority.
Capacity management
With AWS, you get in-depth analytics, limitless memory, storage and network capacity that can be adjusted when needed. Your choice of AWS alternative should also let you add, remove or optimize such resources to enhance the overall performance at any time.
Reporting and analytics
AWS offers purpose-built services for analytics and reporting with various branched-out services for interactive big data processing, data warehousing and visual data presentation. Alternatives to AWS should also set up, collect and manage analytical data through automation, access control and flexible interface.
Scalability
Cloud solution providers should build their architecture on the notion of the ever-changing demand for resources, which means they should anticipate growth and prepare for it. Like AWS services, AWS alternatives should also be extremely flexible and scalable with providing virtually unlimited data storage and eliminating any hassles of scaling and maintaining the business infrastructure.
Support
One of the significant factors determining the quality of service is the support team. And, for technology as complex as cloud platforms, having a tech-savvy support team is a must. Ensure that your choice of AWS alternative has support plans, resources and a dedicated support team to help you with any issues you could come across.
What are the Alternatives to AWS?
Considering each of these factors listed above, here is a prepared list of the top AWS alternatives to help you narrow your choices down.
DigitalOcean is one of the leading cloud computing vendors which offers their services at comparatively lower prices than AWS. It is also known as the first company to enable SSD-built virtual machines to secure a high-speed delivery.
Pros:
- Your application and website load fast from any corner of the world
- Fast SSD storage
- Easily customizable servers
- User-friendly control panel and API interface
Cons:
- Limited cloud products compared to AWS
- The support team is slow
The pricing plans that DigitalOcean offers are simple and straightforward. The Standard Droplet plan ranges from $5 per month up to $960 per month. Its High CPU Droplet and High Memory Droplet plans start from $40 per month. The SSD Block Storage plan is an add-on that lets you attach 16 TB of storage for $0.10 per month.
Google Cloud (GC), another reliable Cloud service provider, is a public web-based cloud computing, storage and networking service offered by Google. GC lets you deploy a GPU-based VM as well as providing a much more product-oriented and modular experience than other public cloud providers. GC can be a top alternative for businesses using Google products as it can easily integrate into the ecosystem.
Pros:
- It can easily integrate into the Google ecosystem
- Can deploy a GPU-based VM
Cons:
- The support fee can be expensive
- The ability to download stored data is not free
Google Cloud has a variable rate that depends on your resource needs and requirements. You can request a quote through their page or use the pricing calculator to get an estimate.
Microsoft Azure is a multi-faceted cloud service offering the freedom to build, maintain, secure and deploy windows based applications. It can allocate resources on-demand so that you can reduce fault tolerance and ensure continuous availability. Microsoft Azure owns the highest number of data centers in the world. Meaning you and your customers can enjoy fantastic speed and incredible availability from any corner of the world.
Pros:
- Offers over 600 management, AI learning and utility apps
- Has the highest number of data centers in the world
Cons:
- Doesn't provide offline access to the system
- The user interface can be complex for beginners
Its pricing relies on the resources used by your application or website and is usually calculated on a per-minute basis. And, if you are a Microsoft Enterprise user, you can also receive a discount.
IBM Cloud is a collective enterprise cloud solution ideal for corporations and businesses. Keep in mind that they offer a bare-metal server that is not shared. It is easy to set up and deploy and doesn't require a hypervisor layer to navigate its structure. On the downside, IBM Cloud frequently deprecates systems and databases that could result in incompatibility issues with your application and systems.
Pros:
- Easy to set up and deploy
- Doesn't require a hypervisor layer
- Offers automatic scaling depending on the load and the resource consumption
Cons:
- Deprecates systems and databases that could result in incompatibility issues
- Changing policies that may cause beginners issues
It doesn't offer on-the-spot pricing rates or plans because of automated scaling. But, it offers monthly-paid reserved instances for one and three years.
Kamatera is another solid alternative to AWS. It uses the Intel Xeon Platinum CPUs and SSD drive storage solutions for a fast, robust, optimal network and cloud service. Kamatera has 13 data centers spread worldwide to guarantee connectivity, and also offers continuous backup and disaster recovery, assuring a reliable and secure experience.
Pros:
- 13 data centers worldwide
- Offers continuous backup and disaster recovery
- Customizable prices
Cons:
- Low uptyime percentages (99.95%)
- Doesn't offer any shared hosting plans
Kamatera price depends on the server type, processor, RAM and SSD storage you choose for a customizable price to fit your needs.
Go Cloud, Stay Connected Anywhere at Anytime
Choosing a Cloud Service Provider is hectic and even more so when you have to find an alternative to AWS. While none of the cloud service providers are perfect in all senses, you can always find one that best suits your business needs.
Try to research more on the above providers based on your core business needs and expertise. Find the solution that checks most or all, of your list. And, if you think you have narrowed it down to your choice, get a feel of the system before you commit to it.