Best Amazon Web Services (AWS) Alternatives

TL;DR

AWS is a powerful cloud platform, but its pricing can get complicated and expensive for most website owners. Factors like compute usage, storage, and bandwidth can quickly drive up costs, making it less attractive for small to medium-sized businesses. For many website owners, alternatives like Cloudways provide simpler and more affordable hosting options without compromising performance.

What is Amazon Web Services (AWS)?

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is one of the top-notch, most comprehensive, and broadly adopted Cloud platforms. They offer cutting-edge infrastructure built from the latest hardware, high-speed network connectivity, and resource redundancy from data centers globally.

AWS’s service portfolio includes:

• Compute Power (EC2): Virtual servers with configurable CPU, RAM, and storage.
• Storage (S3, EBS): Scalable storage options for data of all types.
• Databases (RDS, DynamoDB): Managed database services for SQL, NoSQL, and analytics.
• Networking (VPC, CloudFront): Tools for network management and content delivery.
• Other Services: AI/ML tools, DevOps solutions, monitoring, and much more.

AWS Pricing Models

AWS offers several pricing models to cater to different needs and budget considerations. Each has its pros and cons, making it essential to choose the right one based on your expected workload and long-term commitment.

Pricing Model	Description	Best For	Example
Pay-As-You-Go	No upfront costs; pay only for what you use.	Unpredictable or short-term usage	Website traffic that fluctuates or seasonal projects.
Reserved Instances	Commit to using specific instance types for 1-3 years upfront.	Predictable, consistent workloads	E-commerce site running 24/7.
Savings Plans	Flexible commitment based on usage ($/hour) instead of types.	General-purpose applications	Multiple services with varying usage patterns.
Free Tier	12-month limited access to basic AWS services.	Trial or testing purposes	Free access to S3, EC2, and RDS for limited workloads.

Understanding AWS Pricing with Real-Life Examples

AWS pricing can often feel like navigating a maze, especially for you are not familiar with cloud cost optimization. To provide a clearer picture, let’s explore a few real-life scenarios that highlight how AWS costs can vary depending on use case and configuration.

Example 1: Small Business Website

Imagine a small business running a simple website on AWS, with a few static pages and a contact form. The site might use a t2.micro EC2 instance, which falls under AWS’s Free Tier for the first 12 months. Additionally, the owner stores some images in an S3 bucket with Standard storage, totaling around 10 GB. Assuming this site has minimal traffic, monthly costs may look something like:

• EC2 Instance: $0 (Free Tier)
• S3 Storage (10 GB): ~$0.23
• Data Transfer (1 GB outbound): ~$0.09

Total Cost: ~$0.32/month (under Free Tier)

However, once the Free Tier expires, the same configuration will cost around $8 – $10 per month.

Example 2: Mid-Sized E-commerce Site

Now, consider a mid-sized e-commerce business using a mix of EC2 instances for the website, RDS for database management, and CloudFront for content delivery. With a higher volume of transactions and dynamic content, the setup may include:

• EC2 (2x m5.large instances): ~$150/month
• RDS (db.t3.medium, 200 GB storage): ~$60/month
• CloudFront (2 TB data transfer): ~$170/month
• S3 Storage (100 GB): ~$2.30/month

Total Cost: ~$382.30/month

Costs here are influenced by the number of instances, storage volume, and data transfer needs. This setup would be typical for an e-commerce site expecting moderate traffic and needing redundancy.

Example 3: Enterprise SaaS Application

For an enterprise-level SaaS application handling heavy traffic and complex database operations, the AWS infrastructure may include a mix of EC2, S3, RDS, ELB (Elastic Load Balancing), and auto-scaling features. Let’s say:

• EC2 (4x m5.xlarge instances): ~$600/month
• RDS (db.r5.large, 500 GB storage): ~$250/month
• S3 Storage (500 GB): ~$11.50/month
• ELB: ~$22/month
• Data Transfer (10 TB): ~$900/month

Total Cost: ~$1,783.50/month

For enterprise workloads, AWS’s scalability and service diversity are critical benefits, but costs can rise quickly without careful monitoring and optimization.

Five Reasons to Consider an AWS Alternative

While AWS is a powerful option, various reasons are leading some towards alternatives instead. There are plenty of AWS alternatives in the market with equally formidable performance and reliability – at impressively competitive prices.

1. High Complexity: AWS has a steep learning curve. It is very challenging for those without cloud management experience to set up and optimize. This complexity often means hiring additional technical staff or investing in managed services, which significantly add to the overall cost for your website operations.
2. Unexpected Costs: AWS pricing is notoriously tricky to predict – even if you are a tech guy who’s familiar with cloud billing practices. Unmonitored services, unused resources, or unexpected traffic spikes can lead to unexpected bills at the end of the month.
3. Overkill for Basic Websites: Many AWS services are designed for high availability and enterprise-level redundancy. While these are great for complex applications, they may be overkill for a basic website or even a mid-sized online store.
4. Performance and Latency Issues: Although AWS offers global availability, some website owners report latency issues or slower content delivery for their target audience. Alternative hosts may offer better optimization for content-heavy sites.
5. Better Support Options Elsewhere: AWS’s support plans can be expensive, and some website owners may prefer hosting providers with more affordable and responsive support services tailored to simpler needs.

Whether you need Cloud hosting for a small project or an enterprise organization, listed below are some reliable and good Cloud alternatives to AWS.

1. Cloudways

Cloudways is a managed cloud hosting platform that simplifies cloud infrastructure management, making it the ideal alternative for those who want the power of AWS without the headaches of direct configuration.

Cloudways Key Features

Unlike navigating the labyrinth of AWS’s pricing and setup, Cloudways provides a straightforward pricing structure that is easier to grasp for most website owners. It acts as an intermediary, offering a user-friendly dashboard and pre-configured server setups on top of cloud infrastructure from AWS, DigitalOcean, Google Cloud, Linode, and Vultr.

Learn more about Cloudways in our review.

Why Choose Cloudways Over AWS?

Cloudways stands out as our top recommendation for AWS alternatives because it lets users tap into AWS’s powerful cloud infrastructure the steep learning curve or complex cost structure. If AWS’s direct services seem overwhelming, Cloudways offers a middle ground where you can leverage AWS’s strengths without sacrificing usability.

Caution

While Cloudways provides a free trial for many of its infrastructure options, Amazon Web Services is an exception. You’ll need to upgrade your account to launch and access AWS servers. Cloudways offers customizable disk sizes and pay-as-you-go bandwidth on AWS, similar to AWS’s standard configurations, but with much clearer cost breakdowns and easier management.

2. ScalaHosting

ScalaHosting has been providing web hosting services since 2007. They are a dual-headquartered Cloud hosting provider with homes in Bulgaria and the United States. While ScalaHosting offers a complete range of web hosting plans, they are renowned for their Managed Cloud VPS.

ScalaHosting Key Features

One of the main criteria when it comes to hosting is speed. After all, speed influences how well search engines index your site and ultimately impacts your audience’s user experience. ScalaHosting offers excellent server speeds and a solid 99.9% uptime guarantee to users. 

SPanel is where ScalaHosting shines. It is an all-in-one web hosting control panel fully compatible with cPanel. ScalaHosting developed SPanel in-house and offers it to their VPS users at no cost, making it a good option, given how cPanel licensing fees have rapidly increased. 

SPanel also includes SShield, a free cybersecurity tool that helps safeguard your web hosting account. It monitors everything in real-time and has proven quite effective. You also get SWordPress Manager, a utility that allows WordPress users to manage their sites easily. 

All their plans come with ample resources, a free domain name, and SSL. Also included are daily backups. Their servers have supported HTTP/2 since mid-2021, which can boost page loading speeds significantly. 

Learn more about ScalaHosting in our review.

Why ScalaHosting is Better than AWS

ScalaHosting Manage Cloud VPS plans are robust and come with many advanced tools that make website owners’ life a lot simpler. They are far easier to manage (and less confusing) than those offered on AWS.

For those seeking a step up from shared hosting, ScalaHosting VPS plans are a happy middle ground, especially if you struggle with server management. It’s also cheap and helps you avoid pricey licensing fees as a plus.

3. LiquidWeb

Based in Michigan, US, LiquidWeb was founded in 1997. They bought a web server business from Rackspace called Cloud Sites, a hosting company devoted to web and Cloud professionals. With more than ten global data centers, LiquidWeb has a range of powerful web hosting options available. 

LiquidWeb Key Features

LiquidWeb specializes in VPS, Cloud, and dedicated server hosting, with managed VPS being the most in-demand option. Their packages come filled with impressive specs, resulting in a bevy of robust web hosting plans.

Their managed WordPress and WooCommerce hosting plans are driven by their Cloud called Nexcess that delivers exceptional speed, scalability, and security. For added ease of use, there are three available control panels for you to choose from, namely cPanel/WHM, InterWorx, and Plesk.

LiquidWeb provides a 100% uptime guarantee; if you do experience any downtime, they promise to compensate you for it. Every single plan includes advanced server security services, automatic daily backups, firewalls, DDoS protection, and a free SSL.

Additionally, they provide free nightly backups, which safeguard your website. LiquidWeb also offers customers 24/7/365 support.

Find out more about LiquidWeb here.

Why LiquidWeb is Better than AWS

Many have found LiquidWeb Managed Hosting easier to use, set up, and manage, while using AWS can sometimes be somewhat confusing and nerve-wracking. LiquidWeb’s support is also often cited as a big plus, with users confirming that they preferred its feature updates and roadmaps.

4. Digital Ocean

Digital Ocean is an American Cloud infrastructure service provider headquartered in New York City with 14 data centers worldwide. They provide developers with Cloud services capable of deploying and scaling applications for simultaneous operation on multiple connected devices.

Digital Ocean Key Features

DigitalOcean’s offered packages are predefined and priced so that there are no hidden costs; what you sign up for is what you get and pay for. Most prefer DigitalOcean because of the simplicity of setting up an account. 

Their Droplet system represents standalone self-sufficient servers that can also be configured to become part of a connected chain of platforms. As such, it is effortless to scale up or down. The platforms support various operating systems, including Ubuntu, CentOS, Debian, and Fedora. There’s also a one-click installer to help install WordPress, GitLab, Node.js, Docker, and more. 

Other notable features include security, storage, and monitoring via a sturdy and reliable infrastructure. They provide 24/7 support anytime you need help.

Read our Digital Ocean review to learn more.

Why DigitalOcean is Better than AWS

DigitalOcean shines in that its pricing is comparatively lower than AWS. Also, they were the first Cloud hosting company that started serving SSD-built virtual machines to ensure high-speed delivery in 2013. DigitalOcean focuses primarily on its simple user interface (UI) and a lower-complexity approach. 

5. Google Cloud Platform

Google Cloud, aka Google Cloud Platform or GCP, was launched back on April 7, 2008. Google offers it as a suite of Cloud computing services that runs on the same infrastructure that Google uses internally for its end-user products. GCP is mainly a service for building and maintaining original applications, which may be published on the Web.

Google Cloud Platform Key Features

Google Cloud offers multi-Cloud facilities for complex Cloud computing and storage architectures and widely distributed Cloud assets. All leading solutions and platforms such as MongoDB, Elastic Stack, DataStax, and Redis Labs are welcome on this platform. Also, Google’s global reach and processing power help make its Cloud platform highly scalable. 

Google Cloud excels in using the same technology that supports the company’s search engine, web browser, Gmail service, and others. This enables seamless integration with the Android mobile operating system. As a result, Google Cloud is fast, secure, and the preferred platform for developers of Android mobile applications.

Additionally, Google Cloud is working on Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) which are the future of Cloud computing. Last but not least, Google is among the few that offer a massive number of data centers over the Americas, Europe, and the Asia Pacific. Google Cloud charges you only for the resources you use, which is fair.

Why Google Cloud Platform is Better than AWS

Google Cloud is another of the foremost AWS competitors because they offer a wider variety of Cloud services at lower prices. A notable advantage is their development using the same technology that helps run Google’s other services – a boon for those seeking to run Android-based apps or systems. 

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How to Choose: What Are the Key Factors to Consider When Selecting an AWS Alternative?

Choosing the right AWS alternative can be challenging, especially if you’re trying to match AWS’s robust features while avoiding its complex cost structure. To make an informed decision, consider the following key features, and how each links back to the capabilities and constraints of AWS.

• Scalability and Performance AWS is known for its scalable infrastructure, letting businesses expand resources based on demand. When considering an alternative, look for similar scalability. For rapid growth or seasonal traffic, Cloudways provide easy scaling options with minimal friction.
• Transparent and Predictable Pricing If AWS’s complicated and unpredictable costs are an issue, s eek alternatives with straightforward flat-rate or clear pay-as-you-go models. Opt for providers like ScalaHosting for simpler billing.
• Ease of Use and Management AWS’s console is powerful but complex, especially for beginners. If you need a user-friendly experience, stick with a host that offers a straightforward user dashboard.
• High Availability and Redundancy AWS offers high availability by distributing data across multiple Availability Zones, making it a top choice for mission-critical applications. If you need similar redundancy but do not want to host with AWS, consider LiquidWeb.
• Integrated Services and Ecosystem If you want an AWS-like ecosystem but not AWS, Digital Ocean or Google Cloud are excellent.

Final Thoughts

Amazon AWS is undoubtedly a well-reputed host, delivering an impressive performance as expected. While they dominate the market share, they can be complex too. For a beginner, Amazon AWS can be tricky, and chances are, you may end up with a costly package you may not need.

The Cloud works best when customers can pick and choose what services suit them best; of course, the relevant mechanisms must be in place to effectively manage a multi-Cloud environment. The above is a list of solid contenders of Amazon AWS. Feel free to explore and try them out; you just might find the right one that suits your needs best.