11 Best AWS Alternatives and Competitors for 2024
AWS, or Amazon Web Services, is a subsidiary of Amazon(dot)com and one of the most reliable yet high performance cloud computing platforms for companies, individuals, webmasters, and governments to manage small to enterprise-level applications. If you’re looking for a cheaper cloud server or low-cost AWS alternative, as it’s a bit expensive, then this post will definitely help you find the appropriate one.
The great thing that I like the most is “pay as you go” based billing structure, which means you only charged for the resources you use.
As I mentioned earlier, they are pricey, but the quality you get worth each of your single penny. While researching, I came to know that it can be even expensive for websites getting immense traffic due to overage usage.
Another thing that may force users to look for better services than AWS is complexity – Yes, it’s quite intricate to set up, only suitable for developers, corporations, or big brands having a dedicated team of technical experts. That’s why most of their services are not available directly for end-users.
Developers and IT professionals use it for applications through API functionalities. Apart from prices, complex server configuration might be the primary thing that may urge most of the users to look for alternatives to AWS cloud services – who knows.
11 Best Amazon AWS Alternatives in 2024
#1. Kamatera – Top Alternative to AWS (Free 30 Days Trial)
A great substitute to AWS Amazon, Kamatera cloud, using which you can deploy your cloud servers in up to 18 global locations. The entire infrastructure of Kamatera is built with top-notch Intel hardware, solid state drives, high speed network connectivity, and a fail-proof backup system to protect your data against any incident.
Unlike AWS Amazon, where your cloud server impacts drastically in terms of price when your website/app starts getting high traffic, Kamatera allows you to restrict resource usage to avoid such issues.
You can deploy a cloud virtual machine in under one minute for Linux and Windows operating systems depending on your project nature. There are various Linux distros also available to choose from, more than 100+.
They also provide access to powerful API, which helps you maintain your server remotely and make things automatic. With the help of Intel Xeon CPUs, the vendor made sure that you’ll get top-of-the-line speed, availability, and uptime. You can rent a server on a monthly and hourly basis, thanks to their transparent billing system.
Compared to AWS, Kamatera assists you 24/7/365 through live chat, email, plus via a knowledge base. Their cloud services are suitable for CMS like WordPress, email hosting, CRM projects, databases, and much more.
Key Features
- Economical prices with good resources
- A vast range of configurations
- All SSD drives for data storage
- Instant customer support anytime
- 100+ OS support
- Suitable for both Windows and Linux OS
- Allow custom ISO images
- Powerful yet elegant API access
#2. Vultr – Cheap AWS Alternative
If your primary concern is a cheap, low-cost alternate, Vultr would be a great option. They are one of the most affordable cloud web hosting providers out there, offering numerous data center locations all around the world for fast load speed.
The best part is even they have cheaper plans, but all of their servers are built with solid state drives for rapid applications and website rendering than traditional shared hosting.
The basic cloud instance (Server) comes as low as $2.50/month with 20 GB SSD storage, 0.5 GB Ram, and 1 CPU Core.
Their custom-made control panel has a minimalist and clean UI to install supported OS such as CentOS, OpenBSD, FreeBSD, CoreOS, Windows, Debian, WordPress, etc. within a few minutes. You can easily set up domains, check statistics, enable SSH, or scale resources in no time.
You can pay based on hourly usage with Vultr because they offer both monthly and hourly billing system. However, they are a bit simpler to use due to the user friendly interface and control panel.
On the other hand, with AWS, you must have technical skills to use it. So, in terms of beginner usability, Vultr is much easy to use and takes a few minutes to launch your desired cloud server.
The technical support team can be reached via the ticketing system anytime, 24/7.
Key Features
- Competitive prices with enough resources
- Support almost all the major OS
- 24/7 customer assistance
- Incredible uptime of 99.99% in most of the cases
- Auto backup and DDoS protection
- Multiple data center locations
Didn’t like them? Here are some suitable Vultr Alternative cloud providers for you.
#3. DreamHost – Best Unmanaged Cloud AWS Alternative
DreamHost is yet another one of the oldest web hosting companies out there that offers a vast range of services. Cloud hosting, just like AWS, also one of their products, which comes with the compatibility of running MongoDB, Redis, Node.js, and Ruby.
If you’re a developer who works with Python and APIs, then DreamHost does have support for those features as well. With years of experience in the industry, you’ll get the most elegant cloud services from the company, developer features, and almost all popular dev tools.
The cloud platform (CloudCompute) from this AWS alternative is backed by OpenStack, KVM hypervisor, and Ceph to ensure maximum freedom of work. One thing to keep in mind is that where Amazon Web Services limits customer support and charge extra fees, DreamHost helps you figure out your issues without any additional cost.
Besides that, there is an in-depth tutorials section also available. AWS is not only complex to use but also tough to decide which product one should choose as there is a portfolio of dozens of products, whereas, DreamHost is much simpler.
Furthermore, what makes them a strong competitor against AWS is the utilization of SSD disk, next-generation processors, and instant server launch. In under 30 seconds or less, you can deploy a cloud server with full root access, thanks to quick provisioning.
Regarding the scalability perspective, when you need upgrades, their experts will assist regarding migration as well. Users can install MS Windows, BSD, Linux, and other distros on unmanaged cloud servers. Whether you are a Linux developer or Windows, DreamHost is the perfect cloud platform to get started.
From the pricing side, you’ll get the most money-value resources with freebies, such as the entry-level plan costs $4.50/month. It includes 80GB SSD space, no bandwidth restrictions, 1 vCPU, and 512MB Ram. Plus, it also includes a whopping 100GB free block storage that can be utilized for storing backups.
Need something more powerful? Two high-end packages are also available packed with more processing power, storage, and RAM.
Key Features
- Compatible with many OS and developers tools
- Allow full root and SSH access
- All cloud servers backed by solid state drives
- Ultimate scalability through API request
- Expert technical staff accessible 24/7
- Cheaper plans for CloudCompute and CloudObject
#4. CloudWays – Best Managed Cloud AWS Alternative
Usually, we all love to buy a product that fulfills all of our needs regarding usability and features as well as functionalities. This is where CloudWays comes into the game; they are a fully managed cloud hosting provider (IaaS) in the market with balanced prices and features along with expert technical staff available 24/7/365.
In fact, they don’t have their own data centers instead yield cloud compute solutions from other companies.
CloudWays is a one-stop shop where you can select from multiple cloud infrastructures and 25+ global data centers to deploy your server within a few clicks.
They offer SSD based cloud storage through Linode, Vultr, KYUP, Google, DigitalOcean, and Amazon for enterprise-grade performance and fast load time. You might know that speed is one of the 200 ranking factors in Google’s search rankings. So, take advantage of their best-in-class platform to obtain top SERP positions.
Unlike AWS EC2 where you have to set up everything yourself, as CloudWays provide managed services, you can install popular CMS like WordPress with a one-click installer. They support 10+ one-click installer applications and free SSL certificates to make your websites/blogs HTTPS-enabled which is another ranking factor.
In a nutshell, bloggers and webmasters running content-based websites can choose CloudWays as a great alternative to AWS for easy management, peace of mind, and instant help round the clock.
Key Features
- Dozens of data center locations and applications
- SSD storage for low latency for enhanced speed
- One-click SSL and script installer
- Multiple customer support channels
- Free trial at zero cost to experience their services
- Unbelievable uptime guarantee
- Easy scalability with zero downtime
#5. 1and1 IONOS
1and1 is another cloud computing service similar to AWS. You can pay on a monthly or hourly basis for all of their plans. The company offers various services such as domain name registration, shared web hosting, dedicated servers, website builder, email marketing tools, and web security tools like SSL certificates.
CloudSpector ranked them undefeatable regarding the best price-performance ratio in America and Europe in 2017.
Precisely, they are one of the top domain registrars in the world to buy domains at competitive prices. New customers can grab their desired website name just at 99 cents for the first year.
Compared to AWS, 1and1 also presents a wide range of cloud computing solutions to help webmasters and developers host their applications on cutting-edge machines located around the globe at 3 locations. All plans come with a free SSL certificate to ensure user information safety and allow full root access.
You can pick from 7 plans or create a custom one with the required RAM, CPU cores, and storage volume. All of their plans included SSD hosting, Firewall protection, unlimited traffic, outstanding 99.9% uptime, and 1&1 SSL certificates.
Launching a cloud server won’t take more than 55 seconds, as the company claimed. Moreover, Full API access, load balancer, regular backup are extra perks with all root packages. It costs only $9.99/month for a single-core CPU, 1 GB RAM, and 50 GB SSD storage to get started.
Key Features
- 24/7/365 Expert support via chat and call back feature
- Bunch of application scripts
- Free SSL and SSD based hosting
- Latest Intel processors powered servers
- Load balancer to maintain performance
- Unlimited bandwidth and email accounts
- 30 days money-back guarantee
#6. DigitalOcean – Affordable AWS Alternative Cloud Plans
DigitalOcean is the most popular and trusted cloud provider for a range of users at comparatively lower prices than AWS. They were the first cloud hosting company that started serving SSD built virtual machines back in 2013 to ensure high speed delivery.
Currently, offering various solutions like Object storage, block storage, and Droplets (they called cloud computers as Droplets).
DigitalOcean has multiple data centers worldwide integrated with load balancers for flawless performance across the globe. Like AWS, their “Load Balancing” technology works out of the box and doesn’t need any manual configuration, it distributes incoming traffic for maximum accessibility thus ensuring zero downtime.
They have 40 Gbps redundant network connectivity to achieve incredible 99.99% uptime for all of your apps and websites.
Launching a droplet requires as low as 55 seconds to pick and install desired software such as FreeBSD, Debian, Fedora, CentOS, Ubuntu, WordPress, Node.js, phpMyAdmin, MySQL, etc.
The starter plan includes 512 MB of RAM, 50 GB volume, and 1 TB data transfer for just 5 bucks per month giving it an edge over AWS. The only disappointing thing here is you can’t install WordPress on this plan.
Need high RAM or CPU power? No problem DigitalOcean also has packages that include high RAM and CPU cores to host giant apps as well as sites.
Customer support is given through the ticketing system only as they don’t offer live chat or phone calls. And when it comes to web hosting, it’s always good to have customer support via live chat and phone calls for instant reach.
Key Features
- The most famous company in the world for outstanding performance and reliable cloud services
- The affordable and reliable cloud provider
- Unbelievable 99.9% uptime
- Excellent AWS cloud Alternative
- Super easy to use UI / control panel
- Flexible scalability for easy upgrade
- Robust security against suspicious activities and malware
You might also like to check:
- Don’t have technical skills? Just browse the following DigitalOcean alternatives.
#7. CloudSigma – Top AWS Alternative for Customized Servers
CloudSigma is a public certified cloud computing provider that has been working since 2009, empowering companies and individuals to build their applications in a highly scalable environment that allows on-demand customization. So, you can increase or decrease server resources (CPU, RAM, storage, and traffic) as per your needs whenever required.
They allow running unmodified operating systems such as Linux, Windows, FreeBSD, etc. along with 100% SLA, 10 locations, and 7-day free trial.
The company utilizes a custom KVM cloud to maintain all machines’ performance by allocating dedicated resources to its users.
Need more power? No problem, their instant server provisioning allows on-the-go CPU power, RAM, storage, IPs, drivers, and much more to handle intensive applications. CloudSigma’s servers built with SSD drives, offer up to 40 cores, 128 GB RAM, robust API, 10 GigE networking, external integration, and much more.
Now, what about pricing? Are they affordable? With them, you don’t have to pay for bundled services that you never use as they employ transparent “pay for what you consume” billing policy.
However, there are some pre-made plans to choose from or you can build a custom one to avoid overpaying.
The “Small-2” (for demonstration) allows 40 GB SSD space, 1 core processor, 1 GB RAM, and an enormous 5 TB transfer at the cost of just $14/mo. You can get in touch 24/7 with customer support via live chat and email (ticketing).
Key Features
- Custom KVM virtualization for high performance
- Quick deploying under 30 seconds
- Free IOPS and firewall protection
- Flexible billing saves you significant monthly fees
- The high-end plan includes 1 GB RAM, 50 GB storage, and 5 TB transfer for free
- A wide range of resources availability
- Up to 10 data center positions
- Anytime customer assistance round the clock through chat and email
#8. Host1Plus / Heficeds – Unmanaged AWS Alternative
Developers and hosting experts who like to have more control over their servers can choose Host1Plus for highly stable, powerful API access, and KVM virtualization.
Just like AWS Amazon, you can select from the Windows and Linux operating systems to launch a virtual machine within a few moments. KVM helps in maintaining stability, security, network performance, and cost effectiveness as well. Plus, it works with both OS, can be integrated with Linux and Windows platforms.
Host1Plus uses the latest Intel Xeon E5 processors, DDR5 error correcting-code RAM, 10G network, and more than 30+ IPv4 addresses. Moreover, all servers are routinely backed up to secure all of your content from any incident. Secondly, they do offer a free IP address to access your website which means you get a dedicated IP.
Here remember one thing, Host1Plus provides unmanaged cloud solutions, so you’ve to manage everything by yourself. If you’re a tech guy, then select them otherwise look for other cloud computing services listed here.
Aside from cheaper cloud hosting, they offer the lowest priced vps hosting with full root access, DNS management panel, flexible scaling environment, and support standard OS like Fedora, Debian, CentOS, and Suse, etc.
The very first package named “LIN1” costs only $6.40/mo which includes 1 CPU core, 20 GB storage, 512 MB of RAM, and 2 TB monthly bandwidth. There are 4 global data center locations to choose from – the USA, Brazil, South Africa, and Germany.
Key Features
- Cheap provider for cloud servers as well as VPS
- Allow restricted free root access
- Easy scalability allows hassle-free upgrade
- Friendly 24/7 technical/customer support team
- 14 days refund policy
You might also like to read: Top Rated Linode Alternatives and Similar Cloud Services
High-End AWS Alternative and Competitor Services – Suitable for Big Projects and Enterprises
#9. RackSpace
RackSpace offers a wide range of products including email and application storage, eCommerce hosting, database management, analytics services, ERP, web content management, domain hosting, and managed cloud hosting for all tiers of users ranging from small webmasters to enterprises.
RackSpace also has almost everything you can get from Amazon Web Services but at a reasonable price tag.
Besides standard plans, they do have plans packed with high RAM and CPU power for developers and programmers to host complex applications that require high read/write speed.
Same as CloudWays, they let you pick from Microsoft Azure, AWS, and RackSpace cloud to deploy dedicated servers for robust reliability and performance.
Cannot compromise on uptime? No problem, the company stands in leading SLAs and claims to deliver 100% uptime.
#10. Google Cloud – Best AWS Competitor for Enterprises
Google Cloud platform is known as a highly scalable and reliable cloud computing services provider for giant websites and companies to host their data on the state of the art hardware.
They are one of the closed alternatives to AWS cloud platform due to pricing and infrastructure environment in terms of management.
Similar to AWS, to operate Google services you must have advanced technical skills or hire an experienced developer to do all the technical stuff.
It’s also necessary to avail Google Cloud services from third party hosts, for example, CloudWays to make things easier and avoid extra costs that you spend on hiring a developer.
They offer unbeatable cloud servers but managing it a little bit messy. So, you can choose CloudWays for managed solutions along with 24/7 customer support regarding all the major operating systems.
11. Microsoft Azure – One of the Strongest Free AWS Alternatives
Just like Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure is also a giant name when we talk about top-notch cloud services in the world. Their infrastructure is suitable for multilevel projects ranging from small to big, huge applications, and crowded websites to run smoothly under high loads.
The best part is they offer free $200 credits and one year subscription to 25+ Azure tools. So, it’s the right place for IT professionals and developers to build apps by utilizing more than 100 services.
You can use free credits to experience their products such as Azure Cosmos DB, App service, HockeyApp, Traffic manager, HDInsight, Data Lake Analytics, etc. within 30 days.
Without any plan exception, all users can access these products always. Moreover, testing and deploying a virtual machine can be done with these credits to analyze the performance. Plus, the load balancing feature also included for maximum availability.
12. IBM Cloud/SoftLayer
SoftLayer is the last but not least host in this list, it provides managed and dedicated servers alongside cloud computing solutions. IBM acquired it in 2013 and now known as IBM Cloud.
You can hire a dedicated bare metal server or virtual cloud machine in nearly 60 locations (data centers) to target your audience around the world with no performance lag. All of their cloud servers are AI-ready and come with machine learning APIs to help developers build their applications with on-demand automatic scaling features.
It’s the right option for developers and IT experts who are looking for high-end services to get the same functionalities and flexible scaling environment to upgrade system resources when needed.
Specifically, if you just want to host a small blog or app, then check other companies listed above.
They don’t offer a pay-as-you-go billing structure instead of an hourly/monthly basis. Customer support services can be reached via phone call and ticket system.
Finally, it’s your turn to make an appropriate decision on which AWS alternative best fits your requirements. Picking the perfect cloud company could save you significant bucks without compromising on performance. Amazon Web Services are top-notch and there is no doubt about it, but due to plenty of development environments, different users may have different requirements.
As I have mentioned, there are many companies which may make it difficult to choose the best one. So, let’s simplify it: programmers and developers who prefer to have more control on their hands go for Kamatera for reliable cloud services. Bloggers, webmasters, and beginner users who have little know-how about managing cloud servers must choose Vultr or CloudWays.
What about high-end services like Google Cloud and RackSpace etc.? Well, these are suitable for giant companies and large projects to handle huge traffic or process complex applications and much expensive than the above ones.
In the end, let me know which AWS alternative service you think is the best and can be used for better quality? Did you have previous experience with any cloud host, do share your experience below?