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Popular Cloud Hosting Providers for your Online Platform

Introduction

No longer does it require thousands of dollars in equipment and bills to host one’s own 24/7 server. Deploying an entire platform can now be done by combining different services with no need for any hardware other than a device connected to the internet. There are many alternatives that offer differing approaches to solving similar problems. It’s important to consider which solution is right for you when building your application.

In the sea of options, this article can serve as a compass. Which platform suits which needs at what capacity and ultimately, how much it costs! Beyond that, a peek at the prices and benefits you can get on the platforms according to your situation. Students for example often get these services for a limited time for free, if not directly through the platform, through other service providers using the platform. 

AWS

Provided by Amazon, AWS is one of the most popular cloud hosting providers on the market. AWS offers a wide variety of services, making it a good choice for businesses of all sizes. From storage and databases to computing, monitoring, and more, you can find everything you need to get started with AWS. AWS pricing is based on a pay-as-you-go model, so you only pay for the resources you use. Some services, such as Amazon S3, have a free tier that gives you a certain amount of resources for free each month. 

Benefits: 

  • A large selection of services
  • Significantly wider reach with more servers around the world
  • Pay-as-you-go pricing 
  • Free tier for numerous services
  • Free Credits for Startups

Cons:

  • Requires expertise in the AWS Console
  • Country Specific Servers

Azure

Azure is a cloud hosting provider from Microsoft. It offers a variety of services, including storage, networking, and computing. Azure is a good choice for businesses that use Microsoft products and services for AI, Network security, mobile services, etc. As one of the main contenders in the cloud hosting field, Azure competes by having a large selection of products and services that fit a wide range of needs.

Pros:

  • A wide variety of services
  • Strong Cyber Security controls embedded into the hardware
  • Scalable

Cons:

  • Requires expertise in Azure Cloud Shell
  • Few features
  • Complex Pricing

Google Cloud

Google Cloud is a cloud hosting provider from Google. It offers a variety of services, including storage, networking, and computing. Google Cloud is a good choice for businesses that use Google products and services. Similar to AWS, Google Cloud also runs on a pay as you go model.

Pros: 

  • A wide variety of services
  • Cheaper than AWS
  • Pay-as-you-go pricing 
  • Free $300 Subscription Bonus

Cons:

  • Requires expertise in the GCP Console
  • Limited region coverage

Digital Ocean

Digital Ocean is a cloud hosting provider that specializes in providing simple, scalable, and reliable hosting solutions. It is a good choice for businesses of all sizes.

Pros:

  • Wide selection of services
  • Supports Flat-Pricing
  • More affordable in comparison to other providers
  • you get one-click apps
  • Empowers team collaboration

Cons:

  • Requires advanced users due to more freedom given
  • Limited customer support
  • No control panel, all done in terminals

Linode

Linode is a cloud hosting provider that offers high-performance, reliable, and scalable hosting solutions. It is a good choice for businesses of all sizes. 

Pros: 

  • Offers SSD storage 
  • Predictable pricing
  • Has a user-friendly control panel
  • Bundles of packaged software
  • Scalability
  • Free $100 Sign-up bonus

Cons:

  • No training or certification provided for their products
  • Fewer service options

Conclusion

Evidently, all these hosting platforms come with some inherent pros and cons, however, it’s also important to keep other factors in mind. A cloud server requires the same care, maintenance and monitoring as any other. A lot of these services deploy with minimal security configurations, so beginners beware.