In one of our previous article, I have provided best free ASP.NET hosting provider and how to create free tier Amazon EC2 Windows server, now in this article, I will provide you with detailed comparison between AWS and DigitalOcean so you can decide which hosting server will be better for you.
Cloud computing is the distribution of computing services via the Internet (the cloud), including network servers, cloud storage, databases, networking, analytics, software,and intelligence, to provide faster and more flexible resources.
Cloud-based services includes - Web hosting, data sharing, and software usage.DigitalOcean and Amazon Web Services (AWS) are cloud service platforms that, helps companies use the above-mentioned services.
Both cloud service platforms have many users, but when it comes to choosing between AWS and DigitalOcean you must learn about these two first.
What is Amazon Web Services (AWS)?
AWS is a broadly adopted cloud platform with 200 fully featured services from data services around the world.This is one of the most secure and flexible cloud computing environments available in present era.
Advantages of AWS:
- 200 fully featured services.
- Cost-Effective.
- Secure cloud computing.
- Fastest pace of innovation.
- Reliable cloud services.
- Powerhouse of storage.
- Comprehensive.
- Adaptable.
- Fast and agile.
- Pay as you go.
- Scalable and high-performance.
Disadvantages of AWS:
- Higher fees for large projects.
- Cloud computing glitches.
- Not particularly user-friendly.
- If not effectively handled, there are hidden costs.
- Priority assistance is costly.
What is DigitalOcean?
DigitalOcean is one of the leading cloud service provider. DigitalOcean's full cloud platform allows you to design, manage, and scale your applications.
It provides developers with a set of virtual servers and object storage that is both stable and simple to use. It is appropriate for small businesses.
Disadvantages of DigitalOcean
- Scalable cloud computing.
- Fully managed databases
- Highly scalable storage options
- Customizable networking products
- Rich marketplace
- Well documented FAQ and tutorials
- Developer friendly Tools
- Affordable
- Efficient Customer Support
- Easy to use
- Great community support
- Great speed
- Up to date technology.
- SSD based VMs
Disadvantages of DigitalOcean
- Errors and issues are not effectively addressed.
- Country specific service.
- You are unable to put the system together by yourself.
- Limited regions.
- Limited products.
- There is no simple email setup.
- Sometimes Customer Support can take time to reply.
- No Windows Server, until now.
- Spaces are better than Amazon S3 but can be more cheaper, as they are not very scalabale.
Difference between Amazon Web Services (AWS) and DigitalOcean
Here is the difference between both the services in Tabular format.
| Parameters | Amazon Web Services (AWS) | DigitalOcean |
|---|---|---|
|
Beginning |
2006 |
2011 |
|
Parent Company |
Amazon |
Independent |
|
Customer Type |
If you don’t have enough time to install patches and updates, then AWS is the right choice |
If you want a MySQL instance, then DigitalOcean is the preferable cloud service platform |
|
Target |
Anyone who can afford large-scale applications |
Smal developers |
|
Mobile Friendly UI |
No |
Yes |
|
Accepted forms of payment |
Credit Cards |
Credit Cards, Paypal |
|
Pricing |
Pricing starts from $14 per month |
Pricing starts from $5 per month |
|
User-friendly |
No |
Yes |
|
Key Features |
Simple dashboard, Great community, and Easy Configuration |
Auto-scaling, reliable, and easy management |
|
Compatibility |
Fully compatible with any Operating System |
It is not compatible with Microsoft Windows Operating System |
|
Infrastructure |
Extremely reliable infrastructure |
Reliable infrastructure |
|
Type of Cloud |
Platform as a Service or (PaaS) |
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) |
|
Affiliate Program |
No |
Yes |
|
Feature |
High variety of services |
Quick server deployments and affordable pricing |
|
Bandwidth |
Expensive |
Cheap |
|
Backup/ restore |
Quick backup |
Backup is bit slower than AWS |
|
Popularity |
Most recognizable cloud brand |
New but fast-growing cloud brand |
|
Location |
Highest number of locations |
Good number of locations |
Beginning:
Amazon was the first company to offer IaaS (infrastructure-as-a-service), which aided small and large businesses alike in finding a cost-effective data storage solution. Amazon Web Services was deployed in 2006.
DigitalOcean was launched in 2011.It is a well-known newcomer in the cloud hosting industry.DigitalOcean is solely focused on the demands of developers.
Parent Company:
Amazon is the parent company of Amazon Web Services (AWS).
DigitalOcean is an independent company.DigitalOcean is managed by CEO Yancey Spruill.
Customer Type:
Well-known companies, large industries and leading organizations—are using AWS.If you don’t want to invest your time in install patches and updates, then AWS is the right thing to pick.
If you need a MySQL instance, DigitalOcean is the best cloud service platform to use.DigitalOcean provides a straightforward, user-friendly setup.
Target:
Small or big developers who can afford the AWS can be the user of this cloud service. Mostly large companies use AWS.
DigitalOcean is mostly utilized by businesses with 10-50 employees and a revenue of $1 million to $10 million.
Mobile Friendly UI
AWS's user interface is not mobile-friendly.
DigitalOcean is a mobile-friendly user interface.
Accepted forms of payment:
The supported payment method of AWS is Credit Cards. They offer various payment method for global users. You can try it out while paying the bills.
DigitalOcean accepts payments from Credit Cards.DigialOcean also accepts payment from Paypal account.
Pricing:
AWS is not an inexpensive service.The monthly fee starts at $14.You can take the service as hourly or monthly basis. It is up to you, but Reserved instance for a year is much cheaper than hourly.
DigitalOceanis an affordable service.The monthly charge here is as little as $5.
User-friendly:
AWS is a little hard to understand. The system is complex.
DigitalOcean is simple to use. Playing the system is straightforward.
Key Features
AWS features a user-friendly dashboard, a vibrant community, and simple configuration.
Auto-scaling, resiliency, and ease of management are all features of DigitalOcean.With DigitalOcean application server, you can deploy faster and scale more easily, saving your team time and money.
Compatibility
Amazon works with any operating system.
DigitalOcean is incompatible with Microsoft's Windows operating system.
Infrastructure
AWS got an extremely reliable infrastructure. Large companies rely on Amazon Web Services.
DigitalOcean has a solid infrastructure in place.It is mostly used by the small developers.
Type of Cloud
AWS is Platform as a Service or (PaaS) focused, while DigitalOcean is Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) focused.
Affiliate Program
Amazon Web Services (AWS): No
DigitalOcean: Yes.
Feature
Amazon Web Services has a broad range of services.Anyone who can afford the cost of AWS can gain the best outcome from it.
DigitalOcean has server deployments which are completed quickly, and prices are reasonable.
Bandwidth:
In AWS, bandwidth is pricey.On the other hand, DigitalOcean is inexpensive.
Backup/ restore
AWS has a rapid backup feature. This is quick backup option.
DigitalOcean’s backup is bit slower than AWS.
Popularity
AWS started their journey a lot ago than DigitalOcean. This one is more popular and well recognized.
DigitalOcean is less popular than AWS. But it is growing very fast.
Location:
AWS serve a large number of regions. DigitalOcean serves a limited regions than the AWS.
However, the battle between Amazon Web Services (AWS)and DigitalOcean cannot be justified.But we can surely say that AWS is preferable for the large companies and DigitalOcean can be used for the small developers. But the platforms are amazing performers and used by a large number of people.
Pricing Comparison
DigitalOCean Basic Plans Price For General Purpose Droplets
| Memory | vCPUs | Transfer | SSD | $/MO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8GB | 2vCPU | 4TB | 25GB | $60.00 |
| 16GB | 4vCPUs | 5TB | 50GB | $120.00 |
| 32GB | 8vCPUs | 6TB | 100GB | $240.00 |
| 64GB | 16vCPUs | 7TB | 200GB | $480.00 |
| 128GB | 32vCPUs | 8TB | 400GB | $960.00 |
| 160GB | 40vCPUs | 9TB | 500GB | $1200.00 |
You can start with DigitalOcean for 5$/month which can be used with PHP, Node.JS, Python, etc. and provides free HTTPS also.
AWS Pricing
It is always better to buy All Upfront Reserved instance if you want to use AWS, which reduces cost heavily, rather than going for hourly and per month basis, so I am going to provide All upfront yearly cost for a server only.
| Plan | All Upfront Cost | CPU | Memory |
|---|---|---|---|
| t3.micro-Linux | $53/year | 2 | 1 |
| t3.small- Linux | $107/year | 2 | 2 |
| t3.medium-Linux | $213/year | 2 | 4 |
| t3.large-Linux | $426/year | 2 | 8 |
| t2.micro -Windows | $99/year | 1 | 1 |
| t2.small- Windows | $198/year | 1 | 2 |
| t2.medium-Windows | $393/year | 2 | 4 |
| t2.large-Windows | $715/year | 2 | 8 |
You can review more Reserved instance pricing here https://aws.amazon.com/ec2/pricing/reserved-instances/pricing/
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