Which one is better – AWS or DigitalOcean? As a consumer, you would always want to pick up the best cloud hosting services out there. It is clear that AWS is the industry leader, but DigitalOcean has surprised everyone with their cloud offerings. This article is focused on the comparison of two i.e. AWS vs DigitalOcean.
We will try to answer the question which one is better and why? We will dive deep into both the cloud services and learn about the scenarios that makes one the most appropriate.
Also Read: DigitalOcean vs Linode vs Vultr
After reading the article, you will be able to answer the following questions.
1. Which cloud service is optimal for me if I am new to Linux Server Management?
2. Which cloud service is right for personal hosting?
3. Which cloud service scales the best?
Also, if you are getting started, you should already know your business requirements such as business size, type of application you are going to host and the traffic estimation. These numbers will help you be clear about what you need and help make your decision.
Introduction to AWS and DigitalOcean
Before moving to the comparison DigitalOcean vs AWS, let’s first introduce yourself with Amazon Web Services (AWS) and DigitalOcean as cloud service providers.
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
When it comes to choosing a market leader, no one comes close to AWS. They provide the most comprehensive cloud services out there and have the ability to outperform every cloud service provider out there. Their services include both Platforms as a Service(PaaS) and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS).
The most famous services service solutions that AWS has to offer include content delivery, load balancing, databases, content deployment, configuration, and others. Out of all of these, the most popular service is their EC2 IaaS solution.
DigitalOcean
DigitalOcean is comparatively new to the cloud sphere. Their cloud services operation from 2011. The focus of DigitalOcean are the needs of a developer. They wanted to ensure that they provide everything that a developer would need. With over 9 DigitalOcean locations(data centers) across the globe, they are properly equipped to provide value to anyone around the world.
So, what makes DigitalOcean so special? It is the simplicity that they excel at. Almost anyone can get started with DigitalOcean by following basic tutorials. Another key aspect of DigitalOcean includes high-performance virtual servers and the pricing they provide. Both of these aspects provide DigitalOcean great value out of the box.
AWS vs DigitalOcean: Which One is Better Cloud Hosting?
With a basic introduction on AWS and DigitalOcean done, it is now time we compare both of them. To make it easy for you to digest the comparison, we will be comparing different aspects of what they have to offer. So, without any delay, let’s get started.
1. Services
One of the significant difference that you will notice is the services that they have to offer. DigitalOcean only provides VPS servers with a focus on flexible billing and provision. To make it practical, they provide “compute” droplets that can be used to do practically anything that the developers want to do. This enables developers to try out applications or host simple applications mostly.
AWS, on the other hand, sells multiple products with the option of deployable “servers.” Their services belong to various categories including networking, compute, storage and database. With a focus on each different category, they are highly functional with a huge feature list. Each one of them is separate services and can scale accordingly.
If you are looking for a complete solution, then AWS is the right pick. Otherwise, DigitalOcean.
2. Set up
Both AWS and DigitalOcean are easy to set up. If you are looking for a nicer UI, the DigitalOcean provides a much better to configure and launch projects. It also comes with an API for more control. AWS, on the other hand, only provides API to configure the different aspects of the project including add/launch/delete/destroy.
So, if you are looking for a better UI approach, then DigitalOcean beats AWS hands down. You will feel at home with DigitalOcean as most of the necessary options are provided through a user interface. AWS, due to its vast range of features and functionality provides a less intuitive way of creating projects.
3. Pricing
The next important aspect that we are going to discuss is the DigitalOcean vs AWS price comparison. Pricing plays a vital role in decision making, and if you are looking for the best value, then no one beats DigitalOcean. DigitalOcean pricing structure makes it easy for the newbies to understand and get started with it. The most basic plan from DigitalOcean is only 5$/month and comes with pretty good specs which makes it a great value.
Amazon Web Services, on the other hand, offer a complex pricing structure for each of their services. However, Amazon’s EC2 is fairly well priced and is also the most popular service on AWS. Even though AWS pricing is complex, they do offer flexibility when it comes to payment models. You can pay monthly or hourly, depending on what service you have chosen.
4. Time Value
So, which cloud services are a better value for you? If you are working on a simple project, for example, hosting a dummy search engine to check its functionality, then DigitalOcean might be a great fit. However, if you are looking to host an enterprise level project, then AWS will undoubtedly fit your requirements better as it offers better-valued services to manage complexity and requirements.
5. Support
When it comes to “support,” both AWS and DigitalOcean are at par. Both of them offer equal support and ensure that you get help when needed. However, if you are new to the cloud and looking for support that can help you in your journey.
As Amazon is more complicated than DigitalOcean, it offers better documentation. It also has a lively community out there. In comparison, DigitalOcean does have an amazing community that provides help whenever needed. For both of the cloud services, you will get a great collection of online tutorials.
6. Complexity
Complexity is another aspect that we can compare. Even though it is easy to get started with both the cloud services, AWS and DigitalOcean, the same is not true when managing the project. If you are new to the IT world or server management, you are going to struggle with both of them. However, if you are not new and have some background knowledge in IT, you will find it easy to handle DigitalOcean compared to AWS.
Hence, we can say AWS is hard to manage overtime when compared to DigitalOcean.
7. Operating System Compatibility
DigitalOcean only comes with the support for Linux which makes it optimal for Linux-based projects. However, if you are using Windows for your project, then you only have the option to use AWS. Moreover, AWS is extremely flexible when it comes to the OS. You can use any operating system of your choice with AWS, and you will do just fine. So, overall, if you are looking from operating system flexibility, then AWS is what you should choose.
Benefits of Choosing DigitalOcean
So, where the comparison leaves us? To summarize what DigitalOcean has to offer, let’s list a few of the benefits below.
1. Great pricing: DigitalOcean pricing is top-notch with amazing value for money. They offer flat pricing which encourages developers to experiment with their build. Also, there is no need to worry about overbilling as you can fix the number of droplets needed for your project beforehand or during the project lifetime.
2. Amazing User Interface: User Interface plays a vital role in how developers set up and manage their project. DigitalOcean provides
3. A great web hosting platform: DigitalOcean web hosting is yet another useful use-case. If you know how to host a website, you can do so with the help of DigitalOcean droplets
Benefits of Choosing AWS
Amazon Web Services cannot be taken lightly as it is the industry leader when it comes to cloud services. To sum up, the points discussed above, let’s list the benefits below.
1. Scalability: One of the key selling points of AWS is its scalability. Not only that, it is how it is implemented and managed. They offer Auto Scaling which ensures that the web application doesn’t run out of resources. It will automatically create more servers as needed and ensure proper functioning of the application including low response time.
2. Tons of services: AWS is a complete package. They offer tons of services at a decent price which include networking, storage, database hosting, pipelines, monitoring, backend and their most popular compute services. This makes AWS an excellent pick for enterprise who are looking for the best and want to expand without compromising on quality.
3. Great as CDN and storing content: AWS’s S3 and CloudFront services help you ensure proper content distribution on your website. This makes AWS an excellent pick for a content-heavy site who need to continually deliver content such as images, videos, documents and so on.
Who Wins AWS vs DigitalOcean Battle?
This leads us to the end of AWS vs DigitalOcean comparison. Both of the cloud services are good in their own way. DigitalOcean aims to solve more specific needs than trying to be an industry leader. AWS, on the other hand, is a complete package and can be used by a variety of users.
So, who wins the DigialOcean vs AWS battle? It is hard to say as both serve specific needs. However, if we have to pick one, we would choose DigitalOcean for their simplicity, great pricing, and fantastic user experience.
So, which one did you pick? Comment below and share your experience with us!
