If you’re looking for a cloud hosting solution, it might be tempting to simply pick Microsoft Azure and be done with it. However, as you are about to see, there are four very solid alternatives worth considering.
Amazon EC2
By far, one of the leading cloud computing options in the entire market is Amazon EC2. Obviously, it doesn’t hurt that it’s a service backed by the almighty Amazon.
However, this option has more going for it than just name recognition. Amazon EC2 has become especially popular because of its scalability. Whether you’re a developer or simply running your own small business, it helps to have the option to considerably scale up or down as you wish as quickly as possible.
We’re talking about a few minutes. You can obtain and boot new servers, or go the opposite direction, in under five minutes – easily.
Combine that with the ability to build applications and then isolate them from typical failure scenarios and you have a very attractive cloud option that is currently ahead of the pack in terms of popularity.
SoftLayer
Another very popular cloud application on the rise is SoftLayer, which was acquired by IBM in 2013. While there’s a lot to like about it, one trait that keeps coming up again and again is how user-friendly it is. SoftLayer is one of those rare platforms that manage to be both robust and easy to make the most of.
A big part of this has to do with its Infrastructure Management System (IMS). This technology controls the entire application – everything from billing to alerts to provisioning and deprovisioning the different services.
There was also a premium put on automation when this service was being designed. That makes it a lot easier to make the most out of all the features SoftLayer offers, which, in turn, makes it that much more user-friendly.
Even the API was created to make it as accessible as possible, so SoftLayer is a fantastic choice if you have a mobile management app in mind.
Google is another cloud application provider that needs no introduction, so let’s just jump right into what makes its service a suitable alternative to Microsoft Azure.
One very innovative trait of Google cloud hosting is that the company charges you in 10-minute increments. If you know you’re going to have a long-running need, you can also benefit from upfront pricing and serious discounts. In any case, you’re most likely going to pay a lot less by choosing Google, especially if you plan ahead a bit.
Compared to Azure, which only gives you 5% off if you pay for an entire year beforehand, this could end up saving you a lot of money.
To begin with, Google’s service is about 40% to 50% less expensive, too, so you could realize some pretty impressive savings by using them for your cloud hosting.
Of course, it also helps that, as a Google product, it offers amazing service. If you’re planning on a lot of traffic, Google hosting should make you feel pretty confident.
Digital Ocean
If pricing is your big concern at the moment, Digital Ocean should be at the top of your list. You can begin with a plan that costs as little as $5 a month. A lot of companies pay more than that for shared hosting.
Fortunately, they don’t drop the ball when it comes to their service. The blend of simple operation, effective hosting and affordable pricing has made Digital Ocean one of the fastest growing cloud hosting options in the industry. A big part of this is because of companies that want to grow but also fortify themselves against DNS attacks without paying a small fortune.
While Microsoft Azure is definitely one of the best cloud hosting solutions on the market right now, it would be wise to consider these other competitors before you spend any money.