Out of dozens cloud hosting providers in Fora Soft we usually consider and build our projects on three: AWS, Digital Ocean, and Hetzner. None of them is universal so in this article we’ll dive deeper into what specific needs and requirements each can cover.

What is a Cloud Service and Cloud Service Provider (CSP)?

A cloud service is any computer infrastructure that a third-party company hosts and makes available to users over the internet. Think of it like renting computer power instead of buying your own servers. This cloud infrastructure can host your application's services, such as websites, databases, and other software.

Cloud service providers own and operate data centers where all the physical computers are located. For a fee, they rent this infrastructure to clients who want to run their products online. Let's look at three popular providers.

AWS (Amazon Web Services)

AWS is the world's most popular cloud platform. It offers over 200 services from data centers around the globe, making it the market leader. AWS serves 245 countries and provides infrastructure in 37 locations worldwide.

AWS offers the widest range of technical options. Their clients include fast-growing startups, large enterprises, and government agencies.

Why AWS Works Well

AWS provides many services on one platform. You can host everything from a simple website to a complex system that automatically scales up or down based on demand. AWS also offers secondary services like email delivery, DNS hosting, and specialized database solutions. If you want all your infrastructure in one place, AWS is an excellent choice.

AWS Drawbacks

The biggest downside of AWS is cost. AWS services are the most expensive of the three providers we cover here. Before choosing AWS, consider whether you really need all their advanced features. AWS works great for large applications with complex needs, but smaller projects might benefit from a cheaper alternative.

Bottom line: AWS is ideal if your company is large, expects hundreds of thousands of users at once, or needs complex, ready-made solutions.

DigitalOcean

DigitalOcean operates 13 data centers across nine regions. Their mission focuses on three principles: keeping things simple, affordable pricing, and high quality. They design their services mainly for developers' needs.

Why DigitalOcean Works Well

DigitalOcean offers some of the most affordable pricing among cloud providers while delivering excellent performance. Their products feature clean, user-friendly interfaces with one-click deployments that make setup easy.

DigitalOcean Drawbacks

DigitalOcean has fewer features and tools compared to AWS. Some functionality gaps exist - for example, DigitalOcean doesn't offer DNS hosting services. This means you'll need to find other providers for missing features.

Bottom line: DigitalOcean is perfect if you want low-cost, reliable server hosting without complex features.

Hetzner Cloud

Hetzner Cloud is a German provider with data centers in four locations: Germany, Finland, USA, and Singapore.

Why Hetzner Cloud Works Well

Hetzner Cloud provides all the basics needed to launch an app. It's the cheapest option of all three providers, making it great for simple projects that don't need complicated infrastructure.

Hetzner Cloud Drawbacks

Hetzner lacks the additional features that AWS or DigitalOcean provide. For example, it doesn't offer automatic scaling infrastructure out of the box. Depending on your project's needs, Hetzner might not be suitable.

Bottom line: Hetzner Cloud offers the lowest cost option, works especially well for European users, but has limited advanced features.

How to Choose the Right Provider

When picking a cloud service provider, consider these key questions:

• How many users will use your product at the same time?
• How quickly do you plan to grow?
• Where are most of your users located?

Quick Summary

• ‍Choose AWS if: You have a large enterprise or plan to grow very quickly.‍
• Choose DigitalOcean if: You want low-cost, reliable server hosting with good performance.‍
• Choose Hetzner Cloud if: You need the cheapest option and your users are mainly in Europe.

These are the main providers we work with, but we can adapt to any other cloud service provider that better fits your needs.

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‍Ready to choose the best cloud hosting for your project? Contact us or book a quick call to get a detailed quote.