10 Best AWS Elastic Alternatives for Better App Deployment

The product and pricing information in this article is accurate as of October 2, 2024.

In the early days of web development, deploying applications could be a complex and time-consuming process. Developers had to manually configure servers, manage dependencies, and handle scaling issues themselves. This changed with the arrival of platform as a service (PaaS) solutions and app deployment platforms. These tools, including AWS Elastic Beanstalk, have changed the deployment process by automating infrastructure management and allowing developers to focus on writing code (rather than wrestling with server configurations).

AWS Elastic Beanstalk is a popular choice, but it’s not the only option out there. Whether you’re looking for more features, better pricing, or simply a platform that better fits your needs, AWS Elastic alternatives should be on your radar.

Why you might need an AWS Elastic Beanstalk alternative

AWS Elastic Beanstalk is a powerful tool, but it might not be the perfect fit for everyone. You might be seeking more customization, better pricing, or a platform that integrates more seamlessly with your existing tools. Here are a few reasons why you might consider looking for AWS alternatives:

• Customization needs: Some platforms offer more flexibility and customization options, allowing you to tailor your deployment environment to your exact specifications.

• Cost considerations: While AWS offers a comprehensive suite of tools, it can become expensive. It’s not uncommon for people to experience AWS bill shock. Alternatives might offer more competitive pricing, especially for smaller teams or startups.

• Simplicity and usability: Not every developer needs the full range of AWS services. Simplified platforms can provide all the necessary features without the complexity of AWS.

• Specific features: Different platforms excel in different areas, such as container support, serverless functions, or specific language support.

How to choose the right app deployment platform for your business

The right app deployment platform will help optimize development workflows and application performance. Not every solution is going to be the right fit for your organization, and that’s OK—with so many options available, you only need one that does work. Before settling on any of these cloud providers, consider the following factors:

• Language and framework support: Find a platform that supports the programming languages and frameworks your team uses.

• Developer tools and environment: Evaluate the provided integrated development environment (IDE), code editors, debugging tools, and other developer resources. These tools should streamline development and deployment processes.

• Service integration: Check if the platform integrates smoothly with other essential services like databases, caching, messaging, and serverless functions. Integration with managed databases, object storage, and serverless computing services simplifies application development.

• Monitoring and performance tracking: Find a tool that provides robust cloud monitoring, logging, and tracing capabilities—this will help you maintain visibility into your application’s health and performance.

• Deployment and scaling capabilities: Look for different cloud providers that offer automated deployment options, seamless scaling, and load balancing to manage fluctuating traffic. You’ll want horizontal and vertical scaling, auto-scaling based on traffic, and built-in load balancing.

• Cost and pricing model: Consider pricing models and features that help optimize costs, such as automatic scaling and usage-based billing. Look for transparent pricing, reserved capacity options, and cloud cost management tools.

• Flexibility and portability: Evaluate the level of vendor lock-in and the ease of migrating applications to other platforms if needed. Platforms supporting container management and open standards can reduce vendor lock-in and improve portability.

10 AWS Elastic alternatives to consider

Whether you’re looking for easier scalability, more robust security features, or better support for specific programming languages and frameworks, there’s a range of AWS Elastic alternatives that could be a perfect fit for your project. Below, we’ll explore some of our top options.

1. DigitalOcean App Platform

DigitalOcean App Platform is a fully managed, cloud-native platform designed to simplify the deployment, scaling, and management of applications. It abstracts the complexities of managing infrastructure, allowing developers to focus solely on writing and shipping code. With features like automated deployments from GitHub and GitLab, built-in load balancing, and seamless scaling, DigitalOcean App Platform is ideal for developers seeking an efficient and reliable deployment solution.

Key features:

• Automated builds and deployments from Git repositories.

• Built-in load balancer and horizontal scaling.

• Integration with DigitalOcean’s Managed Databases and other services.

• Customizable domain settings and automatic HTTPS.

• Real-time application monitoring and alerts.

Pricing information:

• Starter Plan: Free tier includes 3 static sites and 1 GiB of data transfer per month.

• Basic Plan: Starting at $5/month for more resources and advanced features like container support and horizontal scaling.

2. Heroku

Heroku is a popular PaaS that enables developers to build, run, and grow large-scale applications in several programming languages. It provides a fully managed environment that handles infrastructure, servers, and databases, allowing developers to focus on their code. Heroku supports seamless integration with GitHub for continuous deployment and offers a rich marketplace of add-ons to extend app functionality.

Key features:

• Supports multiple programming languages including Node.js, Ruby, Java, PHP, Python, Go, and Scala.

• GitHub integration for continuous deployment and easy collaboration.

• Automatic scaling and dyno management to handle application traffic.

• Extensive add-ons marketplace for enhancing app functionality with third-party services.

• Built-in logging and monitoring for maintaining app performance and health.

Pricing information:

• Eco and Basic: Basic plans starting at $0 for low-traffic applications and initial development.

• Production Plans: Starting at $25/month for apps needing more resources and reliability.

• Advanced Plans: Higher tiers available for larger applications requiring extensive scaling and performance, with prices varying (up to $250/month) based on resource allocation and add-on usage.

• Enterprise Plans: Custom pricing for organizations with specific compliance, performance, and support needs.

3. Render

Render is a cloud service platform that makes web applications, databases, and static sites deployment straightforward and efficient. It supports automatic deployments from Git, scales applications automatically, and provides a user-friendly interface that simplifies infrastructure management. Render is ideal for developers who need a flexible and powerful platform without the complexities of traditional cloud infrastructure.

Key features:

• Supports a variety of services including web services, static sites, background workers, and databases.

• Automatic deployments from Git repositories for continuous integration and delivery.

• Built-in free SSL certificates and global CDN for secure and fast content delivery.

• Autoscaling capabilities to handle varying traffic loads and maintain high availability.

• Private networking and managed databases to simplify application architecture.

Pricing information:

• Free Tier: Includes free static site hosting with global CDN and basic web services.

• Hobby: $0/month.

• Professional: $19/month for more advanced applications with higher resource needs.

• Organization: $29/month for larger applications requiring more compute and storage resources.

• Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing.

4. Fly.io

Fly.io is a cloud platform that allows developers to deploy and run applications close to their users by leveraging a network of edge servers. It focuses on reducing latency and improving performance by deploying applications in multiple regions worldwide. Fly.io supports micro-VMs and offers an intuitive interface for deploying, scaling, and managing applications.

Key features:

• Global deployment with edge servers to reduce latency and enhance performance.

• Support for Docker containers, allowing easy deployment of various application types.

• Autoscaling to adjust resources based on traffic and usage demands.

• Built-in load balancing and secure networking with Anycast IP support.

• Advanced data services, including globally distributed databases and persistent storage.

Pricing information:

• Pay As You Go: $0/month + usage for small projects and personal applications.

• Launch Plan: $29/month + usage for more serious deployments, offering additional features and support.

• Scale Plan: $199/month + usage for high-availability applications with priority support.

• Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing for large-scale deployments and specific compliance needs.

5. Netlify

Netlify is a cloud platform that automates deploying and hosting web applications and static sites, providing a robust serverless infrastructure. It combines automated builds, continuous integration, and deployment with a feature-rich environment to streamline web development. Netlify is designed to offer developers a seamless workflow from code to production with powerful developer tools and integrations.

Key features:

• Continuous deployment from Git repositories with instant cache invalidation and rollback capabilities.

• Built-in serverless functions and edge handlers for dynamic web applications.

• Global CDN integration for fast and secure content delivery.

• Collaborative tools for team workflows, including shared environments and audit logs.

• Comprehensive security features, including SOC 2 compliance and DDoS protection.

Pricing information:

• Starter Plan: Free, suitable for personal projects and smaller sites.

• Pro Plan: $19 per member per month, ideal for small teams with advanced collaboration tools.

• Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing for large-scale organizations with dedicated support and advanced features.

6. Microsoft Azure App Service

Microsoft Azure App Service is a fully managed platform designed for building, deploying, and scaling web apps, APIs, and mobile backends. It supports a wide range of programming languages and frameworks, including .NET, Java, Node.js, PHP, and Python, and integrates seamlessly with other Azure services. Azure App Service offers robust tools for continuous integration and deployment, making it a versatile choice for developers.

Key features:

• Built-in CI/CD with GitHub, Azure DevOps, and other CI/CD platforms.

• Auto-scaling and load balancing to handle varying traffic loads.

• Advanced security features, including network isolation and integrated backup and recovery.

• Integrated development environment support with Visual Studio and Visual Studio Code.

• Global reach with data centers in multiple regions for reduced latency and compliance.

Pricing information:

• Free Tier: Basic hosting with limited features for development and testing.

• Shared (Dev/Test) Plan: $0.013 per hour for low-traffic applications with shared infrastructure.

• Basic Plan: Starting at $0.075 per hour, suitable for small production apps with dedicated resources.

• Standard Plan: Starting at $0.10 per hour, includes auto-scaling and daily backups.

• Premium Plan: Starting at $0.20 per hour, designed for high-traffic apps with advanced performance and security features.

• Isolated Plan: Custom pricing for enterprise needs with dedicated environments and enhanced security.

7. Google App Engine

Google App Engine is a fully managed platform that allows developers to build and deploy applications at scale. It automatically handles the infrastructure, including provisioning, scaling, and load balancing, enabling developers to focus solely on writing code. Google App Engine supports multiple languages and frameworks, making it a flexible and powerful option for various types of applications.

Key features:

• Automatic scaling to accommodate changes in traffic load without manual intervention.

• Built-in services and APIs, including NoSQL datastores, memcache, and user authentication.

• Support for popular programming languages such as Python, Java, Node.js, PHP, Ruby, and Go.

• Integration with other Google Cloud services like Google Cloud Platform, Cloud SQL, Cloud Storage, and BigQuery.

• Robust security features, including SSL/TLS encryption and identity and access management.

Pricing information:

• Free Tier: Provides a limited amount of resources for small applications and testing.

• Standard Environment: Pricing starts at $0.05 per instance hour, suitable for applications that can handle a few seconds of latency during scaling.

• Flexible Environment: Pricing starts at $0.05 per instance hour, designed for applications that require consistent performance under load.

8. GitHub Pages

GitHub Pages is a static site hosting service designed to simplify the process of deploying and managing static websites directly from a GitHub repository. It’s particularly well-suited for developers who want to quickly deploy project documentation, personal blogs, or portfolio sites without dealing with server management.

Key features:

• Deep integration with GitHub repositories for seamless deployment.

• Automatic site generation using Jekyll, a popular static site generator.

• Custom domain support with easy setup for HTTPS via GitHub’s own certificates.

• Ability to use custom themes and plugins for a tailored look and feel.

• Free hosting with unlimited bandwidth for open-source projects.

Pricing information:

• Free Plan: Available for public repositories, offering unlimited free hosting for open-source projects.

• Team Plan: $4 per user/month, includes advanced repository features and enhanced support.

• Enterprise Plan: $21 per user/month, provides collaboration tools and additional administrative features for team management.

9. Dokku

Dokku is an open-source PaaS solution that allows developers to deploy and manage applications using Docker containers. This open-source alternative is designed to be lightweight and easy to set up on any cloud server or local environment, providing flexibility and control over deployment processes.

Key features:

• Simple installation and setup, making it easy to get started on any server.

• Docker container-based deployments, offering flexibility and cloud scalability.

• Built-in support for a variety of languages and frameworks, including Node.js, Ruby, Python, PHP, and more.

• Plugin system to extend functionality, such as databases, storage, and other integrations.

• Free and open-source, providing a cost-effective solution for developers and small teams.

Pricing information:

• Free Plan: Dokku is completely free and open-source, allowing unlimited usage and deployment.

• Additional Costs: While Dokku itself is free, users need to consider the cost of the cloud server or underlying infrastructure where Dokku will be installed (DigitalOcean, AWS, etc.).

10. Vercel

Vercel is a cloud platform optimized for front-end developers and development teams to deploy web applications and static sites. It allows developers to deploy applications directly from their Git repositories with minimal configuration, making it an ideal choice for modern web development workflows.

Key features:

• Easily deploy serverless functions alongside your static sites to handle dynamic content and API requests.

• Automatically caches content at the edge, providing fast load times and enhanced performance for global audiences.

• Integrates directly with GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket for automated deployments from your code repositories.

• Features like Preview Deployments for every git push to facilitate team collaboration and feedback.

• Offers performance insights and monitoring to help you optimize your application’s performance.

Pricing information:

• Hobby Plan: Free tier with limited usage, suitable for personal projects and small websites.

• Pro Plan: $20 per user per month, includes enhanced features like increased bandwidth, serverless function execution, and priority support.

• Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing, tailored for large teams with advanced needs such as dedicated support, advanced security features, and compliance options.

Deploy your applications with DigitalOcean App Platform

DigitalOcean App Platform stands out as a fully-managed, cloud-native solution that simplifies the entire process. Whether you’re deploying a small personal project or a large-scale enterprise application, DigitalOcean App Platform provides the tools and resources to make your deployment seamless and efficient:

• Automated builds and deployments: Push your code, and the platform automatically handles the build and deployment process.

• Built-in load balancing and scaling: The platform automatically adjusts to your application’s needs, scaling horizontally based on traffic and load for optimal performance.

• Integrated services: Easily connect your applications with DigitalOcean’s Managed Databases, Object Storage, and other services to reduce the complexity of managing third-party integrations.

• Support for popular languages and frameworks: Leverage your team’s existing skills with support for Node.js, Python, Ruby, Go, PHP, and more.

• Transparent pricing: Only pay for the resources you use, helping you lower your overall costs.

Deploying your applications on DigitalOcean App Platform means you can focus on what matters most: writing code and delivering value to your customers.

Sign up now and start deploying with DigitalOcean App Platform.