One of the most common questions asked by our customers is “How is ServerGuy Cloud better than Amazon Web Services (AWS)?”
I’m writing this to burst the misconception.
We are certainly not showcasing SG cloud or any other cloud better than AWS, but the difference lies in filling the void that AWS is unable to pay attention to.
AWS vs ServerGuy: When is AWS a no-brainer?
Amazon started a decade back and has a strong foothold in the market. More recently, they have started the web services with a lot of features and products. Being a trusted and reliable brand, most of the customers choose AWS without giving a thought or asking themselves this question: does it really fit my requirements?
There are a couple of scenarios of setup and architecture where going with AWS will be a sensible decision. Here are some of these:
1. Traffic Spike and time window:
- There is a specific time duration during which traffic spikes.
- Or you are completely oblivious to both the time and load of the spike.
2. Server Architecture: You need multiple application servers in different regions behind a load balancer.
3. Database: If cost and budget is no issue to you, then AWS could be a safer bet. You can set up an active failure database with just a few clicks in varied geography. This means you will have two exact databases which will mirror your data and if in case, one of the databases fails, you will have the other to do the work.
4. Storage: If your storage requirements are higher (>=1TB) or increasing exponentially, then AWS will not burn a hole in your pocket. Also, there are seamless upgrades in AWS.
5. Boss says AWS. Period: Let’s face this, most of the bosses make the decisions of going to the AWS and here you are searching for the right AWS practices and tips.
If not monitored well, the AWS bill might go up by 10x
AWS vs ServerGuy: When is SG cloud a no-brainer?
To be honest, most of the clients are in awe of the brand name and often overlook value for money. There are certain areas where ServerGuy cloud makes more sense than AWS. Let’s talk facts now:
1. Cost: One of the biggest highlighting factors is obviously the price. Here’s a comparison between AWS’s c4.xlarge and ServerGuy’s iB4 server:
| Brand | AWS | ServerGuy |
| Location | Mumbai, India | Noida, India |
| CPU | 4 vCPU (c4.xlarge) | 4 vCPU |
| RAM | 7.5GB RAM | 8GB RAM |
| Storage | 200GB | 200GB SSD |
| Cost | $180.42 | $80 |
The enormous difference of $100 between the cost of the two can be seen. If you have predictable requirements, going for ServerGuy or any private cloud for that matter would be sane.
2. Predictable or consistent needs: I have seen a lot of people running a single server architecture on AWS i.e., just 1 EC2 OR 1 EC2 and 1 RDS. This is going to be heavy on your pocket. Given that, there is absolutely no difference in performance, reliability, and uptime delivered, choosing ServerGuy cloud for your single server would be a sane decision.
3. Bandwidth: With AWS, 1000GB Bandwidth will cost you $108.35 whereas, you will get 1000GB bundled Bandwidth free of cost with ServerGuy!
4. Cloud-agnostic: AWS has made it all easy and automated for you. Therefore, substituting applications with equivalent services would make you doubtful and handicapped. This is fine if you wish to be with AWS for lifelong. But if at any point, you discover the need to switch over to other providers, you might be locked in.
Hybrid Solution
Well, taking the best out of both is always a good option. The drawbacks of AWS are evident. If your company has consistent requirements and need stable performance round the clock, a hybrid is the best choice. You can keep some of the applications on AWS and the rest on ServerGuy cloud depending upon the criticality of those apps.
Also, going with someone who is an AWS Partner and a private cloud provider will help you combine the best of both worlds. Plus you can always have an expert opinion for free!
