Application Hosting Services
Choosing an Application Hosting Service can be challenging. Many to choose from, and some don't even provide incredibly low latency as promised. We know you will have many questions about the different hosting services and how they compare. If you'd like to find out which options work best for your needs, then look no further than this article.
What is Application Hosting?
Application hosting refers to the practice of making software applications available to users over the internet by hosting them on remote servers. This allows users to access the applications from any location with an internet connection without installing or maintaining the software on their own devices.
They handle the technical aspects of hosting and running the applications, including server maintenance, security, and scalability, so businesses and individuals can focus on developing and using the software.
Top Application Hosting Services Providers
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Amazon Web Services (AWS) is a combination of remote computing services (also known as web services) that comprise Amazon.com's cloud computing platform. These services are available in 12 geographical locations throughout the world. Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud and Amazon S3 are undoubtedly the most important and well-known of these services.
AWS Elastic Beanstalk is a completely managed service that simplifies the deployment, operation, and scaling of web applications and services. It covers provisioning the infrastructure resources, deploying the application, and monitoring it. It also supports multiple programming languages, including Java, .NET, PHP, Node.js, Python, Ruby, and Go.
AWS Lambda is a computing platform that allows you to run code without creating or managing servers. AWS Lambda can be used to run code in reaction to events such as changes to data in an S3 bucket or the creation of a new flow in Amazon Kinesis.
AWS Elastic Container Service (ECS) is a container orchestration service that makes it easy to run, scale, and secure your containerized applications. It supports Docker containers and is integrated with other AWS services such as Amazon RDS, Elastic Load Balancing, and Amazon SNS.
AWS is one of the most widely used cloud computing platforms, with various services that can be used to host and run various applications, from simple web apps to complex, highly-scalable systems.
Microsoft Azure
Microsoft Azure is a cloud computing platform and service created by Microsoft for building, testing, deploying, and managing applications and services through a global network of Microsoft-managed data centers.
Azure provides a wide range of services, including virtual machines, storage, databases, and networking, as well as higher-level services such as analytics and machine learning. They also offer a variety of tools for developing and deploying applications, including Azure DevOps for CI/CD, Azure Logic Apps for integration, and Azure Functions for serverless computing.
It also offers various services for Containers and Kubernetes, IoT, Blockchain, AI, and also provides various compliance and security features.
Azure is designed to be platform-agnostic and supports a variety of programming languages, frameworks, and tools, including .NET, Java, Python, and Node.js.
Google Cloud Platform (GCP)
Google Cloud Platform (GCP) is a collection of cloud computing services provided by Google that run on the same infrastructure that Google uses internally for its end-user products, such as Google Search and YouTube. GCP provides a wide range of services, including computing power, storage, and databases, as well as machine learning and analytics tools. Some of the services that GCP offers are:
-
Compute Engine: Allows creating and managing virtual machines on demand.
-
Kubernetes Engine: Allows running and managing containerized applications.
-
App Engine: Allows building and deploying web and mobile applications
-
Cloud Storage: Provides scalable and durable object storage.
-
BigQuery: Allows running SQL-like queries on large datasets.
-
Cloud SQL: Provides a fully-managed relational database service.
-
Cloud Spanner: Provides a globally-distributed relational database service.
GCP includes various monitoring, logging, and security tools and a rich set of APIs and services for machine learning, analytics, and IoT. GCP also offers a free trial and flexible pricing plans that allow you to pay for only what you use. GCP is known for its scalability, security, and reliability, and businesses of all sizes and industries widely use it.
Linode
Linode is a cloud hosting company that provides Virtual Private Servers (VPS) for developers, businesses, and organizations. They offer a range of services, including virtual machines, storage, networking, and a simple web-based interface for managing resources.
It is known for its high-performance servers, customizable options, and global data centers. They also offer a variety of Linux distributions, including Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, and Arch Linux.
Linode also offers add-on services, such as Longview (server monitoring) and NodeBalancer (load balancing). They have been in the hosting industry for over 20 years and have a strong reputation as one of the best VPS providers in the market.
DigitalOcean
DigitalOcean is a cloud hosting company that provides Virtual Private Servers (VPS) for developers and businesses. They offer various services, including virtual machines, storage, networking, and a simple web-based resource management interface.
DigitalOcean is known for its easy-to-use platform, affordable pricing, and global data centers. They have various VPS options, called "Droplets," which come with different amounts of CPU, memory, and storage. DigitalOcean also offers various add-on services, such as load balancers, databases, and storage, as well as a marketplace for the one-click installation of popular applications.
They also have a developer-friendly approach and a wide range of tutorials and guides. They have a user-friendly interface, which makes it easy for developers to deploy and manage their applications.
Conclusion
Hosting is a minor but essential aspect of web development. There are many hosting services available to developers, but what looks like a rock-solid offering may turn out to be something very different when you examine the details. That's why we're here, to cut through some of that jargon and offer you a simple set of criteria for evaluating application hosting services---one that makes it easier for you to decide what you want to spend your money on. Choosing a hosting provider can make or break your business, so you'll want to ensure that you're making the right choice for every level of your business.