The media focuses on the “big three” cloud service providers: Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud Platform (GCP), and Microsoft Azure. They do control the cloud industry, but not entirely.
Some “secondary” suppliers, like Alibaba Cloud, entered the market several years ago, adding alternatives. However, is it worth watching them? Maybe one of them will become a major supplier?
Since 2009, Alibaba Cloud has served thousands of companies, governments, and developers in over 200 countries and regions.
The business began in China and subsequently expanded to adjacent nations. Alibaba Cloud launched in 2015, following a $1 billion worldwide investment. The same year, it built its first US data center and moved throughout Europe.
The Alibaba Cloud’s rise is partly due to China’s growing economy and the government’s continued digitization and internet integration. Alibaba, China’s leading e-commerce site, is dubbed “the Amazon of Asia.”
It is hard to see the cloud provider (or e-commerce behemoth) surpassing AWS and controlling the global cloud computing industry.
Amazon Web Services (AWS), an Amazon subsidiary, has approximately 175 fully equipped data centers worldwide.
AWS currently has 77 server-ready regions. It is split into served areas to enable clients to tailor their services locally and provide data security by moving data storage sites. It is present in 245 nations.
As of 2006, AWS has served businesses of all sizes globally. Customers may request compute, storage, database, and other Internet services via AWS. AWS is the most cost-effective method to provide end customers with computing resources, stored data, and other applications.
Alibaba Cloud vs. AWS Market Share
According to Synergy Research Group, AWS has a 33% market share in worldwide cloud computing in the second quarter of 2019. Alibaba’s 5% market share ranked fifth, after Google Cloud and IBM Cloud.
Despite the pandemic, industry statistics for 2022 indicate rising cloud demand as more companies move their burden to the cloud. As demand for cloud computing increases, Alibaba Cloud’s expansion accelerates, yet AWS may soon lose its global leadership position. However, by May 2022, it will be the market leader in Asia-Pacific.
Comparing Alibaba Cloud with Amazon Web Services
Global Stability and Coverage
There are 22 regions and 63 availability zones in Alibaba Cloud, each having numerous territories inside. With over 2,800 nodes distributed over 70 locations on six continents, it ensures quick and secure access to your Web applications from everywhere.
AWS also boasts the most global reach of any cloud provider, with 24 regions and 77 availability zones covering 245 nations and territories. Not as big as Alibaba Cloud, but still a big player in China. New AWS projects in Los Angeles.
ECS versus EC2
Alibaba and Amazon Web Services (AWS) provide standard computing services called ECS and EC2 (Elastic Cloud Compute). Both provide IaaS and have similar features:
- Support for a wide variety of Windows and Linux operating systems
Specifically, Alibaba ECS allows small and big companies to grow and provide ECS instances seamlessly. It provides a Dedicated Host Cluster for businesses who wish to utilize just servers with hyperthreading deactivated. Alibaba Cloud ECS is the leading IaaS provider in Asia-Pacific.
To manage storage and rapidly build secure virtual servers, businesses may utilize AWS EC2. Companies may choose from over 300 different instances in AWS EC2, explicitly designed for developers. It is no surprise that AWS EC2 leads the globe in IaaS.
Currently, AWS has more regions, and Alibaba Cloud has more instance families. Alibaba Cloud has a few sites in Europe and the US, but none in South America. AWS has global coverage, including two China regions. Both Alibaba Cloud and Amazon Web Services provide block, object, and file storage.
Both companies also provide low-cost “cold” storage. Almost all features are the same. Thus, the lower price point of Alibaba Cloud may be the determining factor.
Security Features
Both Alibaba Cloud and Amazon Web Services provide malware removal tools, a proprietary web application firewall, a malicious traffic filter, and automated backups.
AWS provides excellent data security by encrypting and protecting all cloud-based data and traffic. You can enhance security by utilizing AWS Identity Services to handle various identities, permissions, and resource availability.
Alibaba Cloud, on the other hand, is renowned for its advanced anti-DDoS technology. While most providers only defend against a limited number of DDoS assaults, Alibaba Cloud’s Worldwide Traffic Scrubbing rules offer global security. In a DDoS assault, harmful traffic is routed to scrubbing centers near the source, ensuring service availability.
Auxiliaries
AWS has recently increased its cloud computing and storage capacities, allowing it to provide more cloud-based services. These include CloudFront, Fargate, serverless computing, and more.
Alibaba Cloud provides comparable services. Alibaba Cloud Function Computing is his Lambda for AWS. It also offers a container service.
This blog article covers each Alibaba Cloud and AWS service in depth. Both businesses aim to offer a wide range of cloud services that go beyond basic computing and storage.
More people know about AWS, particularly among English-speaking customers. Almost no English-speaking IT professional has not heard of or utilized AWS services.
Comparatively, Westerners are unaware of Alibaba Cloud. Its primary services and price information are exclusively accessible on its relevant forums instead of official documents. However, Alibaba Cloud has deliberately grown its Western footprint and enhanced its English-speaking client support.
Cloud Alibaba vs. AWS: Price
Customers may choose between two payment options: pay-as-you-go or subscription. Pay-as-you-go enables you to pay for the resources your business uses and is suggested in traffic surges. For applications with steady traffic levels, the subscription option is most suited for long-term usage.
As your business uses more AWS services, your company benefits from bulk savings. Reserved Instances (RI) enables you to purchase reserved capacity for your requirements and pay No Upfront, Partial Upfront, or Full Upfront. This option allows you to save up to 75% compared to pay-as-you-go.
In terms of price, Alibaba Cloud seems to outperform AWS. However, when AWS RI savings are included, Alibaba Cloud’s price may not be significantly better.
AWS vs. Cloud: A Free Trial
Both Alibaba Cloud and Amazon Web Services allow subscribers to test and use their cloud services.
Alibaba Cloud recently offered 16 free test items and over 20 free goods. Subscribers may rate elastic computing, databases, storage, and service applications.
Concurrently, AWS provides customers with unrestricted access to their cloud platform. Choose from a range of AWS products and services that are either always free or free for a year.
Cloud Alibaba vs. AWS: Pros and Cons
Alibaba Cloud Pros and Cons:
- Rapid and sustained growth
- Diverse services
- Excellent safety features
- Become a financial powerhouse
Being an American business, there is a chance that sensitive data may be stored on servers outside the US or will be lost altogether. • Some internet features, including online papers and pricing calculators, are outdated. Alibaba Cloud is not headquartered in America.
AWS pros and cons Among the benefits are:
- Wide range of services and tools
- Global reach Why Reliable encryption
- Low cost and flexibility
- Complex billing
- AWS EC2 instances have limitations
The line’s End
Following the group leader is frequently considered beneficial. In China, Alibaba Cloud leads, while AWS leads worldwide. For the first time, Alibaba Cloud has entered the market aggressively, directly competing with AWS.
Choosing between Alibaba Cloud and AWS requires careful consideration of functionality, security, and money. So you may choose the best one.
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