Software · head to head
AWS (Amazon Web Services) vs IBM Cloud
AWS (Amazon Web Services)
Software
The leading cloud computing platform
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: AWS (Amazon Web Services) data transfer in is free and data transfer out is charged, which is the standard source of unexpected bills; IBM Cloud the USD 200 starter cloud credit is valid for 30 days only
- They diverge on capability: AWS (Amazon Web Services) covers EC2 - Virtual Servers, IBM Cloud covers Virtual Servers.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which AWS (Amazon Web Services) and IBM Cloud actually diverge.
| Attribute | AWS (Amazon Web Services) | IBM Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Web, Api, Cli, Mobile | Linux, Windows, Api, Cli |
| Founded | 2006 | 2013 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (usage-based), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in AWS (Amazon Web Services)
- EC2 - Virtual Servers
- S3 - Object Storage
- RDS - Managed Database
- Lambda - Serverless Computing
- CloudFront - CDN
- VPC - Virtual Network
- IAM - Access Management
- CloudWatch - Monitoring
Only in IBM Cloud
- Virtual Servers
- Bare Metal
- Cloud Foundry
- Watson AI
- Blockchain
- Databases
- API Gateway
- Ansible
Both cover
- Terraform
- Kubernetes
- Docker
- SOC2
- ISO27001
- HIPAA
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
AWS (Amazon Web Services)
- Web hostingnot IBM Cloud
- Data storagenot IBM Cloud
- Machine learningnot IBM Cloud
- Big data analyticsnot IBM Cloud
- Application developmentnot IBM Cloud
IBM Cloud
- Running containerized and VM workloads on IBM's public cloudnot AWS (Amazon Web Services)
- Building on Watson APIs and IBM middleware as managed servicesnot AWS (Amazon Web Services)
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
AWS (Amazon Web Services)
- Data transfer in is free and data transfer out is charged, which is the standard source of unexpected bills
- Discounts require one or three year Savings Plan commitments rather than being automatic
- Every service is priced separately, so a working architecture has no single published cost
- The free tier is a promotional allowance rather than an ongoing free plan
IBM Cloud
- The USD 200 starter cloud credit is valid for 30 days only
- The larger promotional credits are time boxed: USD 1,000 for Bare Metal Servers for VPC over 120 days, USD 2,500 for Power Virtual Server over 90 days, and USD 5,000 for Backup and Recovery over 90 days
- The USD 5,000 Backup and Recovery promotion is valid for new clients only and requires a checkout promo code
- The listed promotions carry an expiry date of 31 December 2026
- Beyond the free tier the account is pay as you go, so cost tracks usage with no published cap
Pricing, plan by plan
AWS (Amazon Web Services)
Free- AWS Free TierFree
- EC2 750 hours/month
- 5GB S3 storage
- 20GB data transfer
- Pay-As-You-GoFree
- No upfront payment
- No long-term commitments
- Pay only for what you use
IBM Cloud
Free- Lite PlanFree
- Free services
- Limited resources
- 30-day trial
- Standard PlanFree
- Pay-as-you-go
- Enterprise support
- Advanced services
Which should you pick?
Choose AWS (Amazon Web Services) if
- You need ec2 - virtual servers.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Api, Cli, Mobile.
- You also want s3 - object storage.
Choose IBM Cloud if
- You need virtual servers.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Linux, Windows, Api, Cli.
- You also want bare metal.
Questions people ask
- Is AWS (Amazon Web Services) or IBM Cloud better?
- Neither clearly leads. AWS (Amazon Web Services) starts at Free and IBM Cloud at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, AWS (Amazon Web Services) or IBM Cloud?
- AWS (Amazon Web Services) starts at Free and IBM Cloud at Free.
- Does AWS (Amazon Web Services) or IBM Cloud run on more platforms?
- AWS (Amazon Web Services) runs on Web, Api, Cli, Mobile. IBM Cloud runs on Linux, Windows, Api, Cli.
- Can I use AWS (Amazon Web Services) for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is AWS (Amazon Web Services) best used for?
- AWS (Amazon Web Services) is most often used for web hosting, data storage, machine learning, big data analytics. Of those, web hosting and data storage are not what IBM Cloud is typically brought in for.
- What can AWS (Amazon Web Services) do that IBM Cloud cannot?
- AWS (Amazon Web Services) covers EC2 - Virtual Servers, S3 - Object Storage, RDS - Managed Database, Lambda - Serverless Computing. IBM Cloud covers Virtual Servers, Bare Metal, Cloud Foundry, Watson AI. Both handle Terraform, Kubernetes, Docker, SOC2.