aws hosting packages: what to expect and how to choose

Overview

AWS offers flexible hosting packages that scale from a small blog to a global SaaS. Rather than one bundle, you combine managed services to match your stack, uptime targets, and budget. Expect on-demand pricing, fine-grained controls, and deep observability.

Core options

EC2 gives raw servers, while Lightsail simplifies VPS-style setups. Elastic Beanstalk automates deploys for web apps, and container fans can use ECS or EKS. For static sites, pair S3 with CloudFront. Databases span RDS and DynamoDB, with backups, multi-AZ, and encryption built in.

• Granular scaling: vertical, horizontal, and auto scaling groups
• Security first: VPC, Security Groups, IAM, and managed certificates
• Global reach: multiple regions and edge caching
• Observability: CloudWatch metrics, logs, and alarms

Costs and planning

Pricing is pay-as-you-go, with discounts via reserved capacity and Savings Plans. Track data transfer and storage, not just compute. Start small, set budgets and alerts, then iterate.

1. Define requirements: traffic, latency, compliance
2. Choose a base service tier
3. Add security, backups, and monitoring
4. Load test, rightsize, and automate