Amazon Web Services (AWS) is a cloud infrastructure and managed-services platform. Teams assemble compute, storage, databases, networking and application services into an architecture rather than buy one all-inclusive software subscription. EC2 virtual machines, S3 object storage and Lambda functions have different operating and charging models. A useful AWS buying brief identifies the exact services, regions, support level and responsibility for maintaining the application. Learn more about Amazon Web Services
Who should take a closer look?Engineering organisations building an explicitly scoped cloud application or infrastructure estate
Capabilities to explore
- ✓Virtual machines and serverless compute
- ✓Object and block storage
- ✓Managed database services
Selected recurring service allowancesSelected services have recurring Always Free allowances. The current new-customer Free plan lasts up to six months or until credits run out; up to $200 in credits is promotional, not a permanent infrastructure budget.
Microsoft Azure provides infrastructure and managed services for applications, databases, analytics and hybrid environments. Virtual Machines, App Service and Azure Functions represent different ways to run an application; their costs and operating responsibilities differ. Microsoft software familiarity can help frame an evaluation, but existing Microsoft 365 subscriptions do not establish that Azure infrastructure, support or all software licences are included. Learn more about Microsoft Azure
Who should take a closer look?Organisations evaluating cloud workloads alongside an existing Microsoft technology estate
Capabilities to explore
- ✓Virtual machines and application hosting
- ✓Managed databases and storage
- ✓Hybrid management services
Selected recurring service allowancesAzure offers specified recurring free service amounts, plus selected 12-month allowances for new customers. The new-customer $200 credit lasts 30 days; moving to pay as you go is required to continue after that period or credit exhaustion.
Google Cloud combines infrastructure services with managed application, data and AI products. Compute Engine, Google Kubernetes Engine, Cloud Run and BigQuery address different workload models within the wider platform. This profile covers Google Cloud as a buying portfolio; it does not mean every capability is included in one plan. Product location, permissions, consumption and operational ownership need to be defined for each proposed deployment. Learn more about Google Cloud
Who should take a closer look?Engineering and data teams selecting managed services against a defined application and analytics workload
Capabilities to explore
- ✓Virtual machines and container services
- ✓Managed application runtimes
- ✓Storage and database services
Selected recurring product allowancesEligible services have recurring Free Tier limits. New customers can receive a $300 trial credit for 90 days; the trial and the ongoing product allowances are separate.
Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) is a portfolio of compute, storage, networking, database and application infrastructure services. It includes Oracle database services alongside general cloud resources. An evaluation should distinguish the infrastructure purchase from Oracle business application subscriptions and from any existing database licence. Region, database deployment type, capacity and support requirements shape the actual solution. Learn more about Oracle Cloud Infrastructure
Who should take a closer look?Teams scoping Oracle database infrastructure or a wider cloud application environment
Capabilities to explore
- ✓Virtual machines and bare-metal compute
- ✓Object and block storage
- ✓Oracle database services
Limited Always Free servicesOCI combines limited Always Free services with a new-account $300 credit usable for up to 30 days. Resources outside the continuing free scope need a paid account after the trial.
DigitalOcean provides virtual machines, application hosting, managed databases, storage and developer infrastructure. Droplets offer a virtual-machine operating model, while App Platform and managed database products transfer different tasks to the service. Compare the specific deployment rather than treating the provider as a single hosting package. Backups, resource sizing, network usage and the support arrangement still belong in a production budget. Learn more about DigitalOcean
Who should take a closer look?Development teams evaluating a focused application infrastructure stack with product-level pricing
Capabilities to explore
- ✓Droplet virtual machines
- ✓Managed Kubernetes
- ✓App Platform application hosting
Limited free static-site tierApp Platform has a recurring Free tier for three static-only apps with 1 GiB monthly transfer per app; overages can be charged. Separately, the current first-team signup credit is $5 for 90 days, excluding SaaS Add-Ons. Neither offer makes Droplets permanently free.
Akamai Cloud offers compute, storage, managed Kubernetes and related infrastructure, with Linode remaining visible in Cloud Manager access and existing documentation. This profile focuses on cloud computing services, not an assumption that every Akamai security or content-delivery product comes with a compute plan. Buyers should identify the exact CPU family, location, storage and networking arrangement before comparing an application deployment. Learn more about Akamai Cloud (Linode)
Who should take a closer look?Teams evaluating virtual machines or container infrastructure with explicit plan and transfer requirements
Capabilities to explore
- ✓Shared and dedicated CPU plans
- ✓Linode Kubernetes Engine
- ✓Object and block storage
Temporary new-customer creditAkamai advertises a new-customer $100 promotional credit, subject to redemption conditions and eligible services. This is temporary credit, not a recurring free compute plan; overages and active services can be charged.
No tools match those filters. Try a different name or remove the free-plan filter.
