Top 10 Public Cloud Hosting Service Providers in 2021

Public cloud is defined as a computing architecture where network, computing, storage, and other resources are available via the public internet and the same set of resources are shared by multiple tenants. This article discusses the 10 leading providers of public cloud solutions and the five features to check when selecting one. 

Table of Contents

• 5 Must-Have Features of a Public Cloud Hosting Solution
• Top 10 Public Cloud Service Providers in 2021

5 Must-Have Features of a Public Cloud Hosting Solution

Public cloud is a computing architecture where network, computing, storage, and other resources are available via the public internet and the same set of resources are shared by multiple tenants. 

If you are looking to adopt a public cloud solution, here are the five must-have features you need: 

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Key Features of a Public Cloud Hosting Solution

• Global data centers: Data centers must be available in multiple countries on every continent. This enables low latency, high availability, and compliance with regional laws. 
• Storage, compute, and network services: These are the three core services you need in a public cloud hosting solution. Apart from this, vendors can provide developer tools, database management, etc. 
• Implementation support: Migration to public cloud for the first time is a complex initiative. The vendor should provide support in architecture design and execution. 
• Pay-per-use pricing: Pay-per-use pricing is a must-have to ensure that you stay within projected costs and utilize cloud resources optimally. 
• Native or integrated security: Public clouds bring different security concerns from on-premise systems. Security services must be either bundled with the platform or available as an integration. 

Also Read: Top 10 Private Cloud Hosting Solution Providers in 2021

Top 10 Public Cloud Service Providers in 2021

Gartner predicts that global spending on public cloud will increase by 18%, crossing $362 billion by 2020. Here are 10 companies that stand out in this competitive and fast-growing market segment. 

Disclaimer: These listings are based on publicly available information and may include vendor websites that sell to mid-to-large enterprises. Readers are advised to conduct their own final research to ensure the best fit for their unique organizational needs.

1. Alibaba Cloud

Overview: The largest cloud computing company in China, Alibaba offers a wide range of cloud products and services to businesses worldwide. Its public cloud capabilities are comparable to Amazon, with one key difference – Alibaba Cloud is especially focused on ecommerce services and ecommerce website hosting. The company offers dedicated solutions for developers, small-to-mid-sized businesses and enterprises, with an extensive catalog of 100+ products. 

Key features: Here are the key features you can expect from Alibaba Cloud:

• Alibaba Cloud Academy, which provides training, certifications, and specialized skills in big data, security, and cloud computing products 
• Support for private cloud and hybrid cloud infrastructure 
• Media services through video cloud technology 
• A robust security and compliance center 
• An end-to-end IoT management platform and service platform for connecting the cloud to the edge 
• Developer services such as application monitoring, open application programming interfaces (APIs), and a container registry 

USP: The biggest USP of Alibaba Cloud is its entrenched presence in the Asia market. Companies that want to work with large enterprises in China and surrounding regions can rely on Alibaba’s massive collection of public cloud offerings to deliver resilient and feature-rich applications. 

Pricing: Alibaba Cloud is priced on a per-product basis, along with additional after-sales support plans. Support plans start at $19.99. 

Editorial comments: While ecommerce continues to be the primary focus for Alibaba, its cloud solutions are equally powerful and at par with global leaders. Therefore, companies eager to reach the Asia market should consider Alibaba Public Cloud. 

2. Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Overview: AWS is the public cloud arm of digital giant Amazon, operating since 2006. It caters to hundreds and thousands of businesses in 190 countries and has data centers in Europe, Singapore, Japan, and the U.S., among other locations. AWS has a vast range of services to choose from, along with strategic partnerships with SAP, Vodafone, and other large organizations. There is a highly active community surrounding AWS, which provides you with community support, learning materials, certifications, and more. 

Key features: Here are the key features you can expect with AWS:

• A massive range of services, including virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), robotics, and quantum technologies 
• Tailored solutions for different horizontals (manufacturing, telecom, hospitality, etc.) and technology categories like IoT, ML, serverless computing, and others 
• AWS professional services and managed services to amplify your in-house capabilities 
• The AWS IQ program to get specific service requests quickly addressed by certified freelancers and consultant firms 
• Amazon Lightsail service, an SMB-facing public cloud server that is available at low costs 
• Cloud financial management to optimize AWS resource utilization and budgets 

USP: AWS has a huge global presence with data centers spread out worldwide, including in China. Further, AWS has a strong presence in IoT, mobility, robotics, and other technologies related to edge and industrial use cases. 

Pricing: AWS Services are each priced individually, and you can avail of volume-based discounts. This means that the more public resources you use, the less you pay per GB. There’s also an AWS Free Tier, which includes 750 hours of Linux and Windows t2.micro instances. 

Editorial comments: AWS is an undeniable global leader in the public cloud space. Large enterprises and technology companies can partner with AWS to gain from its high availability and feature-rich infrastructure. 

Also Read: What Is Virtual Private Cloud (VPC)? Definition, Key Components, Best Practices, and Providers

3. DigitalOcean

Overview: In our list of the best public cloud hosting providers, DigitalOcean is among the youngest. Founded in 2012, the company completed its Series C funding round as recently as 2020, raising $50 million to power its cloud solutions. DigitalOcean has 13 data centers and serves businesses and developers in 195 countries. Importantly, this public cloud solution is development-focused, with products and services for application development, containerization, object storage, database management, and automated workflows. 

Key features: Here are some key features of DigitalOcean:

• A complete public cloud solution for application and website developers 
• Packaged solutions for your common use cases like game-building, website hosting, media streaming, etc. 
• Unified collaboration across different user accounts 
• One-click DevOps tools to automate infrastructure configurations, management, and scalability 
• Option to choose from two kinds of technical support, with a 30-minute response time included in the Premier Support tier 
• Linux virtual machines, managed Kubernetes services, and an app-building platform 

USP: A major differentiator for DigitalOcean is that it is extremely developer-centric. It offers a simple solution for development teams looking to build and deploy apps on public cloud, complete with GitHub integration while maintaining an affordable cost component. 

Pricing: DigitalOcean bills its customers for the specific services consumed, and pricing will vary based on the CPU option you choose (regular Intel, premium Intel, or premium AMD). 

Editorial comments: Publicly traded on the NYSE, DigitalOcean is an upcoming market leader, especially for development-centric public clouds. It’s primarily meant for startups and small-mid-sized technology companies. 

4. Google Cloud Platform

Overview: Google Cloud Platform (GCP) acts as both a public cloud hosting solution for enterprises as well as an enabler for Google’s product and service suite. Google Workspace, its analytics products, TensorFlow, and other tools are hosted on GCP, equipping you with seamless integrations. Google’s cloud presence is spread across 200+ countries and 76 data center zones. It places a strong focus on artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) with an impressive suite of cognitive tools. 

Key features: Here are some key features of GCP:

• A wide range of products dedicated to healthcare and life sciences applications 
• Prebuilt cognitive technology libraries, such as a platform for training ML models, speech-to-text, text and image recognition, and more 
• The Google Kubernetes Engine for running containerized apps 
• Ready-to-use services for workload migration to GCP 
• Pre-packaged solutions for different industries and specific use cases (productivity, infrastructure modernization, application modernization, etc.) 
• Several open-source cloud projects, including Kubernetes, TensorFlow, and others 

USP: GCP has one of the most robust AI and ML technologies libraries in the world, complemented by its advanced analytics capabilities. From AI building blocks to platform-based enablers like Vertex AI, Dialogflow, Apigee, there are many tools to help AI developers get started. 

Pricing: Google Cloud is priced on a service-based and volume-based model, and you get $300 in free credits when signing up. There is a free tier that allows you access to 20+ products with a monthly usage cap. 

Editorial comments: Google has made its mark in the public cloud segment owing to its analytics, AI, and ML capabilities. GCP is adding new services every day, and its tailored solutions make it ideal for growing businesses. 

Also Read: What Is Private Cloud Storage? Definition, Types, Examples, and Best Practices

5. Huawei Cloud

Overview: In the last few years, Huawei has invested heavily in public cloud technology geared for enterprise use. According to IDC, its core focus includes data-driven applications and AI on the cloud, and it is among the five biggest cloud vendors in China. Huawei has products addressing various public cloud use cases, including compute, storage, hosting, networking, middleware, edge computing, development, video, and cloud communications. 

Key features: Here are some key features of Huawei Cloud:

• Cloud-based communication services like SMS and real-time audio and video enabled by global carriers 
• Sophisticated solutions like a public cloud for smart cities, omnichannel financial services, and smart campuses
• Several data centers outside China, including Mexico City, Singapore, Johannesburg, São Paulo, and Bangkok, among others 
• A wide range of developer tools under the DevCloud offering 
• Self-hosted ecommerce solutions and other industry-specific applications like biomedicine, medical image archiving, and more 
• Security solutions for gaming, ecommerce, and brute force attack prevention 

USP: Like Alibaba, Huawei is also a leader in Asia’s public cloud segment. It has a strong presence in the communications space, coupled with its big data, visual cognition, and speech analytics services. 

Pricing: Huawei’s public cloud offering is billed by the hour, depending on the services you use. There are discounts available for longer subscriptions if your application workload is stable and predictable. Some services come with volume-based discounts as well. 

Editorial comments: Huawei constantly adds to its repertoire of cloud-based solutions; for example, aggregated payments to streamline backend processes for ecommerce and predictive maintenance using edge data. This helps address complex business problems with ease. 

6. IBM Cloud

Overview: While IBM regularly ranks as a top provider for private cloud, it also has a robust public cloud offering. The company offers more than 170 products and services on its open architecture cloud environment, including containerization, AI, blockchain, data solutions, and the internet of things (IoT). Interestingly, these services are easily interoperable with other public clouds or your own on-premise infrastructure. Some of the largest companies in the world and 47 of the Fortune 50 rely on IBM Cloud. 

Key features: Here are some key features of IBM Cloud:

• IBM Watson to help orchestrate cloud services 
• The recent acquisition of Turbonomic enabling the Turbonomic Application resource Management Services for better performance and lower costs 
• A managed serverless container platform that does not require any Kubernetes skillsets 
• Cutting edge applications such as the homegrown IBM Blockchain Platform, IBM Quantum Composer, and the IBM Edge Application Manager 
• IBM Cloud Satellite to enable public cloud consumption in your data center to support application development 
• Solutions tailored as per your industry, operational requirement, and technology infrastructure 

USP: IBM is among the few public cloud leaders that can support you on your end-to-end digital transformation journey before and after cloud implementation. It allows for greater interoperability, which translates into 2.5x value, according to the company. 

Pricing: You can choose from pay-as-you-go for select IBM services or you could make a one-year or three-year commitment for additional discounts and guaranteed capacities. There’s also IBM Cloud Lite with free access to 40+ services and $200 in credits when you upgrade from Lite to a Paid tier. 

Editorial comments: IBM offers an intelligent mix of infrastructure, advisory, professional services, and third-party-backed solutions. It can help you deploy an end-to-end digital infrastructure centered on public cloud. 

Also Read: Private vs. Public Cloud: 10 Key Comparisons

7. Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI)

Overview: Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) is the company’s public cloud offering that also comes in an optional on-premise (private) variant. The solution includes end-to-end management of your application lifecycle on the cloud, from migration to modernization and maintenance. OCI includes the widely recognized Oracle Autonomous Database that uses ML-based automation to self-drive, self-secure, and self-repair database processes. 

Key features: Here are the key features you can expect with OCI:

• A unique on-premise public cloud experience through the Oracle Dedicated Region Cloud@Customer offering
• A range of cloud applications including ERP, supply chain management, human capital management, and the Oracle Data Cloud (for advertising use cases)
• Easy migration of custom apps as well as Oracle apps to a public cloud environment 
• The Oracle Service Connector Hub to help DevOps teams manage interconnectivity between OCI services and third-party services 
• Dedicated cloud regions for governments
• The Oracle Cloud Observability and Management platform to help control both cloud-native and traditional technologies across on-premise, hybrid, public, and multi-cloud landscapes

USP: The Oracle Autonomous Database sets OCI apart from other public cloud solutions, letting you optimize operations and security at lower effort overheads. Oracle also premises a rapid implementation process in weeks or even days. 

Pricing: The offering is priced by the hour and only for the services you use, with each service assigned a specific pricing component. The company also offers the Oracle Cloud Free Tier for unlimited free access to select services, two virtual machines, and 10 GB of object storage and archive storage. 

Editorial comments: Oracle is highly secure, easy to scale, and among the best choices for database management. It’s also one of the few companies to offer an on-premise public cloud experience. 

8. Orange Public Cloud – Flexible Engine

Overview: Orange is a global IT product and service company with a focus on telecommunications and mobility. Apart from helping to connect 8 million business customers worldwide, it also has an open and secure public cloud offering called the Flexible Engine. The solution is hosted on 17,200+ virtual machines and incorporates services across compute, storage, networking, data, security, and applications. Customers leveraging the Orange Flexible Engine can also gain from its IT enablers, spanning big data, AI, and other fields. 

Key features: Here are some key features of Orange Public Cloud – Flexible Engine:

• Built on the Huawei Openstack™ distribution for better interoperability 
• Standard APIs for easy administration 
• Datacenter management by experts working in close collaboration with Orange Cyberdefense, the company’s dedicated cybersecurity arm 
• Ready-to-use service templates for common use cases like website management, big data, ERP, etc. 
• Packaged solutions for collaborative workspaces, IoT, network transformation, and more 
• Cloud Eye Service (CES) and Cloud Trace Service (CTS) to monitor resource utilization and detailed operational audits 

USP: With Orange, you can gain from the company’s innovative cyberdefense team, and its established presence in Europe which powers its professional services for GDPR. 

Pricing: Orange lets you choose between pay-as-you-go pricing starting at € 3.53 for a service or a subscription model for bigger discounts. 

Editorial comments: Orange is among the leading IT services providers in Europe, making Flexible Engine a preferred solution for companies looking to penetrate the E.U. market. It’s fully compliant with regional laws and regulations. 

Also Read: Cloud vs. On-premise Comparison: Key Differences and Similarities

9. Linode 

Overview: Linode is an SMB and developer-focused public cloud hosting provider, operating out of 11 data centers worldwide. The company offers affordability and accessibility, costing almost half of AWS and GCP for identical consumption. It is also interoperable with other providers if you require a multi-cloud setup and comes with a (limited time) free migration service to help you get started with public cloud. Its solution includes containerization, compute, storage, networking, and a set of developer tools. 

Key features: Here are some key features of Linode:

• A Linux-based public cloud hosting environment
• Ready-to-use solutions for ML, video streaming, e-learning, SaaS, website hosting, and digital agency management 
• Optional managed services and professional services to simplify your cloud journey 
• A bundled Terraform Provider to deploy your infrastructure as code 
• Linode Custom Images to deploy the same machine image across multiple devices 
• A feature called StackScripts, which are prebuilt automation recipes or scripts to speed up common deployment tasks 

USP: Cost savings is the biggest USP of Linode. It promises to help save 50% of the costs you need with AWS or GCP. The solution is designed with affordability and value in mind, with the free bundled transfer of your existing workload. 

Pricing: The different components of the Linode Cloud are individually priced – for example, a 1 GB RAM shared virtual machine with 1 TB data transfer, 25 GB SSD storage, and network out speeds at 1000 MBPS would cost $.0075 per hour. All packages include a seven-day money-back guarantee. 

Editorial comments: Linode offers a powerful and affordable solution for companies looking for a Linux-based alternative in the public cloud space. 

10. Microsoft Azure

Overview: Microsoft Azure is among the largest cloud providers in the world and a popular choice for companies already entrenched in the Microsoft ecosystem. Azure is natively integrated with Microsoft’s other cloud-based products, including productivity tools, business intelligence, and enterprise resource planning (ERP). Importantly, Azure has a strong presence in the public sector owing to the company’s Government Community Cloud (GCC) offering. 

Key features: Here are some key features of Microsoft Azure:

• Solutions for cutting-edge use cases like AI/ML, blockchain, etc.
• The PlayFab for game developers, Cosmos DB for high availability app development, the Kinect developer kit to build computer vision and speech models, and other ready-to-deploy tools 
• Tailored solutions for manufacturing, retail, government, healthcare, and financial services 
• A strong data analytics and business capability, including cloud-native analytics through Synapse
• Two capabilities to guide your public cloud journey: Microsoft Cloud Adoption Framework for Azure at the initial stages and the Azure Well-Architected Framework for optimal utilization 
• Environmentally conscious data center with a focus on carbon neutrality since 2012 and aiming to become carbon negative by 2030 

USP: Microsoft Azure gives you access to a large ecosystem of integrated products, apps, and services that are a part of the Microsoft universe. Business productivity and analytics are the top focus areas for Azure, and the GCC makes it a smart alternative for public sector organizations. 

Pricing: Each product in the Microsoft Azure suite is individually priced. You can get discounted rates for development and testing activities and additional cost benefits when you make a one-year or three-year commitment. 

Editorial comments: Azure is the public cloud of choice for government agencies, contractors, educational institutions, and other public sector organizations. It is a good alternative for those with existing Microsoft dependencies. 

Takeaway

Public cloud technology is a revolutionary advancement for enterprises. It significantly cuts down your infrastructure costs while transforming the way you build and deploy new applications and processes. These 10 solutions have the potential to power a new era of business advancements, bringing greater flexibility, agility, and ease of use. 

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