Amazon Web Services started back in 2006 as part of Amazon.com. It’s led by Adam Selipsky now, who took over as CEO in 2021.
I find it impressive how AWS helps organizations of all sizes move faster and lower IT costs with a wide range of cloud-based services.
AWS powers millions of customers across more than 190 countries.
In this Amazon Web Services review, I am going to share why it’s the top choice in cloud infrastructure. It serves startups, global brands, enterprises, and even public sector organizations like NASA and Netflix.
AWS employs over 70,000 people worldwide.
By 2024, AWS brought in $90.8 billion in net revenue.
It contributed to over half of Amazon’s total operating profit that year, showing how critical it is to their business.
Recently, AWS rolled out several security updates including new features in AWS Network Firewall backed by Amazon’s MadPot threat intelligence. Plus, you get an exportable public SSL/TLS certificate option in AWS Certificate Manager.
They also simplified the security console for AWS WAF.
On top of this, AWS keeps growing its global infrastructure by opening new data centers and adding region-specific services. This helps your applications perform better and stay compliant in different locations.
AWS really focuses on giving you tools to build and scale efficiently, while keeping security tight and operational costs manageable.
| Amazon Web Services (AWS) – Quick Overview | |
|---|---|
| What It Does | Provides a comprehensive suite of cloud-based services that help you move faster, lower IT costs, and scale applications globally. |
| Best For | • Startups, SMBs, and large enterprises • Teams needing scalable infrastructure and rapid deployment • Organizations in tech, finance, healthcare, media, and government sectors • Businesses building cloud-native apps or running AI/ML workloads • Companies needing hybrid or multi-cloud solutions |
| Key Products | Amazon EC2, AWS Lambda, Amazon S3, Amazon RDS, Amazon VPC, AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM), Amazon SageMaker, AWS CodePipeline, AWS IoT Core |
| Pricing | Pay-as-you-go model with a 12-month free trial including EC2, S3, RDS, Lambda usage; reserved instances and savings plans for discounts; demos available; pricing varies by service and usage. |
| Standout Features | • Global scalability with 105 Availability Zones in 33 regions • Broad selection of 200+ cloud services • Advanced security and compliance features • Pay only for what you use • Powerful AI & machine learning platforms |
| Integrations | Salesforce, Slack, GitHub, Zoom plus hundreds of third-party apps and platforms; seamless APIs and SDKs for automation and hybrid setups |
| Get Started | Start Free Trial → |
Amazon Web Services Solutions
AWS offers a huge range of services.
There are over 200 fully featured services divided into major categories. I’ll walk you through the core ones so you get a good sense of what’s there.
1. Compute
Amazon EC2 lets you deploy and manage virtual servers whenever you need them. You can scale up or down depending on your workload.
AWS Lambda runs your code without the hassle of managing servers. You only pay for the time your code actually runs.
Elastic Beanstalk makes deploying and managing web apps or APIs really simple. It handles the heavy lifting for you.
2. Storage
Amazon S3 offers scalable object storage. It’s great for backup, archiving, or building data lakes.
Amazon EBS provides block-level storage volumes for use with your EC2 instances. It’s solid and flexible storage.
Amazon Glacier is your go-to for low-cost archival storage if you want to keep data long-term without spending much.
3. Databases
Amazon RDS manages SQL databases for you. It supports MySQL, PostgreSQL, MariaDB, Oracle, and SQL Server.
Amazon DynamoDB is a fully managed NoSQL database service. It’s fast and handles lots of data easily.
Amazon Aurora delivers a high-performance relational database. It’s compatible with MySQL and PostgreSQL but offers better speed and availability.
4. Networking & Content Delivery
Amazon VPC lets you launch resources within a logically isolated network. You control the security and networking environment.
Amazon CloudFront is a global content delivery network. It helps get your web content to users quickly and securely.
AWS Direct Connect provides dedicated network connections. This links your premises directly to AWS, improving performance and security.
5. Security, Identity & Compliance
AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) lets you control user access and permissions across your AWS environment.
AWS WAF protects your applications from common web exploits. It helps keep your apps safer from threats.
AWS Shield offers managed protection against DDoS attacks, so your services stay available and resilient.
6. Analytics & Machine Learning
Amazon Redshift supports petabyte-scale data warehousing. It’s great if you need to analyze huge datasets quickly.
Amazon EMR is a managed Hadoop framework. It simplifies big data processing without setting up clusters yourself.
Amazon SageMaker helps you build, train, and deploy machine learning models. It takes care of the heavy lifting involved in ML workflows.
7. Application Integration
Amazon SNS is a messaging service providing mobile notifications and push messages. It keeps your apps connected.
Amazon SQS offers fully managed message queuing. It lets your components communicate reliably and asynchronously.
8. Developer Tools
AWS CodeBuild, CodeDeploy, and CodePipeline help you build, test, and deploy applications. These tools streamline your CI/CD pipelines.
Cloud9 is an online IDE that provides easy code authoring and debugging directly in your browser.
9. IoT, Mobile, and Edge
AWS IoT Core connects and manages your IoT devices securely. It scales with your device fleet size.
AWS Greengrass lets you run AWS functionality locally on edge devices. It reduces latency and handles intermittent connectivity.
Integrations
AWS works natively with hundreds of popular third-party apps and platforms like Salesforce, Slack, GitHub, and Zoom.
You can also connect AWS to your existing on-premises setup or hybrid environments using VPNs, Direct Connect, and other tools. This helps you incorporate cloud resources smoothly into your workflows.
Amazon Web Services Features
1. Global Scalability and Reliability
You can deploy applications across 105 Availability Zones in 33 geographic regions. This gives you high uptime, redundancy, and low latency for users wherever they are.
This global reach helps with disaster recovery and makes it easier to comply with local laws. It’s especially handy if you work with multinational teams.
2. Broad Service Selection
AWS offers over 200 cloud services covering compute, storage, databases, analytics, AI/ML, IoT, mobile, and developer tools. It pretty much covers every IT need you might have.
Having everything under one roof lets you standardize your infrastructure while trying out new tech as your business grows.
3. Pay-as-You-Go Pricing
You don’t need to make large upfront investments. You only pay for what you use, when you use it.
This pricing model makes cloud adoption affordable for startups and flexible for enterprises with workloads that change often.
4. Advanced Security Features
AWS builds security right into its platform with end-to-end encryption and granular identity and access management. It also offers dedicated services like AWS WAF, Shield, CloudHSM, and Amazon Macie for added protection.
Plus, AWS complies with strict standards like GDPR, HIPAA, and SOC, which is great if your business handles sensitive data.
5. Automation and DevOps Tools
Tools like AWS CloudFormation let you automate deployments using Infrastructure-as-Code. AWS Systems Manager helps with configuration and monitoring at scale.
These tools allow you to speed up deployments and keep your environments consistent.
6. Powerful AI & Machine Learning
AWS provides pre-built AI services like translation, image recognition, and chatbots. It also offers Amazon SageMaker for training custom machine learning models.
This means you can easily add advanced AI capabilities to your projects while still having the option to dive deeper if you’re an AI specialist.
7. Seamless Integration and APIs
Every AWS service is accessible via REST APIs and SDKs for dozens of languages, making it easy to automate tasks or build mobile and cloud-native apps.
You can also manage your resources on the go with mobile SDKs and the AWS Console mobile app.
8. Continuous Innovation & Regular Updates
AWS regularly rolls out new services and improvements. Recent updates include better network security using threat intelligence with MadPot, more exportable SSL/TLS certificates, and simpler consoles for security services.
These updates help you keep your business technologically current and secure.
Amazon Web Services Pricing Plans
AWS pricing can feel complex because it covers so many services. But the basic idea is you pay as you go, with some free options and reserved pricing if you plan ahead.
You’ll find a Free Tier that includes a 12-month trial and some always-free usage, plus discounted options if you commit long-term.
Amazon Web Services pricing gives you lots of flexibility but also means you should watch your usage closely to avoid surprises.
| Plan | Price & Features |
|---|---|
| Free Tier | 12-month free trial + always free usage • 750 hours/month EC2 micro instance • 5GB S3 storage • 750 hours/month RDS Single-AZ db.t2.micro • 1 million Lambda requests • 1 million API Gateway calls |
| On-Demand Pricing | Pay as you go • EC2 t4g.nano instance starts at $0.0116/hour • S3 storage starts at $0.023 per GB/month • RDS db.t4g.micro MySQL starts at $0.018/hour |
| Reserved Instances & Savings Plans | Up to 72% discount • 1 or 3 year commitment • Discounts on certain compute resources |
| Spot Instances | Up to 90% off on unused capacity • Purchase spare compute capacity at large discounts |
| Enterprise & Custom Pricing | Custom quotes and support • Tailored for large-scale needs • Dedicated support |
AWS keeps lowering prices and launching tools to help you manage costs. You’ll want to use their pricing calculators and monitoring tools to stay on track.
Trying out AWS is easy since many services offer free tier access or demos, so you can get hands-on without upfront costs.
If you want to dive deeper, click here to learn more about Amazon Web Services pricing →
Amazon Web Services Alternatives
AWS faces strong competition from five major providers.
Each has its own core strengths and differences compared to AWS, especially in pricing and unique features.
How AWS Compares
AWS leads with its broad range of services, maturity, and extensive global infrastructure.
However, it can be more expensive for some workloads, especially when compared to Google Cloud or Microsoft Azure.
Azure fits organizations already invested in Microsoft products better.
Google Cloud attracts users focused on data, AI, and machine learning, often offering lower analytics costs.
Oracle Cloud is perfect for enterprises using a lot of Oracle databases.
Alibaba Cloud works best if you want to focus on Asia-Pacific operations.
AWS brings a strong ecosystem and a large third-party marketplace, plus ongoing innovation.
Still, it can be pricey for smaller companies without tight budget management.
| Competitor | Their Strengths | Amazon Web Services Advantage |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Azure | Enterprise and hybrid cloud focus with close Microsoft integrations | AWS offers broader services and global infrastructure supporting diverse cloud needs |
| Google Cloud (GCP) | Strong in data, analytics and machine learning with simplified networking | AWS provides a wider ecosystem and more mature marketplace even if some services cost more |
| Oracle Cloud | Optimized for Oracle workloads, especially databases | AWS covers more general use cases and third-party integrations beyond Oracle tech |
| IBM Cloud | Focused on regulated industries with AI and on-premise options | AWS leads in global reach and innovation pace for a wider range of sectors |
| Alibaba Cloud | Dominates Asia-Pacific market with local compliance strength | AWS offers a global footprint and broader service portfolio for international users |
Who Should Use Amazon Web Services
1. Startups, SMBs, and large enterprises
If you need scalable infrastructure, rapid deployment, and global reach, AWS is a great fit. It adapts as your business grows and supports different stages smoothly.
This works well whether you’re just starting out or managing a big, complex operation.
2. Technology, finance, healthcare, media, and government sectors
You’ll find AWS useful if your industry requires high compliance or strong security measures. It handles sensitive data with the care it demands.
These sectors benefit from AWS’s certifications and security controls to meet strict regulations.
3. Teams building cloud-native apps or scaling high-traffic SaaS products
AWS supports running large-scale analytics and AI/ML workloads efficiently. It gives you the power to build and scale sophisticated applications without constant infrastructure headaches.
This means you can focus more on innovation while AWS manages your business heavy lifting.
4. Companies needing hybrid or multi-cloud solutions
If you want to mix cloud environments or avoid vendor lock-in, AWS offers tools that fit this approach. It lets you balance workloads across different platforms easily.
This flexibility can save you costs and improve resilience.
You might want to look elsewhere if your tech stack depends heavily on Microsoft, Oracle, or Google products.
Or if you work mostly in regions where Alibaba Cloud provides better regulatory or localization advantages.
Choose AWS when you care about flexibility, global presence, variety of services, and top-tier security.
Bottom Line
AWS is the most widely adopted cloud platform out there.
It offers a huge product ecosystem, strong security, and continuous innovation. You only pay for what you use, which gives you plenty of pricing flexibility.
The pricing can get confusing, though, and it takes time to learn how to manage it well.
If you want scalable, secure cloud infrastructure and can invest time in understanding your usage, AWS should be on your shortlist.
I hope this Amazon Web Services review has helped you get a clearer picture.
For tight budgets or very specific needs, checking other options might make sense.
Otherwise, AWS remains the gold standard for cloud computing in 2025.
