Clever Cloud vs. Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Enjoy faster deployments, predictable pricing, and full European sovereignty — all with a developer-first cloud platform built for simplicity.
Compare Clever Cloud and AWS.
| Category | Clever Cloud | AWS (Amazon Web Services) |
|---|---|---|
| Core Offering | Developer-oriented PaaS & DBaaS with an integrated marketplace. | IaaS + PaaS with hundreds of services (compute, storage, networking, AI, IoT, analytics, and more). |
| Ease of Use | Simple deployment, built-in autoscaling and monitoring, no infrastructure management. | Complex: steep learning curve. |
| Supported Languages & Runtimes | .NET, Docker, Elixir, FrankenPHP, Go, Haskell, Java, Node.js, PHP, Python, Ruby, Rust, Scala, Static; simplified deployment workflows, VMs, containers. | Node.js, Python, PHP, Java, Ruby, Go, .NET, Docker/custom runtimes. |
| Scalability & Performance | Automatic horizontal and vertical scaling based on real usage; autoscaling for app instances and replicas, with built-in replication and automatic redeployment. | Automatic horizontal and vertical scaling based on real usage; autoscaling for app instances and replicas, with built-in replication and automatic redeployment. |
| Deployment Model | Git, GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket integrations; integrated CI/CD pipelines; immutable deployments; CLI, API, Kubernetes, Infrastructure as Code. | Git, GitHub, GitLab integrations; CI/CD via AWS CodePipeline / CodeBuild; immutable deployments via Elastic Beanstalk, ECS, or EKS; CLI, API, Terraform, Kubernetes. |
| Marketplace & Services | Marketplace including managed databases, object storage, observability, CI/CD, IAM, security, and integrated backups. | Global marketplace with third-party software, databases, AI/ML, security, SaaS, networking, and infrastructure tools. |
| Monitoring & Observability | Integrated dashboards, logs, metrics, and alerts — no third-party services required. | Monitoring and observability via CloudWatch; integrated alerts and dashboards, with optional third-party integrations. |
| Compliance, Security & Sovereignty | Security built-in: isolated applications, automatic backups, encrypted data, GDPR-compliant, ISO 27001 & 9001, HDS certified, SecNumCloud in progress. | Provides multiple security and compliance tools, compliant with numerous standards (ISO, SOC, PCI DSS, HIPAA), but as a US provider remains subject to extraterritorial laws. |
| Infrastructure / Global Coverage | Owns and operates its own infrastructure. Primarily based in Europe, with additional locations in Canada, Dubai, Singapore, Sydney, Abidjan, and Kazakhstan. | Global infrastructure with data centers on every continent. |
| Data Location | Hosting in France and worldwide, outside US and Chinese jurisdiction. | Customers can choose data locations across the Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa. |
| Support & SLA | Support included via console, documentation, and ticket system; 99.9% SLA by default; 99.99% SLA with 24/7 Premium on-call option. | Basic Support includes 24/7 customer service, documentation, forums, basic Trusted Advisor checks, and AWS Health; per-service SLAs with credit-based compensation if targets are not met. |
| Pricing Model | Transparent, usage-based billing: clear per-resource pricing designed for cost predictability. | Flexible but complex pricing: multiple models (on-demand, reserved, spot), variable costs depending on usage and data transfer. |
Key Advantages of Clever Cloud
Effortless Developer Experience
Deploy your code in one click with Git. Autoscaling, backups, and observability tools are built-in by default. We handle infrastructure maintenance so you can focus on building.
European Sovereignty and Compliance
Your data is protected by GDPR-compliant hosting. Clever Cloud holds ISO 27001, ISO 9001, and HDS certifications, with SecNumCloud in progress. No exposure to US extraterritorial laws.
Built-In Multicloud Flexibility
Deploy your apps wherever you want: on Clever Cloud, with a partner, or on your own infrastructure — no vendor lock-in.
Clear and Predictable Pricing
Simple, per-second billing based on actual usage. No end-of-month surprises — you pay only for what you use.
Human and Responsive Support
Direct, efficient assistance from our engineering team. Fast responses are included with all plans, plus a 24/7 Premium option for critical workloads.
Unit Pricing Comparison by Resource
| Resource / Unit | Unit | Clever Cloud (€) | AWS (€) |
|---|---|---|---|
| vCPU | per hour | 0.00825¹ | 0.00402⁷ |
| RAM (1 GB) | per hour | 0.0219² | 0.00891⁸ |
| Storage (1 GB) | per GB/month | 0.02³ | 0.02056⁹ |
| Outbound Bandwidth | per GB | 0.09⁴ | First 100 GB free¹⁰ |
| PostgreSQL DB (1 vCPU / 2 GB) | per month | 6.8⁵ | 21.25¹¹ |
| Logs | per GB | 7-day retention⁶ | 0.5¹² |
| Monitoring | per custom metric/month | Included | 0.27¹³ |
| Support | per month | Free support for all users, including free-tier plans. Email support with responses usually within a few hours to two business days. | Basic Support (free) includes 24/7 access to customer service, documentation, whitepapers, and AWS re:Post; also includes basic Trusted Advisor checks and AWS Health monitoring. |
¹ Based on “nano” unit (1 vCPU, 512 MB RAM for €6/month).
² Based on “XS” unit (1 vCPU, 1 GB RAM for €16/month).
³ Based on Cellar Object Storage pricing.
⁴ Based on Cellar Object Storage bandwidth pricing.
⁵ Based on “XXS Medium Space” unit with 2 GiB storage.
⁶ Based on Clever Cloud documentation.
⁷ Based on AWS t4g.nano (2 vCPUs, 0.5 GB RAM).
⁸ Based on AWS t3.micro (2 vCPUs, 1 GB RAM).
⁹ Based on AWS S3 Standard pricing.
¹⁰ AWS data transfer pricing — first 1 GB free, then ~€0.077 per GB for the first 10 TB.
¹¹ AWS RDS PostgreSQL db.t2.small (1 vCPU, 2 GB RAM), on-demand, Europe (Paris).
¹² AWS CloudWatch Logs — €0.50 per GB for first 1 TB ingested.
¹³ AWS CloudWatch Metrics — €0.30 per metric per month for first 10,000 metrics.
Why Clever Cloud is the Best AWS Alternative Today
Choosing Clever Cloud means opting for:
- A modern PaaS experience that eliminates AWS’s operational complexity.
- Sovereign hosting that meets European regulatory standards.
- Predictable costs thanks to clear pricing and a public cost simulator.
- Security and compliance built in by design.
Get Started with Clever Cloud
Deploy your applications in minutes, scale automatically, and stay fully GDPR-compliant — all with transparent, usage-based pricing.