How to run a Docker container in the cloud: 5 best solutions

Cloud hosting services are essential for businesses of all sizes, providing scalable resources and reliable performance for web applications and data storage. In 2024, the cloud hosting market is more competitive than ever, with various providers offering cutting-edge solutions to meet different needs. This article will cover the best cloud hosting providers in the US, focusing on their strengths, pricing, and key features. Evaluation Criteria When choosing a cloud hosting provider, it's crucial to evaluate a few critical factors: Performance: Speed, reliability, and uptime are crucial for any hosting service. Scalability: The ability to grow with your business, supporting increased traffic and resource demand. Security: Security measures such as encryption, firewalls, and backup solutions are vital to protect your data. Customer Support: 24/7 support can be a lifesaver during technical issues. Pricing: The cost of cloud hosting should align with the services and resources provided. Ease of Use: A user-friendly interface and comprehensive documentation can help manage your services more efficiently. Top Cloud Hosting Providers in the US Here are the leading cloud hosting providers for 2024, with your company listed first, alongside an overview of their features, benefits, and a comparison with competitors. 1. Hostman Key Features: Simplified cloud hosting with a user-friendly interface High scalability and flexibility – users can easily adjust configurations when they need more power, ensuring seamless scaling for growing businesses Free 24/7 customer support with a response time of less than 15 minutes Integrated CI/CD pipelines for smooth and efficient development workflows Fully automated deployment, eliminating the need for manual configuration Perfect for startups and small to medium-sized businesses due to its simplicity and ease of use Budget-friendly pricing with a pay-as-you-go mode Hostman is designed to simplify cloud hosting for businesses of all sizes, with a particular focus on automating complex tasks such as deployment and scaling. Compared to other providers, Hostman offers a more developer-friendly experience, particularly for those seeking seamless CI/CD integrations without the need for extensive configuration. Moreover, Hostman provides VPS USA hosting solutions for any project.   Comparison with Competitors:   Hostman AWS Azure Google Cloud DigitalOcean Automated Deployments Yes Requires setup Requires setup Requires setup Manual setup Integrated CI/CD Yes, built-in Separate services Separate services Separate services Third-party tools 24/7 Support Free Paid service Paid service Paid service Paid service Ease of Use Very simple Complex Complex Moderate Simple Pricing Transparency Transparent Complex Complex Moderate Transparent Hostman’s ease of use and automation make it a standout choice for developers and small businesses who prioritize simplicity and scalability. Unlike larger providers, which often require manual setup for CI/CD. Hostman’s integrated approach saves time and reduces the need for specialized DevOps knowledge. 2. Amazon Web Services (AWS) Key Features: High scalability and flexibility Pay-as-you-go pricing model Comprehensive service portfolio (including EC2, S3, RDS, and more) Industry-leading security features Extensive global infrastructure AWS is the most well-known cloud hosting provider, offering a wide range of cloud-based hosting services. It caters to businesses of all sizes, providing a high level of customization, scalability, and reliability. However, AWS can be complex to set up and manage for smaller businesses or developers without significant cloud expertise. 3. Microsoft Azure Key Features: Excellent hybrid cloud capabilities Tight integration with Microsoft products Advanced AI and machine learning tools High performance and uptime guarantees Azure is a strong competitor to AWS, offering similar cloud hosting services. It stands out due to its seamless integration with Microsoft software such as Windows Server, Active Directory, and Office 365. While robust, Azure may be more complex and costly for smaller businesses that do not require deep integration with Microsoft products. 4. Google Cloud Platform (GCP) Key Features: Robust data analytics and machine learning services Competitive pricing Fast global network with high uptime Kubernetes support for containerized applications Google Cloud is a popular choice for businesses focused on big data, machine learning, and containerized workloads. Their Cloud SQL, BigQuery, and Kubernetes Engine services are top-notch for developers and data scientists alike. However, for those who do not need advanced data tools, GCP may offer more than what’s necessary, and its pricing can be difficult to predict. 5. DigitalOcean Key Features: Simple and intuitive control panel Affordable pricing with predictable monthly billing Strong developer community Global data center presence DigitalOcean is ideal for small to medium-sized businesses and developers looking for affordable, easy-to-use cloud hosting services. Their droplets provide a simple VPS solution, and their documentation is well-regarded for its clarity. DigitalOcean’s simplicity comes with fewer advanced features than AWS, GCP, or Azure, but it remains a favorite among developers for small to medium-sized projects. 6. Vultr Key Features: High-performance cloud servers with SSD storage Competitive pricing with hourly or monthly billing Over 25 global data centers User-friendly control panel with one-click app deployment Vultr is a cloud hosting provider that offers a variety of services, including cloud compute instances, block storage, and bare metal servers. It's a solid choice for startups and smaller businesses needing reliable cloud hosting. However, Vultr lacks some of the more advanced features that larger providers like AWS or Google Cloud offer. 7. IBM Cloud Key Features: Strong support for hybrid and multi-cloud environments Integration with AI and machine learning tools Advanced security options, including data encryption and disaster recovery Flexible pricing options, including pay-as-you-go and reserved instances IBM Cloud is well-suited for businesses that need hybrid cloud solutions and advanced data security. It also excels in AI, making it a good option for enterprises looking to integrate machine learning into their workflows. However, IBM Cloud can be more expensive and complex to manage than smaller providers. 8. Linode Key Features: Affordable cloud computing solutions 24/7 customer support with a focus on smaller businesses One-click apps and easy setup for developers Reliable performance with SSD storage and fast CPUs Linode is known for its simplicity and affordability, offering cloud hosting tailored to developers and small businesses. It provides a straightforward interface and strong customer support for those needing basic cloud services without the complexity. Linode may not offer as many advanced features as AWS or Azure, but it is a reliable and cost-effective solution for smaller workloads. Summary of the Top Cloud Hosting Providers Hostman stands out as an ideal choice for small to medium-sized businesses seeking a simple, user-friendly cloud hosting solution. Its fully automated deployment process and integrated CI/CD pipelines allow startups and growing companies to focus on development without the complexities often associated with cloud hosting. Amazon Web Services (AWS) remains a top choice for large-scale, enterprise-level hosting due to its vast service offerings and global reach. Microsoft Azure stands out for businesses already using Microsoft products or those seeking robust hybrid cloud capabilities. Google Cloud Platform (GCP) offers strong performance in data analytics and machine learning, making it a top contender for businesses in these fields. DigitalOcean and Vultr provide affordable, easy-to-use solutions for developers and small to medium-sized businesses, with a focus on VPS services. IBM Cloud is ideal for enterprises requiring hybrid cloud solutions and advanced security, while Linode caters to developers and small businesses with affordable, reliable services. Tips for Choosing the Right Cloud Hosting Provider Assess Your Needs: Identify the specific needs of your business. Do you need high-performance computing, storage, or advanced analytics? Consider Scalability: Choose a provider that can scale with your business, offering the flexibility to add resources as needed. Compare Pricing Models: Cloud hosting providers offer various pricing models, such as pay-as-you-go or reserved instances. Choose a model that fits your budget and usage patterns. Check Uptime and Reliability: Review each provider's uptime guarantees and ensure they have a strong track record of reliability. Look for Support: Choose a provider that offers the level of customer support you need, whether it's 24/7 availability or comprehensive self-help resources.

The process of migration is called so because it appears to be the method of pulling data from a traditional server to the cloud cluster. The scale of data brought from one type of platform to another might drastically differ. Some companies and developer teams transfer one or few applications. And some transfer the whole infrastructure that is already established on some sort of hosting. Types of migration Let us begin with different types of migration. There are three main sorts: Transferring "as it is" (without any distinctive data changes). Rebuilding. Hybrid transferring. Transferring "as it is" Cloud migration of this type is the simplest way of pulling data from traditional servers to cloud clusters. The idea behind the process is straightforward: you simply take files, configurations, etc. and put them into the cloud using a special service. All settings are kept the same, as well as the installed applications. Everything can be run using virtual machines. It is quite easy to automate the process for this kind of migration. There are special applications that can copy the data to the cloud server without any interference from the user's side. Such an approach increases the level of reliability and makes it easier to control the entire system. But there's at least one huge disadvantage of transferring "as it is": it prevents you from using the full potential of cloud clusters. Rebuilding This is a migration of infrastructure from traditional servers to the cloud and has all the technical advantages that cloud systems possess. As might be expected, rebuilding is a harder task than transferring without data and parameter changes. While rebuilding you have to rewrite your monolith apps dividing them into microservices. Furthermore, you must change some elements of infrastructure whilst rebuilding. For instance, lots of companies and development teams decide to drop manual DBMS support and switch to controlled databases. That's why there are more and more providers who offer such DBs. Resettlement of the whole infrastructure noticeably increases its efficiency. You will experience a more flexible and powerful way of working with your data making it much easier to test applications, scale them up and release new features. Hybrid migration Hybrid migration might be considered a "something in between" solution. It has some trade-offs but generally fits the best. It works in the following manner: you transfer your data "as it is". The whole infrastructure is pulled to the cloud without perceptible changes. After that, the rebuilding takes effect, so moved infrastructure becomes more compatible with cloud services. A bit about IaaS, PaaS and SaaS Migration can be implemented on various levels. If you want to understand the difference between these levels better, you'll need to differentiate between IaaS, PaaS and SaaS. IaaS stands for Infrastructure as a service. PaaS stands for Platform as a service SaaS stands for Software as a service. There is a popular comparison of these technologies with pizza. It goes as follows: if a person buys ingredients for pizza and makes it at home himself — it is IaaS. If a person orders a pizza and eats it at home — it is a PaaS. If a person orders a pizza and eats at the cafe — it is a SaaS. Now let us return to cloud technologies. IaaS – it's a structure of the servers, network resources and data storages. A provider of IaaS gives you access to previously enumerated goods and promises to give you with some technical support. With PaaS you buy ready-made infrastructure where you can store and set up your products. Some providers also offer additional features like power resources management, DNS, etc. SaaS — is a fully-fledged application for any user. All the technical stuff is made available by the provider. You just use the offered services as you wish. The order of migration and potential problems The main question for now — "How do I pull my app into the cloud". The first step — system audit. At this stage you have to know what parts of your infrastructure you will transfer. What should you bring to the new platform and what can be dropped. If you decide to go the "as it is" way, it might be enough to create a snapshot of the server, convert it into an extension compatible with virtual machines and send it to the cloud. If you decide to go with rebuilding, you might want to analyze what parts of the app should be remade. Such questions usually occur to developers at the first stage of the app audition. But you're advised to learn more about the cloud services your potential hosting can provide. It might be better to use them instead of trying to move your old stuff into the new system. The second important thing is the amount of data that needs to be transferred. The more the data the harder and longer the process of transferring. There are four problems that might pop up during the transfer: Technological differences between your current platform and the one you want to bring data to (mostly it relates to companies with old technological stacks). Dependencies between applications that were not resolved during infrastructure auditioning and came to light after deployment into the cloud. Issues connected with the process of dividing monolith apps into microservices. Vendor lock. If you want to make transferring as smooth as possible, you have to follow a set of rules. First of all, create infrastructure in the cloud, bring data there and test it. Secondly, bring actual data and apps to these tested clouds. Instead of conclusion Now you know what the process of migration to the cloud entails, what types of migration exist and how everything works, in general. Migration is not a simple process; therefore, it is important that it is managed by professionals. For example, if you migrate to Hostman, our specialists will walk you through all the steps and make the data transition not just successful but extremely easy and quick.

Cloud software is making a huge impact on how businesses operate. Today, many companies are moving to cloud computing systems to enable them to be more cost-efficient and stay in line with constantly changing technology. This guide will explain cloud computing for small businesses and how it can have a positive impact. What Is Cloud Computing? The term cloud computing encapsulates different cloud services available to businesses. They give access to important information, data, and programs that are stored on a remote server. This means that files are available to employees wherever they have an internet connection. Note - Many companies are moving to cookieless data collection, so ensure you are still tracking your performance if this is you. Furthermore, it gives the ability for users of a range of devices the ability to find, locate, and use information regardless of the technology they use. Information is stored remotely, so it reduces the need for small businesses to invest in IT services, which can create huge costs. Troubleshooting is also performed externally, and cloud businesses are often contactable immediately. Small businesses need to be operating as consistently as they can, so being able to fix issues quickly is extremely important. What Is Cloud Computing Used For? There are a wide range of uses for cloud computing for small businesses as well as big ones. Here are a few examples of some of the ways that businesses use them: Storage: It allows for the storage of vast amounts of data and information that is accessible all the time from any location. A feature of this is live syncing, which means that documents are updated in real-time. Information back up: This provides security and protection against server failure. It means that all of your information is always backed up in case of an emergency. More companies are starting to experience cyber security issues and cloud databases provide brilliant security to protect your company against this. Source: pexels.com Software as a Service (SaaS): Small companies benefit well from being able to access many different forms of programs online, such as customer service software or finance assistance databases. As you do not need physical installations any longer, you can invest in brilliant software at a fraction of the cost. Also, it becomes available on all the devices that have access to the server. Hosting: It provides a base that can meet all the needs of a business in one place, including email services, application hosting, phone systems, and data storage. It can act as a non-physical server. Cloud computing is a great way to reduce costs for your small business and meet varying needs at the same time. It is often scalable and can be improved as your business grows. What Are The Benefits Of Cloud Computing? Cloud computing is a great tool for small businesses because it can reduce costs, improve efficiency, and increase productivity. Below are some other great benefits of investing in cloud computing. Control Having control over the systems and methods you use for storing data is vital to any business. Maintaining data security and knowing that you have full agency over it can also reduce the stress on smaller businesses. When it comes to data storage, cloud-based systems are often protected. Of course, it is always a good idea to review the features of the cloud-based data system you are investing in, as many offer different levels of security and added costs can be associated with that. Furthermore, you can be in complete control of the systems you use. Virtual education businesses can alter and adapt the software they use according to their students’ or educators’ needs. SaaS and cloud hosting services are excellent when it comes to customizing the programs which your company needs and benefits from. Long gone are the days of being locked into a system for an extremely long period of time just because of the initial investment. Again, talking of cost, many cloud systems come with subscription services, meaning you can switch if necessary and save yourself paying for a service that your company doesn’t need. The age of technology is all about smaller businesses being able to adapt and change in a changing world. Cloud-based systems give you more control than ever before and can be extremely beneficial to startup companies that may not have the capital to invest in larger or more costly services initially. Image Source High Speeds Cloud computing operates at an extremely high speed. This means that new ideas, software, or data can be shared almost instantaneously. Small businesses need to be able to compete with the abilities of large businesses, and cloud computing makes that possible. Operating at high speeds is vital nowadays, and being able to perform tasks in different parts of the globe at a reliable speed will be of huge benefit when it comes to both transactions and business communications. Automatic Updates Updating software can be a painstaking process when you run servers in a physical location. It requires testing, review, and assessment before it is finalized for use. This means they cannot be done often, and your software can become outdated and therefore unreliable. Cloud-based servers are brilliant for updates. They can be deployed quickly and efficiently, and are less likely to break your systems. This means small businesses can keep their software modernized and in touch with the world around them without relying on poorly executed updates or dealing with downtime from server maintenance. Data Security As a startup company, you are likely to be concerned about protecting your own and your customers’ data. Stories are always being shared about businesses that didn’t protect data and faced the consequences for that. There is a wide range of security systems available when storing your information online. You can ensure that only certain employees have access to sensitive data and that it requires more rigorous forms of authentication to access. Also, as a smaller business, start as you mean to go on. Your positive practices now will uphold into the future of your company and ultimately reduce stress around protecting data. Competitive Edge For businesses that focus on producing search engine optimization content, reviewing the mistakes made in SEO and redirecting can give them a competitive edge. To this aim, what many companies are also doing is moving to cloud-based systems. Cloud adoption is increasing every year. Unsurprising, since more businesses are realizing that the systems available are beneficial to their company. Image Source As a small business, it is still relatively low-cost for you to invest in cloud-based systems now. Whilst giving you access to all the tools mentioned in this article, it will also give you a competitive edge. Other companies and individuals will be much more likely to invest in your company if you are up-to-date when it comes to technology. You’ll come across as aspirational with a clear desire for growth within your business. Quality Assurance QA testing companies are focused on providing assurance of product; they do this by maintaining communication and collaboration between employees. Cloud systems can allow any business to do this as well. All documents will be of the same format and updated constantly, keeping all members up to date with changes in the information. Managing information in different silos is a thing of the past and can cause disparities in communication and information. It also means that files may not be shared in the right way and people may not be able to access them if they suddenly need to. Cloud systems can be edited and changed quickly if necessary, meaning that if others need to view the information, they can do it instantly. Image Source Disaster Recovery Being in control is extremely important. The ability to choose when or how a transaction happens or having agency over who can access particular forms of data are both vital, particularly to new businesses. However, there are many events in the business world that take place which we have limited control over. Whilst we may be unable to anticipate these situations, we can prepare. Cloud-based systems offer great methods for recovering information and supporting businesses that are experiencing a disaster. Since this reduces downtime, it also increases efficiency. The business world of today is fast-paced and unforgiving, so you need to ensure you use cloud computing to ensure you can be back on track as quickly as possible. Sustainability For many businesses today, there is a huge focus on how their practices impact the environment. When smaller businesses are able to say that they are climate-conscious, it stands them in good stead with investors and can improve digital customer engagement. Physical systems and software require a huge amount of electricity and space to run. Reducing waste in your company is a great way of investing in the planet and your own growth. There are many cloud-system companies that are climate-positive and cite the reduction in the requirement for paper, hardware, space, and electricity as their reasoning. Image Source Final Thoughts For small businesses today, it is key to stay ahead of the curve and try to maintain momentum. Investing in cloud-based software is a great way of doing this. You can stay up-to-date with new changes in technology and are able to invest in new software at an extremely low cost. There are countless benefits to using cloud computing for small businesses, especially if you want to scale up as a company. Deciding which company to go with is a tough choice, but reflect on the needs of your business and compare that with the features they offer. You will quickly realize that the future is leading toward all systems and software being accessible online due to the capabilities in communication, collaboration, cost reduction, and sustainability. Author: Grace Lau - Director of Growth Content, Dialpad Grace Lau is the Director of Growth Content at Dialpad, the best phone system for business for better and easier team collaboration. She has over 10 years of experience in content writing and strategy. Currently, she is responsible for leading branded and editorial content strategies, partnering with SEO and Ops teams to build and nurture content. Here is her LinkedIn. Grace Lau has also written content for Shift4Shop and Tapfiliate.