Aws Amazon Reviews 398

Avoid. There are so many far better alternatives out there. The AWS structure and jargon is completely incomprehensible to a layman and their billing makes no sense. In addition they charge extra for absolutely everything. Like taking a flight and when you're on the fight you find out you have to pay extra for the seat, extra if you use the armrest, extra if you open the tray-table, extra if you use the bathroom etc. AWS charges you extra if you have an IP address and now even more if it is an IP4 address. Extra if you need technical support. But they're the best, right? Hmmm. I set up a duplicate server on a competitor that charges a fraction of the amount of AWS, with no extras, and has a control panel that is easy to understand. I then tested the response times of both servers. The new server was almost 1.5 times faster than the AWS solution. So if you want to pay huge amounts for an incomprehensible system with slow response times, then I guess AWS is for you. Otherwise, check around for some of their competitors.

the service doesn't work, you pay for support that doesn't exist, the platform is incomprehensible

They are really a thief.

Yes, they provide all the legit services until something wrong happens.

They blocked my account because they needed a verification on the 10th Oct. Fair. I sent them documents and all, they still haven't got back until 30th Oct. Then, they charged my card $1,200 because some services are still running between 10th 30th Oct.

I've contacted customer service last 2 weeks, they keep saying "don't keep opening new chat, we are reviewing, program team will look into this etc". In the end, they are not solving this problem because another team has to look, and they only respond via email. Don't use them.

It should simply be illegal to ask customers to pay for support! We have been paying for AWS for over 3 years, spending thousands per month and we now realize that an AWS account has been hacked by someone in the Netherlands and started deleting all the resources.

This is an extremely urgent situation so I am trying to contact support and am faced with a message saying that no support is offered on our plan. How on earth is this legal?

When the free tier expires, they start charging you without notice even if you are not actually using their services (ec2). Their support team is not transparent: they told me I could request the cancellation of my invoice once the payment was complete. However, before the payment my account was blocked for no true reason (they invented something which does not correspond to reality) and after paying almost 200 dollars, they didn't open my account thus preventing me from my right to ask a refund, as the support previously promised. Stay away from aws

You blocked me for no reason and didn't give me an answer.
I have provided you with my documents and bank statements.
why don't you tell me the reason for blocking?

Worst experience in a long time.

It’s just not possible to request a refund for paying 2 month in a row for services which were free for 6 months.

Contacting 3 different departments and all were direct me to different departments just to make it even harder.
Eventually I gave up as don’t have time to lose with these clowns.

For anyone who needs hosting, try Google, it’s 5 times better then AWS.

I tested the free service of AWS, MS Azure and Google Cloud. I must say AWS is the best one: the tiny free server instance is perfectly usable, decently fast and quite easy to configure and run.
Anyway, two things disappointed me:
1 - opaque costs: you cannot really understand what is free and what is not, and what will cost each additional service and function, without reading huge papers full of hardly understandable options and configurations. You just discover the cost when you are billed, at the end of the month.
2 - when I decided to buy a yearly subscription, I was not able doing it. According to EU laws, nobody can take money from your account without asking for a 2 phase authorization, which must be completed by few minutes from the moment of the request. Amazon was not able to satisfy this procedure, requiring me to just transmit my credit card number. Successive attempts to access to my bank account were rejected by the bank; Amazon customer service told me that it was a bank fault, my bank that it was Amazon fault, because they were not following EU procedures.... after spending some days at the phone with both customer services, which were accusing each other, I decided to give up.

can't get my ssl to be assigned to my domain, very hard and complex stuff for no reason, I used google cloud instead and I was able to get my stuff done quickly and they even gave me a $400 bonus credit right. never coming back to AWS ever again.

Thank you to Joshue and Gustavo for resolving the problems that I encountered with my AWS account.
Resolved quickly and clearly.

I, as a technical person, found the lack of transparency in removing services from my account and deleting my credit card details to be a frustrating experience.

Full disclosure, I am an AWS cloud architect and consultant.

In essence, if I were to recommend just one cloud platform, it would unquestionably be AWS.

With 15 years of experience in software engineering, including 12 years dedicated to the realm of cloud computing, my journey through cloud platforms began with Windows Azure in 2011. I relied on it for five years to construct an e-commerce platform from the ground up. However, after this period, I became increasingly frustrated, particularly with Microsoft's product culture. It lacked openness, followed non-standard practices, imposed sudden and excessive price changes, exhibited poor performance, boasted terrible customer service, and was inundated with unhelpful sales representatives.

Driven by this frustration, I transitioned to Google Cloud, which boasted a gentler learning curve and elegant abstractions. It proved faster and more cost-effective. Nevertheless, my stint with Google Cloud lasted only a year, as I encountered various limitations, particularly in the areas of networking and security.

Around 2017, I made the full transition to AWS, and I haven't looked back since for those reasons:
- Logical Networking: AWS offers networking that aligns seamlessly with standard engineering practices. What you see is what you get.
- Minimal Abstraction: AWS maintains less abstraction compared to Microsoft or Google. Microsoft and Google tend to introduce new layers of abstraction to "simplify" usage for lambda users. However, this approach can be limiting. As scenarios grow in complexity, access to the underlying concepts becomes essential. Without this capability, users often find themselves trying to fit square pegs into round holes with Microsoft and Google.
- Open-Source Friendliness: AWS is notably open-source friendly, allowing for flexibility and collaboration.
- Versatility: There are no use cases that AWS cannot address. While Microsoft may claim to offer similar capabilities, it often falls short.

Rating AWS has become increasingly challenging in recent times due to intensified competition with its primary rivals, Microsoft and Google, particularly in the wake of the AI disruption. Microsoft, in particular, has gained significant momentum through its partnership with OpenAI. While OpenAI is currently the foremost AI company in the world as of September 2023, this doesn't guarantee that Microsoft will capitalize on this opportunity to deliver exceptional products.

Out of all the reviews I've posted on TrustPilot, this one may appear the most biased, as I've had a deeply unsatisfactory experience with Microsoft in general. Presently, I earn my livelihood by crafting solutions on AWS. My final argument against Microsoft (I don't hold the same reservations about Google Cloud, as I believe they offer excellent services, some even superior to AWS) centers around the DNA of companies:
- Microsoft's DNA: Primarily driven by sales. Their emphasis on sales often takes precedence over product quality. This has been ingrained in their culture, despite Satya Nadella's commendable efforts to embrace open-source, promote cloud and AI. Ultimately, Microsoft products tend to feel as if they were built by salespeople rather than engineers dedicated to solving legitimate problems.
- Google's DNA: Designed primarily to serve Google's own needs. Google Cloud's initial client is Google itself. When I use Google Cloud, I often find that a service addresses a specific Google issue, but seldom does it offer a solution to broader enterprise problems. Admittedly, enterprise problems may lack the excitement of other challenges, but they still need resolution.
- AWS: Forged by engineers, catering to engineers. AWS stands as the original cloud company, established to tackle enterprise automation at scale. While their products and services may not be as straightforward to use as those of their counterparts, I firmly believe that AWS is the sole platform capable of elegantly resolving intricate engineering and networking challenges.

In closing:
- Microsoft: Promises effortless and cost-effective cloud solutions, but in reality, they often become overly complex and prohibitively expensive.
- Google: Offers a cloud solution that appears relatively straightforward and budget-friendly, but in reality, it proves to be more challenging and costly than initially advertised.
- AWS: Presents cloud solutions for professionals at a reasonable cost, though in practice, costs may exceed initial expectations. While each of these providers may occasionally stretch the truth, AWS, in my estimation, does so the least.

My journey with AWS services has been nothing short of transformative, especially when it comes to managing my Magento 2 Multistore projects. As someone who's deeply invested in e-commerce and online businesses, I've found AWS to be the perfect partner in delivering exceptional results.

Having over 15 years of experience in shared and reseller hosting, I understand the complexities of hosting and infrastructure. AWS's range of services, including cloud computing, storage, and database solutions, have provided me with the flexibility and scalability required to handle multiple online stores within the Magento 2 framework.

One of the most common concerns I often hear is about the cost of AWS services. However, it's important to realize that AWS offers a comprehensive suite of pricing options, catering to a variety of business needs. By strategically choosing the right services and instances for my projects, I've been able to optimize costs without compromising on performance.

Support is another crucial aspect, and I must say that AWS has done a remarkable job in this department. While some might encounter challenges, I attribute most issues to a lack of understanding of the AWS environment. Taking the time to familiarize myself with AWS services, attending training sessions, and actively engaging with the AWS community has empowered me to navigate any hurdles effectively.

When it comes to my Magento 2 Multistore projects, AWS's reliability and performance have been exceptional. The ability to quickly scale resources based on traffic spikes during sales or promotions has been a game-changer. With AWS's powerful computing capabilities, my online stores have experienced reduced loading times, seamless navigation, and enhanced user experiences.

Furthermore, AWS's security features have been instrumental in safeguarding sensitive customer data and ensuring compliance with industry standards. This has contributed to building trust with my customers and enhancing the overall reputation of my online businesses.

In conclusion, my journey with AWS services has been a rewarding one, especially in the context of my Magento 2 Multistore projects. The partnership between AWS and my e-commerce ventures has elevated performance, scalability, and security to unprecedented levels. With careful planning, continuous learning, and the support of AWS's resources, I'm confident in recommending AWS services to fellow e-commerce enthusiasts.

I managed my server with EC2, mastered Linux/Bash, grew a neckbeard, and learned that if I'm building a startup, there are 100 things more important than backend infrastructure.

Want to move quickly? Use Heroku. Once you have enough engineers, return to AWS so you can assign boring tasks like managing infrastructure.

Anyway, the whole internet runs on AWS; I have to be respectful somehow, but the UX is still appalling.

Horrible... Waiting for hours and still nothing...

never contacted after free trail so was charged. Hard to find how to cancel on their web page or get customer support

AWS has lost full control of its own company. For one of our projects we need a P3.2 instances server. We set this up together with our solution architect. We have explicitly indicated to him 5x whether the costs are based on ''computing'' time. He confirmed this and after a month we got a bill for 3000 dollars, without any usage. This is of course no way of working. You cannot rely on the knowledge of their employees. Please watch out for this. They will not compromise.

Sorry to see the 1 star reviews here, it's not a true reflection of AWS.
The AWS console and product offerings can be a bit confusing, however the underlying service is good and we have had positive experiences.

I opened an account on the free tier just to learn about the AWS platform and see how it can help me host my clients' websites. I made 3 ec2 instances as an example and never used them again, now few months later I have a total charge close to $150 dollars, and for what? no idea. Very disappointed, very difficult to understand and follow the alien documentation.