When it comes to running and scaling web applications, choosing the right platform can make or break your business. Platform-as-a-service (PaaS) providers like Heroku, Render, Railway, or Vercel have become the go-to choice for many developers due to their ease of use and ability to hide the complexity of infrastructure management. But let's be real, are these PaaS providers really living up to their promises?
Don't get us wrong, PaaS providers can be great for side projects, proofs of concepts, or for developers who don't want to deal with the headache of infrastructure management. But as soon as your business starts to grow and evolve, you'll quickly realize that the limitations of a PaaS far outweigh the convenience. Your application might need databases, storage options, networking controls, or deployment options that a “black-box” can’t be easily tweaked to provide. The truth is, PaaS providers are not built to handle the demands of a rapidly growing company, and the illusion of ease of use is just that: an illusion.
So, what's the alternative? Enter the public clouds like AWS and GCP. These platforms offer the control and flexibility that PaaS providers lack. With the cloud, you have the ability to customize your environment and access a wide range of features and services. Plus, scalability is no longer a concern as you can easily add more resources or use different types of instances to handle any level of traffic and growth. The truth is, migrating from a PaaS to AWS or GCP is a daunting task, and one that many companies are hesitant to undertake. The learning curve and complexity of these platforms can be overwhelming, and many teams lack the expertise and resources to make the transition smoothly.
But what about cost? Sure, PaaS providers may seem cheaper in the short-term, but the long-term costs of running a large and growing application on a PaaS can quickly add up. With the cloud, you have a wide range of pricing options, such as reserved instances and spot instances, which can help to reduce costs.
And let's not forget about security. When it comes to hosting and managing an application, security should be non-negotiable. The public clouds provide a wide range of security features and compliance certifications, which can be essential for companies in certain industries or with strict security requirements. PaaS providers just can't compete with that level of security.
Historically migrating from a PaaS to AWS or GCP was a complex process and required a significant amount of planning and resources. It’s a daunting task, and one that many companies are hesitant to undertake. The learning curve and complexity of these platforms can be overwhelming, and many teams lack the expertise and resources to make the transition smoothly.
At Coherence, we’re looking to change all that and challenge the status quo. Our platform provides a PaaS-like experience with the surface area of the public clouds. Featuring full-stack preview environments, automated container builds, managed CI/CD and more, we believe that graduating to AWS or GCP should be 10x easier, and we're here to make it happen. Don't settle for the limitations of a PaaS, take control of your infrastructure and try Coherence now.
