IBM Cloud
$3,000 in credits per month during 6 months
✅ Information to access to the deal :
✅ Information to access to the deal :
Alibaba Cloud (Aliyun) is one of the world’s three largest cloud computing providers, alongside AWS and Microsoft Azure, developed by the Alibaba Group to support the digital transformation of businesses worldwide. The platform offers a comprehensive suite of cloud services covering elastic computing, data storage, databases, security, Big Data, web hosting, as well as artificial intelligence and machine learning solutions—all compatible with 70% of the open-source databases on the market, such as MySQL, Redis, PostgreSQL, and MongoDB. The undisputed leader in Asia, particularly in China, Alibaba Cloud operates in over 200 countries and territories with a global data center infrastructure spanning the Asia-Pacific region, Europe, the Middle East, and the Americas.
As part of its "AI First" strategy, Alibaba Cloud recently unveiled major new advancements, including the Qwen3 language models, the Wan 2.5 visual generation models, and a Model Studio platform that provides access to over 200 AI models and has enabled users to create more than 800,000 AI agents. The platform is also launching Qwen Cloud, a cloud-native AI offering designed to simplify access to model services and the development of agent-based applications, featuring a "Skills" portal that transforms the capabilities of over 60 cloud products into MCP-compatible formats, enabling AI agents to invoke cloud resources as naturally as functions.
Computing, Elastic Computing:
ApsaraDB, Managed Databases:
Artificial Intelligence, Model Studio & Qwen:
Cloud Storage:
Safety:
Network:
Big Data & Analytics:
With E-MapReduce and DataWorks, Alibaba Cloud offers Big Data services that include E-MapReduce (based on Hadoop/Spark), DataWorks for orchestration, and native integration with OLAP databases to support end-to-end data pipelines.
Solutions by Industry:
Alibaba Cloud offers solutions for Financial Services, Retail, Media & Entertainment, Video Games, and Software Publishers. Reference architectures, customer case studies, and support services are available for each industry.
Alibaba Cloud is the cloud computing division of Alibaba Group. It is now the third global provider of cloud services, behind AWS and Microsoft Azure, and the undisputed leader in Asia-Pacific, particularly in China, where it holds the majority market share. Its strength lies in a global infrastructure covering more than 29 regions and 90 availability zones availability zones, with a density of data centers particularly high in Southeast Asia, Japan, Korea, and the the Middle East.
The platform's platform is theElastic Compute Service (ECS), the equivalent of AWS EC2 instances. It allows you to deploy virtual servers with various (CPU, RAM, storage, GPU) on Windows or Linux. ECS comes with and a auto-scaling system, and a . The SLAs listed are 99.975% for a single instance and 99.995% for a multi-zone deployment— levels comparable to market standards. For teams looking for simpler entry point, the Simple Application Server (SAS) offers compute, storage, and bandwidth bundled into a fixed monthly rate , with no on egress.
Storage is handled by two separate services. TheObject Storage Service (OSS) manages unstructured objects, i.e., files, images, videos and backups, with a pay-as-you-go billing model based on stored volume, API calls and outbound traffic. The service boasts a data reliability of 99.9999999999% (twelve nines). For relational databases, ApsaraDB RDS supports MySQL, PostgreSQL, MariaDB, and SQL Server, with options for multi-zone replication and discount up to 50% on multi-year commitments.
On the network side, Alibaba Cloud offers Express Connect for dedicated private connections between environments, and its Content Delivery Network (CDN) has more than 3,200 worldwide, a considerable advantage for applications with an , especially in Asia.
The offerhas been significantly expanded since 2024. The PAI (Platform for AI) covers model training, inference, and the management of GPU computing resources. Model Studio is the for developing and AI applications, enhanced in 2025 with a high-code framework (ADK) and a (ADP) that allows for build autonomous agents without necessarily master Python or LLMs in . The Qwen3 are available directly on the platform, positioning Alibaba Cloud as a in the generative AI , particularly for companies seeking to avoid a dependency on OpenAI or U.S. models.
The container management layer has been recognized by Gartner as a leader since 2025, with services covering managed Kubernetes, Function Compute (serverless event-driven) and Serverless App Engine for deployment of applications without . For observability, CloudMonitor centralizes metrics, alerts, and access logs, while the Resource Access Management (RAM) manages identities, roles, and permissions at the account level.
Alibaba Cloud does not offer fixed-price package plans for most of its services: pricing is based on usage, per service, with several billing options depending on the level of commitment. The table below outlines the main billing methods and provides examples of typical rates on any plan used on any plan . Prices are listed in USD and apply to international regions outside of mainland China.
| Service / Plan | Billing Template | Estimated price |
|---|---|---|
| ECS (free trial for new users) | Free during 12 months | 1 vCore / 1 GB RAM (individual) or 2 vCores / 2 GB (business) |
| Simple Application Server (Linux) | Fixed monthly subscription | Starting at $3.50/month (1 core / 0.5 GB / 20 GB SSD / 1 TB data transfer) |
| ECS Pay-As-You-Go | On time, as usual | discount 30% discount the standard rate announced for 2024 |
| ECS Savings Plans | 1- or 3-year contract | Up to 76% discount Pay-As-You-Go rate |
| ECS Reserved Instances | Capacity reserved by zone | Up to 79% discount standard rate |
| Object Storage Service (OSS) | By usage (storage + traffic + API) | 500 GB / 1-year plan: $16.99 (vs. $63 before the 2024 price drop) |
| ApsaraDB RDS (MySQL, PostgreSQL, etc.) | 1- to 5-year subscription | Up to 50% discount multi-year contracts |
| New User Credits (Individuals) | Free credits, valid for 60 days | $300 to $1,200 depending on your profile, redeemable on over 40 products |
| Startup/Business Program | Credits upon application | Up to $5,000 in credits initial spending volume |
| Developer Support | Monthly subscription | Starting at $19.99/month |
1️⃣ If you are a freelancer or consultant:
For an entrepreneur needs to host an application, a client website, or a development environment, Alibaba Cloud offers competitive pricing but has a learning curve that can hinder productivity. Some alternatives are more accessible for this user type. DigitalOcean is likely the go-to choice for solo developers and technical freelancers. The interface is significantly easier to get started with, the documentation is excellent, and pricing per Droplet is transparent from the very first euro. For a freelancer hosting client projects, staging environments, or their own tools, DigitalOcean eliminates the configuration friction that Alibaba Cloud can impose on certain services. Geographic coverage is more limited in Asia, but for primarily European or American use, this isn’t an issue. Clever Cloud is worth mentioning for consultants who prefer to outsource infrastructure as much as possible. It’s a European PaaS that handles deployment, scalability, and high availability without requiring you to manage servers, containers, or SSL certificates. For those focused on application development rather than infrastructure, Clever Cloud shifts the focus back to code rather than system administration.
2️⃣ If you are a startup:
Startups often have rapidly changing needs, and choosing a cloud provider involves architectural decisions that are difficult to reverse. The main question is whether Alibaba Cloud’s service density aligns with your stage of development or if you need something more agile. Google Cloud is a serious alternative, particularly for startups that already use Google Workspace tools or are developing applications with a strong data and AI component. Google Cloud’s startup programs (credits, support) are well-established, the documentation is comprehensive, and its AI service coverage with Vertex AI sets the industry standard. If your audience is primarily Western and your roadmap includes machine learning, Google Cloud remains hard to beat in this area. Supabase does not replace a full-service cloud provider, but for startups building full-stack applications that need a managed PostgreSQL database, authentication, and a ready-to-use real-time API, Supabase eliminates weeks of infrastructure setup. Combining Supabase for the application backend with Alibaba Cloud or another provider for compute can, in fact, form a very cohesive stack for a startup in the growth phase.
3️⃣ If you are a small business or an SME:
For established organizations, selection criteria are shifting toward reliability, compliance, support, and compatibility with existing systems. Alibaba Cloud meets these expectations well for companies operating in Asia, but other options warrant serious consideration depending on geography and industry. OVH Cloud and OVH Public Cloud are the European benchmarks for SMEs concerned with data sovereignty. Hosting in France, native GDPR compliance, competitive pricing on compute instances and object storage, and cultural and legal proximity that simplifies compliance procedures. For a French or European SME whose customers and data remain on the continent, OVH offers value for money and a regulatory framework that are hard to ignore. Cloudways is aimed at SMEs that manage websites or web applications and wish to leverage the infrastructure of major cloud providers without having to manage the technical complexity. The platform acts as a simplified management layer on top of DigitalOcean, AWS, Google Cloud, or Azure, with deployment, monitoring, and backup interfaces that do not require in-house DevOps expertise. For an SME with a limited IT department, this is often the best compromise between performance and operational convenience.
Otherwise, these other software programs may also be a good alternative to Alibaba Cloud.No resources currently available.
