Escape AWS Amplify complexity — deploy simpler with DeployWise
AWS Amplify promises simplicity but delivers complexity. Unpredictable bills, cryptic config files, vendor lock-in, and cold starts plague modern Amplify apps. DeployWise brings back the joy of deployment: one VPS, transparent pricing, zero surprise charges.
Why developers leave AWS Amplify
Amplify costs look simple on paper, but usage-based pricing for data transfer, build minutes, and API calls creates surprise invoices. A small traffic spike can double your monthly bill. No cost predictability.
Amplify's amplify.yml config file is cryptic. Setting up CI/CD, custom domains, redirects, and headers requires deep AWS knowledge. What should take 5 minutes takes hours of debugging.
Your app is tightly coupled to AWS services. Amplify's build system, hosting infrastructure, and CI/CD pipeline are AWS-specific. Migrating out means rewriting deployment config from scratch.
Every git push triggers a paid build — even if builds fail, even if you're just testing. Build minutes add up fast. Developers learn to batch commits to avoid costs, breaking CI/CD principles.
Amplify abstracts away server control. Need to run a background job? Install a system dependency? Debug production issues? You're locked into Amplify's constraints.
If you use Amplify's serverless functions, cold starts are unavoidable. First request to a function takes 5–10 seconds. For critical APIs, this is unacceptable.
DeployWise vs AWS Amplify — full comparison
The shocking cost difference
Amplify's free tier hides the real costs. Once you hit traffic, build minutes, or data transfer, bills climb fast. Here's a realistic comparison:
When Amplify makes sense vs when DeployWise wins
Migrate from Amplify to DeployWise in 7 steps
Choose any Linux VPS provider (Hetzner, Linode, DigitalOcean). Ubuntu 20.04+ recommended. CX21 tier (~€4/mo) handles multiple apps easily.
Paste your SSH credentials into DeployWise. One click installs Node.js, PM2, Nginx, and SSL setup. No terminal needed.
Delete your amplify.yml file. DeployWise asks simple questions instead: what's your build command? What's your start command? Much simpler.
Copy environment variables from Amplify's console. Paste them into DeployWise's environment editor. Done in 2 minutes.
Connect your GitHub repo to DeployWise. Every push auto-deploys. Or use GitHub Actions webhooks if you prefer more control.
Update your DNS to point to your VPS IP. SSL certificate issued automatically via Let's Encrypt. Your site is live in minutes.
Test builds, deployments, environment variables, database connections. All the features you had in Amplify, but cheaper and simpler.
Key differences at a glance
- AWS-only deployment
- Complex amplify.yml config
- Usage-based pricing surprises
- Cold starts on Lambda
- Hard to migrate out
- Deploy to any VPS
- Simple, clear UI — no config files
- Fixed monthly VPS cost
- Zero cold starts — always-on
- Easy to migrate or self-host
Common questions
Yes. Set up your VPS with DeployWise in parallel, test everything, then switch DNS. The process takes 30 minutes and is completely reversible.
No. Your VPS cost stays flat regardless of traffic. Bandwidth is included. If a VPS can't handle your traffic, you upgrade the VPS tier, but again, it's a fixed cost.
No. DeployWise is designed for people who want to avoid AWS complexity. Just paste your SSH credentials, connect your GitHub repo, and push. That's it.
Completely free. DeployWise provisions Let's Encrypt certificates automatically. They renew automatically. No AWS Certificate Manager fees.
Yes. Install PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, or Redis directly on your VPS. No separate hosting costs, no Amplify add-ons. Everything included.
DeployWise doesn't host your servers — you do (on Hetzner, Linode, etc.). We provide the deployment tools. This eliminates the hosting markup and passes savings to you.
Ready to escape AWS Amplify?
Deploy your app to your own VPS in minutes. Predictable costs. Zero vendor lock-in. No surprises.
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