What is Linode?

Linode believes that in order to accelerate innovation in the cloud, virtual computing must be more accessible, affordable, and simple. Their infrastructure-as-a-service platform is deployed across 11 global markets. And from their data centers around the world, it’s supported by a Next Generation Network, advanced APIs, comprehensive services, and a vast library of educational resources.

Bearing in mind, cloud infrastructure services are the fastest-growing segment of the mammoth $214 billion cloud computing industry. The segment is growing at 28% (27.5%) year over year and expected to reach $50 billion in 2019. The cloud has fundamentally changed how we work, live, and play. Its network of remote servers store, manage, and process data.

This is to help individuals, companies, governments, and other organizations. In particular, to reduce the cost and complexity of owning and operating their own capital and resource-intensive computers. So, with the cloud, data, and applications are more accessible to more people wherever they are connected to the Internet.

What Is Linode?

Basically, Linode is a cloud hosting provider that focuses on providing Linux powered virtual machines to support a wide range of applications. However, given its roots, many experts do not see it as a beginner-friendly. Linode started as a company built by developers for developers.

Today, it continues to serve these new innovators, as well as the growing teams, startups, and larger enterprises it’s helped to create. And of course, its people are some of the smartest in the industry. Just as it did when pioneering cloud computing in 2003.

Not forgetting, back in 2003, at the time of its launch, it was considered ahead of its time with virtualization hosting. And with time, it has grown into a multinational corporation serving 800,000 customers from 196 countries.

Linode server location are optimized for serving a global audience in terms of reducing latency and improving UX. It continues to play a significant role in the technological advancement of cloud computing. Not to mention, its revenue is $100 million.

Why Use Linode?

Simply, because Linode products, services, and people enable developers and businesses to build, deploy, and scale applications more easily and cost-effectively in the cloud. Whereby, it currently offers eight data centers worldwide. And there may come a time where you no longer want to keep your Linode in the location you built it.

Fear not, as this is where the magic of Linode’s cloud comes into play! Because your server is “virtual,” you can move it to a different location across the world in very little time. Keeping in mind, their mission is to accelerate innovation by making cloud computing simple, affordable, and accessible to all.

To compete with the industry giants such as AWS, Google Compute Engine, and Microsoft Azure, it has continued to introduce various innovations. Such as transitioning from user-mode Linux (UML) to Xen virtualization in March 2008. And then to Kernel-based virtual machines (KVM) in mid-2015.

Other milestones include its backup service (2009), NodeBalancer, a load-balancing service (July 2011). And also Linode Managed for businesses in 2013 for detecting and monitoring events. So far, you must have an idea of what is Linode.

What Does Its Powerful API Offer?

In short, as you read this, it maintains 10 data centers across the globe. The idea is to provide the users with the choice of selecting the best Linode data center location. Particularly, that is closest to the target audience.

This reduces the latency for the users and ensures a smooth experience for the visitors. It also provides an extensive API for accessing the servers and products through custom code.

Using this API, developers can:

handle tasks in Cloud Manager
Setup Linode Server
open support tickets
manage network IP addresses
configure node balancers
deploy Kubernetes cluster
manage invoices
Manage Linode storage

Important to realize, although it started as a brand for developers, the current user base now comprises users with all technical skill levels.

A significant section of these users has no experience or interest in managing their Linode servers. The fact is that Linux is not beginner-friendly, and even experienced developers need to watch their steps. Especially, while updating or patching applications to avoid server and application crashes.

Why Choose Linode Over AWS Marketplace?

First of all, Amazon Web Services (also known as AWS Marketplace) is a digital catalog with thousands of software listings from independent software vendors. Making it easy to find, test, buy, and deploy software that runs on AWS. Meaning, you’ll gain access to millions of AWS customers looking for innovative products from startups like you.

Basically, the AWS Marketplace makes it easy for startups to grow at scale. Whereby, your brand and products get discovered by over 140,000 AWS customers who use AWS Marketplace daily. In the end, helping you get the visibility you need to gain traction in the market. As well as, allowing you more time to focus on your core business.

Linode, on the other hand, is the largest independent open cloud provider in the world. Developers recognize Linode over AWS Marketplace as the best alternative and multicloud solution for a multitude of reasons:

1. Open Cloud with No Vendor Lock-In

With Linode, say no to vendor lock-in, complexity, poor customer support, and high costs. Linode has always been a leading advocate for open source and open cloud obviously, which means saying no to vendor lock-in and proprietary frameworks and services.

Today’s cloud technology must enable developers to quickly deliver their apps on multiple clouds. In that case, through joint development and operations approaches. And where mega-clouds struggle to remain open. Because it often conflicts with their business model and profit objectives.

2. Lower Costs with Affordable Pricing Plans

It’s known worldwide for high-performance cloud computing at a great price. Not only are they dramatically more affordable than AWS, but their pricing model is simple, flat, and predictable. So, no calculator is required, as they promise! Equally important, it offers the Best Price-to-Performance Ratio. And like a fine wine or craft beer, it’s all about the ingredients.

And how you bring them together with passion and quality at the forefront. They have perfected so much on how to build and scale cloud computing. To deliver the best price-to-performance ratio in the industry. Their 16 years of experience and optimization shown in every cloud instance they provide.

3. Simplicity with 100% Independency

Many developers choose Linode over AWS to seek a more straightforward approach to cloud infrastructure. As well as a solution that is easy to understand, deploy, and maintain. AWS is a powerful platform thanks to its broad array of services and configurations. But, the reality is, that most applications don’t require 95% of what AWS offers – resulting in complexity and confusion.

At Linode, their mission is to make cloud computing simple, affordable, and accessible. Being 100% independent means that Linode has grown without taking money from investors or other third parties. Not only does this mean their business is rock solid, but they are also free to put the customer needs first. Hence, not the profit demands of venture capital, private equity, or shareholders.

Their customers want to know that their service will always be there for them. And not fall apart after an acquisition or be deprioritized when other shiny objects take priority.

4. Non-competitive with Real Customer Service

As Amazon continues to disrupt a broader range of industries, so much competitive conflicts are on the rise. Fostering serious infrastructure questions for many developer teams and businesses. That’s why for 16 years Linode has only focused on their customers cloud computing needs. By not running ecommerce, entertainment, music, grocery stores, logistics, payments, or other businesses.

The question is:

Do you trust a technology partner to store your data,
handle your transactions,
support the most intimate details of your business,
if that tech partner is also a competitor?

Their award-winning service team has no tiers, no bots, no hand-offs. Just highly-trained professionals who actually answer the phone and solve your issue. At Linode, customer experience is at the center of everything they do (not their company’s valuation or stock price).

5. Expendable Complexity with No Support Worries

Linode cloud computing was launched in 2003, three years before Amazon’s AWS. For the past two decades, developers have relied on it to help accelerate their innovations. By making cloud computing simple, affordable, and accessible.

The bigger that Amazon gets, the worse its customer service has gotten. It is impossible to get a human by email or chat and very hard by phone. And it takes 2 or 3 calls to solve every problem.

Even though it offers cloud services at competitive prices, their support does not disappoint. Linode offers several tiers of support that users can go through to resolve their issues.

Linode has you covered with 10 global data centers all built on their Next Generation Network. So, Why overpay for cloud infrastructure? Leverage the proven scalability and low-latency performance of Linode at a price that works for you.

6. It is ultimately Powered by Linux

In a world full of IaaS cloud providers, you must be wondering why developers would opt for it. For many developers, it all comes down to the value they think Linode delivers for their projects. Linode started as a brand for developers built by developers. In essence, It’s mission is similar to Ubuntu’s “for developers, by the developers.”

According to an industry survey, 83.1% of developers prefer Linux as their development and deployment environment. As it’s an excellent choice for developers, who wish to work with an end-to-end Linux based application workflow. The affordability factor lies in the corporate DNA of Linode, and as such, they were the first to introduce a flat pricing model for cloud computing.

Their slogan “ no calculator required ” set the idea for simple pricing. Today, they continue to deliver their promise by making pricing easy for all users.

How Do You Setup A Linode Server?

Before operating servers for Linode setup, a user must have on-hand experience with Linux, specifically on server management commands. Next, to deploy PHP applications such as WordPress, the user needs to make sure that server software is in sync with app prerequisites. In order to avoid application-level performance issues.

To set up the stack properly on the Linode server, the user has to:

Create a server with the required hardware specifications
Install your favorite Linux flavor
Install prerequisite software (LAMP for PHP applications)
Finally, the user needs to make sure that the core OS remains in sync with Apache, PHP & MySQL versions.

The process does not end here. The user now has to handle operational tasks such as malware detection, DDOS protection, etc. But, the agencies and business founders usually get frustrated since they don’t have the time and/or technical skills to handle these challenges. And in that case, this is where Cloudways comes to the rescue.

It is a managed cloud hosting platform that aims to take away server management hassles so that the users can save time to focus on their business processes.

Server & Application Deployment Made Easy

With Cloudways, launching (provision in technical terms) a Linode server on the respected data center with the application of your choice is a simple matter. This is just one area where you could experience how it simplifies working with Linode servers.

To experience this firsthand, follow these steps:

Sign up with Cloudways and verify your email address.
Once done, pick your application
Now select your cloud service provider, Linode.
Next, select the server specifications.
- Remember that you need a server with enough “power” to manage your regular workload.
Finally, choose the cloud server’s location. Tip: pick a place closest to your target audience to avoid latency issues.
You are all set to hit that LAUNCH SERVER button.

And that’s it! You have successfully deployed your web application on a Linode cloud server in minutes. And now you don’t have to worry about the management, security, and performance of your Linode server.

Finally, it’s our hope that you have complete knowledge of what is Linode and how Cloudways makes Linode easy for you. However, if you have additional support requirements, please Contact Us or even leave them in our comments section.

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Linode | 6 Reasons Why It Is Better Than The AWS Marketplace