Hey everyone! I've been learning to code for the past three months and recently started building a leaderboard app for my friends. While learning, I thought it would be cool to put my app online using AWS, especially since I heard about the free tier. My app has a Spring backend, a PostgreSQL database, and an Angular frontend. It's a single-page application that's going to be used by around 10 people.
I set up my first Elastic Beanstalk environment but hit a snag. I realized that with the t3.micro instances, if I exceed my CPU credits, I could start racking up charges. I ended up spending around $1 in just 12 hours during my initial configuration, which made me a bit nervous.
Now, I'm thinking about switching to a t2.micro, which might help me stay within budget. I want to know: if I set everything up correctly, is it possible to keep my AWS spending low, even if I don't stick strictly to the free tier? Any insights on how to manage costs would be super appreciated!
4 Answers
You can turn off the unlimited feature for t3 instances and also manage t2 like that. Just be careful, as that's not the easiest thing to configure. Also, remember that the free tier only lasts for a year, so plan what you need long-term.
Consider learning DynamoDB, especially since it can be free with API Gateway and Lambda if you set it up right. It’s a cool chance to dive into NoSQL!
Definitely set up billing alarms for different dollar amounts. You can actually do a lot on AWS for under fifty bucks a month, so it is possible to keep costs down if you manage things well. Just make sure you read the pricing for every service you plan to use, it’ll save you from unexpected charges!
Exactly! Always know what you're getting into before enabling any service. It can save you a lot of headaches later on.
If you're serious about a public facing app, managing costs can get tricky quickly. Many AWS features that keep your app secure, like NAT gateways, can drive your costs up significantly, sometimes even over $150 a month. Free tier is great, but if you're not careful, you might end up spending more than you wanted.
Yikes! If that's the case, then I need to ensure I stay super simple with my app, just for friends.
I’ve never done NoSQL either, but it sounds like a fun way to expand your skills!