AWS Elastic Beanstalk vs Voroa: Node.js Hosting in India
Sagar Tayde · · 5 min read
This Elastic Beanstalk vs Voroa comparison is for Indian developers who want AWS’s managed way to run a Node.js web app and are wondering whether a simpler platform would do. Both take your code and run it for you. The difference is how much of AWS you see along the way. Every AWS fact here comes from AWS’s own documentation.
Why Elastic Beanstalk Is AWS’s Managed-App Option Here
AWS App Runner “is no longer open to new customers” (AWS’s availability-change page), and AWS points new users to ECS Express Mode. EC2, the plain virtual server, is infrastructure you manage yourself, so it is not the like-for-like product. That leaves Elastic Beanstalk: you upload your application source bundle and Elastic Beanstalk “automatically launches an environment” on EC2 or EKS.
eb init, eb create, eb open: The Beanstalk Node.js Flow
AWS’s Node.js on Elastic Beanstalk guide deploys with the EB CLI or the console. The quickstart runs:
eb init -p node.js nodejs-tutorial --region us-east-2
eb create nodejs-env
eb open
AWS says it “takes about five minutes for Elastic Beanstalk to create your environment”. After that, deploying a new version is quick because it does not need new instances.
What Beanstalk Creates in Your AWS Account
Even a single-instance environment creates several AWS resources: an EC2 instance, an instance security group, an S3 bucket, two CloudWatch alarms, a CloudFormation stack and a domain name. Most platforms put Apache or nginx in front of your app as a reverse proxy. AWS says Elastic Beanstalk manages all of them, and the CloudFormation template can be viewed in its console. For teams who know AWS, that visibility is a strength.
On Voroa there is nothing like that to look at. You connect a GitHub repository to a web service, and Voroa builds and runs it in Mumbai.
Port 8080 by Default vs a Platform-Set PORT
AWS says “Elastic Beanstalk forwards requests to your application on port 8080 by default for Node.js”.
Voroa sets PORT for you, and if your app listens on one other fixed port, such as 8080, Voroa detects
it. Reading process.env.PORT works on both. The Node.js deploy guide has the
Voroa settings.
Deploying a Bundle vs Deploying on Git Push
The Beanstalk pages we used describe deploys from the EB CLI and the console; they do not describe deploying on a Git push. On Voroa, with auto-deploy on, each push to your branch becomes a new release, the new release starts before the old one stops, and a rollback is one click. See how deploys from GitHub work.
Mumbai and Hyderabad vs Mumbai Only
The Elastic Beanstalk endpoints page
lists Asia Pacific (Mumbai), ap-south-1, and Asia Pacific (Hyderabad), ap-south-2. Hyderabad is an
opt-in region. Voroa runs in Mumbai only, so if you want two India regions, AWS wins.
Rupee Invoices From AWS India
With an India billing address, your agreement is with Amazon Web Services India Private Limited and your invoice total is in rupees. PAN and GST numbers are managed in Tax Settings. Voroa also bills in rupees with a GST invoice, and takes UPI, Indian cards and netbanking. On invoicing, the two are level.
Paying for Resources vs Paying for a Size
AWS says: “There is no additional charge for Elastic Beanstalk.” The environment runs on the EC2 and other resources it creates. For new accounts, AWS offers up to $200 in credits over 6 months, and on that free plan the account closes on its own, unless you upgrade to a paid plan, after 6 months or when the credits run out, whichever comes first.
Voroa prices each service size per month: paid web sizes start at Rs 298/month plus GST for 1 GB and 1 vCPU. The free Nano size is Rs 0 with 512 MB and 0.1 vCPU shared, subject to free capacity. See the free instances page.
Elastic Beanstalk vs Voroa for One Node.js App
| Elastic Beanstalk | Voroa | |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy | EB CLI or console, source bundle | GitHub, build on push when auto-deploy is on |
| First environment | About five minutes to create | Build, then a live URL |
| Resources in your account | EC2, security group, S3, CloudWatch, CloudFormation | None to manage |
| Default Node.js port | 8080 | PORT set by Voroa; a fixed port is detected |
| India regions | Mumbai and Hyderabad | Mumbai |
| Invoice | INR through AWS India | INR with a GST invoice |
| Pricing | No extra charge; you pay for the resources | Fixed size per service |
When Beanstalk Is the Better Fit
Beanstalk is the better fit if you need two India regions, if the rest of your company runs on AWS, if your team wants to see and tune every resource, or if your customers ask for AWS by name. Voroa fits a small team that wants to push code and get a running Node.js service, a managed PostgreSQL database and background workers on one bill, without managing cloud resources.
Moving a Beanstalk App to Git-Push Deploys
- Put the app in a GitHub repository if it only exists as a bundle.
- Create a Voroa web service and connect the repository.
- Copy your environment settings into Voroa environment variables.
- Import your PostgreSQL database by pasting its connection string.
- Test on the Voroa URL, then switch DNS.
Also weighing DigitalOcean? Read App Platform vs Voroa.
FAQ
Can I still sign up for AWS App Runner?
No. AWS says App Runner is no longer open to new customers, and points new users to ECS Express Mode.
Does Elastic Beanstalk run in India?
Yes. Its endpoints page lists Mumbai (ap-south-1) and Hyderabad (ap-south-2).
Is Elastic Beanstalk free?
AWS says there is no additional charge for Elastic Beanstalk itself. The environment runs on EC2 or EKS resources in your account.
Push a Node.js App to Mumbai
Connect a repository and your Node.js app runs in Mumbai, with a fixed monthly price and a GST invoice in rupees. Compare sizes on the Voroa pricing page.