ChatGPT answers, unedited

If your goal is learning cloud compute specifically for hosting websites, I’d prioritize platforms that have clear beginner tutorials, good documentation, and enough depth that you won’t outgrow them.

My ranking for a beginner

🥇 1. AWS — best if you want serious cloud skills

Amazon Web Services has probably the broadest ecosystem of documentation and tutorials.

Its documentation includes user guides, tutorials, code samples, CLI references, and dedicated getting-started material. AWS also has step-by-step hands-on tutorials for deploying applications. docs.aws.amazon.com

For your particular goal, I'd learn:

EC2 → VPC → security groups → IAM → Route 53 → S3 → CloudFront → load balancers

That's essentially a miniature version of the infrastructure used to run real websites.

AWS Getting Started
AWS Documentation

Downside: AWS has a lot of services. Beginners can easily get overwhelmed.

🥈 2. Google Cloud — arguably the easiest cloud documentation

Google Cloud is particularly good if you like learning by doing.

Its documentation provides quickstarts, tutorials, interactive walkthroughs, code samples, and architecture guidance. docs.cloud.google.comcloud.google.comlearn.microsoft.com

Google also currently offers 3,000+ learning resources, including courses, videos, documentation, quizzes, and hands-on labs using actual cloud resources. cloud.google.com

For website hosting, I'd start with:

Compute Engine → Cloud Storage → VPC → Cloud Load Balancing → Cloud DNS

Google Cloud Documentation
Google Cloud Training

My pick if you're completely new to cloud.

🥉 3. Azure — best structured curriculum

Microsoft Azure has an unusually good learning system through Microsoft Learn.

Instead of throwing you into documentation, Microsoft gives you guided learning paths and modules, including beginner-level Azure fundamentals. learn.microsoft.com

For example, you can work through:

Cloud concepts → Azure architecture → compute → networking → storage → security

Microsoft also has documentation, example code, tutorials, and an architecture center. learn.microsoft.com

Microsoft Learn for Azure
Azure Documentation

Best choice if you want a course-like experience rather than figuring everything out yourself.

⭐ 4. DigitalOcean — my favorite for learning what a server actually is

This is the one I'd consider if you're brand new to Linux/web servers.

DigitalOcean is much simpler than AWS/Azure/GCP. You can rent a virtual machine, SSH into it, install Nginx, configure DNS, deploy a website, enable HTTPS, and learn what's actually happening underneath.

That's extremely valuable because you learn concepts like:

Browser
   ↓
DNS
   ↓
IP address
   ↓
Linux server
   ↓
Nginx
   ↓
Your website

Then, once you understand that, AWS/GCP/Azure make much more sense.

☁️ 5. Cloudflare — learn the modern web layer

Cloudflare is less of a traditional "rent me a server" platform and more about the infrastructure in front of and around your application.

It's excellent for learning:

• DNS
• CDN
• HTTPS/TLS
• caching
• reverse proxies
• DDoS protection
• edge computing
• serverless applications

I'd learn Cloudflare after understanding basic compute rather than using it as your first cloud platform.

What I'd recommend for you

Don't try to learn AWS, Azure and Google Cloud simultaneously.

I'd use this progression:

1. DigitalOcean
Learn Linux + SSH + web servers + DNS + HTTP + HTTPS.

↓

2. AWS or Google Cloud
Learn virtual machines, networking, IAM, storage, load balancing, monitoring, etc.

↓

3. Cloudflare
Learn CDN, DNS, caching, TLS and the edge.

↓

4. Containers/Docker
Learn how modern applications are packaged and deployed.

↓

5. Kubernetes
Only after the above makes sense.

If you want just one platform:

Pick AWS if your goal is eventually working professionally in cloud/DevOps.

Pick Google Cloud if you want the smoothest documentation + hands-on learning experience.

Pick Azure if you prefer structured courses and Microsoft Learn.

Pick DigitalOcean if your immediate goal is simply: "I want to understand how a website runs on a server."

For a beginner learning cloud compute rather than just website hosting, I'd personally choose DigitalOcean → AWS. That combination teaches you both what a server actually is and how professional cloud infrastructure works.

If your goal is learning cloud compute specifically to host websites, I’d rank the major platforms roughly like this for a beginner:

🥇 AWS — best if you want to actually learn cloud

AWS Getting Started

I'd choose AWS if you want skills that transfer to a broad range of cloud jobs.

Its documentation is enormous, and AWS currently has beginner onboarding, hands-on tutorials, learning plans, cloud-concept explanations, architecture material, and certification resources. aws.amazon.com

For websites, you can gradually learn:

EC2 → networking → DNS → S3 → CloudFront → RDS → load balancers → containers

The downside is that AWS can feel overwhelming because there are so many services.

🥈 DigitalOcean — best for learning the fundamentals

If by "cloud compute" you mean "I want to understand what a server actually is and deploy websites myself," I'd seriously consider starting here.

DigitalOcean's approach is much less intimidating than AWS. You can learn concepts like:

• Linux
• SSH
• virtual machines
• Nginx
• domains/DNS
• HTTPS
• firewalls
• databases
• Docker
• deployment

Those fundamentals transfer directly to AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud.

This may actually be the best first platform for you if you're completely new to servers.

🥉 Azure — outstanding structured education

Microsoft Learn / Azure

Microsoft has one of the best formal learning ecosystems. Its Azure documentation combines documentation, tutorials, example code, training paths, and the Azure Architecture Center. learn.microsoft.com

I'd favor Azure if you like structured courses and learning paths rather than figuring things out primarily from documentation.

Google Cloud — excellent developer experience

Google Cloud Documentation

Google Cloud has particularly good quickstarts, tutorials, code samples, architecture guidance, and training. It also currently offers $300 in credits plus free usage of 20+ products for new accounts. docs.cloud.google.com

It's a strong choice if you're coming from a programming/web-development background.

What I'd recommend for your goal

Don't try to learn AWS + Azure + GCP simultaneously.

I'd use this progression:

1. DigitalOcean → learn what a server is

Deploy a basic website on a Linux VM. Learn SSH, Nginx, DNS, HTTPS, firewalls, logs, and basic Linux.

↓

2. AWS → learn cloud architecture

Recreate the same website using EC2, S3, CloudFront, Route 53, and eventually RDS.

↓

3. Docker → learn modern deployment

Containerize your application.

↓

4. Later: Kubernetes / Terraform / CI/CD

Only once the underlying concepts make sense.

If you want one answer:

Best documentation/learning ecosystem: AWS
Best beginner experience for learning actual servers: DigitalOcean
Best structured educational platform: Azure/Microsoft Learn
Best developer-oriented alternative: Google Cloud
Best easiest deployment platform: Vercel

If you're brand new to cloud compute, I'd personally start with DigitalOcean for 2–4 weeks, then move to AWS. That gives you an intuitive understanding of servers before you're confronted with AWS's enormous menu of services.

For a beginner learning cloud compute for websites, the best platform is usually not the one with the most features — it is the one that helps you understand the fundamentals without overwhelming you. The strongest learning experiences are:

My recommendation by learning goal

If you want to understand "how websites run"

Start with DigitalOcean.

You will learn concepts that transfer everywhere:

• Virtual machines (servers)
• Linux basics
• SSH
• Web servers (Nginx/Apache)
• Domains and DNS
• SSL certificates
• Databases
• Backups
• Docker

Their tutorials are written more like lessons than reference manuals, which is helpful when you are new. DigitalOcean

If you want cloud skills for a future job

Start with AWS.

AWS has the largest ecosystem and is widely used, so learning concepts like:

• EC2 (virtual machines)
• S3 (storage)
• VPC (networking)
• IAM (permissions)
• Lambda (serverless)

will give you skills that map well to many companies. The downside is that AWS can feel like learning a whole toolbox before you know which tools you need. AWS Documentation DigitalOcean

If you prefer guided courses

Try Azure.

Microsoft Learn is one of the most beginner-friendly structured learning systems. It walks you through concepts instead of expecting you to already understand cloud terminology. Student Offers

A good beginner path for website hosting

A practical progression:

1. Start with DigitalOcean

• Deploy a simple website
• Learn Linux commands
• Configure a web server
• Connect a domain
• Learn Docker

• Containerize your website
• Understand repeatable deployments
• Move to AWS or Azure

• Learn cloud networking
• Use managed databases
• Learn scaling concepts
• Learn modern deployment tools

• GitHub Actions
• Terraform
• Kubernetes (later, not first)

Platforms I would avoid as a first step

• AWS only: Great platform, but the number of services can distract beginners.
• Kubernetes first: Important eventually, but too much complexity before understanding servers.
• Bare VPS providers with little guidance: Cheap, but you may spend more time debugging than learning.

For a first website project, my suggested order would be:

DigitalOcean → AWS → Google Cloud/Azure → Kubernetes

That gives you a strong foundation without getting buried in cloud complexity.

If your goal is learning cloud compute specifically so you can eventually host websites, I’d rank the major beginner-friendly options like this:

1. DigitalOcean — best for learning by doing

DigitalOcean is probably my #1 recommendation for a complete beginner.

Their Getting Started With Cloud Computing curriculum explicitly targets people with no prior developer experience and walks through cloud servers, web servers, databases, containers, and security. www.digitalocean.com

Their tutorials tend to be practical:

"I want to host a website."

→ Create Linux server
→ SSH into it
→ Install Nginx
→ Configure a domain
→ Deploy website
→ Enable HTTPS

That's a fantastic way to develop intuition about what a cloud server actually is.

DigitalOcean cloud computing tutorials
DigitalOcean documentation

Best for: learning Linux, servers, SSH, Nginx, DNS, deployments, and the fundamentals behind web hosting.

2. AWS — best if you want serious cloud skills

Amazon Web Services has arguably the largest and deepest learning ecosystem.

AWS has a dedicated beginner Cloud Essentials learning plan, plus courses, labs, documentation, and its Cloud Practitioner curriculum. aws.amazon.com

For compute, you'll eventually learn EC2, which is essentially a virtual server you configure and run yourself. AWS has an official first-EC2 tutorial covering launching an instance, connecting to it, and cleaning it up. docs.aws.amazon.com

AWS Cloud Practitioner learning resources
AWS EC2 getting started guide

Best for: building skills that transfer directly into professional cloud/DevOps jobs.

Downside: AWS has so many services that beginners can easily get overwhelmed.

3. Google Cloud — excellent hands-on learning

Google Cloud has particularly good resources around Compute Engine.

Google provides tutorials, documentation, interactive walkthroughs, and hands-on labs. Its Compute Engine material includes an interactive Linux VM walkthrough and even a lab specifically for hosting a web app. docs.cloud.google.com

Google Cloud Compute Engine learning resources
Compute Engine documentation

Best for: someone who likes interactive labs and wants to understand VMs without immediately diving into an enormous ecosystem.

4. Azure — excellent structured courses

Microsoft Azure is particularly strong if you prefer course-like learning rather than just reading documentation.

Microsoft Learn has beginner-level learning paths covering VMs, Linux environments, storage, networking, and other infrastructure concepts. learn.microsoft.com

Microsoft Learn — Azure compute learning path
Azure VM documentation

Best for: structured learning, certifications, and people who may eventually work in Microsoft-heavy organizations.

What I'd recommend for your goal

If you're starting from essentially zero, I wouldn't start with AWS just because it's the biggest.

I'd do:

DigitalOcean → Linux fundamentals → web server → DNS → HTTPS → AWS

For example:

1. Learn what a VM/cloud server is.
2. Create a small Linux server.
3. Learn basic Linux commands.
4. SSH into the server.
5. Install Nginx.
6. Put a simple HTML website on it.
7. Connect a domain name.
8. Configure HTTPS.
9. Learn what DNS, ports, firewalls, and IP addresses are doing.
10. Then recreate the same website on AWS EC2.

That progression teaches you the concepts rather than just teaching you which buttons to click in a particular cloud provider.

If you want one platform to stick with from day one: I'd pick DigitalOcean for simplicity or AWS for long-term career depth.

If your goal is learning cloud compute by actually hosting websites, I’d rank the major platforms like this:

🥇 DigitalOcean — my pick for a true beginner

DigitalOcean's Getting Started with Cloud Computing tutorials

DigitalOcean is unusually good at explaining what a server actually is rather than hiding everything behind abstractions.

Their beginner curriculum walks through:

• Cloud servers
• Linux
• SSH
• Web servers
• Databases
• Containers
• Security
• Deploying websites

They explicitly designed the introductory series for people without prior developer experience. www.digitalocean.com

Their broader tutorial library is also excellent—currently more than 8,000 tutorials, covering Linux, Docker, databases, Python, JavaScript, Kubernetes, etc. www.digitalocean.com

Why I'd choose it: You can start with a $5-ish virtual machine, SSH into it, install Nginx, point a domain at it, configure HTTPS, deploy a website, and gradually learn what each component does.

🥈 Azure — best structured learning experience

Microsoft Learn for Azure

If you prefer "teach me this in the correct order", Azure is probably the strongest choice.

Microsoft Learn has beginner learning paths covering:

1. Cloud concepts
2. Azure architecture
3. Azure services
4. Management/governance
5. Compute
6. Networking
7. Storage

The material is structured into bite-sized modules and includes hands-on exercises. learn.microsoft.com

The Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) curriculum is particularly useful because it covers compute, networking, storage, virtual machines, containers, web apps, and serverless functions. learn.microsoft.com

Why I'd choose it: Excellent if you want to learn cloud concepts systematically rather than just learning how to deploy one website.

🥉 AWS — best if you want deep, transferable cloud skills

AWS Getting Started

AWS has an enormous amount of documentation and training. Its beginner onboarding specifically walks you through launching and configuring multiple AWS services. aws.amazon.com

The downside is also its biggest strength: there is a lot of it.

As a beginner, AWS can feel like:

"Here are 47 services. Good luck."

I'd learn AWS after you understand basic concepts such as:

computer → operating system → server → IP address → DNS → HTTP → web server → database → firewall

Then AWS's terminology becomes much easier to understand.

Why choose it: If you're eventually interested in cloud engineering, DevOps, infrastructure, or enterprise development, AWS is an excellent long-term platform.

Google Cloud — excellent hands-on labs

Google Cloud training

Google's training ecosystem is particularly strong for hands-on experimentation. Google Skills currently offers 3,000+ learning resources, including courses, quizzes, and labs using temporary credentials to real cloud resources. cloud.google.com

Google's documentation also has quickstarts, tutorials, interactive walkthroughs, and code samples. docs.cloud.google.com

I'd especially consider GCP if you're eventually interested in Docker, Kubernetes, data engineering, or AI/ML.

Vercel — fantastic, but I'd use it after learning basic compute

Vercel is fantastic for getting a website online quickly, particularly with Next.js.

But there's an important distinction:

Vercel teaches you how to deploy an application. DigitalOcean teaches you what a server is.

If you're specifically trying to learn cloud compute, I'd start with DigitalOcean/Azure/AWS/GCP rather than jumping straight to an abstraction like Vercel.

What I'd recommend for you

If you're starting from almost zero, I'd actually use two platforms rather than trying to master one.

Phase 1 — DigitalOcean

Learn:

Linux → SSH → server → IP → DNS → Nginx → HTTPS → domain → deploy website

Build a simple website and host it on a virtual server.

Phase 2 — AWS or Azure

Then learn:

VMs → virtual networks → firewalls → load balancers → object storage → databases → containers → serverless

At that point, you'll understand why the cloud platforms have all these services rather than just memorizing buttons in a dashboard.

My overall ranking for your particular goal

If you're learning cloud compute through websites:

1. 🥇 DigitalOcean — best for understanding the fundamentals
2. 🥈 Azure — best structured educational experience
3. 🥉 AWS — best deep dive / long-term cloud career platform
4. Google Cloud — excellent labs and modern cloud ecosystem
5. Vercel — best for quickly deploying modern web apps, but less useful for learning underlying compute

If you tell me whether you're starting with HTML/CSS/JavaScript, Python, or something like React/Next.js, I can also give you a beginner-friendly progression from "I have a website on my laptop" → "my website is running on a cloud server."

For a beginner learning cloud compute for websites, I would prioritize platforms that have:

1. Clear beginner tutorials
2. Hands-on labs/sandboxes
3. Good explanations of core concepts (servers, networking, storage, databases, security)
4. Lots of community examples when you get stuck

My ranking for learning resources would be:

docs.digitalocean.com

1. DigitalOcean — easiest first step for website hosting

If your goal is "I want to understand how to put a website online", DigitalOcean is hard to beat.

Why beginners like it:

• Tutorials explain concepts instead of just listing commands
• Virtual servers ("Droplets") are easy to understand
• Simple pricing model
• Great examples for:
  • hosting WordPress
  • deploying Node.js/Python apps
  • setting up Nginx
  • using Docker
  • configuring SSL certificates

Their documentation includes walkthroughs, API references, and deployment guides. docs.digitalocean.com

Good first projects:

• Host a static HTML/CSS website
• Deploy a small Flask/Node app
• Set up a Linux server manually

2. Microsoft Azure — best "classroom-style" learning

Azure has one of the smoothest beginner paths through Microsoft Learn.

Why it works well:

• Lessons are broken into small modules
• Interactive exercises
• Beginner certifications like Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900)
• Explains cloud concepts before diving into services

A beginner can follow a path like:

Cloud basics → Virtual machines → Storage → Networking → Databases → Deployment

www.datacamp.com

3. AWS — best if you want cloud career skills

AWS has the biggest ecosystem and probably the most third-party tutorials, videos, books, and Stack Overflow answers.

The downside:

• There are hundreds of services
• Documentation can feel overwhelming
• There are often multiple ways to solve the same problem

For learning websites, start with:

• EC2 → virtual servers
• S3 → file hosting
• Route 53 → DNS
• RDS → databases
• CloudFront → CDN

AWS has a beginner "Getting Started" center with tutorials and guided introductions. aws.amazon.comwww.datacamp.com

4. Google Cloud — clean documentation, great for developers

Google Cloud tends to have very readable documentation and strong hands-on labs. docs.cloud.google.com

It is especially good if you eventually want:

• Kubernetes
• containers
• machine learning
• data engineering

For a simple website, though, it may not be the easiest first platform.

A beginner path I would recommend

Month 1: Learn hosting fundamentals

Use DigitalOcean or Azure:

• Linux basics
• SSH
• Web servers (Nginx/Apache)
• Domains and DNS
• HTTPS certificates

Build:

A personal website running on your own cloud server

Month 2: Learn modern deployment

Learn:

• Git
• Docker
• CI/CD basics
• Environment variables
• Databases

Build:

A small full-stack application deployed automatically

Month 3: Learn "real cloud"

Move to AWS/Azure/GCP concepts:

• Load balancers
• Auto scaling
• Managed databases
• Monitoring
• Security/IAM

If your goal is becoming a web developer who can deploy apps, I would start with:

DigitalOcean → AWS → Kubernetes later

If your goal is getting a cloud job, I would start with:

Azure Learn or AWS Skill Builder → certification → hands-on projects

aws.amazon.comwww.datacamp.com

If your goal is to learn cloud compute specifically for hosting websites, I’d rank the major platforms like this for a beginner:

1. DigitalOcean — best for learning the fundamentals

I'd probably recommend DigitalOcean first if you're brand new.

Its tutorials are unusually approachable. The company's beginner curriculum explicitly walks through cloud servers → web servers → databases → containers → security, and says no prior developer experience is required. www.digitalocean.com

Its tutorial library also has 8,000+ development and sysadmin tutorials, covering Linux, Ubuntu, Apache, Docker, databases, JavaScript, etc. www.digitalocean.com

DigitalOcean Getting Started with Cloud Computing

What you'll learn:
Linux → SSH → virtual machine → web server → domain/DNS → HTTPS → database → deployment

That's a fantastic foundation because you're actually learning what a cloud server is, rather than just clicking "Deploy."

2. Microsoft Azure — best structured curriculum

Microsoft's Learn platform is probably the most "course-like" of the major cloud providers.

For example, its beginner Azure App Service module walks you through creating a web app, preparing the application, and deploying it. www.digitalocean.comlearn.microsoft.comlearn.microsoft.com

Microsoft also has structured learning paths, including beginner-level web-development and Azure material. learn.microsoft.com

Microsoft Learn for Azure

Best if: you like having lessons, exercises, modules, quizzes, and a clear progression.

3. Amazon Web Services (AWS) — best long-term investment

AWS has an enormous amount of documentation, tutorials, learning plans, and hands-on material. Its current getting-started center specifically provides beginner onboarding tasks and cloud fundamentals. aws.amazon.com

AWS also has learning plans, tutorials, product guides, and free self-paced material through AWS Educate. builder.aws.com

AWS Getting Started

The downside is AWS can be overwhelming. There are dozens of services you don't need when you're just trying to understand:

"How does my website actually run on a computer somewhere?"

But once you get past the initial learning curve, AWS is excellent for understanding serious cloud infrastructure.

4. Google Cloud — excellent, but I'd learn it second

Google Cloud has good documentation and a large collection of quickstarts, tutorials, checklists, and interactive walkthroughs. docs.cloud.google.com

Google Cloud tutorials

I'd put it slightly behind AWS/Azure for a beginner learning website hosting simply because the overall ecosystem can feel less straightforward when you're first learning the basic concepts.

5. Vercel — easiest deployment, but don't use it as your only cloud education

Vercel is fantastic if your goal is:

"I built a Next.js website. How do I get it online?"

But it's less useful if your goal is:

"I want to understand virtual machines, Linux, networking, DNS, HTTP, reverse proxies, storage, databases, and cloud infrastructure."

For the second goal, I'd deliberately start with something like DigitalOcean.

What I'd personally recommend

If you're starting from essentially zero, I'd do:

Phase 1 — DigitalOcean

Learn:

1. What a server/VM is
2. Linux basics
3. SSH
4. IP addresses
5. DNS
6. Nginx/Apache
7. HTTP/HTTPS
8. Domains and TLS certificates
9. Running a database
10. Deploying a simple website

Phase 2 — AWS or Azure

Then recreate the same website using:

• a virtual machine
• cloud networking
• firewall/security rules
• object storage
• managed database
• load balancer
• DNS

At that point, AWS/Azure documentation will make much more sense, because you'll already understand what the services are doing underneath.

The key distinction

If your goal is web development:

Vercel → excellent

If your goal is learning cloud infrastructure:

DigitalOcean → excellent starting point

If your goal is learning cloud for a career:

DigitalOcean → AWS/Azure → deeper cloud architecture

If I were teaching a complete beginner, I'd actually choose DigitalOcean + AWS rather than trying to learn AWS from day one. DigitalOcean gets you comfortable with the underlying machinery; AWS then teaches you how that machinery becomes a large-scale cloud platform.

If your goal is learning cloud compute specifically for hosting websites, I’d prioritize platforms based on documentation quality + beginner learning paths + hands-on tutorials, not just price or popularity.

My ranking for a beginner

1. 🥇 AWS — best if you want serious cloud skills

AWS Getting Started

AWS has an enormous amount of documentation, tutorials, architecture guidance, and beginner material. Its current onboarding material specifically walks beginners through setting up an environment and deploying compute, storage, and databases. AWS also has AWS Educate, which provides beginner-oriented courses and hands-on practice. builder.aws.com

For website hosting, you'd eventually learn things like:

EC2 → VPC → security groups → DNS → load balancers → S3 → CloudFront → databases

That's a lot, but it's also a very transferable understanding of how cloud infrastructure actually works.

Best for: If you want cloud/DevOps skills that could eventually translate into professional infrastructure work.

2. 🥈 Google Cloud — arguably the nicest learning experience

Google Cloud Documentation

Google's documentation is particularly good at providing quickstarts, tutorials, walkthroughs, code samples, and architecture guidance in one place. docs.cloud.google.com

Its learning platform is also excellent: Google Skills has thousands of learning resources, including courses, quizzes, and hands-on labs using real cloud resources. cloud.google.comlearn.microsoft.com

For compute/websites, you'll learn:

Compute Engine → networking → firewall rules → Cloud Storage → load balancing → IAM → Cloud DNS

Google also currently offers $300 in credits for new users plus free usage of 20+ products, including Compute Engine. docs.cloud.google.com

Best for: Someone who wants to understand cloud concepts without immediately drowning in AWS's enormous service catalog.

3. 🥉 Azure — fantastic structured curriculum

Microsoft Learn for Azure

Microsoft Learn is probably the most explicitly beginner-course-like of the three major clouds.

Its Azure Fundamentals curriculum has sequential learning paths covering:

1. Cloud concepts
2. Azure architecture and services
3. Azure management and governance

They're explicitly labeled for beginners. learn.microsoft.com

The underlying Azure documentation also combines tutorials, examples, architecture guidance, and product documentation. learn.microsoft.com

Best for: If you like being taught through structured modules rather than figuring things out from documentation.

4. DigitalOcean — my favorite for actually learning web servers

This is the interesting one.

If you're saying "I want to learn how a website actually runs on a cloud VM", I'd seriously consider starting with DigitalOcean rather than AWS.

The concepts are much less intimidating:

Droplet → SSH → Linux → Nginx → domain → HTTPS → deploy application

You can learn what a server actually is without simultaneously having to understand 40 AWS services.

Then, once you're comfortable, move to AWS/GCP/Azure.

5. Cloudflare — excellent after you understand basic hosting

Cloudflare is particularly useful for learning the web-facing side of infrastructure:

DNS → HTTPS → CDN → caching → reverse proxy → edge computing → DDoS protection

I'd treat it as complementary rather than your first cloud-compute platform.

What I'd recommend for you

If you're a complete beginner, I wouldn't start by trying to learn an entire cloud provider.

I'd do:

Linux basics → HTTP/DNS → virtual machines → web server → deployment → networking → cloud services

A very practical progression would be:

1. DigitalOcean
Deploy a small Linux VM and host a basic website.

2. Google Cloud or AWS
Rebuild the same website using a cloud provider's compute service.

3. Learn networking
DNS, ports, firewalls, private/public IPs, TLS, load balancers.

4. Learn managed services
Object storage, managed databases, CDN, monitoring.

5. Learn containers
Docker → container registry → cloud deployment.

6. Learn infrastructure as code
Terraform.

That path teaches you why the services exist rather than just memorizing AWS/GCP product names.

If I had to pick just one

For learning cloud professionally: AWS

For best beginner education: Google Cloud

For structured beginner courses: Azure

For learning how to actually run a website/server: DigitalOcean

And if your eventual goal is something like "I want to take a website I've built locally and deploy it to the cloud myself", I'd start with DigitalOcean or Google Cloud, then move to AWS once the underlying concepts make sense.

If your goal is learning cloud compute by actually hosting websites, I’d rank the major beginner-friendly platforms roughly like this:

1. 🥇 DigitalOcean — best for actually learning how servers work

DigitalOcean is probably my #1 recommendation for a complete beginner.

Its tutorials tend to explain why you're doing something rather than just telling you which button to click. Its "Getting Started With Cloud Computing" curriculum specifically covers cloud servers, web servers, databases, containers, and security, and says no prior developer experience is necessary. www.digitalocean.comcloud.google.com

DigitalOcean tutorials

Great first project:
Rent a small Linux server → SSH into it → install Nginx → deploy a simple website → connect a domain → enable HTTPS.

That teaches you a surprising amount about real web hosting.

2. 🥈 Microsoft Azure — best structured curriculum

Microsoft's Azure learning ecosystem is exceptionally organized.

Microsoft Learn — Azure training

The beginner curriculum starts with cloud concepts, Azure architecture/services, and management/governance. It also has guided projects where you actually deploy things. learn.microsoft.comlearn.microsoft.com

For example, Microsoft has a beginner guided project for deploying a static website with Azure Blob Storage. learn.microsoft.comlearn.microsoft.com

Best if: you like a course-like progression and might eventually pursue cloud certifications or a cloud job.

3. 🥉 AWS — best for learning the industry-standard ecosystem

Amazon Web Services has an enormous amount of documentation, tutorials, and training.

AWS Getting Started

AWS can be overwhelming because there are so many services, but its current beginner resources include onboarding tasks, cloud fundamentals, tutorials, decision guides, and AWS Educate content. builder.aws.com

Best if: you eventually want to understand professional cloud infrastructure deeply.

The downside for a beginner is that AWS can make a simple website feel unnecessarily complicated if you start exploring too many services at once.

4. Google Cloud — excellent hands-on labs

Google Cloud has particularly good interactive training.

Google Cloud training

Google's learning platform currently offers thousands of learning resources, including courses, videos, quizzes, and hands-on labs using real Google Cloud resources. cloud.google.com

Best if: you learn by doing guided exercises and want exposure to modern cloud infrastructure.

What I'd personally recommend

If you're starting from almost zero, don't start by trying to learn "cloud" as a giant subject.

Go:

DigitalOcean → Linux → web server → DNS → HTTPS → databases → Docker → then AWS/Azure/GCP

Once you've manually deployed a website on a Linux VM, the concepts behind AWS EC2, Azure VMs, Google Compute Engine, networking, security groups/firewalls, etc. become much easier to understand.

Then I'd move to AWS or Azure for broader cloud knowledge.

A good beginner progression

1. DigitalOcean: deploy a Linux server
2. Learn basic Linux/SSH
3. Install Nginx
4. Host a simple HTML site
5. Buy/connect a domain
6. Configure DNS
7. Enable HTTPS/TLS
8. Learn basic firewalls and ports
9. Deploy a small application
10. Add a database
11. Learn Docker
12. Rebuild the same project on AWS or Azure

That path will teach you considerably more than simply using a one-click website hosting service.

If your specific goal is "I want to learn cloud compute so I can eventually deploy websites professionally," I'd choose DigitalOcean first, then AWS.

If your goal is learning how to host websites and understand cloud compute, I’d prioritize platforms with excellent beginner documentation and hands-on tutorials—not just the cheapest hosting.

My ranking for a beginner

🥇 1. AWS — best overall cloud education

AWS Learn

I'd pick AWS if you want to genuinely learn cloud computing, rather than simply learn how to deploy a website.

AWS has beginner learning paths, tutorials, concepts, decision guides, hands-on labs, and AWS Educate. Its current Skill Builder offering also has 1,000+ free learning resources. builder.aws.com

For website hosting, you'll learn concepts such as:

• EC2 virtual machines
• DNS
• networking and security groups
• load balancers
• S3
• databases
• IAM
• serverless/Lambda
• monitoring
• scaling

Downside: AWS has an enormous number of services, so it can feel overwhelming.

Best choice if: you want skills that transfer broadly to cloud/DevOps jobs.

🥈 2. Azure — arguably the best structured beginner curriculum

Microsoft Learn for Azure

Microsoft does an excellent job of turning cloud learning into a guided curriculum.

The Azure Fundamentals material explicitly has beginner learning paths covering cloud concepts, Azure architecture/services, management and governance. Microsoft also provides guided projects where you actually deploy services. learn.microsoft.com

Best choice if: you prefer being told “learn this, then this, then build this.”

🥉 3. DigitalOcean — my favorite for actually learning servers

DigitalOcean Tutorials

This is the one I'd particularly recommend if you're starting from “I want to understand what happens when I put a website on a server.”

DigitalOcean's tutorials are unusually approachable. They cover Linux, Apache/Nginx, Docker, databases, networking, Python, JavaScript, security, etc., with 8,000+ tutorials currently available. www.digitalocean.com

You can progress naturally:

Linux → SSH → server → Nginx → DNS → HTTPS → application → database → Docker

That gives you a very tangible understanding of what “hosting a website” actually means.

Best choice if: you're a web developer who wants to understand the infrastructure underneath their websites.

4. Google Cloud — excellent, especially for containers

Google Cloud Documentation

Google's documentation has quickstarts, tutorials, interactive walkthroughs, code samples, and pre-built “Jump Start” solutions. docs.cloud.google.com

I'd put it slightly behind AWS/Azure for a first cloud platform, mainly because AWS and Azure have particularly extensive beginner-oriented learning ecosystems.

Best choice if: you're interested in Docker/Kubernetes, data, AI, or Google's cloud ecosystem.

5. Cloudflare — excellent for modern web development

Cloudflare Developer Docs

Cloudflare is somewhat different from AWS/Azure/DigitalOcean. Its documentation is particularly good for modern web applications and serverless computing.

Cloudflare's Developer Labs provide interactive, hands-on tutorials where you build applications using Workers, APIs, databases, and other services. developers.cloudflare.com

Best choice if: you want to learn how modern websites can run without managing traditional servers.

What I'd recommend for you

If you're starting from zero, I'd actually use two platforms rather than trying to master one:

DigitalOcean → AWS

Start with DigitalOcean to understand:

computer → Linux → SSH → web server → website → DNS → HTTPS → database

Then move to AWS and learn:

EC2 → VPC → security groups → load balancer → S3 → RDS → IAM → autoscaling

That combination gives you both fundamental infrastructure knowledge and real cloud-platform knowledge.

If your eventual goal is cloud engineering/DevOps, I'd make AWS your primary platform. If your goal is primarily web development, I'd start with DigitalOcean.

And I wouldn't try to learn AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud simultaneously. One cloud + solid Linux/networking fundamentals is much more valuable for a beginner than superficial familiarity with three clouds.

If your goal is to learn cloud compute while actually hosting websites, I’d prioritize platforms based on the quality of their beginner material—not just price or popularity.

My ranking for a beginner

🥇 DigitalOcean — my recommendation for your first step

DigitalOcean is probably the best learning environment if you're starting from scratch.

Their documentation is unusually tutorial-oriented. Their "Getting Started With Cloud Computing" curriculum explicitly takes beginners through cloud servers, web servers, databases, containers, and security, and says no prior developer experience is required. www.digitalocean.com

DigitalOcean's Getting Started With Cloud Computing tutorials

What I like about it:

• You create a Linux server and actually SSH into it.
• You learn Linux, rather than hiding everything behind a control panel.
• You learn Nginx/Apache, DNS, domains, HTTPS, firewalls, databases, etc.
• Tutorials tend to explain why you're doing something rather than just giving you a giant configuration reference.
• Their website-hosting documentation specifically emphasizes their documentation/tutorial library as a way to get started quickly. www.digitalocean.com

Best learning project:
Domain → DNS → Droplet → Linux → Nginx → Website → HTTPS

That's an excellent first cloud-computing project.

🥈 AWS — best if you eventually want cloud as a career

Amazon Web Services has arguably the strongest overall ecosystem, but its sheer size can overwhelm beginners.

AWS gives you a very nice progression:

Lightsail → EC2 → VPC → load balancers → databases → containers → serverless

I'd actually start with Lightsail, not EC2.

AWS describes Lightsail as an easy way for people new to AWS to build websites and web applications, with virtual servers, databases, networking, DNS, storage, CDN, and other capabilities packaged into a simpler experience. docs.aws.amazon.com

AWS Lightsail documentation

Then graduate to EC2. AWS has a dedicated beginner tutorial that walks through launching an instance, connecting to it, and cleaning it up. docs.aws.amazon.com

Best if you think:

"I want to understand cloud infrastructure and possibly work in cloud/DevOps later."

🥉 Google Cloud — excellent hands-on education

Google Cloud has some of the best interactive learning available.

Compute Engine is Google's equivalent of a cloud VM. Its learning resources include tutorials, quickstarts, labs, videos, documentation, and even interactive walkthroughs. Google says its Skills Boost catalog has 100+ learning activities specifically for Compute Engine. cloud.google.com

Google Cloud Compute Engine learning resources

There's also a particularly good hands-on codelab where you host and scale a web application using Compute Engine. codelabs.developers.google.com

Best if you like: interactive labs, videos, and experimenting rather than reading documentation alone.

🏅 Azure — probably the most structured learning path

Microsoft Azure deserves special mention because Microsoft Learn is exceptionally well organized.

Their Azure Fundamentals material is broken into guided beginner learning paths, and you can progress toward certifications if that's something you eventually want. docs.aws.amazon.comdocs.aws.amazon.comcodelabs.developers.google.comlearn.microsoft.comlearn.microsoft.com

They also have a beginner module specifically for Azure Virtual Machines that includes creating and managing a VM. learn.microsoft.com

Microsoft Learn — Azure training

I'd choose Azure over AWS if you prefer structured courses and learning paths over figuring things out from a huge documentation ecosystem.

What I'd personally recommend

If you're brand new to cloud compute, don't start by trying to learn all three major clouds.

I'd do this:

1. DigitalOcean
Learn the fundamentals by hosting an actual website.

↓

2. AWS Lightsail
Repeat the process on AWS and notice what concepts are the same.

↓

3. AWS EC2
Now learn the more complicated infrastructure underneath.

↓

4. Google Cloud or Azure
Learn how another cloud implements the same fundamental ideas.

You'll start noticing that:

VM + OS + networking + storage + DNS + web server + TLS + firewall

is basically the foundation underneath a huge amount of web hosting.

A particularly good beginner curriculum

I'd learn these concepts in roughly this order:

1. What a server/VM actually is
2. Linux basics
3. SSH
4. IP addresses and ports
5. Firewalls
6. DNS
7. Domains
8. Nginx
9. HTTP/HTTPS
10. TLS certificates
11. Deploying a website
12. Backups
13. Databases
14. Object storage
15. Load balancing
16. Containers/Docker
17. CI/CD
18. Infrastructure as Code

If your specific goal is "I want to be able to rent a cloud VM and understand everything required to put a website on it", I'd start with DigitalOcean, then move to AWS EC2. That gives you a much gentler learning curve than jumping directly into the full AWS ecosystem.

If your goal is to actually learn cloud compute while building websites, rather than simply finding the easiest place to deploy a site, I’d rank the platforms roughly like this:

1. 🥇 DigitalOcean — best place to learn the fundamentals

I would probably start here.

DigitalOcean has unusually approachable tutorials that teach you things like Linux, SSH, web servers, databases, Docker, security, and cloud servers rather than just showing you which button to click. Its beginner cloud-computing curriculum explicitly assumes no prior developer experience. www.digitalocean.com

DigitalOcean beginner cloud-computing curriculum

Great first project:
Rent a small Linux VM → SSH into it → install Nginx → deploy a simple website → configure a domain → enable HTTPS.

That teaches you much more about what "hosting" actually means than one-click deployment.

2. 🥈 AWS — best for learning real cloud infrastructure

If you eventually want cloud/DevOps/infrastructure skills, AWS is arguably the most valuable platform to learn.

Its EC2 documentation walks beginners through launching a virtual server, connecting to it, networking/security groups, storage, and cleaning it up. AWS also has a broader beginner resource center and hands-on tutorials. aws.amazon.com

AWS Getting Started

AWS EC2 beginner tutorial

Downside: AWS exposes you to a lot of concepts and services. It's excellent for learning, but easier to get overwhelmed.

3. 🥉 Azure — excellent structured learning

Microsoft Learn is particularly good if you like courses with modules, exercises, quizzes, and clear progression.

There's even a beginner learning path specifically for deploying a website with Azure virtual machines, with no prerequisites. learn.microsoft.com

Microsoft Learn — Deploy a website with Azure VMs

Azure's VM documentation also provides Linux/Windows quickstarts and self-paced training. www.digitalocean.comlearn.microsoft.comcloud.google.comvercel.com

I'd choose Azure over AWS if you learn better from a formal curriculum rather than exploring documentation yourself.

4. Google Cloud — excellent technical resources

Google Cloud's Compute Engine material combines documentation with videos, labs, quizzes, and hands-on learning through Google Cloud Skills Boost. It has tutorials for deploying Linux/Windows VMs and even web servers/LAMP stacks. cloud.google.com

Google Cloud Compute Engine learning resources

It's a very good choice, although I'd put DigitalOcean ahead of it for a first-ever experience with cloud servers.

5. Vercel — best for learning modern website deployment

Vercel is different from the others. It's fantastic for learning the workflow of:

Git → build → deploy → preview → production → custom domain

rather than learning virtual machines and infrastructure.

Its docs emphasize Git-based deployments, automatic preview environments, CLI deployment, and popular web frameworks. vercel.com

Vercel documentation

So I'd use Vercel alongside a cloud VM rather than instead of one if your goal is cloud-compute knowledge.

My recommendation for a beginner

I'd actually learn in this order:

1. Vercel → 2. DigitalOcean → 3. AWS

That gives you three progressively deeper levels:

Vercel

"How do I get my website online?"

↓

DigitalOcean

"What is a server, Linux, SSH, Nginx, DNS, HTTPS, and a database?"

↓

AWS

"How do I build scalable cloud infrastructure?"

Once you understand the DigitalOcean server model, EC2 becomes much easier to understand because you're no longer trying to learn Linux, servers, networking, and AWS terminology simultaneously.

If your ultimate goal is cloud engineering/DevOps rather than simply hosting websites, I'd make AWS or Azure your eventual main platform.

For a beginner learning cloud compute for websites, I would prioritize platforms that have:

1. Clear beginner tutorials
2. Good documentation examples
3. Free/cheap ways to experiment
4. A large community when you get stuck

My ranking for learning resources would be:

markereviews.com

My recommendation for a beginner building websites

Start with DigitalOcean → then learn AWS

For your first website deployment, DigitalOcean is often less overwhelming:

• Create a small virtual server (Droplet)
• Install Linux
• Deploy a website
• Learn SSH, Nginx, domains, SSL, databases

Their tutorials are famously beginner-oriented. Once you understand those basics, AWS becomes much easier because you already understand the underlying concepts.

Then move to AWS:

• EC2 = virtual servers
• S3 = file storage
• RDS = managed databases
• CloudFront = CDN
• Route 53 = DNS

AWS has excellent official getting-started tutorials and a huge learning ecosystem. aws.amazon.com

If you want the best official learning paths

AWS

Best path:

1. Cloud basics
2. EC2 virtual machines
3. S3 storage
4. IAM permissions
5. VPC networking
6. Deploy a full-stack website

AWS's beginner resources are here: AWS Getting Started

Azure

Microsoft Learn is probably the smoothest "course-like" experience:

• Short modules
• Quizzes
• Guided labs
• Certification paths

www.datacamp.com

Google Cloud

GCP has very good hands-on labs and documentation. It is especially good if you want to learn modern developer workflows, containers, and Kubernetes. docs.cloud.google.com

A practical beginner roadmap for hosting websites

Month 1: Fundamentals

• Linux command line
• HTTP/HTTPS
• DNS
• Domains
• Basic networking

Month 2: Your first cloud server

• Create a VM
• Install Nginx
• Deploy HTML/CSS/JS site
• Add SSL certificate
• Connect a domain

Month 3: Modern hosting

• Docker containers
• Managed databases
• CI/CD deployment
• Object storage
• CDN

What I would avoid at first

I would not start by trying to learn:

• Kubernetes
• Serverless architecture
• Terraform
• Multi-cloud deployments

Those are useful later, but they can distract from understanding the basics of "a computer on the internet runs my website."

A good beginner stack would be:

HTML/CSS/JavaScript → Linux → DigitalOcean → AWS basics → Docker → managed cloud services

That foundation transfers to almost every cloud provider. drpranayjha.com

If your goal is specifically learning cloud compute so you can eventually host websites yourself, I’d rank the major platforms like this:

🥇 1. DigitalOcean — easiest place to learn

For a beginner, I'd probably start with DigitalOcean.

Its tutorials are unusually approachable: they teach concepts such as Linux, SSH, web servers, databases, Docker, and security rather than simply telling you which buttons to click. Their beginner cloud curriculum explicitly assumes no prior developer experience and walks toward deploying websites and applications. www.digitalocean.com

DigitalOcean's Getting Started with Cloud Computing curriculum

The big advantage is that you'll learn what a server actually is:

Internet → DNS → server → Linux → web server → application → database

rather than just learning a particular cloud provider's interface.

Best for: learning VPS/cloud-server fundamentals.

🥈 2. AWS — best if you want serious cloud skills

AWS has probably the strongest overall ecosystem if you eventually want cloud/DevOps work.

AWS has a dedicated beginner onboarding path, tutorials, decision guides, documentation, learning plans, and hands-on material. aws.amazon.com

AWS Getting Started

The downside is complexity. AWS has an enormous number of services, and a beginner can easily get lost wondering whether they should use EC2, Lightsail, ECS, Lambda, Elastic Beanstalk, S3, etc.

For your particular goal, I'd initially concentrate on:

• Linux
• EC2
• SSH
• Security Groups
• Elastic IP
• Route 53
• S3
• CloudFront
• basic networking

Then branch out.

Best for: learning skills that transfer into professional cloud/DevOps jobs.

🥉 3. Azure — arguably the best structured learning experience

Microsoft's Microsoft Learn is excellent for beginners. Its Azure Fundamentals material is organized into learning paths and modules, and it has guided projects where you actually deploy things. learn.microsoft.comlearn.microsoft.com

Microsoft Learn — Azure training

For example, Microsoft has a beginner guided project specifically for deploying a static website with Azure Blob Storage. learn.microsoft.comlearn.microsoft.com

I'd put Azure slightly behind DigitalOcean for understanding raw server fundamentals, but ahead of it if what you value most is a structured curriculum.

Best for: people who like courses, modules, quizzes, and a clearly defined progression.

4. Google Cloud — excellent hands-on material

Google Cloud has very good documentation and a substantial training ecosystem. Its current Google Skills platform has 3,000+ learning resources, including courses, videos, documentation, quizzes, and hands-on labs using actual cloud resources. cloud.google.com

Google Cloud training

Its documentation also combines tutorials, quickstarts, code samples, architecture guidance, and hands-on walkthroughs. docs.cloud.google.com

Best for: developers who want to combine cloud with programming/data/AI.

What I'd recommend for you

If you're starting from basically zero, don't start by trying to learn AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud simultaneously.

I'd do:

Phase 1 — DigitalOcean

Linux → SSH → VPS → Nginx → DNS → HTTPS → deploy a simple website

Phase 2 — AWS

EC2 → networking → security groups → S3 → CloudFront → Route 53

Phase 3 — Containers

Docker → Docker Compose → deploy a containerized website

Phase 4 — More advanced cloud

load balancers → managed databases → object storage → monitoring → CI/CD → infrastructure as code

That progression teaches you the underlying concepts, rather than making you dependent on one provider's interface.

One important distinction

If by "cloud compute" you mean "I want to understand how websites actually run on servers", I'd choose DigitalOcean first.

If you mean "I eventually want a cloud engineering/DevOps career", I'd choose AWS first, despite the steeper learning curve.

If you tell me roughly where you are now—e.g. "I know HTML/CSS but nothing about servers" or "I already know Linux and want to learn AWS"—I can give you a beginner-to-hosting roadmap with specific projects to build in order.