Thunder
vs
AWS Amplify
Deploy modern web apps (Next.js, Vite, Astro, etc.) directly to your AWS account with full control, no vendor lock-in, and transparent costs.
The Bottom Line
Thunder.so gives you the simplicity of Amplify with the freedom and cost transparency you actually want. You deploy to your own AWS account, own your infrastructure, and only pay AWS for what you use — plus Thunder is fully open-source.
Recommended for most teams in 2026
Head-to-Head Comparison
| Feature | Thunder.so | AWS Amplify |
|---|---|---|
| Deployment Target | Manage multiple AWS accounts and apps in one place | Switch between AWS accounts |
| Open Source | Yes — self-hostable | No |
| Platform Cost | Pay only for AWS resources + optional platform fee | Amplify pricing + AWS resources |
| Next.js Support (App Router + SSR) | Excellent (Containers on Fargate) | Good (managed compute) |
| Static Hosting | Yes (with Lambda@edge) | Yes (no edge functions) |
| Lambda Hosting | Container and Zip modes | Zip mode only |
| ECS Fargate Hosting | Container and Nixpacks | No |
| Infrastructure Control | Full control via TypeScript SDK | Limited via YML file |
| GitOps & CI/CD | Built-in with GitHub | Built-in |
| Custom Domains & HTTPS | Yes | Yes |
| Cold Starts | Avoidable with containers/Fargate | Depends on compute type |
| Pricing Transparency | Very high | Moderate |
Zero Vendor Lock-in
Everything deploys to your AWS account. You own the infrastructure, data, and can migrate anytime without pain.
Flexible Deployment Options
Choose the right pattern for your app: Static sites, Serverless Lambda, Containerized workloads with ECS/Fargate, or even nixpacks on EC2.
Cost Efficient
Pay AWS directly for S3, Lambda, CloudFront, etc. No hidden platform markup on your infrastructure usage.
Modern & Framework Agnostic
First-class support for Next.js, Astro, Vite, Nuxt, Remix, SvelteKit, and dozens of other frameworks.
When Should You Choose Thunder.so?
- → You want full control over your AWS resources
- → You dislike vendor lock-in
- → You need containerized or high-performance workloads
- → You value open-source and transparency
- → You're deploying Next.js, Astro, Vite or similar modern frameworks
- → You want predictable and transparent costs
Ready to deploy without compromise?
Connect your AWS account and deploy your first app in minutes.
Get Started with Thunder →Free to start • Open Source • Deploys to your AWS