Chameera Dulanga

# Getting Started With AWS Amplify 

[AWS Amplify](https://aws.amazon.com/amplify/) is a set of tools and services offered through Amazon Web Services to help developers build and deploy web and mobile applications in the cloud. 

![amplify-sandbox.png](https://res.cloudinary.com/layercode/image/upload/v1637780102/amplify_sandbox_ef0468e6a3.png)


It supports major frameworks and languages like JavaScript, React, Angular, Vue, Android, iOS, React Native, Flutter and can be easily integrated with other AWS services. On the surface, it looks like a new service. However, if we dig into it, AWS Amplify is a repackaged set of tools and services that are already available within the AWS ecosystem. 

The perk of this is that the services are more likely to work with each other seamlessly as they are under the same ecosystem of service offerings. All the services and tools packaged and marketed under the AWS Amplify umbrella can be categorized under three umbrellas: develop, deliver, and manage. Here is a rundown of each category and what they encompass. 

### Develop with AWS Amplify

![awsamplify-console.png](https://res.cloudinary.com/layercode/image/upload/v1637780152/awsamplify_console_bf63bf665d.png)


The tools and apps available under AWS Amplify develop track are geared at providing developers with services and tools that are often associated with fullstack web and mobile apps.  It includes services such as authentication, storage (via S3), APIs through GraphQL and REST support, cloud functions, AWS-based analytics consoles, push notifications, and AI/ML integrations. 

### Deliver with AWS Amplify

![awsamplify-deliver.png](https://res.cloudinary.com/layercode/image/upload/v1637780183/awsamplify_deliver_0883581f07.png)

The *deliver* portion of AWS Amplify focuses on delivering and hosting static web applications. You can easily connect Git repositories for deployments, configure custom build settings and deploy applications to any CDN within a few minutes. Deliver services includes CI/CD, monitoring, custom domain integrations, PR Previews, and cloud hosting capabilities. 

### Manage with AWS Amplify

![awsamplify-manage.png](https://res.cloudinary.com/layercode/image/upload/v1637780237/awsamplify_manage_baac647871.png)

When it comes to software development, there's more to it than just putting it in the cloud. Managing your app with AWS Amplify involves user accessibility, management, and content controls. 

## Getting started with AWS Amplify

Here's a quick guide on how to get started with AWS Amplify. In this mini-tutorial, we will cover the following actions:

- How to connect a code repository to AWS Amplify
- How to select your branch for deployment
- How to configure AWS Amplify build commands
- How to handle multiple environments
- How to add custom domains to your AWS Amplify app

### How to connect a code repository to AWS Amplify

To connect AWS Amplify to your code repository, you need an AWS account. You also need to log into the AWS console and select [Amplify](https://console.aws.amazon.com/amplify/home?region=us-east-1#/) from the service list.

![awsamplify-config.png](https://res.cloudinary.com/layercode/image/upload/v1637780291/awsamplify_config_71921904fe.png)


Then select **Get Started** under the **Deliver** track, and you will be redirected to a new page. There you can select the Git provider of your codebase and connect the repository with Amplify.

![awsamplify-getstarted.png](https://res.cloudinary.com/layercode/image/upload/v1637780326/awsamplify_getstarted_cf1fc053bc.png)


After selecting, you will be asked to authorize Amplify to access your repository, and you will be redirected to the next page.

### How to select your branch for deployment

To select your branch, select the repository and branch you need to deploy.

![awsamplify-github.png](https://res.cloudinary.com/layercode/image/upload/v1637780351/awsamplify_github_783a976df8.png)


It is always a good practice to maintain separate environments for development, testing, and production servers. In my example, I will only deploy my `dev` branch.

Similarly, we can deploy test and production branches. Amplify will use them to build, deploy and host independent environments.

### How to configure AWS Amplify build commands

By default, Amplify provides a template for build configuration. Here is the space where you can go through the build  template commands as necessary.  

![awsamplify-configbuild.png](https://res.cloudinary.com/layercode/image/upload/v1637780402/awsamplify_configbuild_b5ea4abbf4.png)


Once completed, you can click on **continue**, review all the settings and deploy the application.

![awsamplify-build.png](https://res.cloudinary.com/layercode/image/upload/v1637780458/awsamplify_build_2130943013.png)


It will take a few minutes to complete. By default, Amplify will use its ***amplifyapp.com\*** domain to host the application.

If you have a custom domain, you can also integrate it with Amplify. 

### How to handle multiple environments

Most software development teams maintain several environments for development, testing and production purposes. Here is how we can use Amplify to maintain separate deployment pipelines for these environments.

Besides, after deploying the first branch, you can click on the Connect Branch button and continue the process again from Step 2 to deploy multiple branches as you wish.

![awsamplify-multiplebranches.png](https://res.cloudinary.com/layercode/image/upload/v1637780494/awsamplify_multiplebranches_1935a3be0e.png)

You can see all the deployments in the Amplify console as shown above, and each of them will have unique URLs prefixed with the branch name.

### How to add custom domains to your AWS Amplify app

Amplify provides options to integrate custom domains with hosted applications. You need to create a hosted zone for your custom domain. This can be achieved through [AWS Route 53](https://aws.amazon.com/route53/). 

#### Creating a Hosted Zone with AWS Route 53

Route 53 can be found through the AWS service list in the navigation bar. There, you will find an option to create a hosted zone. After that, you will be redirected to a page like below where you need to enter domain name, type and a description.

![awsamplify-hostedzones.png](https://res.cloudinary.com/layercode/image/upload/v1637780529/awsamplify_hostedzones_e5521978fa.png)


The hosted zone will be created within a few seconds, and then you need to copy **value/Route traffic** values from the nameserver (NS) record to your domain providers dashboard.

***Note:\*** *Make sure that you don’t copy the last full stop in the URLs.*

![awsamplify-route.png](https://res.cloudinary.com/layercode/image/upload/v1637780571/awsamplify_route_6921b3dd18.png)


#### Configuring the Custom Domain

Now we can map the custom domain to Amplify. First, you need to go back to Amplify console and select the Domain management option in the left sidebar.

![awsamplify-customdomains.png](https://res.cloudinary.com/layercode/image/upload/v1637780614/awsamplify_customdomains_49bff53a25.png)

Then, click the **Add domain** button. There, you will be able to select the URL configured from Route 53. After choosing the correct domain, click the **Configure domain** button.

![awsamplify-routes2.png](https://res.cloudinary.com/layercode/image/upload/v1637780645/awsamplify_routes2_56f751e3f4.png)


After that, you will see an option to configure the subdomains. There, you can select the branches and add custom subdomains as you prefer.

![awsamplify-routes3.png](https://res.cloudinary.com/layercode/image/upload/v1637780666/awsamplify_routes3_23f0bb4ef4.png)


After saving the changes, Amplify will create a new SSL certificate for your domain using the [Amazon certificate manager ](https://aws.amazon.com/certificate-manager/). This will be renewed automatically upon expiry, so there is no need to manually do it. 

![awsamplify-routes4.png](https://res.cloudinary.com/layercode/image/upload/v1637780703/awsamplify_routes4_d0a3b23ea3.png)

That’s basically it. You have successfully created a continuous deployment pipeline for 3 environments and integrated them to a custom domain into your AWS Amplify app.

## AWS Amplify is great for starter apps

AWS Amplify is a full packaged cloud platform that includes everything you might need for your app. In a way, it is comparable to [Google's Firebase and Digital Ocean's App Platform](https://layercode.com/community/firebas-vs-digitalocean-aws). 

The idea behind AWS Amplify is that you start on the platform and it manages cloud infrastructure for you at a competitive price. It uses currently Amazon Web Services offerings but makes it easier to navigate through the myriad of offerings they currently have. This means frontend, backend, database, security and authentication are packaged to work together in a seamless manner.






Cloud

Getting Started With AWS Amplify

Aphinya Dechalert

*Which bootstrap cloud stack should you choose?*

Google Firebase, Digital Ocean App Platform, and AWS Amplify all seem to do the same thing - they exist to help you launch your app into the cloud as quickly as possible. But how comparable are they as a full-stack cloud service?

Here is a quick rundown of everything you need to know about the services, things to consider, and how each cloud platform impacts your short and long-term infrastructure and strategy.

But before we begin, there is a question that needs to be answered - are full-stack app platforms worth the time and investment?

## **Full-stack App Platforms and What Exactly They Do**

Nowadays, it's not hard to launch something into the cloud. However, going beyond beginner tutorials can be a mission. There are multiple things to consider such as scalability, security, and accessibility.

Just because you can code, it doesn't mean that you're capable of doing infrastructure at an expert level. While it's arguable that we all have to start somewhere, sometimes going all-in on cloud infrastructure from scratch can be costly for the size and initial scale of your project.

In short, it can be a bit overkill.

This is where app platforms step in. Services like Google's Firebase, Digital Ocean's App Platform, and AWS Amplify offer quick solutions for developers that want to focus on developing the app rather than spend their time dealing with infrastructure and learning the operations side of development.

Common features of app platforms include scalability, fully managed security, identity services, integrated databases, and support for popular frameworks such as React, Angular, Vue, Next.js, Android, and iOS.

In short, when you're using an app platform, you are getting services that are created to fit together out of the box. The infrastructure is pre-configured and requires minimal understanding and setup to get started.

## **Google Firebase**

Google's Firebase has been around for almost a decade now. The idea behind the platform is to provide all that is necessary for launching scalable mobile and web applications rapidly.

Firebase is integrated with Google's other products such as Analytics and Cloud Storage and includes a proprietary database of the same name.

The process of using Firebase is fairly straightforward - you sign up for an account, upload your frontend or application to the Cloud Hosting portion of Firebase, set up your database and permissions, and that's basically it.

In addition to this, there are extensions that can be used to enhance your app with extra features such as sending messages, triggering emails, and implementing payment methods.

The ability to integrate with popular services such as Slack and Jira means that you can also build automation and bots through Firebase.

Firebase's pricing is based on a pay-per-usage model. The traditional model for cloud infrastructure is often based on the number of hours used. However, with the pay-per-usage model, it means that you can have your app up on the platform but it can remain in an active dormant state until required with no subscription fees or additional cost to you.

## **Digital Ocean App Platform**

Digital Ocean's App Platform is the next contender for the platform-as-a-service (PaaS) space. However, unlike Firebase, Digital Ocean's App Platform is structured in a more traditional cloud manner.

In a way, this is a perk for Digital Ocean. The pricing for Digital Ocean's App Platform is fixed and fairly low. The terms are clear and there is no fuzzy area when it comes to the final bill. This makes budgeting for small and indie developers easier. You won't get an unexpected bill if there is a spike or inefficient usage of the database. For example, in 2018, a crowdfunding campaign went viral and ended up racking [$30,356.56USD in 72 hours on Firebase](lhttps://www.dottedsquirrel.com/30k-firebase/).

No one wants that kind of bill attached to their account - especially in a startup context or single developer working on a side project.

With Digital Ocean's App Platform, you get given containers, which is basically your own little machine that you can scale up or down easily based on your chosen plan. It comes fully integrated with bits and pieces that are typically required such as pre-configured databases, storage, and automated app stack setups.

## **AWS Amplify**

In a way, AWS Amplify is similar in concept and implementation to Google's Firebase. The major difference is that you're working with Amazon instead of Google-based services.

AWS Amplify, on a technicality, is a lot younger than Google's Firebase. Launched in late 2017, AWS is almost half its age when compared against Google's Firebase. However, the services that are provided by AWS are not new.

While Firebase can be seen as a stand-alone platform with integrations into Google's Cloud ecosystem, AWS Amplify is a repackaged set of resources that's already in existence. These services include CI/CD, push notifications, storage (via S3), data storage via DynamoDB, and static websites.

The pricing for AWS Amplify is split between the different services that you end up using. This means that unlike Google's Firebase and Digital Ocean's App Platform, there is no single price as such. You end up with multiple pricing tables to navigate through and different payment models to work with.

## **Firebase vs. Digital Ocean App Platform vs. AWS Amplify - which one is best?**

When it comes to choosing between AWS and Google PaaS, there is a level of provider lock-in. This is because AWS uses DynamoDB as their data storage offering. In contrast, Firebase offers Firebase Realtime Database and Cloud Firestore. Your entire query layers will need to be catered to these service provider-specific databases. This means that if you want to switch providers or move your application out of the PaaS, you may find yourself too tightly coupled to either AWS or Google.

Digital Ocean doesn't have this problem. The application you build and launch to Digital Ocean's App Platform is expected to be service provider agnostic. In contrast, to achieve the same effect on Google's Firebase and AWS Amplify, you will need to go down the route of the traditional cloud infrastructure setup.

When it comes to pricing, Digital Ocean App Platform offers up the most certainty. Google's Firebase is predicated on the correct configuration of your API calls to your database. AWS Amplify is like using AWS under normal circumstances but repackaged under the Amplify hood.

So is there a clear winner?

The quick answer is yes. Digital Ocean seems like the best option to go with when it comes to launching an app. There is no application lock-in, and you're dealing with a more traditional approach to app creation.

Overall, whoever you end up with is dependent on your situation, short-term and long-term needs. If you are budget conscious, want certainty and space to just launch your app, then Digital Ocean might be the way to go.

Google Firebase and AWS Amplify do have their merits. If you're focused on building an app that is serverless and fully automated with scaling, Google Firebase and AWS Amplify may just be the right option for your situation. If you also have other apps within Google or AWS' ecosystem, integrating it with your deployed app may also be much easier than launching your MVP in a different space.

In the long run, there is no correct answer -- only an app that needs to be launched and adapted over time to your needs and your users' needs.