Need Suggestion: Hostgator Dedicated Server to Amazon ec2

I am currently hosting at hostgator using their dedicated server paying $219 monthly. One of my friends recommends transferring to Amazon ec2.
I have around 650 GB monthly bandwidth and I am using mostly Drupal and WordPress on my websites. What is the equivalent of dedicated server from hostgator if I plan to transfer?
BTW, he told me that the medium that is priced around $165 per month is the best choice. Is this a good idea of transferring from hostgator to Amazone ec2?
Thank you

 

Generally speaking, you're going to get better performance out of your dedicated server. You're also going to get pretty much less of everything...less RAM, less disk space, less bandwidth, etc. by switching.

Is there something wrong with your dedicated server, or you just looking at saving money? HG's dedicated servers are WAY overpriced for what you get. Much of that cost is covering cPanel or such, and the server management.

 

Hi,

I'm looking for flexibility just in case my site traffic increases and also to save money. But I am wondering because my friend told me that the amazon ec2 does not auto scale. What I am expecting in ec2 is that it will adjust based on the demand of my website. Let say if the traffic increases the server will get more RAM or CPU (i.e. auto scaling). Please correct me if I am wrong.

Additionally, based on your experience, is the medium instance the best choice?

 

I honestly don't know if EC2 autoscales or not. I was under the impression that it did, but don't take my word for it. With a dedicated server, you don't really need to worry about autoscaling, as you would have far more resources available all the time.

 

Yes, EC2 does autoscale. http://aws.amazon.com/autoscaling/

However, you could spend $60/month on a good VPS and you would be saving your self so much money. It sounds like your sites are not that intensive at all and probably overkilling your needs with a dedicated server or EC2. A probably alternative as well would be a cloud vps as well which autoscales.

 

Check http://linode.com they have an API for auto scaling and they include bandwidth in their cost so it will be the cheapest and best option for you.

 

I think you should check for cloud server offers from other hosts to get scalable plans suitable for your budget. Check for offers from OurInternet. I like their support and pricing.

 

Have you already transferred your site?