Guides
A Node.js API: AWS or Scaleway
Choosing between AWS and Scaleway for a Node.js API with PostgreSQL and Redis. Service equivalences, what differs in operations and compliance, and how to compare both with real catalog prices.
Both providers run a Node.js API with PostgreSQL and Redis well. The right choice depends on your budget, your operations skill, your compliance needs and the services around the API.
Service equivalences
| Need | AWS | Scaleway |
|---|---|---|
| Containers | ECS on Fargate, EKS (Kubernetes) | Serverless Containers, Kapsule (Kubernetes) |
| PostgreSQL | Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL | Managed Database for PostgreSQL |
| Redis-compatible cache | ElastiCache for Valkey | Managed Database for Redis |
| Object storage | S3 | Object Storage (S3-compatible) |
| Load balancer | Application Load Balancer | Load Balancer |
| Secrets | Secrets Manager | Secret Manager |
| Queue | SQS | Queues (SQS-compatible) |
| WAF | AWS WAF | Edge Services WAF |
| CI identity | GitHub OIDC (no stored key) | IAM application key stored as a GitHub secret |
Brunel maps each component to these services from each provider's catalog. When a provider has no managed equivalent for a component, Brunel uses a clearly marked third-party fallback and lists it in the Terraform README instead of generating it.
What differs beyond price
- Breadth: AWS offers more managed services and engines. Scaleway covers the core (containers, Kubernetes, databases, cache, queues, storage, WAF) with a simpler surface.
- Data residency: both have a Paris region. Scaleway is a European company, which some organizations prefer for sovereignty; with the EU residency constraint, Brunel keeps every region in the EU on both.
- Operations: with
opsSkill: none, Brunel prefers fully managed services on both providers.
Compare with real numbers
Prices change and depend on your traffic, so this guide does not quote any. Instead:
- Analyze the repository in Brunel with AWS as provider.
- Switch the provider to Scaleway in the canvas: the same design is re-mapped and re-priced instantly, without the AI, and saved as a version.
- Use Compare to see both versions side by side, component by component, with the monthly delta.
The price watch keeps the comparison current and tells you when the other provider becomes cheaper.