I'm not saying AWS is automatically the best option but the question isn't just servers. It's servers, networking hardware, HVAC, a facility to put them all in,

I'm not saying AWS is automatically the best option but the question isn't just servers. It's servers, networking hardware, HVAC, a facility to put them all in, and at least a couple people to run and maintain it all. The TCO of some servers is way higher than the cost of the hardware.