If you need a server, AWS is much more expensive over said server's lifetime. We don't need to debate this that much longer. You need expertise to setup, maint

If you need a server, AWS is much more expensive over said server's lifetime. We don't need to debate this that much longer. You need expertise to setup, maintain, troubleshoot, back up real servers. These things aren't free. While the physical server is cheaper, most companies will never scale enough to hire their own 24/7 physical server admin(s).