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Why use App Service?
Azure App Service is a fully managed platform as a service (PaaS) offering for developers. Here are some key features of App Service:
Multiple languages and frameworks - App Service has first-class support for ASP.NET, ASP.NET Core, Java, Ruby, Node.js, PHP, or Python. You can also run PowerShell and other scripts or executables as background services.
Managed production environment - App Service automatically patches and maintains the OS and language frameworks for you. Spend time writing great apps and let Azure worry about the platform.
Containerization and Docker - Dockerize your app and host a custom Windows or Linux container in App Service. Run multi-container apps with Docker Compose. Migrate your Docker skills directly to App Service.
DevOps optimization - Set up continuous integration and deployment with Azure DevOps, GitHub, BitBucket, Docker Hub, or Azure Container Registry. Promote updates through test and staging environments. Manage your apps in App Service by using Azure PowerShell or the cross-platform command-line interface (CLI).
Global scale with high availability - Scale up or out manually or automatically. Host your apps anywhere in Microsoft's global datacenter infrastructure, and the App Service SLA promises high availability.
Connections to SaaS platforms and on-premises data - Choose from many hundreds of connectors for enterprise systems (such as SAP), SaaS services (such as Salesforce), and internet services (such as Facebook). Access on-premises data using Hybrid Connections and Azure Virtual Networks.
Security and compliance - App Service is ISO, SOC, and PCI compliant. Authenticate users with Azure Active Directory, Google, Facebook, Twitter, or Microsoft account. Create IP address restrictions and manage service identities. Prevent subdomain takeovers.
Application templates - Choose from an extensive list of application templates in the Azure Marketplace, such as WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal.
Visual Studio and Visual Studio Code integration - Dedicated tools in Visual Studio and Visual Studio Code streamline the work of creating, deploying, and debugging.
API and mobile features - App Service provides turn-key CORS support for RESTful API scenarios, and simplifies mobile app scenarios by enabling authentication, offline data sync, push notifications, and more.
Serverless code - Run a code snippet or script on-demand without having to explicitly provision or manage infrastructure, and pay only for the compute time your code actually uses (see Azure Functions).
Besides App Service, Azure offers other services that can be used for hosting websites and web applications. For most scenarios, App Service is the best choice. For microservice architecture, consider Azure Spring Apps or Service Fabric. If you need more control over the VMs on which your code runs, consider Azure Virtual Machines. For more information about how to choose between these Azure services, see Azure App Service, Virtual Machines, Service Fabric, and Cloud Services comparison.