AWS Elastic Beanstalk vs Amazon Lightsail comparison

Amazon Lightsail and AWS Elastic Beanstalk are both solutions in the PaaS Clouds category. Amazon Lightsail is ranked #10 with an average rating of 8.5, while AWS Elastic Beanstalk is ranked #15 with an average rating of 8.5. Additionally, 100% of Amazon Lightsail users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of AWS Elastic Beanstalk users who would recommend it.

Amazon Lightsail

Read 9 Amazon Lightsail reviews

1,339 Views
1,153 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

AWS Elastic Beanstalk

Read 6 AWS Elastic Beanstalk reviews

179 Views
52 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Amazon Lightsail

AWS Elastic Beanstalk

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 15, 2024

Amazon Lightsail and AWS Elastic Beanstalk are cloud computing solutions within AWS's ecosytem, targeting diverse user needs. AWS Elastic Beanstalk, with its enhanced scalability and customization features, holds an advantage for complex and large-scale applications, while Amazon Lightsail is preferred for simpler, more budget-friendly setups.

Features: Amazon Lightsail provides simple, scalable instances that include networking, storage, and DNS management. It's ideal for users needing straightforward application hosting. AWS Elastic Beanstalk supports complex applications with automatic scaling, load balancing, and integration with various AWS services.

Room for Improvement: Amazon Lightsail could enhance its capabilities for larger applications and offer additional configuration options for more flexibility. Meanwhile, AWS Elastic Beanstalk can improve its cost structure for smaller projects and provide more straightforward setup processes for beginner users.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Amazon Lightsail's deployment process is catered to low-complexity setups and quick launches, and its customer service efficiently handles basic inquiries. AWS Elastic Beanstalk manages deployment complexities with customizable environments, excelling in addressing complex customer queries with expertise.

Pricing and ROI: Amazon Lightsail offers predictable, low-cost pricing starting at $5 per month, suited for small projects with minimal configuration, resulting in decent ROI for simple applications. AWS Elastic Beanstalk, with comprehensive features, presents potentially higher costs but delivers substantial ROI for enterprises needing robust, scalable solutions.

To learn more, read our detailed AWS Elastic Beanstalk vs. Amazon Lightsail Report (Updated: January 2025).

Buyer's Guide

AWS Elastic Beanstalk vs. Amazon Lightsail

January 2025

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Amazon Lightsail

Ranking in PaaS Clouds

10th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

AWS Elastic Beanstalk

Ranking in PaaS Clouds

15th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Featured Reviews

Vitor Gabriel Reis Lux Barboza

IT Specialist Architecture at Nidec Global Appliance

Provides preconfigured templates for common setups and allows for easy configuration of firewall settings directly from the console

There were templates for Ubuntu, for instance, that I used. I used it if I remember, going to 20.04, I guess. It was ready, and I just used the template and it worked well. There is a template for Windows Server, but I didn't test them. Also, the configurations over the firewall in the console work very good for the purpose that we need to isolate it from the internet but allow the connection from specific IP addresses in specific ports. So the filtering in the Lightsail Firewall works good. And I am able to isolate the virtual machine well from the internet in order to avoid DDoS attacks and stuff like that.

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Hunaid Vekariya

Platform Engineer at Strikepay

Ability to add configuration files directly to repository, seamless management of rollbacks and simpler to use

From what I've observed, it seems AWS has ceased further development on Elastic Beanstalk. Perhaps they're shifting their focus away from it. They've discontinued many features and are even recommending alternatives like EKS and other serverless services. I've also come across numerous questions online from people encountering issues with Elastic Beanstalk. It seems to be a common concern that AWS is no longer prioritizing Elastic Beanstalk. Instead, they appear to be concentrating on serverless offerings. While this may be disappointing for Elastic Beanstalk users, I believe it's a positive move. Serverless represents the future. AWS could consider adding more platforms as managed services within Elastic Beanstalk. Currently, they offer around five or six. However, since it already provides a Dockerized environment, you can essentially run any language you prefer. So, in my view, they pretty much have everything covered at the moment.

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"One of the product's most valuable features is its fixed pricing, which makes it ideal for small projects and websites that do not require scaling."

"The initial setup is pretty easy."

"We use Amazon Lightsail for hosting security components in-house and AI modules."

"Implementations are completed with a few clicks, allowing efficient transitions to other development stages, and setup is easy whether for online support or basic business requirements."

"The most valuable features are the usability and customer service."

"I find Lightsail particularly valuable for hosting WordPress as it is easier to set up than a bare metal server, which requires extensive configuration and package installations."

"EC2 instances are pre-configured and upgraded, so you can simply select and instantly pay for an EC2 instance to set up WordPress, Node.js, or a server container using Docker."

"In Lightsail, they simplified to do it in as few clicks as possible. So, around ten clicks, I have a virtual machine deployed."

More Amazon Lightsail pros

"The most valuable feature of Elastic Beanstalk is its ease of use and management."

"AWS Elastic Beanstalk helps improve my efficiency, saves time, and streamlines application hosting in the cloud."

"Elastic Beanstalk is very easy to use, providing infrastructure to deploy our third-party application to the cloud within 15 to 20 minutes."

"One of the most valuable aspects is that developers can access logs directly. They can download them from the AWS console within Elastic Beanstalk."

"I find the versioning to be especially valuable on AWS Elastic Beanstalk."

"Elastic Beanstalk is very easy to use, providing infrastructure to deploy our third-party application to the cloud within 15 to 20 minutes."

"The simplicity in the speed of provisioning users is what I like best about Elastic Beanstalk."

Cons

"I don't see this solution as enterprise-ready, for bigger companies like banks."

"The product's network features need enhancement."

"The main area for improvement in Lightsail is the difficulty in scaling down resources."

"To improve, I feel the disk management is too basic. I can't easily partition the disk for the operating system. I have to follow the main configuration that is already set up in the template. To partition the disk, I would need to deploy the operating system first and then make changes, but it's not an ideal method. I would recommend improving the disk management."

"The solution could be smoother than it is."

"It would be beneficial if Lightsail allowed easier upgrade and change processes, similar to EC2 instances, without needing to fully back up and reinstall configurations."

"Backward compatibility and the flexibility to choose software versions while installing would be improvements."

"Currently, there is limited support available while installing or configuring it, and resources are primarily available through community-contributed articles."

More Amazon Lightsail cons

"Maybe the company could create more option packages, such as more bundles of configuration."

"The automatic scaling functionality could use improvement."

"AWS Elastic Beanstalk could improve its auto-scaling feature to better detect potential AI-based attacks or misuses that could lead to unexpected costs."

"From what I've observed, it seems AWS has ceased further development on Elastic Beanstalk."

"The documentation needs to be clearer, particularly relating to editing JSON files before uploading applications."

"Sometimes there are issues when auto-scaling with CloudFront."

"Sometimes it is difficult to use for the first time. The automatic scaling functionality could use improvement."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It's very cheap."

"The services that it provides are good for the price."

"A few months ago, Lightsail's pricing increased, likely due to the addition of the new VPC feature."

"The affordability of starting at five dollars makes it an attractive option for startups and medium-sized companies, aligning with budget considerations while offering essential cloud services."

"Lightsail is available at an affordable cost starting from five dollars per month."

"The prices are better than EC2 machines, for instance, because they are simplified management, but it works well, and I am able to run everything that I need on it."

"Amazon Lightsail is a bit cheaper than Amazon EC2."

Information not available

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

22%

Educational Organization

10%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

No data available

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Amazon Lightsail?

In Lightsail, they simplified to do it in as few clicks as possible. So, around ten clicks, I have a virtual machine deployed.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Amazon Lightsail?

Lightsail is available at an affordable cost starting from five dollars per month. This cost may increase with additional features like a static IP.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Amazon Lightsail?

The main area for improvement in Lightsail is the difficulty in scaling down resources. While it is easy to scale up, scaling down is not straightforward and involves additional complexities.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for AWS Elastic Beanstalk?

AWS charges for support services, and the costs for AWS Elastic Beanstalk can be high compared to on-premises or other cloud solutions like VMware.

See all answers

What needs improvement with AWS Elastic Beanstalk?

AWS Elastic Beanstalk could improve its auto-scaling feature to better detect potential AI-based attacks or misuses that could lead to unexpected costs.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for AWS Elastic Beanstalk?

My primary use case for AWS Elastic Beanstalk is to train instructors in Pakistan, mainly focusing on services like S3, Amazon EC2, Elastic, Beanstalk, and LoadBalancer. I also use it when working ...

See all answers

Comparisons

Microsoft Azure vs Amazon Lightsail

Compared 39% of the time

Google Cloud vs Amazon Lightsail

Compared 34% of the time

Heroku vs Amazon Lightsail

Compared 13% of the time

Google App Engine vs Amazon Lightsail

Compared 5% of the time

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Microsoft Azure vs AWS Elastic Beanstalk

Compared 57% of the time

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Product Reports

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PaaS Clouds

December 2024

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Buyer's Guide

PaaS Clouds

December 2024

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Amazon Web Services (AWS)

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Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Overview

Lightsail is ideal for simpler workloads, quick deployments, and getting started on AWS. It’s designed to help you start small, and then scale as you grow.

AWS Elastic Beanstalk streamlines deploying and managing web applications, providing efficient session management, direct log access, and seamless rollback during deployment for uninterrupted operations.

AWS Elastic Beanstalk is designed for developers seeking ease of use in provisioning and deployment without any application downtime. With auto-scaling capabilities that enhance application performance, users can deploy directly on EC2 or Dockerized environments. While it supports a range of application frameworks, improvements in integration with CloudFront, auto-scaling against AI-based attacks, and simplified HTTPS integrations are suggested by users. Additionally, expanding Docker support and enhancing documentation can address user challenges, offering a more comprehensive experience.

What features make AWS Elastic Beanstalk efficient?

Direct Log Access: Easily retrieve logs through the console for efficient monitoring.
Session Management: Manages sessions between Elastic Beanstalk and RDS smoothly.
Auto-Scaling: Enhances performance by adjusting resources automatically.
Versioning: Allows application changes without downtime, boosting flexibility.

What benefits do users find in AWS Elastic Beanstalk?

Continuous Operation: Seamless rollbacks ensure website functionality during deployments.
Ease of Use: Simplifies the provisioning of applications and environmental configurations.
Flexibility: Offers versatile framework support, catering to different application needs.
Integration: Facilitates integration with services like S3 and LoadBalancer for efficient management.

Organizations adopt AWS Elastic Beanstalk for deploying web applications such as Django, Laravel, native PHP, and .NET Core. They leverage its management capabilities for environmental configurations like Python virtual environments and PHP-FPM. It's a practical tool for educators and businesses managing client migrations, utilizing its seamless integration with AWS services.

Sample Customers

Expedia, Intuit, Royal Dutch Shell, Brooks Brothers

Information Not Available

Buyer's Guide

AWS Elastic Beanstalk vs. Amazon Lightsail

January 2025

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