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Amazon Lightsail vs Google Cloud comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 15, 2024

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
9
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Google Cloud
Ranking in PaaS Clouds
5th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
74
Ranking in other categories
Infrastructure as a Service Clouds (IaaS) (5th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2025, in the PaaS Clouds category, the mindshare of Amazon Lightsail is 1.4%, up from 1.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Google Cloud is 7.3%, up from 6.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
PaaS Clouds
 

Featured Reviews

Vitor Gabriel Reis Lux Barboza - PeerSpot reviewer
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.
Monirul Islam Khan - PeerSpot reviewer
Great for big data with off-the-charts scalability for storage and databases
The solution should be more configurable for high-volume databases. The managed service does not allow flexible database configurations that are needed for better filter performance. We have a TPS first-grade, high-volume database using an ERC system. We are moving to Clarity for managed services and need more configurations to support it. The solution could improve its management services for MongoDB. The website's memory only allows one TB.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The instances optimized for WordPress are very lightweight and straightforward in configuration."
"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."
"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 initial setup is pretty easy."
"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."
"In Lightsail, they simplified to do it in as few clicks as possible. So, around ten clicks, I have a virtual machine deployed."
"The most valuable features are the usability and customer service."
"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."
"The solution can scale as well."
"It is a stable solution."
"One of the major benefits they have is high quality."
"The most valuable feature of Google Cloud is its security."
"The solution is stable and reliable."
"The features I found most valuable are the cloud run and cloud function."
"What I like most about Google Cloud is its stability. I also like that its GUI works fine for my company."
"I have found this solution to be a quick and advanced way to run my models through."
 

Cons

"Currently, there is limited support available while installing or configuring it, and resources are primarily available through community-contributed articles."
"Backward compatibility and the flexibility to choose software versions while installing would be improvements."
"The product's network features need enhancement."
"The main area for improvement in Lightsail is the difficulty in scaling down resources."
"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."
"When you need to add some custom rules to Amazon Lightsail, the auto scaling feature is a bit difficult."
"I don't see this solution as enterprise-ready, for bigger companies like banks."
"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."
"Google is slower to support .NET."
"The ease-of-use could be improved for less technical users."
"I consider Azure more secure than Google and Amazon because of all its certifications, but Google is secure enough and improving."
"Could provide more services."
"I would improve the integration with other devices such as smartphones. It is integrated in our company, but I think it could be improved."
"Uploading documents could be simplified."
"My only concern is that a number of the offerings are built on their own proprietary technologies which means means that, with respect to the offerings in Google Cloud, it's difficult to have a path to migrate to other cloud providers."
"I think one area that could be improved in Google Cloud is the customer support. Sometimes the integration process can be a bit complex due to format errors.Also having clearer documentation or a larger support team could really help users like me understand and resolve issues more effectively."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The services that it provides are good for the price."
"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."
"Amazon Lightsail is a bit cheaper than Amazon EC2."
"It's very cheap."
"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."
"A few months ago, Lightsail's pricing increased, likely due to the addition of the new VPC feature."
"Lightsail is available at an affordable cost starting from five dollars per month."
"Google Cloud could be cheaper."
"Pricing for Google Cloud could be improved. It would be better if it were lower."
"They provide user-based licensing plans. Its plan could be less expensive."
"The biggest problem with Google Cloud is price."
"Pricing is high compared to other solutions."
"Compared to Azure Cloud, Google Cloud is more expensive but it is okay."
"Licensing fees are paid monthly."
"The best part of Google Cloud is that it is cheaper than the competitors."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
22%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Educational Organization
10%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Educational Organization
52%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Computer Software Company
5%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

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.
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.
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.
What do you like most about Google Cloud?
Google Cloud is perceived as a cost-effective and user-friendly option, especially compared to AWS. The current affordability and ease of use make it suitable for medium-sized companies. While the ...
What needs improvement with Google Cloud?
In terms of Google services, providing more hypervisors would be beneficial. Currently, in my region, they don't offer many services as they have just started. They have some local instances, yet i...
What is your primary use case for Google Cloud?
My platform offers a monitoring solution for the virtual machines hosted in GCP. GCP is one of the firms that I work with. For customers who use GCP as an infrastructure service, software as a serv...
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Expedia, Intuit, Royal Dutch Shell, Brooks Brothers
Information Not Available
Find out what your peers are saying about Amazon Lightsail vs. Google Cloud and other solutions. Updated: January 2025.
837,501 professionals have used our research since 2012.