Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users

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
6th
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 April 2025, in the PaaS Clouds category, the mindshare of Amazon Lightsail is 1.8%, up from 1.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Google Cloud is 6.7%, up from 6.5% 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.
RaidHammouri - PeerSpot reviewer
Monitoring solution enhances cost efficiency with good internal tools
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 improvements are needed in the tools and offers provided to customers. I currently only use, for example, a native hybrid. VMware is not available, and other hypervisors are still not there. They need to wait on that.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"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."
"In Lightsail, they simplified to do it in as few clicks as possible. So, around ten clicks, I have a virtual machine deployed."
"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 instances optimized for WordPress are very lightweight and straightforward in configuration."
"We use Amazon Lightsail for hosting security components in-house and AI modules."
"The most valuable features are the usability and customer service."
"The initial setup is pretty easy."
"Google Cloud is easy to use and accessible anywhere."
"Google Cloud is user friendly and reliable. The most valuable feature is the security of Google Cloud."
"Regarding Google Cloud's data analytics features, I find the presentation of information and the ability to move and transform data to be the most valuable. As for machine learning capabilities, they are helpful, especially in detecting anomalies or outliers in our data. For instance, Google Cloud can identify unusual network behavior and provide recommendations on how to address or leverage these findings effectively."
"My customers appreciate all the features that Google Cloud has to offer. They are looking for solutions for computing engines, storage, web hosting, and various other needs. The most useful feature depends on their specific requirements and how they plan to utilize Google Cloud. Each customer has their own unique set of needs and the Google Cloud provides a range of options to meet those needs."
"Google Cloud has low downtime."
"I like that it is free. It's easy to use, and it's reliable."
"Google Meet is simple to use regarding configuration and recording sessions."
"The product scales well."
 

Cons

"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."
"I don't see this solution as enterprise-ready, for bigger companies like banks."
"Currently, there is limited support available while installing or configuring it, and resources are primarily available through community-contributed articles."
"The main area for improvement in Lightsail is the difficulty in scaling down resources."
"The product's network features need enhancement."
"The solution could be smoother than it is."
"When you need to add some custom rules to Amazon Lightsail, the auto scaling feature is a bit difficult."
"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 cost of the solution has room for improvement."
"Workload management could be better. Their pricing could also be more flexible."
"Another issue is the applicability of local language data capturing mechanisms, which are more advanced on cloud service providers, but still there is room to grow. Also, their hybrid version isn't available in all markets worldwide, so I'm hoping that it will be released globally soon"
"When companies grow at a larger scale, they may shift to a different cloud services provider like AWS or Oracle."
"I would improve the integration with other devices such as smartphones. It is integrated in our company, but I think it could be improved."
"Its integration with one of the third-party platforms could be better."
"The documentation could be better."
"Security features could be improved."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Amazon Lightsail is a bit cheaper than Amazon EC2."
"The services that it provides are good for the price."
"Lightsail is available at an affordable cost starting from five dollars per month."
"A few months ago, Lightsail's pricing increased, likely due to the addition of the new VPC feature."
"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."
"It's very cheap."
"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."
"If one is cheap and ten is expensive, I rate the tool's price as an eight."
"Licensing fees are paid monthly."
"We use the NGO version so the cloud reasonably priced at $2 to $3 per month."
"We approached Google Cloud with certain cost assumptions but were surprised to find that our actual expenses were higher than expected. Initially, we had anticipated spending a set amount on the solution, but in reality, we ended up spending more than that. It would be helpful to have greater transparency and educational documentation on the cost-related aspects of Google Cloud."
"Google Cloud is on the expensive side for us. I don't have exact figures on the cost per year or month."
"Its cost depends on specific use cases."
"Google Cloud could be cheaper."
"It has a monthly subscription. The customers pay based on the usage."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which PaaS Clouds solutions are best for your needs.
847,862 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
20%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Educational Organization
10%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Educational Organization
48%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
8%
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: April 2025.
847,862 professionals have used our research since 2012.