Amazon Lightsail vs Google App Engine comparison

Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Google are both solutions in the PaaS Clouds category. Amazon Web Services (AWS) is ranked #10 with an average rating of 8.5, while Google is ranked #13 with an average rating of 8.5. Amazon Web Services (AWS) holds a 1.9% mindshare in PSP, compared to Google’s 2.2% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Amazon Web Services (AWS) users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 95% of Google users who would recommend it.

Amazon Lightsail

Read 9 Amazon Lightsail reviews

1,174 Views
932 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Google App Engine

Read 30 Google App Engine reviews

1,708 Views
1,480 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

Amazon Lightsail

Google App Engine

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 15, 2024

Google App Engine and Amazon Lightsail are both cloud computing offerings. Google App Engine holds an advantage in auto-scaling and development environment support, while Amazon Lightsail is favored for its simple and cost-effective setup.

Features: Google App Engine provides robust auto-scaling, integrated development tools, and comprehensive built-in services like data storage and task queues. Amazon Lightsail delivers easy virtual server provisioning, predictable pricing, and pre-configured environments, making it ideal for straightforward deployments.

Room for Improvement: Google App Engine could improve its ease of deployment and configuration simplicity for new users. It might also focus on enhancing compatibility with non-Google services. Additionally, providing more flexible pricing options would be beneficial. Amazon Lightsail should expand its scalability features, introduce more advanced networking solutions, and offer deeper customization options for complex applications.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Google App Engine requires intricate deployment strategies, supported by detailed customer service, which benefits large-scale apps. Amazon Lightsail excels in offering straightforward, quick setup through pre-configured templates, with efficient support tailored for smaller-scale needs.

Pricing and ROI: Google App Engine employs usage-based pricing, potentially higher for extensive use but offering good returns for dynamic applications. Amazon Lightsail features low flat-rate pricing, ideal for small to medium projects, providing predictable costs with a focus on simple deployments.

To learn more, read our detailed Amazon Lightsail vs. Google App Engine Report (Updated: April 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Amazon Lightsail vs. Google App Engine

April 2025

Download the complete report

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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

Google App Engine

Ranking in PaaS Clouds

13th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the PaaS Clouds category, the mindshare of Amazon Lightsail is 1.9%, up from 1.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Google App Engine is 2.2%, up from 2.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

PaaS Clouds

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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OmkarPatil

Chief Executive Officer at Nyx CodeCraft

Simplifies app development process for businesses

The product simplifies app development processes since once the local development is completed, my company has a common configuration in place where we can specify the requirements to run an application, after which we need to do a one-click GCP deployment for the entire application. In general, the two offer managed deployment options, so we don't have to worry about deployment. In my company, we just configure the servers and check if anything needs to be containerized, after which GCP handles everything for us. A project where Google App Engine scalability was essential was when, recently, my company was involved with Golang to build a web application, after which deploying that application on Google App Engine was really easy. In my company, we also had a Django application in Python, and it was easy to deploy. As my company deals with small-scale projects, the automated scaling feature of Google App Engine is not something we thought about. I wouldn't recommend the product to others unless the potential end users use GCP and have a word with their vendors about their plans. One specific recommendation from me would be that the product's potential uses should stick with a particular vendor. If someone wants a product that is easy to deploy and scalable, then multiple options are available in the market. The product integrates very well with other Google solutions. I rate the overall solution a ten out of ten.

Read full review

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."

"The initial setup is pretty easy."

"The instances optimized for WordPress are very lightweight and straightforward in configuration."

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

"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."

"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."

"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."

More Amazon Lightsail pros

"The WhatApp feature is the most valuable."

"Google App Engine's most valuable feature is self-management. You do not have to manage the infrastructure underneath where all the functions are happening, such as load balancing deployment and version management, they are managed by the system itself."

"The customer service is excellent and very responsive."

"It is simple to use. It is much simpler than AWS. It is also very powerful."

"What I find most valuable about Google App Engine is its support for open-source development."

"The auto-scaling feature helped us significantly in our fast-paced environment where the number of users was increasing rapidly."

"Administering App Engine is simple; it has intuitive UIs and a very scalable app engine."

"The solution is serverless, so we don't have to operate it."

More Google App Engine pros

Cons

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

"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."

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

"The solution could be smoother than it is."

"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 product's network features need enhancement."

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

More Amazon Lightsail cons

"The whitelist and blacklist of APIs can be a deal-breaker due to security concerns, and the deployment process is chaotic."

"The documentation and community are lacking for this product."

"The main drawback with Google App Engine's standard environment was its restrictions. We could not work with file systems, run shell scripts from the environment, or use WebSockets."

"There needs to be more directions in terms of how to use the solution."

"The interface and IDE, where I write code, could be improved. Unlike other IDEs like Visual Studio, it lacks easy access to available functions."

"The areas of Google App Engine that I would to improve or enhance include its allowance for complete end-to-end deployment and scalability; however, it is manageable only for a few languages."

"Data consumption of the device could be improved."

"The product's price is an area of concern where improvements are required."

More Google App Engine cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"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."

"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."

"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."

"It's very cheap."

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

"We pay the license yearly. It's about $6 a month, which is $72 a year per person, so it's about $500."

"If we don't know how to work with the tool, we might have some spikes in price."

"I would like to have more free application with it. Some of the applications, I am paying more for them. I think that they must be free."

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Comparison Review

it_user8586

Engineer at a tech consulting company with 51-200 employees

Aug 14, 2013

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

21%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

University

Computer Software Company

18%

Financial Services Firm

13%

Educational Organization

10%

University

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.

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 do you like most about Google App Engine?

The product's setup and deployment phases are easy.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Google App Engine?

I have always used the free tier of Google App Engine, so I do not have insights into its pricing structure or costs.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Google App Engine?

The main areas for improvement in Google App Engine include security restrictions and deployment processes. The whitelist and blacklist of APIs can be a deal-breaker due to security concerns, and t...

See all answers

Comparisons

Microsoft Azure vs Amazon Lightsail

Compared 36% of the time

Google Cloud vs Amazon Lightsail

Compared 36% of the time

Heroku vs Amazon Lightsail

Compared 10% of the time

Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) vs Amazon Lightsail

Compared 5% of the time

IBM Public Cloud vs Amazon Lightsail

Compared 4% of the time

More Amazon Lightsail Competitors

Microsoft Azure vs Google App Engine

Compared 55% of the time

Amazon AWS vs Google App Engine

Compared 22% of the time

Heroku vs Google App Engine

Compared 14% of the time

Amazon EC2 vs Google App Engine

Compared 4% of the time

More Google App Engine Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

PaaS Clouds

May 2025

Download Amazon Lightsail product report

Buyer's Guide

Google App Engine

May 2025

Download Google App Engine product report

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.

Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Google App Engine is a Platform-as-a-Service (Paas) provider that equips web application developers with all the resources and tools that they need to develop, test, and run their applications on Google's infrastructure. Everything is built into the kit, so with one download of the SDK, you'll be well on your way to first-rate apps.

Google

Sample Customers

Expedia, Intuit, Royal Dutch Shell, Brooks Brothers

Khan Academy, Best Buy, Gigya, MetOffice, Getaround, Mimiboard, NewsLimited, WebFilings, and CloudLock.

Buyer's Guide

Amazon Lightsail vs. Google App Engine

April 2025

Free Report: Amazon Lightsail vs. Google App Engine

Find out what your peers are saying about Amazon Lightsail vs. Google App Engine and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.

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