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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
6th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
75
Ranking in other categories
Infrastructure as a Service Clouds (IaaS) (6th)
 

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 Cloud is 6.5%, down from 6.6% 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.
Saurav Singh - PeerSpot reviewer
Integration with Kubernetes and flexibility improve our application deployment process
The logging could be improved; there's currently no intuitive way to filter logs on the Google console, especially for individuals who are not familiar with query languages. Our non-technical users find it difficult to access logs. Additionally, the user interface could be more user-friendly and intuitive compared to our previous experience with AWS ( /products/amazon-aws-reviews ).

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 instances optimized for WordPress are very lightweight and straightforward in configuration."
"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."
"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."
"We use Amazon Lightsail for hosting security components in-house and AI modules."
"In Lightsail, they simplified to do it in as few clicks as possible. So, around ten clicks, I have a virtual machine deployed."
"The initial setup is pretty easy."
"The most valuable features are the usability and customer service."
"The availability has been increased."
"Every cloud provider, such as Google Cloud, offers analytics capabilities through their dashboards. These dashboards can be configured to display the data you require. Some features are available by default, while others can be created according to your needs."
"It's easy to deploy next-generation applications on Google Cloud. Customers can also use various cloud tools to optimize their operations and generate more insights to do business much smarter."
"I have found almost everything valuable. Most cloud products are moving in this direction, including artificial intelligence, blockchain, and security."
"The most valuable feature of Google Cloud is its flexibility."
"We can increase the storage as we need."
"The most valuable features of Google Cloud for us are the integration with Kubernetes, IAM, Istio integration, and Terraform capabilities."
"Google Cloud is user friendly and reliable. The most valuable feature is the security of Google Cloud."
 

Cons

"Backward compatibility and the flexibility to choose software versions while installing would be improvements."
"The main area for improvement in Lightsail is the difficulty in scaling down resources."
"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."
"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."
"The product's network features need enhancement."
"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."
"Currently, in my region, they don't offer many services as they have just started. They need to wait on that."
"Google Cloud could improve interoperability with other cloud services."
"I would like to see more code generation features that enable you to take user input in simple English and automatically convert it to code."
"Uploading documents could be simplified."
"The cost of the solution has room for improvement."
"The product should be more cost-effective."
"The solution could be cheaper."
"I would improve the integration with other devices such as smartphones. It is integrated in our company, but I think it could be improved."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It's very cheap."
"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."
"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."
"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."
"I am not familiar with the pricing, but I would guess that it is probably cheaper than Microsoft Suite"
"For commercial purposes, users need to pay for the products they use on a workload basis, not a license basis. There are two pricing models: fixed monthly and pay-as-you-go. In the pay-as-you-go model, users pay for the resources they use, while in the fixed monthly model, they have 24/7 access to resources for a set monthly fee."
"This solution is worth the money we are paying. I would rate the pricing a three out of five."
"Google cloud is less expensive than other comparable solutions."
"The price of the solution could be better."
"The licensing cost is based on the capacity we use."
"The pricing is rated a six out of ten."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
21%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Educational Organization
9%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Educational Organization
44%
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.
851,491 professionals have used our research since 2012.