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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
7.0
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

"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."
"The instances optimized for WordPress are very lightweight and straightforward in configuration."
"The initial setup is pretty easy."
"We use Amazon Lightsail for hosting security components in-house and AI modules."
"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."
"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."
"It's easy to work with."
"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."
"The solution is pretty stable."
"The initial setup is very straightforward."
"I like the simple features that allow me to share documents with others."
"I have found this solution to be a quick and advanced way to run my models through."
"It's a perfect tool for startups."
"The customer service team for this solution is very knowledgeable."
 

Cons

"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."
"I don't see this solution as enterprise-ready, for bigger companies like banks."
"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."
"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 main area for improvement in Lightsail is the difficulty in scaling down resources."
"Google Cloud lacks some tools for database migration. I've only used MySQL and AWS in my career, so those are the only ones I can compare. AWS has a database migration tool that you can integrate with a cloud backup, so can take that backup and restore it in the AWS public cloud, but it's not the same with Google Cloud."
"The solution could be a bit cheaper."
"The ease-of-use could be improved for less technical users."
"Sometimes the Google documents are difficult to learn from. Amazon has better support material."
"We'd like the storage to be increased."
"Training in new advancements, technologies, or AI would help us understand how to best use the solution."
"The documentation could be better."
"The solution could be cheaper."
 

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."
"Amazon Lightsail is a bit cheaper than Amazon EC2."
"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 services that it provides are good for the price."
"It's very cheap."
"Google offers a free account with minimal data backup and we can subscribe for more data."
"Its cost depends on specific use cases."
"The cost might be $10 a month per user, which is about $300 a month in total."
"Compared to Azure Cloud, Google Cloud is more expensive but it is okay."
"If one is cheap and ten is expensive, I rate the tool's price as an eight."
"Google Cloud is quite expensive, and I rate it at seven out of ten."
"The solution is cheaper than AWS."
"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
20%
Educational Organization
11%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Educational Organization
51%
Manufacturing Company
9%
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: March 2025.
845,040 professionals have used our research since 2012.