AWS Elastic Beanstalk vs Amazon Lightsail comparison

Amazon Lightsail and AWS Elastic Beanstalk are both solutions in the PaaS Clouds category. Amazon Lightsail is ranked #10 with an average rating of 8.5, while AWS Elastic Beanstalk is ranked #9 with an average rating of 8.7. Amazon Lightsail holds a 1.9% mindshare in PSP, compared to AWS Elastic Beanstalk’s 0.4% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Amazon Lightsail users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of AWS Elastic Beanstalk users who would recommend it.

Amazon Lightsail

Read 9 Amazon Lightsail reviews

1,239 Views
996 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

AWS Elastic Beanstalk

Read 11 AWS Elastic Beanstalk reviews

257 Views
71 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Amazon Lightsail

AWS Elastic Beanstalk

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 15, 2024

Amazon Lightsail and AWS Elastic Beanstalk are cloud computing solutions within AWS's ecosytem, targeting diverse user needs. AWS Elastic Beanstalk, with its enhanced scalability and customization features, holds an advantage for complex and large-scale applications, while Amazon Lightsail is preferred for simpler, more budget-friendly setups.

Features: Amazon Lightsail provides simple, scalable instances that include networking, storage, and DNS management. It's ideal for users needing straightforward application hosting. AWS Elastic Beanstalk supports complex applications with automatic scaling, load balancing, and integration with various AWS services.

Room for Improvement: Amazon Lightsail could enhance its capabilities for larger applications and offer additional configuration options for more flexibility. Meanwhile, AWS Elastic Beanstalk can improve its cost structure for smaller projects and provide more straightforward setup processes for beginner users.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Amazon Lightsail's deployment process is catered to low-complexity setups and quick launches, and its customer service efficiently handles basic inquiries. AWS Elastic Beanstalk manages deployment complexities with customizable environments, excelling in addressing complex customer queries with expertise.

Pricing and ROI: Amazon Lightsail offers predictable, low-cost pricing starting at $5 per month, suited for small projects with minimal configuration, resulting in decent ROI for simple applications. AWS Elastic Beanstalk, with comprehensive features, presents potentially higher costs but delivers substantial ROI for enterprises needing robust, scalable solutions.

To learn more, read our detailed AWS Elastic Beanstalk vs. Amazon Lightsail Report (Updated: April 2025).

Buyer's Guide

AWS Elastic Beanstalk vs. Amazon Lightsail

April 2025

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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

AWS Elastic Beanstalk

Ranking in PaaS Clouds

9th

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.4

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 AWS Elastic Beanstalk is 0.4%, up from 0.0% 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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Kevin-Davis

Global CTO AWS Business Group at Eviden

Efficient deployment and management of web apps with integration into cloud services

One area where AWS Elastic Beanstalk struggles is with the complexity of deployments. As deployments become more complex, technical constraints can become a burden. This can lead to a situation where I might be better off building my own deployment mechanism. Additionally, CloudFormation controlling AWS Elastic Beanstalk in more complex environments is poorly supported, which can make management challenging.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"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."

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

"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 initial setup is pretty easy."

"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."

More Amazon Lightsail pros

"AWS Elastic Beanstalk helps improve my efficiency, saves time, and streamlines application hosting in the cloud."

"Elastic Beanstalk simplifies deploying and managing applications."

"Elastic Beanstalk is very easy to use, providing infrastructure to deploy our third-party application to the cloud within 15 to 20 minutes."

"The simplicity in the speed of provisioning users is what I like best about Elastic Beanstalk."

"I find the versioning to be especially valuable on AWS Elastic Beanstalk."

"Elastic Beanstalk, based on my experience and recommendations from friends, is a good solution."

"One of the most valuable aspects is that developers can access logs directly. They can download them from the AWS console within Elastic Beanstalk."

"I would rate the overall solution a ten out of ten."

More AWS Elastic Beanstalk pros

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."

"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."

"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."

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

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

"The solution could be smoother than it is."

More Amazon Lightsail cons

"Sometimes there are issues when auto-scaling with CloudFront."

"Logs and debugging can sometimes be cumbersome, and there could be a more seamless method to analyze application issues without relying heavily on CloudWatch, which would improve my experience."

"AWS Elastic Beanstalk could improve its auto-scaling feature to better detect potential AI-based attacks or misuses that could lead to unexpected costs."

"The automatic scaling functionality could use improvement."

"There are areas for improvement in Elastic Beanstalk, especially in the management part."

"Sometimes it is difficult to use for the first time. The automatic scaling functionality could use improvement."

"Maybe the company could create more option packages, such as more bundles of configuration."

"One area where AWS Elastic Beanstalk struggles is with the complexity of deployments. As deployments become more complex, technical constraints can become a burden."

More AWS Elastic Beanstalk cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"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."

"Lightsail is available at an affordable cost starting from five dollars per month."

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

"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."

"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."

Information not available

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

20%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Educational Organization

Financial Services Firm

No data available

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 is your experience regarding pricing and costs for AWS Elastic Beanstalk?

AWS Elastic Beanstalk itself is free to use, but there are charges for other integrated services like RDS ( /products/amazon-rds-reviews ), ELBs, and EC2s. If only AWS Elastic Beanstalk is used, th...

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What needs improvement with AWS Elastic Beanstalk?

Elastic Beanstalk can enhance its customizability further, especially in terms of deployment options.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for AWS Elastic Beanstalk?

I have used AWS Elastic Beanstalk ( /products/aws-elastic-beanstalk-reviews ) primarily to manage infrastructure. The main purpose is to offload the complexity of managing servers, operating system...

See all answers

Comparisons

Google Cloud vs Amazon Lightsail

Compared 37% of the time

Microsoft Azure vs Amazon Lightsail

Compared 35% of the time

Heroku vs Amazon Lightsail

Compared 11% of the time

Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) vs Amazon Lightsail

Compared 5% of the time

More Amazon Lightsail Competitors

Microsoft Azure vs AWS Elastic Beanstalk

Compared 64% of the time

More AWS Elastic Beanstalk Competitors

Product Reports

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PaaS Clouds

April 2025

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Buyer's Guide

PaaS Clouds

April 2025

Download AWS Elastic Beanstalk 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)

AWS Elastic Beanstalk streamlines deploying and managing web applications, providing efficient session management, direct log access, and seamless rollback during deployment for uninterrupted operations.

AWS Elastic Beanstalk is designed for developers seeking ease of use in provisioning and deployment without any application downtime. With auto-scaling capabilities that enhance application performance, users can deploy directly on EC2 or Dockerized environments. While it supports a range of application frameworks, improvements in integration with CloudFront, auto-scaling against AI-based attacks, and simplified HTTPS integrations are suggested by users. Additionally, expanding Docker support and enhancing documentation can address user challenges, offering a more comprehensive experience.

What features make AWS Elastic Beanstalk efficient?

Direct Log Access: Easily retrieve logs through the console for efficient monitoring.
Session Management: Manages sessions between Elastic Beanstalk and RDS smoothly.
Auto-Scaling: Enhances performance by adjusting resources automatically.
Versioning: Allows application changes without downtime, boosting flexibility.

What benefits do users find in AWS Elastic Beanstalk?

Continuous Operation: Seamless rollbacks ensure website functionality during deployments.
Ease of Use: Simplifies the provisioning of applications and environmental configurations.
Flexibility: Offers versatile framework support, catering to different application needs.
Integration: Facilitates integration with services like S3 and LoadBalancer for efficient management.

Organizations adopt AWS Elastic Beanstalk for deploying web applications such as Django, Laravel, native PHP, and .NET Core. They leverage its management capabilities for environmental configurations like Python virtual environments and PHP-FPM. It's a practical tool for educators and businesses managing client migrations, utilizing its seamless integration with AWS services.

Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Sample Customers

Expedia, Intuit, Royal Dutch Shell, Brooks Brothers

Information Not Available

Buyer's Guide

AWS Elastic Beanstalk vs. Amazon Lightsail

April 2025

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