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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
4th
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 July 2025, in the PaaS Clouds category, the mindshare of Amazon Lightsail is 2.0%, up from 1.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Google Cloud is 6.0%, down from 7.0% 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

"The most valuable features are the usability and customer service."
"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."
"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."
"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."
"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."
"The instances optimized for WordPress are very lightweight and straightforward in configuration."
"The infrastructure is easy to manage."
"The solution has improved our web apps so that we can have a canary deployment. GCP also helps us upload new features and changes to our software without impacting a lot of users with the network. The AI features have improved the software as well."
"The solution is stable and reliable."
"For us, the solution is very easy to use. We have the right skillsets for it."
"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."
"Google Cloud's most valuable features are its performance and ease of access."
"Good storage and ease of access."
"The tool's most valuable feature is encryption. Google Cloud has reduced our operational costs and increased efficiency. For example, deploying production applications traditionally took about a month, but with Google Cloud, it now takes only a day or two. This also extends to monitoring, allowing us to identify and address issues faster than on-premises solutions."
 

Cons

"Backward compatibility and the flexibility to choose software versions while installing would be improvements."
"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."
"Currently, there is limited support available while installing or configuring it, and resources are primarily available through community-contributed articles."
"The product's network features need enhancement."
"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."
"When you need to add some custom rules to Amazon Lightsail, the auto scaling feature is a bit difficult."
"Security features could be improved."
"If there were more documentation and training, it would be very helpful in explaining the underlying processes."
"I would like for this solution to improve its user interface and documentation."
"Uploading documents could be simplified."
"The UI is beautiful but not easy to use, and also a little slow. Anything that you click is slow to load. It is also not easy to find something. I do not find the left-hand side menu good. We have a lot of options mixed there and we need the best way to deploy cloud resources. I prefer Azure ARM templates since their JSON files are easy to manipulate and integrate with other tools."
"There are issues with stability."
"When companies grow at a larger scale, they may shift to a different cloud services provider like AWS or Oracle."
"Google Cloud could improve interoperability with other cloud services."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Lightsail is available at an affordable cost starting from five dollars per month."
"It's very cheap."
"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."
"Amazon Lightsail is a bit cheaper than Amazon EC2."
"The services that it provides are good for the price."
"A few months ago, Lightsail's pricing increased, likely due to the addition of the new VPC feature."
"This solution is worth the money we are paying. I would rate the pricing a three out of five."
"Google Cloud should be divided into modules so that users can buy which module will satisfy them. The overall price of Google Cloud should be reduced, Microsoft is a little bit cheaper. However, if Google divided the cloud offering it would be better. For example, if someone wants to use only for OneDrive they should be able to purchase the service separately, it would reduce the price. There is a license required to use this solution for enterprises. There is a free account, which the users can increase the size of the space. Google cloud is used in most Android Mobile device operating systems."
"Google Cloud could be cheaper."
"The cost might be $10 a month per user, which is about $300 a month in total."
"It is not easy to calculate the price of the solution from the pricing table since they are not standard rates. However, I find the solution’s prices to be fair and reasonable."
"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."
"Licensing fees are paid monthly."
"For the license, we didn't have to pay for any additional fees."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
16%
University
10%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Manufacturing Company
16%
Financial Services Firm
13%
Educational Organization
9%
Computer Software Company
8%
 

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?
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...
What is your primary use case for Google Cloud?
Our primary use case for Google Cloud ( /products/google-cloud-reviews ) is deploying applications. Our applications are deployed on Google Cloud ( /products/google-cloud-reviews ), and we use it t...
 

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: July 2025.
863,901 professionals have used our research since 2012.