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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 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.
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

"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."
"The instances optimized for WordPress are very lightweight and straightforward in configuration."
"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."
"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 most valuable features are the usability and customer service."
"In Lightsail, they simplified to do it in as few clicks as possible. So, around ten clicks, I have a virtual machine deployed."
"The infrastructure is easy to manage."
"The solution is user-friendly and easy to spin."
"For us, the solution is very easy to use. We have the right skillsets for it."
"What I like most about Google Cloud is its stability. I also like that its GUI works fine for my company."
"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 available any time you need it."
"It is a stable solution."
"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 solution could be smoother than it is."
"Currently, there is limited support available while installing or configuring it, and resources are primarily available through community-contributed articles."
"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."
"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."
"When you need to add some custom rules to Amazon Lightsail, the auto scaling feature is a bit difficult."
"I don't see this solution as enterprise-ready, for bigger companies like banks."
"Lower pricing would make Google Cloud better."
"Its integration with one of the third-party platforms could be better."
"Technical support needs help."
"I would like for this solution to improve its user interface and documentation."
"The security of the solution can always be improved."
"The product could always be a little bit less expensive."
"I would like to see Google Cloud become more competitive when it comes to price."
"Google Cloud should provide more introductory videos on how to get started. Currently, very few of these resources are available. Additionally, training on Google Cloud products is not very well streamlined. Users have to search for training, which can be quite complex."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The services that it provides are good for the price."
"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."
"It's very cheap."
"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."
"Amazon Lightsail is a bit cheaper than Amazon EC2."
"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."
"If one is cheap and ten is expensive, I rate the tool's price as an eight."
"Compared to Azure Cloud, Google Cloud is more expensive but it is okay."
"Google cloud is less expensive than other comparable solutions."
"The service is cheap and I give it a seven out of ten for the cost."
"The licensing cost is based on the capacity we use."
"It has a monthly subscription. The customers pay based on the usage."
"Google Cloud could be cheaper."
"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."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
20%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Educational Organization
9%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Educational Organization
46%
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.
849,686 professionals have used our research since 2012.