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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 June 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 6.4%, down from 6.8% 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

"We use Amazon Lightsail for hosting security components in-house and AI modules."
"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."
"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."
"The instances optimized for WordPress are very lightweight and straightforward in configuration."
"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."
"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."
"The solution is stable and reliable."
"There is no downtime. It is very reliable."
"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 100 percent stable."
"The performance is a valuable feature."
"I like it because it's convenient. Google Cloud is also stable and scalable. The technical support is good as well."
"This platform is popular with technical users because of the abilities for customization and fine-tuning performance."
 

Cons

"Currently, there is limited support available while installing or configuring it, and resources are primarily available through community-contributed articles."
"The solution could be smoother than it is."
"The main area for improvement in Lightsail is the difficulty in scaling down resources."
"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."
"Backward compatibility and the flexibility to choose software versions while installing would be improvements."
"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."
"Monitoring and usage reporting could be improved."
"They could always offer even more storage at the base level."
"Lower pricing would make Google Cloud better."
"Google Cloud could improve by having better integration with other platforms."
"My only concern is that a number of the offerings are built on their own proprietary technologies which means means that, with respect to the offerings in Google Cloud, it's difficult to have a path to migrate to other cloud providers."
"The product could always be a little bit less expensive."
"The product should be more cost-effective."
"Current technologies keep on changing, so definitely those new changes need to be incorporated quickly. The competition is always out there to be one step ahead. How those open-source platforms can be easily integrated into the cloud, is going to be the key in the future."
 

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."
"It's very cheap."
"The services that it provides are good for the price."
"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."
"A few months ago, Lightsail's pricing increased, likely due to the addition of the new VPC feature."
"Lightsail is available at an affordable cost starting from five dollars per month."
"The price of Google Cloud is affordable compared to others services. I pay monthly for the service."
"The pricing is rated a six out of ten."
"Google Cloud is on the expensive side for us. I don't have exact figures on the cost per year or month."
"The licensing for Google Cloud seems to be quite cheap and they're actually quite reasonable in comparison to Azure, which, as it turns out, is quite expensive. Even though Azure has a data center in South Africa it's still quite costly. There's no scaling, so if you go with the VM, you pay 2500 Rand. When you add another VM, it's another 2500 Rand even though you don't use the whole thing. With Google, you can go up as incrementally as you need to, even if it's just 30 Rand."
"This solution is worth the money we are paying. I would rate the pricing a three out of five."
"Pricing is high compared to other solutions."
"The best part of Google Cloud is that it is cheaper than the competitors."
"Google cloud is less expensive than other comparable solutions."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
20%
Manufacturing Company
10%
University
9%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Educational Organization
36%
Manufacturing Company
12%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Computer Software Company
6%
 

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: June 2025.
856,874 professionals have used our research since 2012.