Amazon Lightsail vs IBM Public Cloud comparison

Amazon Web Services (AWS) and IBM are both solutions in the PaaS Clouds category. Amazon Web Services (AWS) is ranked #10 with an average rating of 8.5, while IBM is ranked #15 with an average rating of 6.7. Amazon Web Services (AWS) holds a 2.0% mindshare in PSP, compared to IBM’s 3.2% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Amazon Web Services (AWS) users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 83% of IBM users who would recommend it.

Amazon Lightsail

Read 10 Amazon Lightsail reviews

1,086 Views
1,086 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

IBM Public Cloud

Read 18 IBM Public Cloud reviews

3,048 Views
2,896 Comparison Views

83% willing to recommend

Amazon Lightsail

IBM Public Cloud

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Download the report

Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 15, 2024

IBM Public Cloud and Amazon Lightsail compete in cloud solutions, with Amazon Lightsail having an upper hand in accessibility and simplicity, while IBM Public Cloud excels in robust enterprise features.

Features: IBM Public Cloud provides AI integration, large-scale data processing, and compliance certifications, suitable for enterprises. Amazon Lightsail offers virtual servers, databases, and networking services, designed for small businesses and developers seeking ease and speed.

Room for Improvement: IBM Public Cloud could improve deployment speed and integrate more intuitive user interfaces for small businesses. Amazon Lightsail might enhance scalability options, bolster security features, and offer more enterprise-grade support for growing businesses.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Amazon Lightsail ensures intuitive deployment through pre-configured blueprints and extensive documentation, suitable for quick launches. IBM Public Cloud offers extensive support for complex environments, which, while thorough, may require longer setup times for comprehensive operations.

Pricing and ROI: IBM Public Cloud has higher initial setup costs but offers ROI with its scalability and extensive features for large enterprises. Amazon Lightsail provides a cost-effective model with predictable monthly costs, yielding favorable ROI for smaller operations given its lower expenses.

To learn more, read our detailed Amazon Lightsail vs. IBM Public Cloud Report (Updated: July 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Amazon Lightsail vs. IBM Public Cloud

July 2025

Download the complete report

Helped 864,155 peers since 2012

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

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

IBM Public Cloud

Ranking in PaaS Clouds

15th

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

IoT Platforms (6th)

Mindshare comparison

As of August 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 IBM Public Cloud is 3.2%, down from 4.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

PaaS Clouds

Featured Reviews

Atul Chauhan

DevOps engineer at Tech Mahindra Limited

Auto-manage features optimize server management and reduce costs

In terms of features, Amazon Lightsail can auto-manage the server with capabilities such as Auto Scaling and Placement Groups. They can auto-manage, and the billing cost is reduced because they have limited technology, which helps to optimize our cost billing for AWS. The benefit of using Amazon Lightsail over the AWS console management is that it is a small platform that is easy to understand, as it has only the instance, DNS, Route 53, snapshots, backups, and load balancing network. Amazon Lightsail has five technologies, and because it's easy to use and everyone can understand it, anyone can manage the server or add anything to that server, making it easy to understand. The initial setup is easy to do.

Read full review

Premnath Jaganathan

Product Manager at Uop Ipl

Affordability and security improve our cloud experience while learning new systems

I'm not working with any AI features in IBM Public Cloud, but they are in the process of building it.I am very satisfied with the security that IBM Public Cloud provides. I would rate IBM Public Cloud eight out of ten, where one is worst and ten is the best.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The instances optimized for WordPress are very lightweight and straightforward in configuration."

"The benefit of using Amazon Lightsail over the AWS console management is that it is a small platform that is easy to understand, as it has only the instance, DNS, Route 53, snapshots, backups, and load balancing network."

"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."

"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."

"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."

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

More Amazon Lightsail pros

"This product is very good because it is accessible in remote locations, and anyone can deploy from any place."

"The price of IBM Cloud is most valuable for us. The service is personable and gives us a good rapport. I can't say it's the best, but it was enough for our needs."

"The beauty of cloud service providers, especially public cloud service providers, is that they are scalable every time when you need them because their payment model is pay-as-you-go."

"The availability is second to none. Customer support is very good."

"The initial setup was very easy. It's quite straightforward. Deployment took about fifteen minutes. Everything is well organized."

"An advantage of IBM Public Cloud is the bare metal server. We can take the bare metal server. It's not shared with anyone. We can deploy our applications without sharing them with anyone. That is an advantage of IBM Public Cloud."

"It is a scalable product. You can scale it up and down."

"The most valuable feature of IBM Public Cloud is the AI integrations."

More IBM Public Cloud pros

Cons

"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."

"Currently, there is limited support available while installing or configuring it, and resources are primarily available through community-contributed articles."

"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."

"The solution could be smoother than it is."

"Backward compatibility and the flexibility to choose software versions while installing would be improvements."

"Amazon Lightsail needs more security in the networking because hackers can attack in application layers three and four."

More Amazon Lightsail cons

"The solution’s pricing could be improved."

"While they have about 99% of what we need, the only exception, perhaps, was the push notification feature that was discontinued. They delayed the replacement product."

"I would like to see a more user-friendly deployment process in the next release of this solution."

"An area for improvement in IBM Public Cloud is getting up-to-date information on how to set up everything. It's hard to find new documentation."

"It will be challenging to implement if you do not have any experience."

"It could be more secure."

"The deployment can be a bit of a pain. There are a lot of packages and a lot of options and it can require complex configuration to get it right."

"There is not a lot of support for this solution, which is something that needs to be improved."

More IBM Public Cloud cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The services that it provides are good for the price."

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

"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."

"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."

"IBM has a lesser price compared to other cloud service providers like Azure and AWS."

"Pricing is not as fair as Amazon or Azure."

"We are using the trial version of this solution, so we have not paid anything."

"In order to be competitive, you have to commit to a contract for at least one year, but you pay a fixed monthly fee."

"The licensing fees are straightforward and predictable."

"On a scale from one to ten, where one is cheap, and ten is expensive, I rate the solution's pricing a nine out of ten."

"IBM Public Cloud is pretty cheap. They have an ongoing free tier that basically won't expire, so as long as your solution is small enough, you can have a test set that you can use for demos, which will cost you almost nothing."

"The price of IBM Cloud is very cheap compared to competitors AWS and Azure."

More IBM Public Cloud pricing and cost advice

See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which PaaS Clouds solutions are best for your needs.

See recommendations

864,155 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

17%

University

10%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

10%

University

15%

Computer Software Company

12%

Financial Services Firm

11%

Manufacturing Company

10%

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

Which is preferable - IBM Public Cloud or Microsoft Azure?

IBM Public Cloud is IBM’s Platform-as-a-Service. It aims to provide organizations with a secure cloud environment to manage data and applications. One of the features we like is the cloud activity ...

See all answers

What needs improvement with IBM Cloud?

The front end is not pervasive, so it is very difficult get the status of your current services or account from a mobile device.

See all answers

What do you like most about IBM Public Cloud?

The most valuable feature of IBM Public Cloud is the AI integrations.

See all answers

Comparisons

Google Cloud vs Amazon Lightsail

Compared 34% of the time

Microsoft Azure vs Amazon Lightsail

Compared 32% of the time

Heroku vs Amazon Lightsail

Compared 10% of the time

Google App Engine vs Amazon Lightsail

Compared 6% of the time

More Amazon Lightsail Competitors

Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) vs IBM Public Cloud

Compared 35% of the time

Microsoft Azure vs IBM Public Cloud

Compared 30% of the time

Amazon AWS vs IBM Public Cloud

Compared 15% of the time

Dell ECS vs IBM Public Cloud

Compared 5% of the time

More IBM Public Cloud Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

PaaS Clouds

July 2025

Download Amazon Lightsail product report

Buyer's Guide

IBM Public Cloud

July 2025

Download IBM Public Cloud product report

Also Known As

No data available

IBM Bluemix

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)

IBM Cloud is a full-stack cloud platform that spans public, private and hybrid environments. Build with a robust suite of advanced data and AI tools, and draw on deep industry expertise to help you on your journey to the cloud.

IBM

Sample Customers

Expedia, Intuit, Royal Dutch Shell, Brooks Brothers

Uvionics Tech, Komsomolskaya Pravda, Alpha Modus, Inventive, Web Business Consulting, FindBrok, SilverHook Powerboats, United Way of Allegheny County

Buyer's Guide

Amazon Lightsail vs. IBM Public Cloud

July 2025

Free Report: Amazon Lightsail vs. IBM Public Cloud

Find out what your peers are saying about Amazon Lightsail vs. IBM Public Cloud and other solutions. Updated: July 2025.

DOWNLOAD NOW

864,155 professionals have used our research since 2012.

See our Amazon Lightsail vs. IBM Public Cloud report.

See our list of best PaaS Clouds vendors.

We monitor all PaaS Clouds reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.