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Cloud VPS · by Amazon Web Services

Amazon Lightsail

AWS's bundled VPS: fixed monthly plans that include vCPU, RAM, SSD, a static IP, DNS and a data transfer allowance, with a path to EC2 and other AWS services.

Visit aws.amazon.com ↗ Alternatives Trial EU region
Amazon Lightsail homepage
§1

Overview

Amazon Lightsail is AWS's simplified VPS product. Each bundle fixes the vCPU, memory, SSD and data transfer allowance at one monthly price, and includes a static IP, DNS management, browser-based SSH or RDP and basic monitoring. Linux bundles start at $5 with a public IPv4 address or $3.50 IPv6-only; Windows bundles cost more.

Instances are burstable: they have a baseline CPU level and can burst above it, which suits web servers and small databases but not sustained heavy compute. Beyond general-purpose bundles there are memory-optimized and compute-optimized lines up to 72 vCPUs.

Lightsail also sells managed databases, container services, load balancers, block and object storage and a CDN, all at bundled prices, and instances can connect to other AWS services through VPC peering. When a project outgrows it, you can export snapshots to EC2. The main reason to pick it is staying inside an AWS account with predictable bills; the plans themselves are priced close to DigitalOcean's.

§2

Pricing and plans

Plan Price What you get
Linux 0.5 GB (IPv6 only) $3.50/mo 2 vCPU, 512 MB RAM, 20 GB SSD, 1 TB transfer
Linux 0.5 GB $5/mo 2 vCPU, 0.5 GB RAM, 20 GB SSD, 1 TB transfer, public IPv4
Linux 1 GB $7/mo 2 vCPU, 1 GB RAM, 40 GB SSD, 2 TB transfer
Linux 2 GB $12/mo 2 vCPU, 2 GB RAM, 60 GB SSD, 3 TB transfer
Linux 4 GB $24/mo 2 vCPU, 4 GB RAM, 80 GB SSD, 4 TB transfer
Linux 8 GB $44/mo 2 vCPU, 8 GB RAM, 160 GB SSD, 5 TB transfer
Compute Optimized 4 GB $42/mo 2 vCPU, 4 GB RAM, 160 GB SSD, 5 TB transfer
Windows 0.5 GB $9.50/mo 2 vCPU, 0.5 GB RAM, 30 GB SSD, 1 TB transfer

Both inbound and outbound transfer count toward the allowance, but only outbound transfer above it is charged; the overage rate was not in the text we could read. Plans in Mumbai, Sydney, Jakarta, Malaysia, Hong Kong and São Paulo include half the transfer. New AWS customers get up to $200 in credits for 6 months under the AWS Free Tier, which is a time-limited credit rather than a permanent free plan. Servers created before 29 June 2023 have 1 vCPU.

Source: aws.amazon.com/lightsail/pricing/ · prices as published, excluding tax.

§3

What it does

Bundled pricing
One monthly price covers compute, SSD, transfer, a static IP and DNS management for up to 6 zones.
IPv6-only bundles
Each bundle has a cheaper IPv6-only version, from $3.50/month for Linux.
Application templates
One-click images for WordPress, Ghost, Drupal, LAMP, Node.js, Django and others.
Browser SSH and RDP
Connect to Linux or Windows instances from the console without a local client.
AWS integration
Private networking to other AWS resources and export of snapshots to Amazon EC2.
Managed add-ons
Managed databases, containers, load balancers, object storage and CDN at fixed prices.
§4

Strengths and limitations

Strengths

  • Predictable monthly bills inside an AWS account, unlike EC2's itemized billing.
  • Transfer allowances of 1 TB and up avoid AWS's normal egress charges for small sites.
  • Windows bundles are available, which many VPS hosts do not offer.
  • Clear upgrade path to EC2 and other AWS services.

Limitations

  • Instances are burstable; AWS recommends EC2 for consistently high CPU use.
  • Transfer allowances are halved in Mumbai, Sydney, Jakarta, Malaysia, Hong Kong and São Paulo.
  • Inbound traffic counts toward the allowance, not only outbound.
  • Accounts are limited to 5 static IPs and 6 DNS zones.
  • Plan specifications can differ between regions.
§5

Who it suits

Good for

  • WordPress and small web apps
  • Teams already on AWS that want a simple server
  • Windows VPS needs at a fixed price

Look elsewhere if

  • Sustained CPU-heavy workloads
  • Large fleets that need autoscaling and fine-grained instance types
§6

Alternatives to Amazon Lightsail

Tool From Free option Stages
$5/mo Paid
$4.54/mo Paid
Hetzner Cloud Cloud VPS
€5.49/mo Paid
$4/mo Paid
$4/mo Paid
$4/mo Paid

All VPS and cloud servers →

§7

Questions

How much does the cheapest Amazon Lightsail instance cost?

A Linux bundle with 0.5 GB RAM, 2 vCPUs, 20 GB SSD and 1 TB transfer costs $5/month with a public IPv4 address, or $3.50/month IPv6-only.

Is Amazon Lightsail free?

Not permanently. New AWS customers get up to $200 in credits for 6 months under the AWS Free Tier, which can cover Lightsail usage.

What is the difference between Lightsail and EC2?

Lightsail sells fixed bundles with transfer and a static IP included at one price; EC2 bills compute, storage and transfer separately and offers many more instance types and features.

Does inbound traffic count against Lightsail's transfer allowance?

Yes, both directions count toward the allowance, but only outbound traffic above it is charged.

Sources read for this page