AWS Compute
Lightsail
Simple virtual private servers with predictable monthly pricing
Amazon Lightsail is AWS's simplified compute product designed for straightforward workloads. It bundles a virtual private server, SSD storage, DNS management, and data transfer into predictable monthly plans - removing the complexity of configuring VPCs, IAM policies, and security groups manually. It is positioned as a stepping stone from shared hosting to full AWS.
Instances, Plans, and Blueprints
Lightsail instances (called "virtual private servers") are priced as all-inclusive monthly bundles. Each bundle includes vCPU, RAM, SSD storage, and a monthly data transfer allowance.
| Plan | vCPU | RAM | SSD | Transfer | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nano | 2 | 512 MB | 20 GB | 1 TB | $3.50 |
| Micro | 2 | 1 GB | 40 GB | 2 TB | $5 |
| Small | 2 | 2 GB | 60 GB | 3 TB | $10 |
| Medium | 2 | 4 GB | 80 GB | 4 TB | $20 |
| Large | 4 | 8 GB | 160 GB | 5 TB | $40 |
Blueprints are pre-configured OS or application templates you launch from: Amazon Linux 2, Ubuntu, Debian, LAMP stack, WordPress, MEAN, Django, Node.js, Ghost, Magento, and more.
Core Features
- Static IPs: attach a fixed public IPv4 address to any instance - free while attached, charged when detached
- Managed Databases: standalone MySQL or PostgreSQL instances on predictable monthly plans, automated backups included
- Load Balancers: managed load balancer with free SSL/TLS via ACM for Lightsail certificates
- CDN Distributions: CloudFront-powered CDN distributions configurable directly from Lightsail console
- Snapshots: point-in-time backups of instances and disks, stored in S3 (opaque to the user)
- Networking: each instance gets a private IP in an isolated Lightsail network. Firewall rules are simplified (allow rules only).
- Container Service: deploy containerized applications without Kubernetes or ECS knowledge
Lightsail vs EC2 - When to Use Which
| Factor | Lightsail | EC2 |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Flat monthly plans - predictable | Per-second billing - can be cheaper at scale |
| Complexity | Minimal - no VPC, IAM, or SG expertise needed | Full control - requires AWS networking knowledge |
| Scalability | Limited - manual snapshot and recreate to resize | Granular - change instance type, add volumes, use ASG |
| AWS Integration | Limited - VPC peering to connect to other AWS services | Native - part of VPC, direct access to all services |
| Best For | Simple web apps, blogs, small e-commerce, dev environments | Production workloads, microservices, anything requiring fine-grained control |
You can peer a Lightsail network with an existing VPC using Lightsail VPC Peering. This lets Lightsail instances communicate with RDS, ElastiCache, or EC2 instances in your VPC using private IPs.
Interview Focus Points
- 1When would you recommend Lightsail over EC2?
- 2Can Lightsail integrate with other AWS services? How?
- 3Lightsail vs EC2 pricing model differences
- 4Migration path from Lightsail to EC2 when a workload outgrows Lightsail