Amazon Lightsail vs Amazon EC2 – Similarities and Differences

Lightsail and EC2 are currently the two  popular computing cloud services from Amazon. Both constitute a simple and easy means for the management of security, storage, and networks.

However, Amazon Lightsail, despite being similar to Amazon EC2 on many counts, is more favourable for users who are not tech-savvy enough to understand the intricacies of using cloud services. To be more precise, it is for those who wish to make use of the features of the cloud without delving deep into the details.

Also read – Factors to consider to choose between Amazon SageMaker and Azure Machine Learning

As much similar as both options seem to be on the surface, they also are dissimilar on many  grounds. Before comparing the two, let’s understand what these services are.

This post will present an overview of both the services, outline the similarities and AWS Lightsail vs EC2 comparison.

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What is AWS Lightsail?

The technology of cloud computing has transitioned at a rapid pace over the last few years. As far as using the feature of cloud computing is concerned, even those who do not have much idea about it can use it with ease – thanks to AWS Lightsail.

When it comes to using cloud computing, the more you are aware of it the better. However, gathering detailed information about it, especially if you are new to it, may not always be feasible. If you belong to this category of users, then Amazon Lightsail is the appropriate cloud service for you.

This leads to an important question, though. What is AWS Lightsail? The answer is simple. It is a cloud service from Amazon that provides loads of memory and computational power to users in a simple and less complicated manner.

For less experienced users or beginners, Amazon Lightsail, the cloud service from Amazon, gives access to huge memory and cloud compute power. Also, it allows them to transfer both to virtual machines (VMs) without any hassle.

AWS Lightsail depends on EC2 instances to generate its compute power. Its working principle is simple: it bundles up the compute power of EC2 instances and then merges it with cloud for users to reap the benefits of cloud computing without digging deeper into the technicalities.

Apart from providing access to a bunch of AWS tools, AWS Lightsail also brings forth the following features:

• Memory up to 8 GB

• Mono or dual-core processors

• A solid-state drive with storage capacity ranging between 20-80 GB

• Allowance for data transfer between 1 TB to 5 TB

Now let us take a look into what Amazon EC2 is, and how it is similar or different from the Lightsail version.

What is Amazon EC2?

Most cloud users focus on scalable computing capacity to streamline cloud computing operations. This makes them look for advanced web services for the development as well as the deployment of applications in quick time without the need to invest in a piece of hardware straight away. Amazon EC2 is the answer to this sort of requirement.

Wondering what is Amazon EC2? It is a cloud service that offers measurable computing potential in the AWS cloud. Amazon EC2 is the acronym for the Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud. Organizations utilize it for its numerous advantages.

The benefits of this service for cloud computing include the ability to launch as virtual servers as per the need, management of storage space, and the configuration of networking and security. Above all, Amazon EC2 enables users to handle traffic forecasting by better equipping them with the ability to handle changes in its requirements.

The features of Amazon EC2 include the following:

• Instances

• Amazon Machine Images (AMIs)

• A wide range of instances with varied configurations of CPU, storage, and memory

• Security to login information using key pairs

• Storage of temporary data of instances as long as they are in use

• Numerous physical locations for housing the resources of users

• A firewall that works in conjunction with security groups for the specification of protocols, source IP, and ports

• Elastic IP addresses to facilitate dynamic cloud computing

• Virtual networks that can be operated independently from the cloud and can be linked to an individual’s network

When you compare the above-mentioned features of EC2 with that of Lightsail, it becomes clear that the former leads the race from the latter by miles. Given below is a comparison based on the characteristics of the two versions of Amaozon Web Services.

Lightsail vs EC2: Similarities

From storage to processing, Lightsail and EC2 bear resemblance to one another in certain ways. These similarities may not mean that both are the same. However, they are similar yet have some features that are comparable.

When you compare both the services, the following features bring out the element of parallelism between them:

• Both belong to AWS services.

• Both provide memory, and processors, thereby eliminating the need to invest in hardware.

• Lightsail as well as EC2 provide storage capacity

• One can make use of these services to transfer data.

Lightsail vs EC2: Differences

Notwithstanding the similarities between both the services, some differences mark a line of distinction between the two. In the head-to-head comparison, EC2 seem to have some additional features and functionalities. These include the following:

• EC2 has its instances, whereas Lightsail depends on EC2 instances to derive its compute power.

• EC2 provides a wider range of options in terms of memory, storage, processing power, and data transfer in comparison to Lightsail.

• Amazon EC2 brings forth numerous other features that Lightsail does not have. These include elastic IP addresses, virtual networks, the feature to secure login information, firewall, and multiple physical locations for the storage of user resources.

Final Thoughts

EC2 and Lightsail may be two services from the same provider by after analyzing the similarities and AWS Lightsail vs EC2 comparison, it stands out that Amazon EC2 is the bigger, and better option. However, the choice of technology depends on the type of requirement you have, the choice may differ. If you are not sure which option to go with, the similarities and dissimilarities listed above will help you make an informed decision.

Keep smiling and stay tuned!