As a global technology company, Amazon focuses on four main areas: artificial intelligence, cloud computing, e-commerce, and digital streaming. Amazon Lightsail falls under the cloud computing services of Amazon. But, you may ask, what is this service about, and how can I use it? Who can use Lightsail? Is it affordable? Continue reading this article to get the answers you need regarding the Amazon Lightsail service. Amazon Lightsail is a virtual private server (VPS) of the Amazon Web services (AWS) developed to make usage of cloud computing more straightforward and more accessible to developers or businesses who want to undergo simple projects (blogs, e-commerce apps, or websites) without worrying over standard AWS processes.
What Are the Features of Amazon Lightsail?
Virtual servers: Also called virtual instances. It makes configuring easy and makes the Amazon Web services’ backup dependable. This prominent feature helps you begin your basic projects (website, web application, etc.), including controlling instances from the in-built Lightsail API or console. They are easy to create or delete and have an in-built firewall that gives you access and enables you to allow or restrict traffic to your data. You can install well-known applications like Windows, Plesk, WordPress, etc., on this virtual server or instance.
Simplified load balancing: This makes applications and websites be secured from disruption, contains differences in traffic, and provides an easy experience to users or visitors by conducting web traffic over instances. Simplified load balancers give free SSL certificates using integrated certificates.
Object Storage: This allows you to store fixed content like HTML files, videos, and images.
Managed databases: This helps in autonomously scaling databases of virtual servers, in automatic backup, running individual databases in the cloud, and making applications more accessible.
Containers: This enables users or customers to run containerized applications in the cloud and safely use them from the internet. E.g., Python web app.
Upgrade to EC2: Amazon Lightsail can be upgraded to EC2 if or when needed because of its scalable quality.
Access to AWS services: This feature enables you to start a project with Lightsail features like instances, simplified load balancers, and managed databases and merge it with 90 plus AWS services via Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) peering.
What Can I Use Lightsail for?
Small or Personal Projects: Lightsail is generally used for small to moderate tasks or jobs.
Server Acceleration: You can use it to accelerate a server without going over typical Amazon Web Services implementation like pricing, configuration, and management details.
Simple Web Applications: For web applications, like standard CMS.
Websites. Businesses use Lightsail to create custom websites, including blogs, e-commerce sites, and personal websites.
Blogs: Lightsail virtual servers are impressive for managing a blog, mainly a WordPress blog.
Business Software: Lightsail can run open-source and commercial software like MySQL. It can also be used for small-scale enterprise applications such as HPC, big data, and analytics workloads.
Dev/Test Environments: Developers can use Lightsail to set up a DevOps pipeline for building staging servers as a way of testing products before deployment.
Who Can Use Lightsail?
Developers
Businesses, especially MSMEs or SMEs
New cloud users
Non-professional working on a personal project
Computer Software industry.
How Can I Access Lightsail?
Amazon Lightsail has various plans. The characteristics of the various plans to choose from include:
A memory from 512 megabytes (MB) to 32 gigabytes (GB).
Available processors of one to eight cores.
Storage of 20 gigabytes (GB) to 640 gigabytes (GB).
Data transfer allocation from one terabyte (TB) to 7 terabytes (TB).
And prices from as low as $3.50 to as high as $240 per month.
What are the Benefits of Lightsail?
Affordable and Saves Cost: All Amazon Lightsail plans are free for the first month, and its cheapest plan is $3.5/month. This helps businesses, especially startups and small-scale and medium-sized enterprises, save costs in building web applications, websites, or blogs. They do not have to achieve basic projects with too many expenses because they use standard Amazon Web Services. This applies to individuals undergoing personal projects.
Uncomplicated User Interface: because it functions through pre-configured software, there is usually less confusion for the customers or users who would be using it, especially for the first time.
Scalable (Manually): Because it is scalable, you can transition from a Lightsail plan to a higher RAM and storage capacity. The plans may be fixed per month, but it does not affect your computing ability.
Ease for new developers: Lightsail provides a quick way to get started.
Familiarity: Individuals or companies taking advantage of Amazon Lightsail for application development and web hosting find it more appealing; they get more familiar with it.
Simple Networking: Standard networking setting for fixed internet protocol (IP) and domain name system (DNS) configuration is usually challenging. With Amazon Lightsail, those configurations can be changed with a few adjustments in the Lightsail dashboard.
Managed Databases: This provides users with automatic database backup and scaling
Reliability: You do not have to worry about replacement because the service is a part of Amazon’s infrastructure and data centers.
What are the Drawbacks of Lightsail?
- Not fitting for enterprise workloads: Lightsail is ideal for individuals, startups, and small-scale business applications, but it is not recommended for enterprise-level jobs or tasks.
Is Amazon Lightsail Affordable?
As mentioned above, Amazon has plans that vary from $3.50 to $240 per month. Amazon has made this service affordable and easily accessible to its target user. So you need not worry if you can afford it, cause it is very affordable.
Conclusion
What is Amazon Lightsail service about? How can I use it? Who can use Lightsail? Is it affordable? We bet all of your questions have been answered with this article.
As a developer, a startup, or an individual, the next time you think of using a computing system for your basic project, think Amazon Lightsail. The Lightsail service has various plans that give you many benefits you could consider and get the best use of.
