Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) is a web service that provides resizable compute capacity in the cloud. It is designed to make web-scale cloud computing easier for developers. EC2 instances are virtual servers that can run a variety of operating systems and can be customized with a variety of compute, memory, and storage options.
AWS Lightsail is a fully managed Virtual Private Server (VPS) service that makes it easy to set up and manage cloud resources. It provides you with a virtual private server and a simple control panel to manage your resources. Lightsail is a good option for small-scale projects, and development environments, and as a stepping stone to AWS’s more advanced services.
In general, EC2 is more powerful and flexible than Lightsail, but it can also be more complex to use and requires a more in-depth understanding of AWS. Lightsail is easier to use and is a good choice for those who just need a simple VPS for a small project or to learn about cloud computing.
The pricing for EC2 and Lightsail varies depending on the resources that you need and the length of time that you use them.
EC2 instances are priced based on the type and number of instances that you use, as well as the length of time that you use them. EC2 instances are available in a variety of sizes, with different combinations of CPU, memory, and storage, so you can choose the instance type that best meets your needs. The price of an EC2 instance also includes the cost of the operating system, any software licenses, and data transfer fees.
Lightsail pricing is based on the number and type of resources that you use, such as the number of virtual CPUs, the amount of memory, and the amount of storage. Lightsail also offers a fixed-price option for certain instance sizes, where you pay a fixed price for a certain amount of resources, regardless of how much you use.
In general, EC2 is more expensive than Lightsail because it is a more powerful and flexible service. However, EC2 can also be more cost-effective for certain workloads because you only pay for the resources that you use.
It is also important to note that both EC2 and Lightsail have a free tier that allows you to try out the service at no cost. The free tier includes a certain amount of free resources, such as EC2 instance hours or Lightsail instance hours, that you can use each month.
Both EC2 and Lightsail have a free tier that allows you to try out the service at no cost. The free tier includes a certain amount of free resources that you can use each month.
The free tier for EC2 includes 750 hours of Linux and Windows t2.micro instances each month for one year. The t2.micro instances are small instances with 1 vCPU and 1GB of RAM. The free tier also includes other free resources, such as Amazon Elastic Block Store (EBS) and Amazon Elastic Load Balancer (ELB) usage.
The free tier for Lightsail includes 750 hours of a t2.micro instance each month for one year. The t2.micro instance is a small instance with 1 vCPU and 1GB of RAM. The free tier also includes 5GB of storage and 1TB of data transfer.
It is important to note that the free tier for both EC2 and Lightsail is intended for users who are new to the AWS platform and want to try out the services. It is not intended for production workloads or for long-term use. If you exceed the free tier limits, you will be charged for the additional resources that you use.