Compared 2026-09-05 using published specs and documentation.
Lightsail is Amazon's simplified VPS product with bundled bandwidth caps. Cloudways adds a full managed layer — 24/7 support, backups, security patching, staging and scaling tools — on top of raw cloud servers. The comparison below uses published pricing from both providers' official pages.
Spec-by-spec
| Feature | Cloudways | AWS Lightsail |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $11/mo (DO tier) | $3.50/mo (512MB) ✔ |
| Bundled transfer | 1TB-3TB (by provider) ✔ | 1TB on $5 plan, then $0.09/GB |
| Backups | Automated, included ✔ | Paid snapshots ($0.05/GB/mo) |
| Support | 24/7 included ✔ | AWS Support plans cost extra |
| Management | Fully managed ✔ | Self-managed |
| Staging | 1-click ✔ | None |
| AWS ecosystem access | Also available via Cloudways EC2 tiers | Native AWS ✔ |
The hidden Lightsail bill
Lightsail pricing looks friendly until real traffic arrives: extra transfer is billed per GB, snapshots cost per GB-month, static IPs get charged when detached, and actual AWS support requires a paid plan. Several reviewers report small bills doubling once a site grows.
Predictability wins
Cloudways gives you a fixed monthly number with bandwidth, backups and engineers included. If you specifically need AWS infrastructure, Cloudways also offers AWS EC2 tiers — managed.
Our verdict
Winner: Cloudways. Lightsail is a decent sandbox for AWS experiments. For production sites, Cloudways' all-inclusive price and managed service beat Lightsail's nickel-and-diming.
★★★★½ 4.7/5
Frequently Asked Questions
Is AWS Lightsail really $3.50/month?
Only at minimum usage. Extra bandwidth, snapshots and detached IPs are billed on top; AWS support costs extra.
Can Cloudways host on AWS?
Yes — Cloudways offers managed AWS EC2 tiers alongside DigitalOcean, Vultr, Linode and Google Cloud.
Which is easier for WordPress?
Cloudways — Lightsail WordPress images still require you to manage updates, caching, backups and security.
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