We earn commissions when you shop through the links on this page.

Amazon Lightsail vs Scala Hosting

Amazon Lightsail

Amazon Lightsail

VS
Scala Hosting

Scala Hosting

Side-by-side comparison of features, pricing, and performance to help you choose the right hosting provider.

Share:
Amazon Lightsail
Amazon Lightsail No reviews yet
18 plans
from
$5.00/mo
Scala Hosting
Scala Hosting No reviews yet
16 plans
from
$2.95/mo
Hosting Type
Billing Period

Feature Comparison

Feature
Amazon Lightsail
Scala Hosting
RatingN/A N/A
PriceN/A $2.95/mo
Renewal PriceN/A $11.95/mo
Storage20 GB SSDN/A
Bandwidth1 TBN/A
WebsitesUnlimitedN/A
CPU2 vCPUsN/A
RAM0.5 GBN/A
Free Domain
Free SSL
Server Locations
Regions12 3
Locations
US East, Virginia, Ohio US West, Oregon, California Western Europe, London, Paris, Ireland Central Europe, Frankfurt, Zurich Northern Europe, Stockholm Southeast Asia, Singapore, Jakarta East Asia, Tokyo, Seoul, Hong Kong India, Mumbai, Hyderabad Australia & Oceania, Sydney, Melbourne South America, Sao Paulo Middle East, Bahrain, UAE Africa, Cape Town
US East, Dallas, Texas Central Europe, Sofia US West, Seattle
Features
CMS & Platforms (7)
Languages & Frameworks (9)
Databases (4)
Developer Tools (8)
Performance & CDN (4)
Caching
CDN
LiteSpeed
SSD Storage
Security (6)
2FA
Backups
DDoS Protection
Malware Scan
SSL
WAF
Support (4)
Extras & Guarantees (5)
Slight discrepancies are possible. We recommend verifying details on the provider's website.
Visit Amazon LightsailVisit Scala Hosting

Pricing & Plans

Amazon Lightsail Plans

Lightsail 0.5 GB/2 vCPUs cloud
Storage: 20 GB SSD
Bandwidth: 1 TB
Websites: Unlimited
CPU: 2 vCPUs
RAM: 0.5 GB
Free Domain: No
Free SSL: Yes
Lightsail 1 GB/2 vCPUs cloud
Storage: 40 GB SSD
Bandwidth: 2 TB
Websites: Unlimited
CPU: 2 vCPUs
RAM: 1 GB
Free Domain: No
Free SSL: Yes
Lightsail 2 GB/2 vCPUs cloud
Storage: 60 GB SSD
Bandwidth: 3 TB
Websites: Unlimited
CPU: 2 vCPUs
RAM: 2 GB
Free Domain: No
Free SSL: Yes
Lightsail 4 GB/2 vCPUs cloud
Storage: 80 GB SSD
Bandwidth: 4 TB
Websites: Unlimited
CPU: 2 vCPUs
RAM: 4 GB
Free Domain: No
Free SSL: Yes
Lightsail 8 GB/2 vCPUs cloud
Storage: 160 GB SSD
Bandwidth: 5 TB
Websites: Unlimited
CPU: 2 vCPUs
RAM: 8 GB
Free Domain: No
Free SSL: Yes
Memory Optimized 16 GB/2 vCPUs vps
Storage: 160 GB SSD
Bandwidth: 5 TB
Websites: Unlimited
CPU: 2 vCPUs
RAM: 16 GB
Free Domain: No
Free SSL: Yes
Lightsail 16 GB/4 vCPUs cloud
Storage: 320 GB SSD
Bandwidth: 6 TB
Websites: Unlimited
CPU: 4 vCPUs
RAM: 16 GB
Free Domain: No
Free SSL: Yes
Memory Optimized 32 GB/4 vCPUs vps
Storage: 320 GB SSD
Bandwidth: 6 TB
Websites: Unlimited
CPU: 4 vCPUs
RAM: 32 GB
Free Domain: No
Free SSL: Yes
Lightsail 32 GB/8 vCPUs cloud
Storage: 640 GB SSD
Bandwidth: 7 TB
Websites: Unlimited
CPU: 8 vCPUs
RAM: 32 GB
Free Domain: No
Free SSL: Yes
Memory Optimized 64 GB/8 vCPUs vps
Storage: 640 GB SSD
Bandwidth: 7 TB
Websites: Unlimited
CPU: 8 vCPUs
RAM: 64 GB
Free Domain: No
Free SSL: Yes
Lightsail 64 GB/16 vCPUs cloud
Storage: 1280 GB SSD
Bandwidth: 8 TB
Websites: Unlimited
CPU: 16 vCPUs
RAM: 64 GB
Free Domain: No
Free SSL: Yes
Memory Optimized 128 GB/16 vCPUs vps
Storage: 1280 GB SSD
Bandwidth: 8 TB
Websites: Unlimited
CPU: 16 vCPUs
RAM: 128 GB
Free Domain: No
Free SSL: Yes
Lightsail 128 GB/32 vCPUs cloud
Storage: 1280 GB SSD
Bandwidth: 9 TB
Websites: Unlimited
CPU: 32 vCPUs
RAM: 128 GB
Free Domain: No
Free SSL: Yes
Memory Optimized 256 GB/32 vCPUs vps
Storage: 1280 GB SSD
Bandwidth: 9 TB
Websites: Unlimited
CPU: 32 vCPUs
RAM: 256 GB
Free Domain: No
Free SSL: Yes
Lightsail 192 GB/48 vCPUs cloud
Storage: 1280 GB SSD
Bandwidth: 10 TB
Websites: Unlimited
CPU: 48 vCPUs
RAM: 192 GB
Free Domain: No
Free SSL: Yes
Lightsail 256 GB/64 vCPUs cloud
Storage: 1280 GB SSD
Bandwidth: 10 TB
Websites: Unlimited
CPU: 64 vCPUs
RAM: 256 GB
Free Domain: No
Free SSL: Yes
Memory Optimized 384 GB/48 vCPUs vps
Storage: 1280 GB SSD
Bandwidth: 10 TB
Websites: Unlimited
CPU: 48 vCPUs
RAM: 384 GB
Free Domain: No
Free SSL: Yes
Memory Optimized 512 GB/64 vCPUs vps
Storage: 1280 GB SSD
Bandwidth: 10 TB
Websites: Unlimited
CPU: 64 vCPUs
RAM: 512 GB
Free Domain: No
Free SSL: Yes

Scala Hosting Plans

Mini shared
$2.95/mo
Renews at $11.95/mo
Free Domain: No
Free SSL: No
Start shared
$5.95/mo
Renews at $14.95/mo
Free Domain: No
Free SSL: No
Advanced shared
$9.95/mo
Renews at $19.95/mo
Free Domain: No
Free SSL: No
Entry Cloud shared
$14.95/mo
Renews at $39.95/mo
Free Domain: No
Free SSL: No
Unmanaged Build #1 vps
$19.95/mo
Renews at $24.95/mo
Bandwidth: Unmetered
Free Domain: No
Free SSL: No
Managed Build #1 vps
$29.95/mo
Renews at $54.95/mo
Storage: 50 GB NVMe
Bandwidth: Unmetered
CPU: 2 cores
RAM: 4 GB
Free Domain: No
Free SSL: No
WP Build #1 wordpress
$29.95/mo
Renews at $54.95/mo
Storage: 50 GB NVMe
Bandwidth: Unmetered
CPU: 2 cores
RAM: 4 GB
Free Domain: No
Free SSL: No
Unmanaged Build #2 vps
$36.95/mo
Renews at $49.95/mo
Bandwidth: Unmetered
Free Domain: No
Free SSL: No
WP Build #2 wordpress
$44.95/mo
Renews at $96.95/mo
Storage: 100 GB NVMe
Bandwidth: Unmetered
CPU: 4 cores
RAM: 8 GB
Free Domain: No
Free SSL: No
Managed Build #2 vps
$44.95/mo
Renews at $96.95/mo
Storage: 100 GB NVMe
Bandwidth: Unmetered
CPU: 4 cores
RAM: 8 GB
Free Domain: No
Free SSL: No
Unmanaged Build #3 vps
$66.95/mo
Renews at $95.95/mo
Bandwidth: Unmetered
Free Domain: No
Free SSL: No
Managed Build #3 vps
$69.95/mo
Renews at $170.95/mo
Storage: 150 GB NVMe
Bandwidth: Unmetered
CPU: 8 cores
RAM: 16 GB
Free Domain: No
Free SSL: No
WP Build #3 wordpress
$69.95/mo
Renews at $170.95/mo
Storage: 150 GB NVMe
Bandwidth: Unmetered
CPU: 8 cores
RAM: 16 GB
Free Domain: No
Free SSL: No
WP Build #4 wordpress
$94.95/mo
Renews at $244.95/mo
Storage: 200 GB NVMe
Bandwidth: Unmetered
CPU: 12 cores
RAM: 24 GB
Free Domain: No
Free SSL: No
Managed Build #4 vps
$94.95/mo
Renews at $244.95/mo
Storage: 200 GB NVMe
Bandwidth: Unmetered
CPU: 12 cores
RAM: 24 GB
Free Domain: No
Free SSL: No
Unmanaged Build #4 vps
$122.95/mo
Renews at $183.95/mo
Bandwidth: Unmetered
Free Domain: No
Free SSL: No

Pros & Cons

Amazon Lightsail

Pros

  • Backed by AWS infrastructure — world's largest cloud platform
  • Predictable flat monthly pricing with no surprises
  • 3 months free on select Linux bundles ($5-$12/mo plans)
  • Pre-configured stacks: WordPress, LAMP, Node.js, MEAN, Django
  • Easy scaling to full AWS services (EC2, RDS, etc.)
  • Automatic snapshots with 7-day retention
  • Static IPs, DNS management, and load balancers included
  • SSD storage on all instances
  • Global availability across 22+ AWS regions
  • Managed databases and container services available

Cons

  • No managed shared hosting — VPS only, requires server knowledge
  • No cPanel or traditional control panel
  • Backups (snapshots) cost extra beyond automatic 7-day retention
  • No free domain registration
  • No phone support on basic plans — forums and documentation only
  • Windows instances cost significantly more than Linux
  • Memory Optimized plans are expensive compared to competitors
  • No email hosting included
  • Burstable CPU on General Purpose instances (not dedicated)

Scala Hosting

Pros

  • Proprietary SPanel — free cPanel alternative with full features
  • SShield real-time AI security with 99.998% block rate
  • Affordable managed VPS starting at $29.95/mo
  • NVMe SSD storage on all plans
  • Free website migration
  • Automatic offsite backups included
  • Dedicated IP on all VPS plans
  • Scalable resources with one-click upgrades
  • Anytime money-back guarantee
  • 24/7 live chat and ticket support

Cons

  • Significant price increase on renewal (up to 3x on shared)
  • Shared hosting plans have limited storage (10-100 GB)
  • No phone support on shared plans
  • SPanel learning curve for cPanel users
  • Limited data center locations (US and EU only)
  • No monthly billing at promotional prices on shared hosting

Frequently Asked Questions

Amazon Lightsail

What is Amazon Lightsail?

Amazon Lightsail is a virtual private server (VPS) provider and is the easiest way to get started with AWS for developers, small businesses, students, and other users who need a solution to build and host their applications on cloud. Lightsail provides developers compute, storage, and networking capacity and capabilities to deploy and manage websites and web applications in the cloud. Lightsail includes everything you need to launch your project quickly – virtual machines, containers, databases,

What is a Virtual Private Server?

A virtual private server, also known as an "instance", allows users to run websites and web applications in a highly secure and available environment, while being cost effective.

What are the benefits of a VPS?

There are many benefits to using a virtual private server, including affordability, scalability, security, and customizable resources.

What can I do with Lightsail?

You can choose among several preconfigured VPS plans that include everything you need to easily deploy and manage your application. Lightsail is best suited for projects that require a few virtual private servers and users who prefer a simple management interface. Common use cases for Lightsail include running websites, web applications, blogs, e-commerce sites, simple software, and more.

What is a Lightsail instance plan?

Also referred to as a bundle, a Lightsail plan includes a virtual private server with a fixed amount of memory (RAM) and compute (vCPUs), SSD-based storage (disks), and a data transfer allowance. Lightsail plans also offer static IP addresses (5 per account) and DNS management (6 domain zones per account). Lightsail plans are charged on an hourly, on-demand basis, so you only pay for a plan when you're using it.

Are Lightsail plans the same across AWS Regions?

As Lightsail expands its availability across more Regions, we’re evolving our infrastructure to provide a better overall customer experience. As a result, plans in certain Regions will have different specifications, such as an additional vCPU, compared to plans in other Regions.

What is a Lightsail instance?

A Lightsail instance is a virtual private server (VPS) that lives in the AWS Cloud. Use your Lightsail instances to store your data, run your code, and build web-based applications or websites. Your instances can connect to each other and to other AWS resources through both public (Internet) and private (VPC) networking. You can create, manage, and connect easily to instances right from the Lightsail console.

What software can I run on my instance?

Lightsail offers a range of operating system and application templates that are automatically installed when you create a new Lightsail instance. Application templates include WordPress, Drupal, Joomla!, Ghost, Magento, Redmine, LAMP, Nginx (LEMP), MEAN, Node.js, Django, and more. You can install additional software on your instances by using the in-browser SSH or your own SSH client.

How do I create a Lightsail instance?

After logging in to Lightsail, you can use the Lightsail console, command line interface (CLI), or API to create and manage instances. The first time you log in to the console, choose Create Instance. The create instance page is where you can choose the software, location, and name for your instance. Once you choose Create, your new instance will spin up automatically within minutes.

Does Lightsail offer an API?

Yes. Everything you do in the Lightsail console is backed by a publicly available API. Learn how to install and use the Lightsail CLI and API.

How do I sign up for Lightsail?

To start using Lightsail, choose Get Started and log in. You use your Amazon Web Services account to access Lightsail; if you don't already have one, you'll be prompted to create one.

How do Lightsail instances perform?

Lightsail instances are specifically engineered by AWS for web servers, developer environments, and small database use cases. Such workloads don't use the full CPU often or consistently, but occasionally need a performance burst. Lightsail uses burstable performance instances that provide a baseline level of CPU performance with the additional ability to burst above the baseline. This design enables you to get the performance you need, when you need it, while protecting you from the variable per

How do I connect to a Lightsail instance?

Lightsail offers a 1-click secure connection to your instance's terminal right from your browser, supporting SSH access for Linux/Unix-based instances and RDP access for Windows-based instances. To use 1-click connections, launch your instance management screens, click Connect using SSH or Connect using RDP, and a new browser window opens and automatically connects to your instance. If you prefer to connect to your Linux/Unix-based instance using your own client, Lightsa

How do I use IPs in Lightsail?

Each Lightsail instance automatically gets a private IP address and a public IP address. You can use the private IP to transmit data between Lightsail instances and AWS resources privately, for free. You can use the public IP to connect to your instance from the Internet, such as through a registered domain name or through an SSH or RDP connection from your local computer. You can also attach a static IP to the instance, which substitutes the public IP with an IP address that doesn't change even

What is a static IP?

A static IP is a fixed, public IP that is dedicated to your Lightsail account. You can assign a static IP to an instance, replacing its public IP. If you decide to replace your instance with another one, you can reassign the static IP to the new instance. In this way, you don't have to reconfigure any external systems (like DNS records) to point to a new IP every time you want to replace your instance.

Scala Hosting

How reliable is your hosting uptime?

We guarantee 99.9% uptime and continuously monitor servers to keep your site online and fast. To back our promises, we follow a strict service-level agreement (SLA) that offers generous benefits for any unexpected downtimes.

Will you migrate my existing website for me?

Absolutely. We offer free website migration with minimal downtime and full assistance. You simply need to specify the most convenient time for the transfer and the login credentials to your old server. Once our technicians move your data, they will double-check if everything works correctly on the ScalaHosting server and notify you of the successful completion.

What kind of storage do you use?

We use NVMe SSD storage across all plans for faster load times and improved site performance.

What happens if my site gets a traffic spike?

We provide clear resource usage insights and offer seamless plan upgrades when needed. Still, if you expect frequent traffic influxes - we recommend choosing one of our scalable hosting plans on a VPS. Virtual servers allow you to adjust resources on-the-go and offer an isolated environment, independent from any other customers.

Can I host more than one website?

Yes, apart from the Mini plan, you can host multiple websites on any of our other shared packages. The same goes for the Entry Cloud deal and any of the other VPS solutions.

Is support really available 24/7?

Yes. You can reach our support team at any time via chat, email, or ticketing. You can count on an immediate connection with a Scala operator via live chat, while the initial response via a ticket is within 15 minutes.

Are backups included in my plan?

Daily automated backups are included in all hosting plans and kept in an offsite location. You can find a convenient backup tool in your control panel (SPanel or cPanel), which allows you to create a data archive manually or automatically. You can keep several backups and restore them with a single click whenever needed.

Will I be hit with higher prices later?

We list both the introductory and renewal rates on our website. There are no hidden fees and no unexpected charges for essential features.

Is there a Money-back Guarantee in case I don't like your web hosting?

ScalaHosting is an industry leader in web hosting services, specifically VPS hosting. We deliver top-tier shared and virtual private server solutions with a strong focus on performance and uptime.Still, if you find our hosting plans insufficient, you can easily contact us and take advantage of our Anytime Money Back Guarantee for the unused time.

Can I use your hosting if I'm not technical?

Yes. Our shared hosting for non-technical users is simplified to the point that any user can build a website even with zero previous experience. Still, whenever you need any extra help, our Support Team is a few clicks away.

How easy is it to upgrade later if I outgrow the shared plan?

Changing your plan is very easy, regardless of the service you are currently using. If you are on a shared server - we can upgrade you to a higher package upon request. No migrations are needed on a virtual private server - you can simply add more resources as the need arises.

What makes your managed cloud hosting different from other providers?

At ScalaHosting, we aim to elevate the entire web hosting industry, which is why we heavily rely on self-developed unique tools (SPanel, SShield, WordPress and Joomla Managers).Our Support Team is a highly valuable asset as well, always ready to help with even the slightest client issue.Our core values are well-appreciated, as evidenced by our 5/5 Trustpilot rating and numerous awards in various Best Hosting categories.

How fast is your cloud hosting infrastructure?

Optimal speeds under high pressure are one of the goals we constantly strive to achieve at ScalaHosting. Our low-latency cloud infrastructure is packed with numerous performance boosters, such as NVMe SSD storage, real-time load balancing, and CDN integration.Right from the get-go, you can choose to host your projects on a LiteSpeed/OpenLiteSpeed web server and utilize one of the most robust configurations when it comes to speed.

What kind of support do I get with your managed hosting?

At ScalaHosting, you can count on technical support that solves problems in a fast and efficient manner. Available 24/7 via live chat, ticketing, and email, you can ask for assistance with any hosting-related issue and have a team of trained experts look over your online premises.

What is SPanel, and how is it better than cPanel or other control panels?

SPanel is a proprietary cloud management interface that aims to simplify hosting services. The platform allows you to operate domains, emails, files, databases, DNS options, and many others through an intuitive, user-friendly dashboard.Compared to cPanel, SPanel is faster, more lightweight, and regularly adds new features to the mix. The biggest difference is its price—instead of employing an account-based model like cPanel, Scala's solution comes completely free for our clients.

Ready to Choose?

Both providers offer great features. Visit their websites to see the latest deals and pricing.

Related Articles

Related Comparisons (54)