AWS Advantages and Disadvantages for WordPress.

 

Advantages

Beginner-Friendly. 

Lightsail was created to help new users get started with AWS. 

The Lightsail Management Console is similar to cPanel on other self-hosting provider’s dashboards as it gives quick and easy access to all core AWS configuration options. 

This makes it easy for users to  configure their server, set up their static IP addresses as well as their DNS (Domain Name System) settings. Best of all, this can be done without any support.

This all means that an individual can set up and maintain a WordPress website without the need for a systems administrator.

AWS created Lightsail to make it easy for new users without any AWS experience to get their WordPress sites and other applications up and running on the web in minutes.

Flexibility. 

If your website outgrows its Lightscale subscription plan and you need more resources, then you can upgrade your RAM and storage capacity at any time by migrating to a new Lightsail plan (Amazon calls them “instances”). 

However, AWS Lightsail also allows you to downgrade to your plan if you need less resources as well. This allows you to “cut costs”. 

It Has a Set Monthly Limit.

In all Lightsail plans, you pay a predetermined hourly rate for the resources your site consumes up to the maximum monthly cost of your subscription. 

Here is a link to AWS Lightsail’s current pricing.

You should know that prices are considerably higher if you decide to use a Windows Server than the Linux and UNIX servers. 

Of particular note is that any outbound data transfers that go above your plan’s data transfer allowance are subject to extra charges as well.

Disadvantages

Overkill.

Unless your website is getting high volumes of traffic, i.e. 600,000 visits or more per day, then you will be much better served using another hosting provider. 

AWS is just too expensive with plenty of caveats for most WordPress website owners and small businesses to make it worth it. 

It truly is overkill as far as hosting is concerned.

Access to Technical Support is not included, but an extra charge.

All AWS Lightsail users have access to their Basic Support package, which includes official AWS documentation, white papers, as well as support forums. 

This Basic Support package also includes 24/7 customer service.

However, “customer service” is not “technical support”.

If you need technical support, then you’ll need to buy an additional “Support Plan”. 

Your plan doesn’t “Auto-Scale”.

AWS Lightsail allows you to upgrade or downgrade your plan at any time, it won’t do it for you.  

If for example, your website uses more resources than your plan allows, you will be hit by overage charges.

Overage charges can be significantly more, than if you were to upgrade your plan to a higher resource plan. 

The same also holds true if you have a plan where your website(s) don’t require that many resources, you will be needlessly wasting money on resources that you don’t use. 

Therefore, you will need to carefully monitor your website’s usages and upgrade or downgrade where needed manually.

There are no Auto-Scaling features in your Lightsail console that you can pre-set.

Data Mining.

Amazon can use whatever data your website generates for its own purposes. Just like they do with their consumer and ecommerce businesses.

Use of Data and Privacy.

AWS could even allow foreign companies and foreign governments for that matter to access and use your data without your knowledge.

Data Loss Prevention Policies.

AWS does not offer compensation due to data breach losses.

AWS will, however, compensate customers with credits due to service outages.

Therefore, you will need to implement your own backup strategies for your own as well as your clients data. 

In addition, since AWS doesn’t offer any compensation for data loss and damages due to data loss, it’s best that you incorporate extra security and insurance measures for protection.