Short answer
As of October 23, 2026, Akamai Cloud (Linode) wins more of the head-to-head checks (4 vs 2) and ranks higher overall (#48 of 160). Akamai Cloud (Linode) is cheaper to start ($5.00 vs $5.00 a month) and Akamai Cloud (Linode) has more locations (26 vs 19).
Verdict
Akamai Cloud (Linode) is cheaper to start: Nanode 1 GB costs $5.00 per month against $5.00 at Amazon Lightsail, and it stays cheaper per gigabyte of RAM ($6.00 vs $7.00 median).
Akamai Cloud (Linode) has the wider footprint with 26 locations in 15 countries, against 19 in 17 at Amazon Lightsail; both offer Ashburn, Frankfurt, Jakarta, London, Mumbai, Paris and 5 more.
On features, only Amazon Lightsail offers Windows Server and only Akamai Cloud (Linode) offers a managed option.
Customers rate Akamai Cloud (Linode) higher on Trustpilot: 2.5 from 207 reviews versus 1.3 from 429.
Overall Akamai Cloud (Linode) ranks #48 and Amazon Lightsail #73 of 160 providers we track. Choose Akamai Cloud (Linode) if you need a wider choice of locations or you want a managed server; choose Amazon Lightsail if you need Windows Server.
Linode and Lightsail side by side
| Akamai Cloud (Linode) | Amazon Lightsail | |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest plan | Nanode 1 GB: $5.00/mo | Linux 512 MB: $5.00/mo |
| Entry plan specs | 1 vCPU, 1 GB RAM, 25 GB SSD, 1 TB traffic | 2 vCPU, 512 MB RAM, 20 GB SSD, 1 TB traffic |
| Cheapest Windows plan | No Windows | Windows 512 MB: $9.50/mo |
| Median price per GB RAM | $6.00 | $7.00 |
| Data-center locations | 26 in 15 countries | 19 in 17 countries |
| Regions | Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, South America | Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, South America |
| Virtualisation | KVM | KVM (AWS Nitro) |
| Hourly billing | Yes | Yes |
| NVMe storage | — | No |
| DDoS protection | Yes | Yes |
| Backups | Paid | Paid |
| Managed option | Yes | No |
| Payment methods | card, paypal, wire, other | card, sepa, other |
| Money-back | Not published | Not published |
| Uptime SLA | 99.99% | 99.99% region-level (multi-AZ deployment); 99.5% per single instance |
| Trustpilot | 2.5 (207 reviews) | 1.3 (429 reviews) |
| Founded / HQ | 2003, Cambridge US | 2006, Seattle US |
Highlighted cells mark the better value where the comparison is objective (lower price, more locations, higher rating).
Plans at the same size
The closest matching plans by RAM from each provider.
| RAM | Linode | $/month | Lightsail | $/month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 GB | Nanode 1 GB (1 vCPU, 25 GB) | $5.00 | Linux 1 GB (2 vCPU, 40 GB) | $7.00 |
| 2 GB | Linode 2 GB (1 vCPU, 50 GB) | $12.00 | Linux 2 GB (2 vCPU, 60 GB) | $12.00 |
| 4 GB | Linode 4 GB (2 vCPU, 80 GB) | $24.00 | Linux 4 GB (2 vCPU, 80 GB) | $24.00 |
| 8 GB | Linode 8 GB (4 vCPU, 160 GB) | $48.00 | Linux 8 GB (2 vCPU, 160 GB) | $44.00 |
| 16 GB | Linode 16 GB (6 vCPU, 320 GB) | $96.00 | Linux 16 GB (4 vCPU, 320 GB) | $84.00 |
Locations
Akamai Cloud (Linode) operates 26 locations (Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, South America); Amazon Lightsail operates 19 (Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, South America).
Cities both offer: Ashburn, Frankfurt, Jakarta, London, Mumbai, Paris, Sao Paulo, Singapore, Stockholm, Sydney and Tokyo.
Only Linode: Amsterdam, Atlanta, Chennai, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Madrid, Melbourne, Miami, Milan and 5 more.
Only Lightsail: Columbus, Dublin, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Montreal, Portland, Seoul and Zaragoza.
Frequently asked questions
Is Akamai Cloud (Linode) or Amazon Lightsail better?
As of October 23, 2026, Akamai Cloud (Linode) wins more of the head-to-head checks (4 vs 2) and ranks higher overall (#48 of 160). Akamai Cloud (Linode) is cheaper to start ($5.00 vs $5.00 a month) and Akamai Cloud (Linode) has more locations (26 vs 19).
Is Akamai Cloud (Linode) cheaper than Amazon Lightsail?
Akamai Cloud (Linode) has the lower entry price: $5.00 against $5.00 per month. The plans-at-equal-RAM table compares them size by size.
Which has more data centers, Akamai Cloud (Linode) or Amazon Lightsail?
Akamai Cloud (Linode), with 26 locations in 15 countries versus 19 at Amazon Lightsail. Both operate in Ashburn, Frankfurt, Jakarta, London, Mumbai and 6 more.
Do Akamai Cloud (Linode) and Amazon Lightsail offer Windows VPS?
Only Amazon Lightsail offers Windows Server.
Sources
Prices, plans and locations were read from these pages; last checked October 23, 2026. Prices change, so confirm on the provider's site before you buy.