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AWS (Amazon Web Services) vs Linode

AWS (Amazon Web Services) logo

AWS (Amazon Web Services)

Software

The leading cloud computing platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Linode logo

Linode

Software

Affordable cloud hosting and infrastructure

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: AWS (Amazon Web Services) data transfer in is free and data transfer out is charged, which is the standard source of unexpected bills; Linode linode.com/pricing returns a 301 redirect to akamai.com/cloud/pricing; the service is now sold as Akamai Cloud
  • They diverge on capability: AWS (Amazon Web Services) covers EC2 - Virtual Servers, Linode covers Compute instances.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which AWS (Amazon Web Services) and Linode actually diverge.

Attributes where AWS (Amazon Web Services) and Linode differ
AttributeAWS (Amazon Web Services)Linode
PlatformsWeb, Api, Cli, MobileWeb, Api, Cli
Founded20062003

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (usage-based), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in AWS (Amazon Web Services)

  • EC2 - Virtual Servers
  • S3 - Object Storage
  • RDS - Managed Database
  • Lambda - Serverless Computing
  • CloudFront - CDN
  • VPC - Virtual Network
  • IAM - Access Management
  • CloudWatch - Monitoring

Only in Linode

  • Compute instances
  • Object storage
  • Block storage
  • Managed database
  • Load balancers
  • Firewalls
  • Private networks
  • Ansible

Both cover

  • Terraform
  • Kubernetes
  • Docker

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

AWS (Amazon Web Services)

  • Web hostingnot Linode
  • Data storagenot Linode
  • Machine learningnot Linode
  • Big data analyticsnot Linode
  • Application developmentnot Linode

Linode

  • Running Linux virtual machines on hourly billed shared or dedicated CPU plansnot AWS (Amazon Web Services)
  • Managed Kubernetes, block storage and object storage on a single cloud accountnot AWS (Amazon Web Services)
  • Hosting workloads in a specific one of the listed global regionsnot AWS (Amazon Web Services)

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

AWS (Amazon Web Services)

  • Data transfer in is free and data transfer out is charged, which is the standard source of unexpected bills
  • Discounts require one or three year Savings Plan commitments rather than being automatic
  • Every service is priced separately, so a working architecture has no single published cost
  • The free tier is a promotional allowance rather than an ongoing free plan

Linode

  • linode.com/pricing returns a 301 redirect to akamai.com/cloud/pricing; the service is now sold as Akamai Cloud
  • Charges accrue for any service on the account even when it is powered off, because RAM and network capacity stay reserved; only deleting the service stops billing
  • Network transfer beyond the monthly allotment is billed from $0.005 per GB and the rate varies by region
  • The Akamai Cloud pricing landing page shows no rates and directs visitors to regional pricing pages or sales

Pricing, plan by plan

AWS (Amazon Web Services)

Free
  • AWS Free TierFree
    • EC2 750 hours/month
    • 5GB S3 storage
    • 20GB data transfer
  • Pay-As-You-GoFree
    • No upfront payment
    • No long-term commitments
    • Pay only for what you use

Linode

Free
  • Nanode 1GB$5/month
    • 1GB RAM
    • 1 vCPU
    • 25GB SSD
  • Linode 4GB$20/month
    • 4GB RAM
    • 2 vCPU
    • 80GB SSD

Which should you pick?

Choose AWS (Amazon Web Services) if

  • You need ec2 - virtual servers.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api, Cli, Mobile.
  • You also want s3 - object storage.
AWS (Amazon Web Services) review

Choose Linode if

  • You need compute instances.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api, Cli.
  • You also want object storage.
Linode review

Questions people ask

Is AWS (Amazon Web Services) or Linode better?
Neither clearly leads. AWS (Amazon Web Services) starts at Free and Linode at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, AWS (Amazon Web Services) or Linode?
AWS (Amazon Web Services) starts at Free and Linode at Free.
Does AWS (Amazon Web Services) or Linode run on more platforms?
AWS (Amazon Web Services) runs on Web, Api, Cli, Mobile. Linode runs on Web, Api, Cli.
Can I use AWS (Amazon Web Services) for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is AWS (Amazon Web Services) best used for?
AWS (Amazon Web Services) is most often used for web hosting, data storage, machine learning, big data analytics. Of those, web hosting and data storage are not what Linode is typically brought in for.
What can AWS (Amazon Web Services) do that Linode cannot?
AWS (Amazon Web Services) covers EC2 - Virtual Servers, S3 - Object Storage, RDS - Managed Database, Lambda - Serverless Computing. Linode covers Compute instances, Object storage, Block storage, Managed database. Both handle Terraform, Kubernetes, Docker.
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