Cloud & Infrastructure · head to head
IBM Cloud vs Linode
IBM Cloud
Cloud & Infrastructure
Enterprise cloud solutions from a trusted partner
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Linode
Cloud & Infrastructure
Affordable cloud hosting and infrastructure
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: IBM Cloud the USD 200 starter cloud credit is valid for 30 days only; 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: IBM Cloud covers Virtual Servers, Linode covers Compute instances.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which IBM Cloud and Linode actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (usage-based), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Cloud & Infrastructure).
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 IBM Cloud
- Virtual Servers
- Bare Metal
- Cloud Foundry
- Watson AI
- Blockchain
- Databases
- API Gateway
- Jenkins
Only in Linode
- Compute instances
- Object storage
- Block storage
- Managed database
- Load balancers
- Firewalls
- Private networks
- Cloud Manager API
Both cover
- Kubernetes
- Terraform
- Ansible
- Docker
- Kubernetes
- Cloud deployment
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
IBM Cloud
- Running containerized and VM workloads on IBM's public cloudnot Linode
- Building on Watson APIs and IBM middleware as managed servicesnot Linode
Linode
- Running Linux virtual machines on hourly billed shared or dedicated CPU plansnot IBM Cloud
- Managed Kubernetes, block storage and object storage on a single cloud accountnot IBM Cloud
- Hosting workloads in a specific one of the listed global regionsnot IBM Cloud
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
IBM Cloud
- The USD 200 starter cloud credit is valid for 30 days only
- The larger promotional credits are time boxed: USD 1,000 for Bare Metal Servers for VPC over 120 days, USD 2,500 for Power Virtual Server over 90 days, and USD 5,000 for Backup and Recovery over 90 days
- The USD 5,000 Backup and Recovery promotion is valid for new clients only and requires a checkout promo code
- The listed promotions carry an expiry date of 31 December 2026
- Beyond the free tier the account is pay as you go, so cost tracks usage with no published cap
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
IBM Cloud
Free- Lite PlanFree
- Free services
- Limited resources
- 30-day trial
- Standard PlanFree
- Pay-as-you-go
- Enterprise support
- Advanced services
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 IBM Cloud if
- You need virtual servers.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Linux, Windows, Api, Cli.
- You also want bare metal.
Choose Linode if
- You need compute instances.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Api, Cli.
- You also want object storage.
Questions people ask
- Is IBM Cloud or Linode better?
- Neither clearly leads. IBM Cloud 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, IBM Cloud or Linode?
- IBM Cloud starts at Free and Linode at Free.
- Does IBM Cloud or Linode run on more platforms?
- IBM Cloud runs on Linux, Windows, Api, Cli. Linode runs on Web, Api, Cli.
- Can I use IBM Cloud for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is IBM Cloud best used for?
- IBM Cloud is most often used for running containerized and vm workloads on ibm's public cloud, building on watson apis and ibm middleware as managed services. Of those, running containerized and vm workloads on ibm's public cloud and building on watson apis and ibm middleware as managed services are not what Linode is typically brought in for.
- What can IBM Cloud do that Linode cannot?
- IBM Cloud covers Virtual Servers, Bare Metal, Cloud Foundry, Watson AI. Linode covers Compute instances, Object storage, Block storage, Managed database. Both handle Kubernetes, Terraform, Ansible, Docker.