Software · head to head
Linode vs Tencent Cloud
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Linode linode.com/pricing returns a 301 redirect to akamai.com/cloud/pricing; the service is now sold as Akamai Cloud; Tencent Cloud standard SA5 2-core instance in Beijing is priced at 1567 CNY per year while an 8-core Standard S6 in Shanghai runs 5719 CNY per year
- They diverge on capability: Linode covers Compute instances, Tencent Cloud covers CVM - Cloud Virtual Machines.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Linode and Tencent Cloud actually diverge.
| Attribute | Linode | Tencent Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Web, Api, Cli | Linux, Windows, Api, Cli |
| Founded | 2003 | 2010 |
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 Linode
- Compute instances
- Object storage
- Block storage
- Managed database
- Load balancers
- Firewalls
- Private networks
- Ansible
Only in Tencent Cloud
- CVM - Cloud Virtual Machines
- COS - Cloud Object Storage
- TencentDB
- SCF - Serverless Computing
- CDN
- Load Balancer
- VPC
- API Gateway
Both cover
- Kubernetes
- Terraform
- Docker
- Kubernetes
- DDoS protection
- Firewall
- Cloud deployment
- Api support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Linode
- Running Linux virtual machines on hourly billed shared or dedicated CPU plansnot Tencent Cloud
- Managed Kubernetes, block storage and object storage on a single cloud accountnot Tencent Cloud
- Hosting workloads in a specific one of the listed global regionsnot Tencent Cloud
Tencent Cloud
- Gaming platformsnot Linode
- Social medianot Linode
- Video streamingnot Linode
- Asia-Pacific deploymentnot Linode
- Mobile applicationsnot Linode
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
Tencent Cloud
- Standard SA5 2-core instance in Beijing is priced at 1567 CNY per year while an 8-core Standard S6 in Shanghai runs 5719 CNY per year
Pricing, plan by plan
Linode
Free- Nanode 1GB$5/month
- 1GB RAM
- 1 vCPU
- 25GB SSD
- Linode 4GB$20/month
- 4GB RAM
- 2 vCPU
- 80GB SSD
Tencent Cloud
Free- Free TrialFree
- Free trial credits
- CVM instances
- Cloud storage
- Pay-as-You-GoFree
- Flexible pricing
- No long-term contracts
- Global infrastructure
Which should you pick?
Choose Linode if
- You need compute instances.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Api, Cli.
- You also want object storage.
Choose Tencent Cloud if
- You need cvm - cloud virtual machines.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Linux, Windows, Api, Cli.
- You also want cos - cloud object storage.
Questions people ask
- Is Linode or Tencent Cloud better?
- Neither clearly leads. Linode starts at Free and Tencent Cloud at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Linode or Tencent Cloud?
- Linode starts at Free and Tencent Cloud at Free.
- Does Linode or Tencent Cloud run on more platforms?
- Linode runs on Web, Api, Cli. Tencent Cloud runs on Linux, Windows, Api, Cli.
- Can I use Linode for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Linode best used for?
- Linode is most often used for running linux virtual machines on hourly billed shared or dedicated cpu plans, managed kubernetes, block storage and object storage on a single cloud account, hosting workloads in a specific one of the listed global regions. Of those, running linux virtual machines on hourly billed shared or dedicated cpu plans and managed kubernetes, block storage and object storage on a single cloud account are not what Tencent Cloud is typically brought in for.
- What can Linode do that Tencent Cloud cannot?
- Linode covers Compute instances, Object storage, Block storage, Managed database. Tencent Cloud covers CVM - Cloud Virtual Machines, COS - Cloud Object Storage, TencentDB, SCF - Serverless Computing. Both handle Kubernetes, Terraform, Docker, Kubernetes.