For several years, AWS Lightsail was my preferred platform for hosting WordPress websites. It provided an affordable entry point into the AWS ecosystem and made it easy to deploy WordPress using the Bitnami stack.
However, after running multiple websites on AWS Lightsail and recently migrating one of them to IONOS Web Hosting, I began questioning whether cloud hosting was still the most economical solution for my use case.
This article shares my experience migrating a WordPress website from AWS Lightsail Bitnami to IONOS Web Hosting and explains why I am considering moving additional websites as well.
My AWS Lightsail Setup
Over time, I accumulated several WordPress websites hosted on separate AWS Lightsail instances.
Most of these websites used the Bitnami WordPress stack because it offered:
- Easy WordPress deployment
- Good performance
- Automated SSL management
- Stable configuration
- Simplified server administration
The sites generally performed well and required very little maintenance.
The Cost Problem
The primary reason for exploring alternatives was hosting cost.
Each AWS Lightsail instance was costing approximately:
With multiple websites running, the monthly hosting bill grew significantly.
For example:
After accounting for storage, backups, and occasional upgrades, the total infrastructure cost could approach:
For hobby projects, content websites, and small business sites, those costs become difficult to justify.
AWS Credits Delayed the Problem
One reason the costs were not immediately noticeable was that the AWS account benefited from various credits.
These included:
- Initial AWS promotional credits
- AWS startup and promotional programs
- AWS coupon codes
- AWS credits received through participation in AWS Customer Council surveys
Because of these credits, hosting costs were effectively subsidized for a long period.
However, cloud credits eventually expire.
Once that happened, the real monthly hosting cost became much more visible.
Bitnami Deprecation Changed the Equation
Another factor influencing the migration was the recent deprecation of Bitnami WordPress images on AWS Lightsail.
For many users, Bitnami was one of the biggest advantages of Lightsail.
The Bitnami stack offered:
- Excellent documentation
- Predictable configuration
- Stable performance
- Simple SSL management
The newer Amazon-provided WordPress instances are functional, but my experience has not been as positive.
Bitnami Performed Better Than Amazon WordPress Instances
In my testing, Bitnami-based WordPress installations appeared significantly more stable than the newer Amazon WordPress alternatives.
Using similar instance sizes and configurations:
- Bitnami sites remained responsive
- Resource usage remained predictable
- Websites handled normal traffic comfortably
By comparison, some Amazon WordPress instances appeared less tolerant of traffic spikes and resource fluctuations.
Even relatively small amounts of traffic occasionally caused performance degradation that was not observed on equivalent Bitnami installations.
This experience may vary by workload, but it contributed to my decision to explore alternatives.
Discovering IONOS Web Hosting
While researching lower-cost hosting options, I came across IONOS Web Hosting Plus.
The pricing immediately caught my attention.
At the time of writing, the introductory offer included:
- Approximately $1 per month during the first year
- Free domain registration for the first year
- Unlimited websites
- Unlimited storage
- Unlimited databases
- SSL certificates
- Daily backups
- Email hosting
- SSH and SFTP access
You can check the latest offer here:
Comparing the Numbers
Consider the difference.
AWS Lightsail
IONOS Web Hosting Plus (Introductory Pricing)
Even after promotional pricing expires, the savings can still be substantial depending on the number of websites being consolidated onto a single hosting account.
For website owners managing multiple low-to-medium traffic WordPress websites, the economics become very compelling.
The Migration Process
The migration itself was surprisingly straightforward.
Step 1: Create a Backup
A complete backup was created using the WPvivid Backup plugin.
This included:
- Database
- Themes
- Plugins
- Media uploads
- WordPress settings
Step 2: Install WordPress on IONOS
A fresh WordPress installation was uploaded to the IONOS webspace.
A new MySQL database was created and configured.
Step 3: Restore the Backup
WPvivid Backup was installed on the new server.
The backup files were uploaded and restored.
After restoration:
- Posts appeared correctly
- Pages loaded normally
- Plugins worked
- Media files were restored
Step 4: Connect the Domain
The domain was connected to the appropriate IONOS webspace directory.
DNS records were updated.
Step 5: Fix WordPress URLs
Initially the website loaded without CSS styling.
The cause was that WordPress still referenced the temporary migration URL.
Updating:
to the correct domain fixed the issue immediately.
Results
The migrated website now runs successfully on IONOS.
The migration preserved:
- Content
- Images
- Plugins
- Themes
- URLs
- SEO settings
Most importantly, the website now operates on significantly lower hosting costs.
Would I Recommend the Move?
AWS Lightsail remains an excellent platform.
For developers, SaaS applications, custom stacks, APIs, and scalable workloads, AWS is still difficult to beat.
However, for WordPress users running multiple websites, the economics can be very different.
If your primary goal is publishing content rather than managing servers, a traditional hosting platform may offer a better balance between cost and convenience.
For my particular use case, moving WordPress websites from AWS Lightsail to IONOS substantially reduced hosting costs while simplifying website management.
If you’re considering a similar move, you can explore the current IONOS Web Hosting offers here:
https://aklam.io/44vYUIE8?ems_dl=767311959_fBIYJFGTJP_459869_4104000_1_2000007
Final Thoughts
AWS Lightsail served me well for many years, particularly when combined with the excellent Bitnami WordPress stack.
But with Bitnami no longer being the default path on Lightsail, promotional AWS credits expiring, and hosting costs becoming more noticeable, the value proposition changed.
For WordPress users operating multiple websites, consolidating those sites onto a hosting platform such as IONOS can dramatically reduce costs while maintaining the functionality needed for content-driven websites.
Sometimes the best infrastructure decision is not about gaining new features—it’s about achieving the same result at a fraction of the cost.