AWS EC2

Migrating WordPress from AWS Lightsail to EC2: A Practical, Step-by-Step Perspective

Rajeev Bagra · February 3, 2026 · Leave a Comment

Running multiple WordPress websites on cloud infrastructure often starts with convenience and later evolves into questions around cost, scalability, and control. This is a common journey for founders, bloggers, and small businesses using AWS Lightsail.

As site portfolios grow, many users begin asking important questions:

Why is my Lightsail bill increasing every month?
Can multiple WordPress sites be consolidated onto a single server?
Is Amazon EC2 worth the additional complexity?
How do I migrate safely without downtime?

This article walks through those concerns from a real-world perspective, explaining how a gradual migration from Lightsail to EC2 can be approached safely, economically, and methodically.

Why Consider Moving Away from Lightsail?

AWS Lightsail is designed for simplicity. It bundles compute, storage, and networking into predictable monthly pricing. For a single WordPress site, it works extremely well.

However, challenges begin to appear when running multiple sites:

Each site often requires its own Lightsail instance
Monthly costs increase linearly with each new website
Resource utilization is often inefficient
Scaling vertically becomes limited and expensive

In one real scenario, a user running seven WordPress sites saw their Lightsail bill grow to USD 61 per month, even though traffic across the sites was modest.

This raises a natural question:
Can the same workload run on fewer servers at a lower cost?

Why EC2 Becomes a Logical Next Step

Amazon EC2 offers raw infrastructure instead of packaged simplicity. While this introduces responsibility, it also provides flexibility.

With EC2:

One instance can host multiple WordPress sites
Resources like RAM and CPU can be scaled independently
Costs are based on actual usage rather than fixed bundles
Administrators gain full control over the software stack

In the discussed setup, a single EC2 instance with:

2 GB RAM
Nginx
PHP-FPM
MariaDB
Swap enabled

was sufficient to safely host multiple low-to-moderate traffic WordPress sites.

Addressing the First Big Concern: “Is One EC2 Enough?”

A common misconception is that each WordPress site requires its own server. In reality, professional hosting environments routinely host dozens of WordPress sites on a single VM, provided resources are sized correctly.

Key considerations include:

Total traffic across all sites
WooCommerce usage (if any)
PHP memory limits
Database load

In this case, upgrading the EC2 instance from 1 GB RAM to 2 GB RAM before migration was a critical decision. Migration processes temporarily require more memory due to database imports, file extraction, and plugin execution.

Upgrading first avoids:

PHP memory errors
502 Bad Gateway issues
Incomplete migrations
Database crashes

The Safe Migration Strategy: One Site at a Time

Rather than moving all websites at once, the recommended approach is incremental migration.

The process followed was:

Launch a single EC2 instance
Install WordPress as a “template” site
Upgrade server memory before migration
Enable swap for additional safety
Migrate one Lightsail site at a time
Test thoroughly before touching DNS
Only delete Lightsail resources after verification

This method minimizes risk and ensures there is always a rollback option.

Understanding Bitnami vs Manual WordPress Installations

Many Lightsail WordPress instances are based on Bitnami stacks. These differ significantly from manual EC2 installations:

Bitnami uses predefined usernames
Credentials are stored in specific system files
Database paths and configuration locations differ

Understanding these differences is essential during migration, especially when exporting data or accessing admin credentials.

Cost Implications: The Bigger Picture

After consolidation:

Lightsail cost: ~USD 60/month
EC2 consolidated setup: ~USD 25/month

This represents a cost reduction of over 50%, without sacrificing performance or reliability.

Additionally, AWS billing is hourly and prorated, meaning Lightsail instances can be deleted mid-month without paying for unused time.

The Role of AI Assistance in Complex Migrations

One notable takeaway from this journey is the value of using AI tools during technical operations.

Infrastructure migrations often surface unexpected issues:

Permissions errors
Web server misconfigurations
Database access problems
Memory bottlenecks

Having an AI assistant available allows users to:

Troubleshoot errors in real time
Validate assumptions before making changes
Learn why something works, not just how
Proceed with confidence rather than guesswork

For many first-time EC2 users, this reduces stress and prevents costly mistakes.

Final Thoughts

Migrating from AWS Lightsail to EC2 is not about abandoning simplicity—it’s about graduating to efficiency.

For users managing multiple WordPress sites, EC2 offers:

Better cost control
Greater scalability
Centralized management
Long-term flexibility

When approached carefully, with incremental migration and proper sizing, the transition can be smooth, safe, and financially rewarding.

Key Takeaway

A gradual, well-planned migration—supported by proper server sizing and guided troubleshooting—can transform WordPress hosting from an expense into an optimized asset.

AWS Lightsail vs EC2 for WordPress: Which One Should You Choose?

Rajeev Bagra · February 1, 2026 · Leave a Comment

Launching a WordPress website on AWS gives you access to some of the most powerful cloud infrastructure in the world. But very early, most users face a common question:

Should I launch WordPress on AWS Lightsail or on EC2?

Both are AWS services. Both can host WordPress.
Yet they are built for very different purposes and users.

This article breaks down the differences clearly — based on real-world usage — so you can choose the right option with confidence.

🌐 Understanding the Two Services

At a high level:

AWS Lightsail is designed to be simple, predictable, and beginner-friendly
Amazon EC2 is designed to provide full control over cloud infrastructure

Think of it this way:

Lightsail is managed hosting built on AWS
EC2 is raw cloud infrastructure where you build everything yourself

⚙️ Setup Experience: Simplicity vs Control

AWS Lightsail: One-Click Convenience

With Lightsail, launching WordPress takes only a few clicks:

Preinstalled WordPress
Preconfigured web server, PHP, and database
Simple firewall and networking
Built-in snapshots and backups

You don’t need to touch Linux unless you want to.

This feels very similar to premium shared hosting — just backed by AWS.

AWS EC2: Build-It-Yourself Infrastructure

With EC2, nothing is preconfigured:

You manually install and configure:

Ubuntu / Linux
Nginx or Apache
PHP & PHP-FPM
MariaDB / MySQL
WordPress
Firewall rules
Storage & memory tuning

This is slower at first — but it gives you complete freedom.

💰 Pricing: Predictable vs Flexible

Aspect	Lightsail	EC2
Billing model	Fixed monthly	Pay-as-you-go
Starting cost	~$5–$10/month	~$3–$8/month
Cost predictability	Very high	Variable
Hidden costs	Rare	Storage, bandwidth, IPs

Lightsail is easier for budgeting.
EC2 can be cheaper or more expensive depending on how you configure and optimize it.

📈 Performance & Scalability

Lightsail works well for:

Blogs
Portfolio sites
Small business websites
Low-to-moderate traffic WordPress sites

EC2 is built for:

High-traffic WordPress sites
WooCommerce stores
Multiple websites on one server
Startups that plan to scale
Load balancers and auto-scaling

If growth matters, EC2 wins decisively.

🔐 Security & Networking Capabilities

Lightsail

Basic firewall
Limited networking options
Simplified DNS
Fewer chances to misconfigure things

EC2

Full VPC networking
Security groups & IAM roles
Advanced firewall rules
Enterprise-grade architecture
Used by real production systems

EC2 is what companies use when security and control matter.

🧑‍💻 Learning & Skill Development

This is where the difference becomes very clear.

Question	Lightsail	EC2
Learn Linux?	Minimal	Yes
Learn cloud networking?	No	Yes
Learn DevOps basics?	No	Yes
Resume value	Moderate	High

If your goal is learning real cloud skills, EC2 is far more valuable.

❓ Common Questions (Q&A)

Can I host multiple WordPress sites?

Lightsail: Possible but not ideal
EC2: Yes — multiple domains, databases, and sites are normal

Which is better for beginners?

Beginners who want speed and simplicity → Lightsail
Beginners who want real infrastructure knowledge → EC2

Which is better for startups?

EC2, without question.

Startups need:

Scaling options
Cost optimization
Architecture flexibility
Infrastructure ownership

Lightsail is closer to managed hosting than true cloud architecture.

🧭 How to Decide (Honest Guidance)

Choose AWS Lightsail if:

You want WordPress live quickly
You don’t want to manage Linux
You want predictable monthly billing
You’re running a simple site or blog

Choose AWS EC2 if:

You want full control
You want to scale later
You want to learn cloud & DevOps skills
You plan to host multiple sites
You are building something long-term

🏁 Final Verdict

Lightsail prioritizes convenience.
EC2 prioritizes capability.

Neither choice is “wrong.”

They simply serve different goals.

Many professionals start with Lightsail — and move to EC2 once traffic, complexity, or ambition grows.

💡 A Practical Tip Before You Decide

If you ever get stuck while setting up infrastructure — whether on Lightsail or EC2 — using an AI assistant like ChatGPT can dramatically reduce frustration. By pasting real error messages or explaining your setup, you can receive step-by-step guidance tailored to your exact situation, turning roadblocks into learning moments instead of dead ends.

✨ Final Thought

If your goal is just running WordPress, Lightsail is excellent.
If your goal is understanding how the web actually works, EC2 is unmatched.

Choose based on where you want to be six months from now, not just today.

Here’s a fully rewritten, SEO-optimized “Resources” section you can paste directly into your blog post.
It’s structured to help search engines, readers, and affiliate/internal linking at the same time.

🔗 Resources: Official AWS Guides for Hosting WordPress

If you’re exploring WordPress hosting on AWS or deciding between different AWS compute options, the following official resources are highly recommended. These links come directly from AWS and provide accurate, up-to-date documentation.

📌 AWS Lightsail Resources (Beginner-Friendly WordPress Hosting)

AWS Lightsail – Official Overview
https://aws.amazon.com/lightsail/
Learn how Lightsail simplifies cloud hosting with fixed pricing, easy setup, and minimal server management.
WordPress on AWS Lightsail (One-Click Installation)
https://aws.amazon.com/lightsail/projects/wordpress/
A step-by-step AWS guide explaining how to launch WordPress using Lightsail’s preconfigured instances.

👉 Best suited for bloggers, small businesses, and users who want WordPress online quickly without managing Linux deeply.

📌 Amazon EC2 Resources (Advanced & Scalable WordPress Hosting)

Amazon EC2 – Official Overview
https://aws.amazon.com/ec2/
A complete overview of Amazon EC2, including instance types, scalability, networking, and use cases.
Amazon EC2 Pricing
https://aws.amazon.com/ec2/pricing/
Detailed breakdown of EC2 costs, helpful for estimating monthly expenses when hosting WordPress or multiple websites.

👉 Ideal for startups, developers, and businesses that need full control, scalability, and production-grade infrastructure.

💡 How to Use These Resources Effectively

Use Lightsail documentation if your priority is simplicity and predictable costs
Use EC2 documentation if your priority is performance, scalability, and learning real cloud infrastructure
Bookmark the pricing pages to avoid unexpected costs as traffic grows

🚀 Pro Tip for Beginners and Builders Alike

If you ever feel stuck while following AWS documentation or encounter unexpected errors, using an AI assistant like ChatGPT alongside these official resources can dramatically speed up troubleshooting. Combining AWS’s documentation with AI-guided explanations helps bridge the gap between theory and real-world execution.

How to Launch a WordPress Website on AWS EC2 (Step-by-Step Beginner to Pro Guide)

Rajeev Bagra · January 31, 2026 · Leave a Comment

Launching WordPress on cloud infrastructure may sound intimidating — but once you understand the process, it becomes one of the most powerful skills you can develop as a website owner or startup founder.

In this guide, you will learn exactly how to deploy WordPress on Amazon EC2, configure the server, secure the database, fix common errors, and prepare your site for production.

By the end, you will have your own self-hosted cloud server, not shared hosting.

🌐 What is AWS EC2?

Amazon EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud) is a service that lets you rent virtual servers in the cloud.

Instead of paying a hosting company, you control your own machine.

✅ Why startups love EC2:

Full control over server
Easily scalable
Pay only for what you use
Enterprise-grade infrastructure
Ideal for WordPress, SaaS apps, and APIs

🧠 Who Should Use EC2 for WordPress?

EC2 is perfect if you:

✅ Want better performance than shared hosting
✅ Expect future growth
✅ Are building a startup
✅ Want DevOps-level skills
✅ Prefer full control

If you want something simpler — AWS Lightsail is easier.

But if you want real infrastructure knowledge, EC2 is unmatched.

✅ Step 1 — Launch an EC2 Instance

Choose:

OS: Ubuntu 24.04 LTS
Instance: t3.micro (great for beginners)
Storage: Minimum 20–30 GB
Region: Choose closest to your audience

🔐 Step 2 — Configure Security Group

Allow these ports:

Port	Purpose
22	SSH access
80	HTTP
443	HTTPS

⚠️ Without port 80, your website will not load.

🧱 Step 3 — Connect to Your Server

Use SSH:

ssh ubuntu@YOUR_PUBLIC_IP

Update packages:

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade -y

Always start with updates.

💾 Step 4 — Expand Storage (Highly Recommended)

Many beginners forget this.

Default disk is often too small.

Check disk:

df -h

If needed, expand via AWS console and run:

sudo growpart /dev/nvme0n1 1
sudo resize2fs /dev/nvme0n1p1

Now your server has breathing room.

⚡ Step 5 — Add Swap Memory (Prevents Crashes)

Small servers can run out of RAM.

Create swap:

sudo fallocate -l 1G /swapfile
sudo chmod 600 /swapfile
sudo mkswap /swapfile
sudo swapon /swapfile

Check:

free -h

Swap acts as emergency memory.

Huge stability improvement.

🌍 Step 6 — Install Nginx

sudo apt install nginx -y
sudo systemctl start nginx
sudo systemctl enable nginx

Visit your IP.

If you see the default Nginx page — success.

🐘 Step 7 — Install PHP

sudo apt install php-fpm php-mysql php-cli php-curl php-xml php-mbstring php-zip php-intl -y

Check version:

php -v

🗄️ Step 8 — Install MariaDB

sudo apt install mariadb-server -y
sudo systemctl start mariadb

Secure it:

sudo mysql_secure_installation

Set a strong root password.

🔑 Step 9 — Create WordPress Database

sudo mysql -u root -p

Create DB:

CREATE DATABASE wordpress DEFAULT CHARACTER SET utf8mb4 COLLATE utf8mb4_unicode_ci;

Create user:

CREATE USER 'wpuser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'StrongPassword!';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON wordpress.* TO 'wpuser'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;

⚠️ Never use root for WordPress.

📦 Step 10 — Install WordPress

cd /var/www/html
sudo wget https://wordpress.org/latest.tar.gz
sudo tar -xvzf latest.tar.gz
sudo mv wordpress/* .
sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/html

🔌 Step 11 — Connect Nginx to PHP (CRITICAL)

Open config:

sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/default

Ensure:

index index.php index.html;

And:

fastcgi_pass unix:/run/php/php-fpm.sock;

⚠️ Socket mismatches cause 502 errors — a very common mistake.

Test:

sudo nginx -t
sudo systemctl reload nginx

🎉 Step 12 — Launch WordPress Installer

Visit:

http://YOUR_IP

Enter:

Database: wordpress
User: wpuser
Password: your DB password
Host: localhost

Click Run Installation.

Congratulations — your cloud server is now hosting WordPress.

❗ Common Errors (And Instant Fixes)

✅ 403 Forbidden

Cause: Wrong permissions

Fix:

sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/html
sudo chmod -R 755 /var/www/html

✅ 502 Bad Gateway

Cause: PHP socket mismatch

Check:

ls /run/php/

Match it in nginx config.

✅ Database Connection Error

Test manually:

mysql -u wpuser -p -h localhost wordpress

If login works → WordPress will work.

Professional debugging rule.

🔐 MUST-DO Security Steps After Install

Install Firewall

sudo ufw allow OpenSSH
sudo ufw allow 'Nginx Full'
sudo ufw enable

Install Fail2Ban

Blocks brute-force attackers.

sudo apt install fail2ban -y

Disable Root SSH

Edit:

sudo nano /etc/ssh/sshd_config

Set:

PermitRootLogin no

Restart SSH.

Massive security upgrade.

🔒 Install FREE SSL (Highly Recommended)

sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-nginx -y
sudo certbot --nginx

Choose redirect.

Now your site runs on HTTPS.

Google prefers this.

💡 How Much Traffic Can a t3.micro Handle?

With caching:

👉 10k–20k monthly visitors easily.

Without optimization:

👉 ~3k–5k.

For WooCommerce, consider upgrading later.

🧠 Pro Tips Most Tutorials Don’t Tell You

⭐ Always test DB from CLI

Removes guessing.

⭐ Add swap

Prevents crashes.

⭐ Expand disk early

Scaling later is harder.

⭐ Use non-root DB users

Better security.

🚀 Final Thoughts

By launching WordPress on EC2, you didn’t just install a CMS.

You learned:

✅ Cloud infrastructure
✅ Linux basics
✅ Web server configuration
✅ Database security
✅ Debugging
✅ DevOps fundamentals

These skills separate casual website owners from serious builders.

And once you understand this stack…

You can deploy almost anything.

💡 Don’t Hesitate to Use AI When You Get Stuck

While setting up a cloud server, it is completely normal to encounter unexpected errors — from permission issues and database connection failures to web server misconfigurations. Instead of spending hours searching through scattered forum posts, consider using an AI assistant such as ChatGPT to troubleshoot problems in real time. By simply pasting error messages or describing the issue, you can receive step-by-step guidance tailored to your situation. This approach dramatically shortens the learning curve, reduces frustration, and helps you understand why something broke — not just how to fix it. Think of AI as your on-demand technical companion: whether you are a beginner launching your first server or an experienced builder diagnosing a complex bug, leveraging AI can turn roadblocks into powerful learning moments and keep your project moving forward with confidence.

Happy building 🚀