How to Host a Website on AWS (Options Compared)

Updated September 2026 · Written and maintained by the Progression Agency strategy team

AWS can host anything from a static brochure site to a global application, which is exactly why first-time users find it confusing. This guide maps each AWS website hosting option (S3 with CloudFront, Amplify Hosting, Lightsail, EC2, Elastic Beanstalk, App Runner and containers) to the kind of site it suits, explains what each costs, how WordPress fits, when a managed host on top of AWS is the better answer, and how to set it up without the common mistakes.

On this page · 9 sections

AWS website hosting options at a glance
Hosting a static website on AWS (S3 + CloudFront)
Hosting a Next.js or React app on AWS (Amplify Hosting)
Hosting WordPress on AWS
Hosting a web application or API on AWS
What AWS website hosting costs
AWS vs a platform or managed host
Common mistakes when hosting on AWS
How Progression Agency hosts on AWS

The short answerHost a static site on S3 behind CloudFront (or on Amplify Hosting for a Git-based workflow); host a WordPress site on Lightsail or, better for most businesses, on a managed WordPress host that runs on AWS; host a Next.js or React app on Amplify Hosting or in containers on App Runner; host a custom back end on EC2, App Runner or ECS with RDS for the database. Use AWS directly when you have DevOps capacity or need its services; otherwise choose a platform or managed host built on it.

Comparisons are based on each project’s official documentation as linked in the text. Progression Agency builds with all of the technologies compared and has no affiliate relationship with any of them.

AWS website hosting options at a glance

AWS offers five ways to host a website, from static files on S3 and CloudFront to a full server on EC2, and the effort and cost differ by an order of magnitude. The table compares them.

AWS hosting services compared
Service	What it is	Best for	Effort	Cost model
S3 + CloudFront	Object storage serving static files through the CDN	Static sites, Astro, static exports	Low-medium (DNS, certificates, invalidations)	Storage + requests + transfer; pennies for small sites
Amplify Hosting	Git-based hosting for static and SSR front ends (Next.js, Astro, React)	Modern front ends with previews	Low	Build minutes + storage + transfer
Lightsail	Simplified VPS with fixed pricing, one-click WordPress	Small WordPress and app servers	Medium	Fixed monthly plans
EC2	Virtual machines you fully control	Custom stacks, legacy apps	High	Hourly compute + storage + transfer
Elastic Beanstalk	Managed app environments on EC2	Node, Python, PHP, .NET apps	Medium	EC2 pricing
App Runner	Managed containers with autoscaling	Containerized web apps and APIs	Low-medium	Per vCPU/GB-hour
ECS / EKS	Container orchestration	Multi-service systems at scale	High	Compute + control plane
RDS / Aurora	Managed relational databases	Any app needing PostgreSQL or MySQL	Low	Instance hours + storage

Which AWS service for which site — Most businesses should reach AWS through a platform or managed host rather than raw services.

Hosting a static website on AWS (S3 + CloudFront)

Upload the built files to an S3 bucket, put CloudFront in front for HTTPS, caching and a global edge, request a free certificate from ACM, and point Route 53 or your DNS at the distribution. AWS’s own walkthrough: Host a static website on AWS. Costs for a business site are typically under a few dollars a month. Cloudflare Pages and Netlify do the same job with less setup; see Vercel vs Netlify vs Cloudflare Pages.

Hosting a Next.js or React app on AWS (Amplify Hosting)

Amplify Hosting connects to your Git repository, builds on push, serves static assets from CloudFront and runs Next.js server rendering on Lambda, with preview branches and custom domains. It is the AWS answer to Vercel. Documentation: Amplify Hosting. For a comparison of the options see hosting for React and Next.js apps.

Hosting WordPress on AWS

Three routes: Lightsail’s one-click WordPress instance (simplest, fixed price, you maintain WordPress); EC2 with your own stack or a Bitnami image (full control, most work); or a managed WordPress host that runs on AWS (WP Engine offers AWS-based plans, Cloudways manages AWS servers), which is what most businesses should choose. WordPress on raw AWS still needs updates, backups, caching and security handled by someone. See WordPress hosting guide and WordPress maintenance services.

Hosting a web application or API on AWS

For a containerized Node, Django, Laravel or .NET app, App Runner is the least effort; ECS on Fargate for more control; Elastic Beanstalk for classic app environments; EC2 when you need a full server. Pair with RDS for the database, S3 for files, SQS for queues and CloudWatch for logs. See backend hosting options and SaaS hosting.

What AWS website hosting costs

Static site: under $5 a month. Lightsail WordPress: fixed plans from a few dollars to tens of dollars a month (Lightsail pricing). Amplify: build minutes plus usage, usually $10-$100 for business sites. Application on App Runner with RDS: $100-$500 before traffic. Always set a budget alert in AWS Budgets; the free tier expires. See website hosting cost.

S3 — S3 + CloudFront. Static, nearly free..

AWS vs a platform or managed host

AWS gives control, breadth and scale; Vercel, Cloudflare, Netlify and managed WordPress hosts give simplicity, and most of them run on AWS or another hyperscaler anyway. Choose raw AWS when you have (or hire) DevOps capacity, need specific services, or already run your business on it. See Cloudflare vs AWS and AWS vs Azure vs Google Cloud.

Common mistakes when hosting on AWS

Most problems with hosting a website on AWS come from account hygiene and missing budget alerts rather than from the services themselves. The mistakes we fix most often:

Using the root account for daily work instead of IAM users with least privilege.
Public S3 buckets by accident; serve through CloudFront with origin access control.
No budget alerts, then a surprise bill from data transfer or forgotten instances.
Running WordPress on EC2 with no backups, updates or caching.
Skipping a CDN and serving everything from one region.
Choosing EC2 when App Runner or Amplify would remove the operations work.

How Progression Agency hosts on AWS

We use S3 and CloudFront or Amplify for front ends, App Runner or ECS with RDS for back ends, Cloudflare in front, infrastructure as code and budgets from day one, all in the client’s AWS account. See DevOps services and cloud migration services.

Hosting on AWS or thinking about it?

We will pick the right AWS service for your site, set it up securely in your account and estimate the monthly bill.

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Frequently asked questions

Can I host a website on AWS?

Yes: static sites on S3 and CloudFront or Amplify, WordPress on Lightsail or a managed host on AWS, applications on App Runner, ECS or EC2.

Is AWS for website hosting a good idea for a small business?

AWS for website hosting suits small businesses only through its simpler products (Lightsail, Amplify) or a managed host built on AWS; raw EC2 and S3 setups need someone to administer them.

What does website hosting on AWS include?

Website hosting on AWS is assembled from services: S3 or Amplify for files, CloudFront for delivery, Route 53 for DNS, ACM for certificates, and Lightsail, App Runner or EC2 when a server is needed.

Is AWS good for website hosting?

For applications and scale, yes. For a simple business site, a managed host or platform built on AWS is simpler and usually cheaper in effort.

How much does it cost to host a website on AWS?

Under $5 a month for a static site, tens of dollars for Lightsail WordPress, $100-$500 for an application with a managed database, before traffic.

Is AWS hosting free?

There is a free tier for twelve months on some services and always-free allowances on others; production sites should budget for paid usage.

What is the easiest way to host a website on AWS?

Amplify Hosting for modern front ends; Lightsail for WordPress; S3 and CloudFront for static files.

Can I host WordPress on AWS?

Yes, on Lightsail, EC2 or a managed WordPress host running on AWS; the managed route is best for most businesses.

What is the difference between Lightsail and EC2?

Lightsail is a simplified, fixed-price VPS product; EC2 is the full virtual machine service with usage pricing and more options.

Can I host a Next.js app on AWS?

Yes, on Amplify Hosting, or in containers on App Runner or ECS, or with the OpenNext adapter on Lambda.

Do I need CloudFront?

For a static site, yes; it provides HTTPS, caching and global delivery. Cloudflare can serve the same purpose in front of AWS.

How do I secure a website on AWS?

IAM least privilege, no public buckets, TLS via ACM, a WAF (AWS WAF or Cloudflare), backups and monitoring.

AWS or Vercel for a Next.js site?

Vercel for the least friction; AWS when you are already there or need control; see hosting for React and Next.js.

Can you migrate my site to AWS?

Yes; see cloud migration services and website migration services.

Which AWS region should I use?

The one nearest most of your users, or the one your compliance requires.

Does Progression Agency manage AWS hosting?

Yes, under DevOps agreements, in your account.

Can I use AWS website hosting for WordPress?

Yes. AWS website hosting WordPress options are Lightsail (a fixed-price WordPress instance), EC2 with your own configuration, or a managed WordPress host that runs on AWS. Lightsail is the simplest; managed hosts are easiest to operate.

Is VPS hosting on AWS a thing?

VPS hosting AWS style is Amazon Lightsail: fixed monthly virtual servers with the AWS network behind them. AWS VPS hosting through Lightsail suits small sites; EC2 is the elastic version for everything else.

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How to Host a Website on AWS: S3 and CloudFront, Amplify, Lightsail, EC2 and Managed WordPress Options Compared