AWS Free Tier offers 12 months of limited-access web hosting resources, including EC2 instances and S3 storage. Users can host static websites or simple applications without upfront costs by leveraging services like AWS Lightsail or Amplify. Key requirements include an AWS account, basic cloud architecture knowledge, and monitoring usage to avoid exceeding free tier limits.
What Are the Downsides of Shared Hosting? Understanding Limited Resources and Bandwidth
How to Create an AWS Free Tier Account?
Visit AWS.amazon.com, click “Create an AWS Account,” and provide email/credit card details. Verify identity via phone/text, then select “Basic Plan” during signup. Use a valid payment method for identity confirmation – AWS won’t charge unless usage exceeds free tier limits. Enable billing alerts in AWS Cost Explorer for budget tracking.
Which AWS Services Are Included in Free Web Hosting?
The Free Tier includes 750 EC2 instance hours/month (t2.micro), 5GB S3 storage, and 15GB bandwidth. Lightsail offers 1-month free Windows/Linux instances. AWS Amplify provides 1000 build minutes/month for static sites. Lambda includes 1 million requests/month. These services combined enable hosting WordPress sites, static portfolios, or small web applications at zero cost for 12 months.
When utilizing EC2 instances, developers gain access to virtual servers with 1 vCPU and 1GB RAM – sufficient for low-traffic websites. The S3 storage tier supports static website hosting with automatic redundancy across multiple availability zones. For event-driven architectures, Lambda’s serverless computing allows executing code without managing servers, ideal for contact forms or basic APIs. A typical free-tier stack might combine S3 for asset storage, CloudFront for CDN distribution, and Route 53 for DNS management, keeping all components within AWS’s free usage thresholds.
| Service | Free Tier Limit | Typical Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| EC2 | 750 hours/month | Web servers, databases |
| S3 | 5GB storage | Image hosting, static sites |
| Lambda | 1M requests/month | API backends, automation |
What Are the Technical Requirements for AWS Hosting?
Minimum requirements include SSH client (Putty/WinSCP), basic Linux CLI skills, and understanding of security groups. Websites require compressed assets (under 5MB/page), static content optimization, and CDN configuration. For dynamic sites, ensure database usage stays within RDS Free Tier (750 hrs/month of db.t2.micro).
How to Configure Security Groups for Web Traffic?
In AWS EC2 dashboard, create security group with inbound rules: HTTP (port 80), HTTPS (443), and SSH (22). Restrict SSH access to your IP address. Enable CloudFront distribution for DDoS protection. Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) with free tier’s 10 web ACLs. Monthly security scans using AWS Inspector help maintain compliance.
Security groups act as virtual firewalls, controlling traffic at the instance level. For web servers, administrators should configure rules that only allow essential ports while blocking unnecessary protocols. A recommended setup includes:
“Always follow the principle of least privilege – open only required ports to specific IP ranges. Combine security groups with network ACLs for layered protection, and regularly audit rules using AWS Trusted Advisor.” – Cloud Security Specialist Laura Gonzalez
| Port | Protocol | Recommended Access |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | SSH | Your IP only |
| 80 | HTTP | 0.0.0.0/0 |
| 443 | HTTPS | Global with WAF |
When Should You Use S3 vs EC2 for Hosting?
Use S3 for static websites with HTML/CSS/JS files – it offers 99.9% availability and automatic scaling. Choose EC2 for dynamic sites requiring databases/PHP processing. S3 costs $0.023/GB after free tier, while EC2 provides more control via virtual servers. Hybrid approach: host media on S3, application logic on EC2.
Why Monitor Bandwidth Usage on Free Tier?
AWS charges $0.09/GB beyond 15GB monthly free bandwidth. Install CloudWatch agent to track data transfer costs. Optimize via gzip compression, enable caching (TTL ≥ 24hrs), and use CloudFront’s free 1TB/month data transfer. Sites exceeding 5k daily visitors typically need paid plans.
Expert Views
“Many beginners overlook AWS’s resource tagging system,” says cloud architect Michael Chen. “Tag all components (EC2/S3/RDS) with ‘FreeTier’ label. Use AWS Budgets to set $0.01 alerts. For WordPress sites, install W3 Total Cache plugin and disable pingbacks – this reduces EC2 workload by 40%. Always create AMI backups before major updates.”
Conclusion
AWS Free Tier enables robust web hosting through strategic service combinations. Key to success includes monitoring via Cost Explorer, optimizing assets for S3, and implementing security best practices. Transition to paid plans when hitting 80% resource limits. For developers, this offers unparalleled infrastructure learning opportunities without financial risk.
FAQs
- Does AWS Free Tier Support Custom Domains?
- Yes. Use Route 53 to configure DNS records ($0.50/month per hosted zone). SSL certificates via ACM are free. Point domain registrar’s nameservers to AWS’s NS records.
- Can I Host WordPress on AWS Free Tier?
- Yes. Launch Bitnami WordPress AMI on t2.micro EC2 instance. Allocate 1GB RAM, disable unused plugins. Use Lightsail’s $3.50/month plan if traffic exceeds 5k visits/month.
- How to Avoid Unexpected Charges?
- Delete unused Elastic IPs ($0.01/hr if not attached). Terminate test instances immediately. Set S3 lifecycle policies to delete old files. Disable detailed monitoring ($0.10/instance-hour).