Linode (Akamai Cloud)

Linode is a long-running developer cloud that Akamai acquired in 2022 and now operates as part of Akamai Cloud. This Linode Akamai cloud overview explains what the platform includes today, how billing works and how Akamai’s edge network changes the picture. It suits developers and small to mid-sized teams who want straightforward virtual machines with the option to grow into Kubernetes and distributed deployments.

From Linode to Akamai Cloud #

Linode built its reputation on simple Linux virtual machines, flat pricing and a friendly Cloud Manager. After the acquisition, Akamai kept the Linode tooling, API and documentation, and began adding compute regions and connecting them to its content delivery and security network.

In practice, you still sign in to Cloud Manager, create “Linodes” (compute instances) and use the Linode API and CLI. The branding and documentation now sit under Akamai, and the docs live on Akamai’s TechDocs site.

Core services #

Other building blocks include VLANs and VPCs for private networking, DNS Manager, automated backups and a Marketplace of one-click application deployments. For a step-by-step walkthrough, read our guide to Linode compute instances, regions and getting started on Akamai Cloud.

How pricing works #

Linode’s pricing has always been one of its selling points, and the model is easy to reason about:

• Hourly billing with a monthly cap: instances are billed by the hour for as long as they exist, never exceeding the plan’s monthly price.
• Included transfer: each compute plan includes an outbound network transfer allowance, pooled at the account level. Overage is billed per gigabyte.
• Add-ons billed separately: backups, block storage, NodeBalancers, object storage and managed databases each have their own price.
• Powered-off instances are still billed, since the resources remain reserved. Delete instances you no longer need.

Pricing may vary by region, so confirm the rates for your chosen location on the official pricing page before deploying.

Where it fits well #

• Classic VPS workloads: web servers, API backends, game servers, VPN endpoints and self-hosted tools.
• Small Kubernetes clusters: LKE gives you managed Kubernetes without the complexity of hyperscaler networking and IAM.
• Latency-sensitive, distributed apps: Akamai is expanding compute into more locations, which suits workloads that need to run close to users alongside CDN and security services.
• Teams that value documentation: the Linode guides library has long been a reference for Linux administration topics.

Things to consider #

The managed service catalog is smaller than on AWS, Azure or Google Cloud. If you need a managed data warehouse, a large ML platform or many specialized databases, you will need to self-host them or use another provider.

The platform is in a period of change as Akamai integrates it. Product names, regions and features evolve, so check the current documentation rather than older blog posts. Some newer regions and features may launch with limited availability first.

New accounts have default limits on the number and size of resources. Akamai may review new sign-ups and can ask for additional information. If you need higher limits, open a support ticket from Cloud Manager and describe your use case.

Getting started the official way #

1. Sign up on the official Linode website, which leads to Akamai Cloud Manager. Provide accurate details and a valid payment method; the sign-up may include a verification step.
2. Enable two-factor authentication and add a security question in your profile settings.
3. Upload an SSH public key so new instances can be accessed without passwords.
4. Create a Cloud Firewall policy that allows only the ports you need, and attach it to each instance.
5. Use the Akamai cloud computing documentation for product guides, API references and tutorials.

Once your first instance is running, enable the Backups service for anything you cannot rebuild quickly, keep the operating system patched and consider tagging resources by project so invoices are easier to read.

For team access, add users under your account with restricted permissions instead of sharing the primary login.

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