AWS Lambda vs Google Cloud Functions: Which serverless platform is a better fit

June 01, 2022

AWS Lambda vs Google Cloud Functions: Which serverless platform is a better fit?

Welcome to our unbiased comparison of two popular serverless platforms: AWS Lambda and Google Cloud Functions. In today's fast-moving world, cloud automation is a crucial part of modern businesses. Companies are continuously looking for reliable cloud automation services to handle their workloads, and that's where serverless platforms come in handy. This blog post will help you decide which platform is a better fit for your business by providing you with unbiased facts and numbers.

What are AWS Lambda and Google Cloud Functions?

Both AWS Lambda and Google Cloud Functions are serverless compute services that allow users to run code without worrying about server infrastructure. They both provide an excellent solution for building microservices, APIs, and event-driven applications.

AWS Lambda

AWS Lambda is a service provided by Amazon Web Services. It supports several programming languages such as Node.js, Python, Go, C#, and Java. AWS Lambda can automatically scale based on traffic, and users only pay for the amount of computing resources they consume. It makes it an excellent choice for applications with unpredictable traffic.

Google Cloud Functions

Google Cloud Functions is a service provided by Google Cloud Platform. It supports programming languages such as Node.js, Python, and Go. Google Cloud Functions can run code based on various triggers such as HTTP requests, Cloud Storage, and Pub/Sub events. It also supports autoscaling, and users only pay for the exact amount of computing resources they use.

AWS Lambda vs Google Cloud Functions: Comparison

Both AWS Lambda and Google Cloud Functions have similar pricing and features, with slight differences.

Pricing

AWS Lambda and Google Cloud Functions both charge per execution, and the amount is based on the time it takes to execute the function. The cost of executing a function is much lower for both platforms compared to running a VM, but it's essential to consider the other costs, such as data transfer and storage.

Scalability

Both platforms can automatically scale based on the amount of traffic and resources consumed. Both allow users to specify the minimum and maximum number of resources that can be used at any given time. AWS Lambda has a limit of 1000 concurrent executions per account, while Google Cloud Functions can handle 1000 concurrent executions per second per region.

Integration and Compatibility

Both AWS Lambda and Google Cloud Functions are deeply integrated with their respective cloud platforms. AWS Lambda can be combined with other AWS services such as S3, DynamoDB, and SNS, while Google Cloud Functions can be combined with Google Cloud Storage, Google BigQuery, and Google Cloud Pub/Sub. AWS Lambda has a broader range of supported programming languages, while Google Cloud Functions only supports Python, Node.js, and Go.

Development Tools

Both AWS Lambda and Google Cloud Functions provide an excellent set of development tools, including CLI and SDKs for different programming languages, as well as comprehensive documentation.

Conclusion: Which Serverless Platform is a Better Fit?

Choosing between AWS Lambda and Google Cloud Functions boils down to your specific requirements.

If you're already using AWS services and prefer a broader range of programming language support, AWS Lambda is an excellent choice. However, if you want to use Google Cloud Platform services and prefer Python, Node.js, or Go, then Google Cloud Functions is the better choice.

Ultimately, both AWS Lambda and Google Cloud Functions provide an excellent and cost-effective option for cloud automation.

References

AWS Lambda
Google Cloud Functions
AWS Lambda vs. Google Cloud Functions by Lawrence Manickam.