OpenFaaS vs Kubeless
OpenFaaS and Kubeless are two popular serverless frameworks that aim to simplify the deployment of functions as a service (FaaS) on Kubernetes. While both platforms offer great features, they have different approaches and design choices that make them suitable for different use cases. In this article, we will compare OpenFaaS and Kubeless in terms of their architectures, features, and performance.
Architecture
OpenFaaS is built around Docker containers and relies on Kubernetes for orchestration. It provides a unified gateway that exposes HTTP or HTTPS endpoints for multiple functions, and it supports long-running as well as short-lived functions. OpenFaaS aims to provide a user-friendly developer experience and a simple setup process, allowing users to get up and running with serverless quickly.
Kubeless, on the other hand, is a Kubernetes-native FaaS platform. It deploys functions as Kubernetes resources without requiring users to use containers explicitly. It uses a custom resource definition (CRD) in Kubernetes to define functions, and it supports multiple runtimes, including Python, Node.js, and Go. Kubeless aims to provide a simple and composable architecture that allows users to customize their stack easily.
Features
OpenFaaS and Kubeless both offer a rich set of features that make them suitable for various use cases.
OpenFaaS supports multiple languages and environments, including Python, Node.js, Java, and Go. It provides built-in horizontal scaling and auto-scaling based on CPU usage, and it has a monitoring system that can be used to track the performance of functions. OpenFaaS also offers an API gateway that supports authentication and authorization, allowing users to control access to their functions easily.
Kubeless also supports multiple languages and environments, and it offers similar scaling features to OpenFaaS. It provides a built-in event system that can trigger functions based on various events, including HTTP requests, Kubernetes events, and message queues. Kubeless also supports function chaining, allowing users to string multiple functions together to form a more complex workflow.
Performance
When it comes to performance, both OpenFaaS and Kubeless can handle a high volume of concurrent requests. However, there are some differences between them.
OpenFaaS uses Docker containers, which can take some time to spin up, especially for large containers. This can result in higher cold start times, which can impact the performance of short-lived functions. However, once a container is running, OpenFaaS can handle a high volume of requests without any problems.
Kubeless, on the other hand, uses a lightweight pod-per-function model, which allows for faster cold starts compared to OpenFaaS. Kubeless can spin up a new pod for a function in a matter of milliseconds, making it ideal for short-lived functions that require fast response times. However, this model can result in higher memory overhead and slower performance for long-running functions.