Software · head to head
Lambda (AWS Serverless) vs Alibaba Cloud
Lambda (AWS Serverless)
Software
Run code without thinking about servers
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Lambda (AWS Serverless) billed on two axes at once, $0.20 per million requests plus $0.0000166667 per GB-second of duration, so memory settings change the bill as much as traffic does; Alibaba Cloud technical support is a separate subscription, from $19.99 a month for Developer up to $8,000 a month for Enterprise, with only Basic included
- They diverge on capability: Lambda (AWS Serverless) covers Function-as-a-Service, Alibaba Cloud covers Elastic Compute Service.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Lambda (AWS Serverless) and Alibaba Cloud actually diverge.
| Attribute | Lambda (AWS Serverless) | Alibaba Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Web, Api | Linux, Windows, Api, Cli |
| Founded | 2014 | 2009 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (usage-based), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Lambda (AWS Serverless)
- Function-as-a-Service
- Event-driven execution
- Auto-scaling
- Pay-per-use
- Multiple languages
- Concurrency limits
- Dead Letter Queues
- Environment variables
Only in Alibaba Cloud
- Elastic Compute Service
- Object Storage Service
- RDS Database
- MaxCompute
- Function Compute
- CDN
- Load Balancer
- Terraform
Both cover
- API Gateway
- Cloud deployment
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Lambda (AWS Serverless)
- Event-driven functions without managing serversnot Alibaba Cloud
- API backends behind API Gatewaynot Alibaba Cloud
- Processing S3, DynamoDB, SQS and Kinesis eventsnot Alibaba Cloud
- Scheduled jobs without a always-on instancenot Alibaba Cloud
- Edge compute through Lambda@Edgenot Alibaba Cloud
Alibaba Cloud
- Cloud compute and storage with a strong footprint in China and Asia Pacificnot Lambda (AWS Serverless)
- Pay-as-you-go infrastructure without upfront commitmentnot Lambda (AWS Serverless)
- Committed-use discounts through savings plans for steady workloadsnot Lambda (AWS Serverless)
- CDN and data transfer packages for content deliverynot Lambda (AWS Serverless)
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Lambda (AWS Serverless)
- Billed on two axes at once, $0.20 per million requests plus $0.0000166667 per GB-second of duration, so memory settings change the bill as much as traffic does
- Provisioned concurrency, used to avoid cold starts, is charged separately at $0.0000041667 per GB-second whether or not the function runs
- Ephemeral storage beyond the included 512 MB is metered
- Lambda@Edge costs $0.60 per million requests, three times the standard request rate
- VPC use and cross-region data transfer carry EC2 charges on top
Alibaba Cloud
- Technical support is a separate subscription, from $19.99 a month for Developer up to $8,000 a month for Enterprise, with only Basic included
- Service prices are not shown as a rate card and route through a calculator or sales
- Committed discounts require savings plans, reserved instances or capacity packages rather than being automatic
Pricing, plan by plan
Lambda (AWS Serverless)
Free- Free TierFree
- 1M free requests/month
- 400,000 GB-seconds/month
- Always free
Alibaba Cloud
Free- Free TrialFree
- Free tier credits
- ECS instances
- Cloud storage
- Pay-as-You-GoFree
- Flexible billing
- No commitments
- Global reach
Which should you pick?
Choose Lambda (AWS Serverless) if
- You need function-as-a-service.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Api.
- You also want event-driven execution.
Choose Alibaba Cloud if
- You need elastic compute service.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Linux, Windows, Api, Cli.
- You also want object storage service.
Questions people ask
- Is Lambda (AWS Serverless) or Alibaba Cloud better?
- Neither clearly leads. Lambda (AWS Serverless) starts at Free and Alibaba Cloud at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Lambda (AWS Serverless) or Alibaba Cloud?
- Lambda (AWS Serverless) starts at Free and Alibaba Cloud at Free.
- Does Lambda (AWS Serverless) or Alibaba Cloud run on more platforms?
- Lambda (AWS Serverless) runs on Web, Api. Alibaba Cloud runs on Linux, Windows, Api, Cli.
- Can I use Lambda (AWS Serverless) for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Lambda (AWS Serverless) best used for?
- Lambda (AWS Serverless) is most often used for event-driven functions without managing servers, api backends behind api gateway, processing s3, dynamodb, sqs and kinesis events, scheduled jobs without a always-on instance. Of those, event-driven functions without managing servers and api backends behind api gateway are not what Alibaba Cloud is typically brought in for.
- What can Lambda (AWS Serverless) do that Alibaba Cloud cannot?
- Lambda (AWS Serverless) covers Function-as-a-Service, Event-driven execution, Auto-scaling, Pay-per-use. Alibaba Cloud covers Elastic Compute Service, Object Storage Service, RDS Database, MaxCompute. Both handle API Gateway, Cloud deployment.