Software · head to head
Lambda (AWS Serverless) vs Chef
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; Chef priced per node per year, at $59 on Business and $189 on Enterprise, so cost scales with fleet size rather than with team size
- They diverge on capability: Lambda (AWS Serverless) covers Function-as-a-Service, Chef covers Recipes.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Lambda (AWS Serverless) and Chef actually diverge.
| Attribute | Lambda (AWS Serverless) | Chef |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | usage-based | open-source |
| Platforms | Web, Api | Linux, Windows, Mac, Api |
| Founded | 2014 | 2009 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), 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 Chef
- Recipes
- Cookbooks
- Roles
- Data bags
- Attributes
- Chef Server
- Chef Infra
- Chef Compliance
Both cover
- 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 Chef
- API backends behind API Gatewaynot Chef
- Processing S3, DynamoDB, SQS and Kinesis eventsnot Chef
- Scheduled jobs without a always-on instancenot Chef
- Edge compute through Lambda@Edgenot Chef
Chef
- Configuration management and infrastructure automation across server fleetsnot Lambda (AWS Serverless)
- Enforcing compliance and audit policy on managed nodesnot 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
Chef
- Priced per node per year, at $59 on Business and $189 on Enterprise, so cost scales with fleet size rather than with team size
- Tripling the price between the two published tiers puts compliance and audit features well above basic automation
- Enterprise Plus and every self managed deployment are custom quoted with no published price
Pricing, plan by plan
Lambda (AWS Serverless)
Free- Free TierFree
- 1M free requests/month
- 400,000 GB-seconds/month
- Always free
Chef
Free- Open SourceFree
- Chef Infra
- Community support
- Full functionality
- Chef Automate$4000/year
- Chef Infra
- Compliance automation
- Insights
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 Chef if
- You need recipes.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Linux, Windows, Mac, Api.
- You also want cookbooks.
Questions people ask
- Is Lambda (AWS Serverless) or Chef better?
- Neither clearly leads. Lambda (AWS Serverless) starts at Free and Chef at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Lambda (AWS Serverless) or Chef?
- Lambda (AWS Serverless) starts at Free and Chef at Free.
- Does Lambda (AWS Serverless) or Chef run on more platforms?
- Lambda (AWS Serverless) runs on Web, Api. Chef runs on Linux, Windows, Mac, Api.
- 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 Chef is typically brought in for.
- What can Lambda (AWS Serverless) do that Chef cannot?
- Lambda (AWS Serverless) covers Function-as-a-Service, Event-driven execution, Auto-scaling, Pay-per-use. Chef covers Recipes, Cookbooks, Roles, Data bags. Both handle Cloud deployment.