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Cloud & Infrastructure · head to head

Lambda (AWS Serverless) vs Couchbase

Lambda (AWS Serverless) logo

Lambda (AWS Serverless)

Cloud & Infrastructure

Run code without thinking about servers

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Couchbase logo

Couchbase

Database & Data Management

The modern database for enterprise applications

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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; Couchbase the free tier is a single node with 8 GB of storage and forum support only
  • They diverge on capability: Lambda (AWS Serverless) covers Function-as-a-Service, Couchbase covers JSON Document Model.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Lambda (AWS Serverless) and Couchbase actually diverge.

Attributes where Lambda (AWS Serverless) and Couchbase differ
AttributeLambda (AWS Serverless)Couchbase
Pricing modelusage-basedfreemium
PlatformsWeb, ApiLinux, Windows, Mac, Docker, Web
CategoryCloud & InfrastructureDatabase & Data Management
Founded20142011

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Couchbase

  • JSON Document Model
  • SQL++ Query
  • Full-text Search
  • Eventing
  • Analytics
  • Mobile Sync
  • Multi-dimensional Scaling
  • Kafka

Both cover

  • Web support

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 Couchbase
  • API backends behind API Gatewaynot Couchbase
  • Processing S3, DynamoDB, SQS and Kinesis eventsnot Couchbase
  • Scheduled jobs without a always-on instancenot Couchbase
  • Edge compute through Lambda@Edgenot Couchbase

Couchbase

  • Running a distributed NoSQL document database as a managed servicenot Lambda (AWS Serverless)
  • Mobile sync and offline first applications backed by a cloud databasenot 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

Couchbase

  • The free tier is a single node with 8 GB of storage and forum support only
  • Node rates are hourly and quoted as starting figures, from $0.15 an hour on Basic to $0.49 on Enterprise
  • The Developer Pro and Enterprise plans require 3 nodes, so the hourly rate multiplies before any usage
  • Backup storage is billed separately at $0.07 per GB a month, and analytics backups at $0.14
  • Support response time is a plan feature, at 8 hours on Developer Pro against 30 minutes on Enterprise
  • AI and analytics run as separately priced planes at up to $0.86 an hour per node

Pricing, plan by plan

Lambda (AWS Serverless)

Free
  • Free TierFree
    • 1M free requests/month
    • 400,000 GB-seconds/month
    • Always free

Couchbase

Free
  • CommunityFree
    • Full features
    • Community support
    • Self-managed
  • Capella FreeFree
    • Managed service
    • Limited resources
    • Cloud hosted

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.
Lambda (AWS Serverless) review

Choose Couchbase if

  • You need json document model.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, Mac, Docker, Web.
  • You also want sql++ query.
Couchbase review

Questions people ask

Is Lambda (AWS Serverless) or Couchbase better?
Neither clearly leads. Lambda (AWS Serverless) starts at Free and Couchbase at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Lambda (AWS Serverless) or Couchbase?
Lambda (AWS Serverless) starts at Free and Couchbase at Free.
Does Lambda (AWS Serverless) or Couchbase run on more platforms?
Lambda (AWS Serverless) runs on Web, Api. Couchbase runs on Linux, Windows, Mac, Docker, Web.
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 Couchbase is typically brought in for.
What can Lambda (AWS Serverless) do that Couchbase cannot?
Lambda (AWS Serverless) covers Function-as-a-Service, Event-driven execution, Auto-scaling, Pay-per-use. Couchbase covers JSON Document Model, SQL++ Query, Full-text Search, Eventing. Both handle Web support.
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