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Lambda (AWS Serverless) vs DuckDB

Lambda (AWS Serverless) logo

Lambda (AWS Serverless)

Software

Run code without thinking about servers

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
DuckDB logo

DuckDB

Software

Fast in-process analytical database

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; DuckDB client-server setup remains in beta and not recommended for production distributed scenarios
  • They diverge on capability: Lambda (AWS Serverless) covers Function-as-a-Service, DuckDB covers In-process Execution.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Lambda (AWS Serverless) and DuckDB differ
AttributeLambda (AWS Serverless)DuckDB
Pricing modelusage-basedopen-source
PlatformsWeb, ApiLinux, macOS, Windows, WebAssembly
Founded20142019

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 DuckDB

  • In-process Execution
  • Columnar Storage
  • Vectorized Execution
  • Rich SQL Support
  • Parquet Support
  • CSV/JSON Import
  • Zero Dependencies
  • Python

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

DuckDB

  • Analytics and data warehousingnot Lambda (AWS Serverless)
  • OLAP queries and data explorationnot Lambda (AWS Serverless)
  • Data science and machine learning workflowsnot Lambda (AWS Serverless)
  • Multi-format data ingestion and processingnot 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

DuckDB

  • Client-server setup remains in beta and not recommended for production distributed scenarios

Pricing, plan by plan

Lambda (AWS Serverless)

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

DuckDB

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the DuckDB review.

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 DuckDB if

  • You need in-process execution.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Windows, WebAssembly.
  • You also want columnar storage.
DuckDB review

Questions people ask

Is Lambda (AWS Serverless) or DuckDB better?
Neither clearly leads. Lambda (AWS Serverless) starts at Free and DuckDB at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Lambda (AWS Serverless) or DuckDB?
Lambda (AWS Serverless) starts at Free and DuckDB at Free.
Does Lambda (AWS Serverless) or DuckDB run on more platforms?
Lambda (AWS Serverless) runs on Web, Api. DuckDB runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, WebAssembly.
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 DuckDB is typically brought in for.
What can Lambda (AWS Serverless) do that DuckDB cannot?
Lambda (AWS Serverless) covers Function-as-a-Service, Event-driven execution, Auto-scaling, Pay-per-use. DuckDB covers In-process Execution, Columnar Storage, Vectorized Execution, Rich SQL Support.
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