Software · head to head
Lambda (AWS Serverless) vs Heroku
Lambda (AWS Serverless)
Software
Run code without thinking about servers
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Lambda (AWS Serverless) has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- 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; Heroku there is no free dyno tier; the cheapest Eco dyno is $5 per month
- They diverge on capability: Lambda (AWS Serverless) covers Function-as-a-Service, Heroku covers Git-based deployment.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Lambda (AWS Serverless) and Heroku actually diverge.
| Attribute | Lambda (AWS Serverless) | Heroku |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | $7/month |
| Pricing model | usage-based | subscription |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | Web, Api | Web, Api, Workers |
| Founded | 2014 | 2007 |
Identical on both: 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
- API Gateway
Only in Heroku
- Git-based deployment
- Buildpacks
- Dynos (containers)
- Add-ons marketplace
- Postgres database
- Logging
- API
- GitHub
Both cover
- Environment variables
- Cloud deployment
- 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 Heroku
- API backends behind API Gatewaynot Heroku
- Processing S3, DynamoDB, SQS and Kinesis eventsnot Heroku
- Scheduled jobs without a always-on instancenot Heroku
- Edge compute through Lambda@Edgenot Heroku
Heroku
- Deploying and scaling web applications with git push and no server administrationnot Lambda (AWS Serverless)
- Running managed Postgres, Redis and Kafka as attached data servicesnot Lambda (AWS Serverless)
- Isolated production environments in a Private Space for regulated workloadsnot 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
Heroku
- There is no free dyno tier; the cheapest Eco dyno is $5 per month
- Eco dynos sleep after 30 minutes of inactivity, are restricted to personal accounts and allow only 2 process types
- Free SSL and 10 process types start at the Basic dyno at $7 per month
- Private and Shield dyno types require a Private Space, which is billed on top of the dynos
- Private Space dynos start at $250 per month for Private-M and $500 per month for Private-L
- Dyno prices are per dyno per month, so an app with several process types multiplies the bill
Pricing, plan by plan
Lambda (AWS Serverless)
Free- Free TierFree
- 1M free requests/month
- 400,000 GB-seconds/month
- Always free
Heroku
$7/month- Hobby$7/month
- 512MB RAM
- Shared CPU
- 1 web dyno
- Standard$50/month
- 512MB RAM
- Dedicated CPU
- Automatic scaling
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 Heroku if
- You need git-based deployment.
- You work on Web, Api, Workers.
- You also want buildpacks.
Questions people ask
- Is Lambda (AWS Serverless) or Heroku better?
- Neither clearly leads. Lambda (AWS Serverless) starts at Free and Heroku at $7/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Lambda (AWS Serverless) or Heroku?
- Lambda (AWS Serverless) has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Lambda (AWS Serverless) and $7/month for Heroku.
- Does Lambda (AWS Serverless) or Heroku run on more platforms?
- Lambda (AWS Serverless) runs on Web, Api. Heroku runs on Web, Api, Workers.
- Can I use Lambda (AWS Serverless) for free?
- Yes. Lambda (AWS Serverless) has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Heroku starts at $7/month.
- 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 Heroku is typically brought in for.
- What can Lambda (AWS Serverless) do that Heroku cannot?
- Lambda (AWS Serverless) covers Function-as-a-Service, Event-driven execution, Auto-scaling, Pay-per-use. Heroku covers Git-based deployment, Buildpacks, Dynos (containers), Add-ons marketplace. Both handle Environment variables, Cloud deployment, Web support.