Cloud & Infrastructure · head to head
Lambda (AWS Serverless) vs Hetzner Cloud
Lambda (AWS Serverless)
Cloud & Infrastructure
Run code without thinking about servers
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Hetzner Cloud
Cloud & Infrastructure
Affordable cloud servers in Europe
- 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; Hetzner Cloud cost-Optimized plans are shown as currently unavailable
- They diverge on capability: Lambda (AWS Serverless) covers Function-as-a-Service, Hetzner Cloud covers Cloud servers.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Lambda (AWS Serverless) and Hetzner Cloud actually diverge.
| Attribute | Lambda (AWS Serverless) | Hetzner Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Web, Api | Web, Api, Cli |
| Founded | 2014 | 1997 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (usage-based), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Cloud & Infrastructure).
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 Hetzner Cloud
- Cloud servers
- Block storage
- Object storage
- Load balancers
- Networks
- Firewalls
- Floating IPs
- Backups
Both cover
- 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 Hetzner Cloud
- API backends behind API Gatewaynot Hetzner Cloud
- Processing S3, DynamoDB, SQS and Kinesis eventsnot Hetzner Cloud
- Scheduled jobs without a always-on instancenot Hetzner Cloud
- Edge compute through Lambda@Edgenot Hetzner Cloud
Hetzner Cloud
- Low-cost virtual servers for development and testingnot Lambda (AWS Serverless)
- European hosting with data held in Germany or Finlandnot Lambda (AWS Serverless)
- Workloads with heavy egress, where included traffic mattersnot Lambda (AWS Serverless)
- Self-hosting applications away from the hyperscalersnot 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
Hetzner Cloud
- Cost-Optimized plans are shown as currently unavailable
- The shared-resource tiers are positioned for variable usage and development rather than sustained production workloads
- Regions are limited to Germany, Finland, the United States and Singapore, so latency to other markets is a real constraint
- The uptime guarantee is 99.9 percent, below what the large hyperscalers offer on comparable services
- Support is 24/7 by email, without a phone channel
Pricing, plan by plan
Lambda (AWS Serverless)
Free- Free TierFree
- 1M free requests/month
- 400,000 GB-seconds/month
- Always free
Hetzner Cloud
Free- CX11$3.29/month
- 1 vCPU
- 1GB RAM
- 25GB SSD
- CX21$6.59/month
- 2 vCPU
- 4GB RAM
- 40GB SSD
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 Hetzner Cloud if
- You need cloud servers.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Api, Cli.
- You also want block storage.
Questions people ask
- Is Lambda (AWS Serverless) or Hetzner Cloud better?
- Neither clearly leads. Lambda (AWS Serverless) starts at Free and Hetzner 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 Hetzner Cloud?
- Lambda (AWS Serverless) starts at Free and Hetzner Cloud at Free.
- Does Lambda (AWS Serverless) or Hetzner Cloud run on more platforms?
- Lambda (AWS Serverless) runs on Web, Api. Hetzner Cloud runs on Web, 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 Hetzner Cloud is typically brought in for.
- What can Lambda (AWS Serverless) do that Hetzner Cloud cannot?
- Lambda (AWS Serverless) covers Function-as-a-Service, Event-driven execution, Auto-scaling, Pay-per-use. Hetzner Cloud covers Cloud servers, Block storage, Object storage, Load balancers. Both handle Cloud deployment, Web support.