Cloud & Infrastructure · head to head
Lambda (AWS Serverless) vs IBM Cloud
Lambda (AWS Serverless)
Cloud & Infrastructure
Run code without thinking about servers
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
IBM Cloud
Cloud & Infrastructure
Enterprise cloud solutions from a trusted partner
- 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; IBM Cloud the USD 200 starter cloud credit is valid for 30 days only
- They diverge on capability: Lambda (AWS Serverless) covers Function-as-a-Service, IBM Cloud covers Virtual Servers.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Lambda (AWS Serverless) and IBM Cloud actually diverge.
| Attribute | Lambda (AWS Serverless) | IBM Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Web, Api | Linux, Windows, Api, Cli |
| Founded | 2014 | 2013 |
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 IBM Cloud
- Virtual Servers
- Bare Metal
- Cloud Foundry
- Kubernetes
- Watson AI
- Blockchain
- Databases
- Terraform
Both cover
- API Gateway
- 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 IBM Cloud
- API backends behind API Gatewaynot IBM Cloud
- Processing S3, DynamoDB, SQS and Kinesis eventsnot IBM Cloud
- Scheduled jobs without a always-on instancenot IBM Cloud
- Edge compute through Lambda@Edgenot IBM Cloud
IBM Cloud
- Running containerized and VM workloads on IBM's public cloudnot Lambda (AWS Serverless)
- Building on Watson APIs and IBM middleware as managed servicesnot 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
IBM Cloud
- The USD 200 starter cloud credit is valid for 30 days only
- The larger promotional credits are time boxed: USD 1,000 for Bare Metal Servers for VPC over 120 days, USD 2,500 for Power Virtual Server over 90 days, and USD 5,000 for Backup and Recovery over 90 days
- The USD 5,000 Backup and Recovery promotion is valid for new clients only and requires a checkout promo code
- The listed promotions carry an expiry date of 31 December 2026
- Beyond the free tier the account is pay as you go, so cost tracks usage with no published cap
Pricing, plan by plan
Lambda (AWS Serverless)
Free- Free TierFree
- 1M free requests/month
- 400,000 GB-seconds/month
- Always free
IBM Cloud
Free- Lite PlanFree
- Free services
- Limited resources
- 30-day trial
- Standard PlanFree
- Pay-as-you-go
- Enterprise support
- Advanced services
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 IBM Cloud if
- You need virtual servers.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Linux, Windows, Api, Cli.
- You also want bare metal.
Questions people ask
- Is Lambda (AWS Serverless) or IBM Cloud better?
- Neither clearly leads. Lambda (AWS Serverless) starts at Free and IBM 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 IBM Cloud?
- Lambda (AWS Serverless) starts at Free and IBM Cloud at Free.
- Does Lambda (AWS Serverless) or IBM Cloud run on more platforms?
- Lambda (AWS Serverless) runs on Web, Api. IBM Cloud runs on Linux, Windows, 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 IBM Cloud is typically brought in for.
- What can Lambda (AWS Serverless) do that IBM Cloud cannot?
- Lambda (AWS Serverless) covers Function-as-a-Service, Event-driven execution, Auto-scaling, Pay-per-use. IBM Cloud covers Virtual Servers, Bare Metal, Cloud Foundry, Kubernetes. Both handle API Gateway, Cloud deployment.