Cloud & Infrastructure · head to head
Lambda (AWS Serverless) vs Microsoft Azure
Lambda (AWS Serverless)
Cloud & Infrastructure
Run code without thinking about servers
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Microsoft Azure
Cloud & Infrastructure
Open and flexible cloud services
- 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; Microsoft Azure the 12 months of free services is available only to new customers who have not previously had an Azure account or received 12 months of free services
- They diverge on capability: Lambda (AWS Serverless) covers Function-as-a-Service, Microsoft Azure covers Virtual Machines.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Lambda (AWS Serverless) and Microsoft Azure actually diverge.
| Attribute | Lambda (AWS Serverless) | Microsoft Azure |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Web, Api | Web, Api, Desktop, Mobile |
| Founded | 2014 | 2010 |
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 Microsoft Azure
- Virtual Machines
- App Service
- SQL Database
- Blob Storage
- Azure Cosmos DB
- Functions
- Service Fabric
- API Management
Both cover
- 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 Microsoft Azure
- API backends behind API Gatewaynot Microsoft Azure
- Processing S3, DynamoDB, SQS and Kinesis eventsnot Microsoft Azure
- Scheduled jobs without a always-on instancenot Microsoft Azure
- Edge compute through Lambda@Edgenot Microsoft Azure
Microsoft Azure
- Running Windows and Linux workloads, databases and AI services on Microsoft's cloudnot Lambda (AWS Serverless)
- Extending on-premises Active Directory and Microsoft 365 estates into cloud infrastructurenot 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
Microsoft Azure
- The 12 months of free services is available only to new customers who have not previously had an Azure account or received 12 months of free services
- The 12 months free offer is not available to customers who sign up directly for pay as you go in China and India
- Customers who try Azure free must move to pay as you go within 30 days to keep receiving the 12 months of free services
- Free services are capped at specified monthly amounts, and only some of them are always free
Pricing, plan by plan
Lambda (AWS Serverless)
Free- Free TierFree
- 1M free requests/month
- 400,000 GB-seconds/month
- Always free
Microsoft Azure
Free- Free AccountFree
- $200 credit for 30 days
- Popular services 12 months free
- 40+ services always free
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 Microsoft Azure if
- You need virtual machines.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Api, Desktop, Mobile.
- You also want app service.
Questions people ask
- Is Lambda (AWS Serverless) or Microsoft Azure better?
- Neither clearly leads. Lambda (AWS Serverless) starts at Free and Microsoft Azure at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Lambda (AWS Serverless) or Microsoft Azure?
- Lambda (AWS Serverless) starts at Free and Microsoft Azure at Free.
- Does Lambda (AWS Serverless) or Microsoft Azure run on more platforms?
- Lambda (AWS Serverless) runs on Web, Api. Microsoft Azure runs on Web, Api, Desktop, Mobile.
- 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 Microsoft Azure is typically brought in for.
- What can Lambda (AWS Serverless) do that Microsoft Azure cannot?
- Lambda (AWS Serverless) covers Function-as-a-Service, Event-driven execution, Auto-scaling, Pay-per-use. Microsoft Azure covers Virtual Machines, App Service, SQL Database, Blob Storage. Both handle Cloud deployment.