Softwr

Software · head to head

Lambda (AWS Serverless) vs Nginx

Lambda (AWS Serverless) logo

Lambda (AWS Serverless)

Software

Run code without thinking about servers

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Nginx logo

Nginx

Software

High-performance web server and reverse proxy

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; Nginx open-source nginx has no admin API for changing arbitrary config at runtime; dynamic reconfiguration requires editing the config file and reloading via 'nginx -s reload'
  • They diverge on capability: Lambda (AWS Serverless) covers Function-as-a-Service, Nginx covers High-performance web server.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Lambda (AWS Serverless) and Nginx differ
AttributeLambda (AWS Serverless)Nginx
Pricing modelusage-basedUnknown
PlatformsWeb, ApiWindows, macOS, Linux
Founded20142011

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 Nginx

  • High-performance web server
  • Reverse proxy
  • Load balancing
  • HTTP caching
  • SSL/TLS termination
  • Gzip compression
  • Rate limiting
  • Static file serving

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

Nginx

  • HTTP web server and static file servingnot Lambda (AWS Serverless)
  • Reverse proxy and load balancernot Lambda (AWS Serverless)
  • TLS/SSL termination (SNI, HTTP/2, HTTP/3)not Lambda (AWS Serverless)
  • Content cachingnot Lambda (AWS Serverless)
  • Kubernetes Ingress Controller backendnot Lambda (AWS Serverless)
  • TCP/UDP stream proxyingnot 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

Nginx

  • Open-source nginx has no admin API for changing arbitrary config at runtime; dynamic reconfiguration requires editing the config file and reloading via 'nginx -s reload'
  • No official built-in GUI or dashboard for management or live metrics in the open-source edition
  • Advanced capabilities such as active health checks, dynamic upstream reconfiguration without reload, and a full API gateway feature set are exclusive to the paid NGINX Plus product, not open-source nginx
  • No published list price for NGINX Plus on the current F5 product page; pricing requires contacting sales

Pricing, plan by plan

Lambda (AWS Serverless)

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

Nginx

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Web server
    • Reverse proxy
    • Load balancing

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 Nginx if

  • You need high-performance web server.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux.
  • You also want reverse proxy.
Nginx review

Questions people ask

Is Lambda (AWS Serverless) or Nginx better?
Neither clearly leads. Lambda (AWS Serverless) starts at Free and Nginx at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Lambda (AWS Serverless) or Nginx?
Lambda (AWS Serverless) starts at Free and Nginx at Free.
Does Lambda (AWS Serverless) or Nginx run on more platforms?
Lambda (AWS Serverless) runs on Web, Api. Nginx runs on Windows, macOS, Linux.
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 Nginx is typically brought in for.
What can Lambda (AWS Serverless) do that Nginx cannot?
Lambda (AWS Serverless) covers Function-as-a-Service, Event-driven execution, Auto-scaling, Pay-per-use. Nginx covers High-performance web server, Reverse proxy, Load balancing, HTTP caching.
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on Lambda (AWS Serverless)

More on Nginx

Keep looking

Other head to heads