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Lambda (AWS Serverless) vs PostgreSQL

Lambda (AWS Serverless) logo

Lambda (AWS Serverless)

Software

Run code without thinking about servers

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
PostgreSQL logo

PostgreSQL

Software

The world's most advanced open source relational database

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; PostgreSQL requires manual scaling across multiple machines for very large deployments
  • They diverge on capability: Lambda (AWS Serverless) covers Function-as-a-Service, PostgreSQL covers ACID Compliance.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Lambda (AWS Serverless) and PostgreSQL differ
AttributeLambda (AWS Serverless)PostgreSQL
Pricing modelusage-basedUnknown
PlatformsWeb, ApiLinux, Windows, macOS, BSD, Unix
Founded20141996

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 PostgreSQL

  • ACID Compliance
  • JSON/JSONB Support
  • Full-text Search
  • Extensibility
  • Advanced Indexing
  • Partitioning
  • Replication
  • pgAdmin

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

PostgreSQL

  • Transaction processingnot Lambda (AWS Serverless)
  • Data storagenot Lambda (AWS Serverless)
  • Application backendnot Lambda (AWS Serverless)
  • Reportingnot Lambda (AWS Serverless)
  • Data analyticsnot 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

PostgreSQL

  • Requires manual scaling across multiple machines for very large deployments
  • Performance tuning requires deep knowledge of database internals
  • No built-in graphical admin interface; command-line tools are primary method

Pricing, plan by plan

Lambda (AWS Serverless)

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

PostgreSQL

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the PostgreSQL review.

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 PostgreSQL if

  • You need acid compliance.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, macOS, BSD, Unix.
  • You also want json/jsonb support.
PostgreSQL review

Questions people ask

Is Lambda (AWS Serverless) or PostgreSQL better?
Neither clearly leads. Lambda (AWS Serverless) starts at Free and PostgreSQL at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Lambda (AWS Serverless) or PostgreSQL?
Lambda (AWS Serverless) starts at Free and PostgreSQL at Free.
Does Lambda (AWS Serverless) or PostgreSQL run on more platforms?
Lambda (AWS Serverless) runs on Web, Api. PostgreSQL runs on Linux, Windows, macOS, BSD, Unix.
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 PostgreSQL is typically brought in for.
What can Lambda (AWS Serverless) do that PostgreSQL cannot?
Lambda (AWS Serverless) covers Function-as-a-Service, Event-driven execution, Auto-scaling, Pay-per-use. PostgreSQL covers ACID Compliance, JSON/JSONB Support, Full-text Search, Extensibility.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

PostgreSQL: Is PostgreSQL completely free?

Yes. PostgreSQL is completely free and open source with no licensing fees or restrictions on use.

Source
PostgreSQL: What platforms does PostgreSQL run on?

PostgreSQL runs on all major operating systems including Linux, Windows, macOS, BSD, and commercial Unix variants, and has been proven highly scalable managing terabytes to petabytes of data.

Source
PostgreSQL: What procedural languages are supported?

PostgreSQL supports stored functions and procedures in multiple languages including PL/pgSQL, Perl, Python, Tcl, Java, JavaScript, R, and Rust.

Source
PostgreSQL: What is ACID compliance in PostgreSQL?

PostgreSQL has been ACID-compliant since 2001, ensuring data integrity through atomicity, consistency, isolation, and durability guarantees for all transactions.

Source
PostgreSQL: Does PostgreSQL support JSON data?

Yes. PostgreSQL supports JSON and JSONB data types for storing and querying JSON documents, along with XML and other document formats.

Source
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