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Cloud & Infrastructure · head to head

Lambda (AWS Serverless) vs Vercel

Lambda (AWS Serverless) logo

Lambda (AWS Serverless)

Cloud & Infrastructure

Run code without thinking about servers

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Vercel logo

Vercel

Technology

Develop. Preview. Ship.

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; Vercel usage-based pricing can spike unexpectedly during traffic surges or DDoS attacks
  • They diverge on capability: Lambda (AWS Serverless) covers Function-as-a-Service, Vercel covers Instant deployments.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Lambda (AWS Serverless) and Vercel differ
AttributeLambda (AWS Serverless)Vercel
Pricing modelusage-basedUnknown
PlatformsWeb, ApiWeb, CLI
CategoryCloud & InfrastructureTechnology
Founded20142015

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Vercel

  • Instant deployments
  • Preview deployments
  • Serverless functions
  • Edge network
  • Automatic HTTPS
  • Custom domains
  • Git integration
  • Real-time collaboration

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

Vercel

  • Static sitesnot Lambda (AWS Serverless)
  • JAMstack applicationsnot Lambda (AWS Serverless)
  • Serverless APIsnot Lambda (AWS Serverless)
  • E-commerce sitesnot Lambda (AWS Serverless)
  • Documentation sitesnot 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

Vercel

  • Usage-based pricing can spike unexpectedly during traffic surges or DDoS attacks
  • No spending limit controls or automatic shutoff mechanisms
  • Bandwidth costs ($0.15/GB) quickly accumulate for high-traffic applications

Pricing, plan by plan

Lambda (AWS Serverless)

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

Vercel

Free
  • HobbyFree
    • Non-commercial use only
    • 100GB bandwidth
    • Community support
  • Pro$20/user/month
    • Commercial use
    • 1TB bandwidth
    • $20 usage credit
  • Enterprise$null/custom
    • Custom infrastructure
    • Premium support
    • Compliance add-ons

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 Vercel if

  • You need instant deployments.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, CLI.
  • You also want preview deployments.
Vercel review

Questions people ask

Is Lambda (AWS Serverless) or Vercel better?
Neither clearly leads. Lambda (AWS Serverless) starts at Free and Vercel at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Lambda (AWS Serverless) or Vercel?
Lambda (AWS Serverless) starts at Free and Vercel at Free.
Does Lambda (AWS Serverless) or Vercel run on more platforms?
Lambda (AWS Serverless) runs on Web, Api. Vercel runs on Web, 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 Vercel is typically brought in for.
What can Lambda (AWS Serverless) do that Vercel cannot?
Lambda (AWS Serverless) covers Function-as-a-Service, Event-driven execution, Auto-scaling, Pay-per-use. Vercel covers Instant deployments, Preview deployments, Serverless functions, Edge network.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Vercel: What are Vercel's main pricing tiers?

Vercel offers a free Hobby plan (non-commercial), Pro at $20/user/month with $20 usage credit, and Enterprise with custom pricing. Additional compliance add-ons cost $150-$350/month.

Source
Vercel: How much do bandwidth overages cost on Vercel?

Bandwidth overages cost $0.15/GB after plan limits are exceeded. Hobby plan includes 100GB free bandwidth; Pro includes 1TB. Usage-based billing can cause unexpected bills.

Source
Vercel: Is Vercel free for Next.js projects?

Yes, Vercel offers a free Hobby plan for non-commercial Next.js projects with automatic deployments from git. Commercial projects require Pro plan or higher.

Source
Vercel: Can I set spending limits on Vercel?

No, Vercel does not offer hard spending caps or automatic shutoff. High traffic, DDoS attacks, or misconfigured functions can result in unexpectedly large bills.

Source
Vercel: What is included in the Pro plan?

Pro ($20/user/month) includes $20 usage credit, 1TB bandwidth, support for commercial projects, git integration, and preview deployments.

Source
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