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Azure Functions vs Express.js

Azure Functions logo

Azure Functions

Software

Event-driven serverless compute on Azure

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
E

Express.js

Software

Fast, unopinionated, minimalist web framework for Node.js

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Azure Functions consumption plan free grant is capped at 1 million executions and 400,000 GB-seconds of resource consumption per month per subscription, billed per GB-second beyond that; Express.js governed by the OpenJS Foundation with no vendor or paid tier, per expressjs.com; as open source software it has no pricing to compare

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Azure Functions and Express.js actually diverge.

Attributes where Azure Functions and Express.js differ
AttributeAzure FunctionsExpress.js
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote

Identical on both: starting price (On request), free tier (No), platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Azure Functions

  • Consumption plan free grant is capped at 1 million executions and 400,000 GB-seconds of resource consumption per month per subscription, billed per GB-second beyond that
  • The newer Flex Consumption plan's free grant is smaller still, at 250,000 executions and 100,000 GB-seconds per month
  • Premium plan avoids per-execution charges but bills continuously for allocated core seconds and memory regardless of invocation volume
  • Memory is rounded up to the nearest 128 MB and execution time to the nearest 1 ms for billing, so small overages round upward

Express.js

  • Governed by the OpenJS Foundation with no vendor or paid tier, per expressjs.com; as open source software it has no pricing to compare
  • Express.js provides only a thin layer of fundamental routing features by its own description, requiring separate middleware modules for functionality like body parsing, sessions or authentication

Pricing, plan by plan

Azure Functions

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Azure Functions review.

Express.js

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Express.js review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Azure Functions if

Nothing in the data separates Azure Functions from Express.js on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Azure Functions review

Choose Express.js if

Nothing in the data separates Express.js from Azure Functions on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Express.js review

Questions people ask

Is Azure Functions or Express.js better?
Neither clearly leads. Azure Functions starts at On request and Express.js at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Azure Functions or Express.js?
Azure Functions starts at On request and Express.js at On request.
Does Azure Functions or Express.js run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
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