Cloud & Infrastructure · head to head
IBM Cloud vs Lambda (AWS Serverless)
IBM Cloud
Cloud & Infrastructure
Enterprise cloud solutions from a trusted partner
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Lambda (AWS Serverless)
Cloud & Infrastructure
Run code without thinking about servers
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: IBM Cloud the USD 200 starter cloud credit is valid for 30 days only; 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
- They diverge on capability: IBM Cloud covers Virtual Servers, Lambda (AWS Serverless) covers Function-as-a-Service.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which IBM Cloud and Lambda (AWS Serverless) actually diverge.
| Attribute | IBM Cloud | Lambda (AWS Serverless) |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Linux, Windows, Api, Cli | Web, Api |
| Founded | 2013 | 2014 |
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 IBM Cloud
- Virtual Servers
- Bare Metal
- Cloud Foundry
- Kubernetes
- Watson AI
- Blockchain
- Databases
- Terraform
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
Both cover
- API Gateway
- Cloud deployment
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
IBM Cloud
- Running containerized and VM workloads on IBM's public cloudnot Lambda (AWS Serverless)
- Building on Watson APIs and IBM middleware as managed servicesnot Lambda (AWS Serverless)
Lambda (AWS Serverless)
- Event-driven functions without managing serversnot IBM Cloud
- API backends behind API Gatewaynot IBM Cloud
- Processing S3, DynamoDB, SQS and Kinesis eventsnot IBM Cloud
- Scheduled jobs without a always-on instancenot IBM Cloud
- Edge compute through Lambda@Edgenot IBM Cloud
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
IBM Cloud
- The USD 200 starter cloud credit is valid for 30 days only
- The larger promotional credits are time boxed: USD 1,000 for Bare Metal Servers for VPC over 120 days, USD 2,500 for Power Virtual Server over 90 days, and USD 5,000 for Backup and Recovery over 90 days
- The USD 5,000 Backup and Recovery promotion is valid for new clients only and requires a checkout promo code
- The listed promotions carry an expiry date of 31 December 2026
- Beyond the free tier the account is pay as you go, so cost tracks usage with no published cap
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
Pricing, plan by plan
IBM Cloud
Free- Lite PlanFree
- Free services
- Limited resources
- 30-day trial
- Standard PlanFree
- Pay-as-you-go
- Enterprise support
- Advanced services
Lambda (AWS Serverless)
Free- Free TierFree
- 1M free requests/month
- 400,000 GB-seconds/month
- Always free
Which should you pick?
Choose IBM Cloud if
- You need virtual servers.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Linux, Windows, Api, Cli.
- You also want bare metal.
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.
Questions people ask
- Is IBM Cloud or Lambda (AWS Serverless) better?
- Neither clearly leads. IBM Cloud starts at Free and Lambda (AWS Serverless) at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, IBM Cloud or Lambda (AWS Serverless)?
- IBM Cloud starts at Free and Lambda (AWS Serverless) at Free.
- Does IBM Cloud or Lambda (AWS Serverless) run on more platforms?
- IBM Cloud runs on Linux, Windows, Api, Cli. Lambda (AWS Serverless) runs on Web, Api.
- Can I use IBM Cloud for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is IBM Cloud best used for?
- IBM Cloud is most often used for running containerized and vm workloads on ibm's public cloud, building on watson apis and ibm middleware as managed services. Of those, running containerized and vm workloads on ibm's public cloud and building on watson apis and ibm middleware as managed services are not what Lambda (AWS Serverless) is typically brought in for.
- What can IBM Cloud do that Lambda (AWS Serverless) cannot?
- IBM Cloud covers Virtual Servers, Bare Metal, Cloud Foundry, Kubernetes. Lambda (AWS Serverless) covers Function-as-a-Service, Event-driven execution, Auto-scaling, Pay-per-use. Both handle API Gateway, Cloud deployment.