Cloud & Infrastructure · head to head
Linode vs Lambda (AWS Serverless)
Linode
Cloud & Infrastructure
Affordable cloud hosting and infrastructure
- 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: Linode linode.com/pricing returns a 301 redirect to akamai.com/cloud/pricing; the service is now sold as Akamai Cloud; 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: Linode covers Compute instances, Lambda (AWS Serverless) covers Function-as-a-Service.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Linode and Lambda (AWS Serverless) actually diverge.
| Attribute | Linode | Lambda (AWS Serverless) |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Web, Api, Cli | Web, Api |
| Founded | 2003 | 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 Linode
- Compute instances
- Object storage
- Block storage
- Kubernetes
- Managed database
- Load balancers
- Firewalls
- Private networks
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
- Cloud deployment
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Linode
- Running Linux virtual machines on hourly billed shared or dedicated CPU plansnot Lambda (AWS Serverless)
- Managed Kubernetes, block storage and object storage on a single cloud accountnot Lambda (AWS Serverless)
- Hosting workloads in a specific one of the listed global regionsnot Lambda (AWS Serverless)
Lambda (AWS Serverless)
- Event-driven functions without managing serversnot Linode
- API backends behind API Gatewaynot Linode
- Processing S3, DynamoDB, SQS and Kinesis eventsnot Linode
- Scheduled jobs without a always-on instancenot Linode
- Edge compute through Lambda@Edgenot Linode
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Linode
- linode.com/pricing returns a 301 redirect to akamai.com/cloud/pricing; the service is now sold as Akamai Cloud
- Charges accrue for any service on the account even when it is powered off, because RAM and network capacity stay reserved; only deleting the service stops billing
- Network transfer beyond the monthly allotment is billed from $0.005 per GB and the rate varies by region
- The Akamai Cloud pricing landing page shows no rates and directs visitors to regional pricing pages or sales
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
Linode
Free- Nanode 1GB$5/month
- 1GB RAM
- 1 vCPU
- 25GB SSD
- Linode 4GB$20/month
- 4GB RAM
- 2 vCPU
- 80GB SSD
Lambda (AWS Serverless)
Free- Free TierFree
- 1M free requests/month
- 400,000 GB-seconds/month
- Always free
Which should you pick?
Choose Linode if
- You need compute instances.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Api, Cli.
- You also want object storage.
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 Linode or Lambda (AWS Serverless) better?
- Neither clearly leads. Linode 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, Linode or Lambda (AWS Serverless)?
- Linode starts at Free and Lambda (AWS Serverless) at Free.
- Does Linode or Lambda (AWS Serverless) run on more platforms?
- Linode runs on Web, Api, Cli. Lambda (AWS Serverless) runs on Web, Api.
- Can I use Linode for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Linode best used for?
- Linode is most often used for running linux virtual machines on hourly billed shared or dedicated cpu plans, managed kubernetes, block storage and object storage on a single cloud account, hosting workloads in a specific one of the listed global regions. Of those, running linux virtual machines on hourly billed shared or dedicated cpu plans and managed kubernetes, block storage and object storage on a single cloud account are not what Lambda (AWS Serverless) is typically brought in for.
- What can Linode do that Lambda (AWS Serverless) cannot?
- Linode covers Compute instances, Object storage, Block storage, Kubernetes. Lambda (AWS Serverless) covers Function-as-a-Service, Event-driven execution, Auto-scaling, Pay-per-use. Both handle Cloud deployment, Web support.