AWS Lambda
7.6/10AWS Lambda is Amazon's serverless compute service. It runs event-driven code without servers to manage and charges per request and per GB-second of compute.
Data last updated November 2026 · Our methodology
Overview
AWS Lambda runs code in response to events or HTTP requests, and AWS handles provisioning, scaling, and patching. It offers managed runtimes for Python, Node.js, Java, .NET, Ruby, Go, and Rust, and you can also deploy container images. Newer options include SnapStart, which cuts startup times for Java, Python, and .NET; durable functions, which add built-in retries and recovery for multi-step work; and Lambda Managed Instances, which run functions on EC2 instances that Lambda manages. Logs, metrics, and traces go to CloudWatch and X-Ray automatically. Extensions let you plug in third-party monitoring tools. Lambda is mainly used by developers and engineering teams already building on AWS, especially for APIs, data processing, and glue code between AWS services. Pricing is fully usage-based. In US East it costs $0.20 per million requests for event functions and $0.30 per million for web functions, plus about $0.0000166667 per GB-second on x86, with Arm cheaper. Each month 1 million requests and 400,000 GB-seconds are free. Provisioned Concurrency, SnapStart, extra ephemeral storage, and Managed Instances are billed separately. The SLA targets 99.95% monthly uptime per region and pays service credits if that is missed. The main limits are architectural: invocations stop at 15 minutes, memory tops out at 10 GB, and code plus layers must fit in 250 MB unzipped. Cold starts can add latency. Since August 2025, the initialization phase is billed, which can noticeably raise costs for Java or .NET functions with slow startup.
Our Rating
Who AWS Lambda is best for
Best software for DevelopersGood fit
It is a code-first serverless runtime that supports many languages and container images.
It holds SOC, HIPAA, PCI, and ISO certifications and offers a regional uptime SLA.
It scales automatically and integrates deeply with AWS services for event-driven backends.
The pay-per-use model and monthly free tier keep costs low at low traffic.
Less suited
It needs development skills and AWS knowledge to use well.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- The permanent free tier of 1 million requests and 400,000 GB-seconds a month makes low-traffic workloads nearly free.
- It scales automatically, and G2 reviewers often praise this.
- It triggers natively from other AWS services and sends logs, metrics, and traces to CloudWatch and X-Ray automatically.
- Functions run on dedicated Nitro-based compute, and the service holds SOC, HIPAA, PCI, and ISO certifications.
- SnapStart and Provisioned Concurrency give options for reducing cold-start latency.
Cons
- Each invocation is capped at 15 minutes and 10 GB of memory, so it does not suit long or heavy jobs.
- Function code plus layers is limited to 250 MB unzipped.
- Since August 2025 the initialization phase is billed, which raises costs for functions with slow startup such as Java or .NET.
- Reviewers say debugging is hard because they depend on logs in an abstracted environment.
- Costs can be hard to predict once third-party tools and architectural complexity are added.
Key Features
Not included
- Managed WordPress
- Dedicated Servers
- Shared Hosting
AWS Lambda Pricing
Free tier
- 1 million requests per month
- Does not cover Provisioned Concurrency
- 400,000 GB-seconds of compute per month
Pay as you go
- Lower GB-second rate on Arm
- $0.0000166667 per GB-second on x86
- 512 MB of ephemeral storage included
- $0.30 per million requests for web functions
- $0.20 per million requests for event functions
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Each month includes 1 million requests and 400,000 GB-seconds of compute. The free tier does not cover Provisioned Concurrency.
The SLA targets 99.95% monthly uptime per region. Credits are 10%, 25%, or 100% of Lambda charges depending on how far availability falls, and you must request them through AWS Support.
Up to 15 minutes per invocation, with up to 10,240 MB of memory.
Yes. Since August 1, 2025, AWS bills the initialization phase the same way it bills invocation duration.
Managed runtimes cover Python, Node.js, Java, .NET, Ruby, Go, and Rust. Container images can be used for any other runtime.
AWS states that Lambda is certified under SOC, HIPAA, PCI, and ISO, among other programs.
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