New study finds AWS Lambda cheapest serverless option
AWS costs up to 40% less than Azure for equivalent serverless workloads
A new research paper, 'Priceless: An examination of Serverless Functions-as-a-Service (FaaS) pricing models,' by Nnamdi Ekwe-Ekwe, provides the first comprehensive comparison of pricing across the three major cloud providers: AWS Lambda, Microsoft Azure Functions, and Google Cloud Functions. The 11-page report examines the evolving features and complex pricing models that have emerged since FaaS first launched a decade ago. By running equivalent workloads on each provider, the author quantifies the real cost differences developers should expect.
The study's key finding: AWS Lambda is the cheapest option overall for equivalent workloads, while Microsoft Azure Functions consistently ranks as the most expensive. Additionally, the analysis reveals significant intra-provider price variation across different geographic regions, meaning developers can often save by selecting a cheaper region. With serverless adoption growing, this pricing transparency is critical for architects and teams looking to minimize cloud spend without sacrificing functionality.
- AWS Lambda is the cheapest overall for equivalent FaaS workloads
- Microsoft Azure Functions is the most expensive across all regions tested
- Costs vary significantly by region within the same provider, offering optimization opportunities
Why It Matters
Developers can now make data-driven decisions to cut serverless costs by choosing AWS and cheaper regions