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AWS Lambda vs Amazon EC2 comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

Amazon EC2
Ranking in Compute Service
6th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
65
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
AWS Lambda
Ranking in Compute Service
1st
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.5
Number of Reviews
83
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Compute Service category, the mindshare of Amazon EC2 is 5.7%, down from 7.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of AWS Lambda is 21.0%, down from 23.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Compute Service
 

Featured Reviews

KatlegoMabila - PeerSpot reviewer
Offers customization and flexibility with great support
Scalability depends on whether the client wants to scale up or scale down. It decreases resources based on demand. The great aspect of scalability is the flexibility to allow business success to optimize resource solutions and cost efficiency. Another crucial aspect of scalability is auto-scaling. When you have the opportunity to auto-scale, it can't always be available for everything. If you have chosen to integrate with auto-scaling, it's marvellous and doesn't require additional effort. Auto-scaling gives you the edge by using the capacity you have efficiently, scaling up or down as needed. These flexibilities within the EC2 feature instances of AWS play a crucial role in helping me utilize AWS EC2 Intelligent efficiently.
Wai L Lin O - PeerSpot reviewer
A serverless solution with easy integration features
We use AWS Lambda because it provides a solution for our needs without requiring us to manage our infrastructure. With the tool, we only pay for the resources we use. Additionally, it is straightforward to implement and integrates with other services like API Gateway. The tool's serverless nature has had the most significant impact on our workflow. I find it particularly attractive because it eliminates the need for managing servers. In my previous experience, managing upgrades and updates was quite challenging. The solution's integration process with other AWS services was relatively easy. We primarily use AWS services such as EventBridge for scheduling processes and log management.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"EC2 has the typical advantages of using the cloud. It's easy to provision and set up."
"The most valuable features of Amazon EC2 are content delivery and adaptability."
"What I found most valuable in Amazon EC2 is that you only pay for what you use, versus an on-premise deployment that requires you to pay for the cost of the server. When it's on-premise, you'll need to meet more specifications and requirements, and the purchasing process even takes time. As Amazon EC2 is cloud-based, you'll only pay when you use the service."
"Amazon EC2 is really reliable and provides great flexibility."
"The most valuable feature is autoscaling."
"The greatest benefit of Amazon EC2 is its versatility, including the diverse range of servers available and the ability to connect to various resources."
"What we have found most valuable is that we have not lost stability in the program."
"Amazon EC2's most valuable feature I have heard from clients is easy provisioning. Provisioning is very quick and easy."
"The most valuable feature of this solution is the API Gateway."
"You can spin up anything instantly without any investment."
"AWS Lambda's most valuable feature is serverless architecture."
"Lambda allows you to focus on the code itself."
"We use AWS Lambda because it provides a solution for our needs without requiring us to manage our infrastructure. With the tool, we only pay for the resources we use. Additionally, it is straightforward to implement and integrates with other services like API Gateway."
"The solution is designed very well. You don't need to keep a server up. You just need some router to route your API request and Lambda provides a very well-designed feature to process the request."
"Lambda is trigger-based, which means it only activates when accessed, ensuring cost savings."
"It enables the launch of thousands of instances simultaneously,"
 

Cons

"One of the things that need to be looked into is the complex pricing, which is rather intense."
"If the solution was cheaper, if the price was less, it would be better."
"An area for improvement in Amazon EC2 is the cost because it's a bit higher than competitor pricing."
"I think the whole AWS stack is very disconnected from each other. in the .NET space, everything just works nicely together. In the AWS stack, there is a lot of head scratching."
"The solution is pretty expensive."
"In terms of improvement, they could build some client-side desktop tools that provide easier connectivity to Amazon."
"EC2 is a little expensive."
"The process of detaching EC2 instances to avoid billing could be less complex."
"There is room for improvement in user-friendliness. When comparing this solution to others it is not as user-friendly."
"AWS Lambda needs to improve its stability."
"The runtime could be improved. There are certain use cases where I need a Lambda function to run longer."
"Lambda's dashboard could be more user-friendly and customizable. I want the dashboard to have more information to quickly identify what functions and events are running. Also, we want to be able to add more trigger points, push notifications, and events."
"I have seen some drawbacks with certain integrations."
"The support team does not know how to implement and build the solution."
"The price in general could always be better."
"The product could make the process of integration easier."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"We are paying about $1,500 a month for one of the services."
"It's expensive, and it could be cheaper."
"EC2 pricing is somewhat transparent, in that AWS provides pricing for all instance types. However, the number of pricing options can be confusing."
"Pricing appears to be cheap, however, it is extremely difficult in calculating what something will cost."
"The pricing of this solution is variable. There is an open-source variant that is accessible via the public cloud, and then tiers that range in price depending on the level and amount of usage that is required."
"It is not an expensive solution."
"The solution has different pricing models, and its cost differs when you purchase it for one year or three years."
"The price can be improved."
"AWS Lambda cost is pretty decent."
"The solution's price is average."
"AWS Lambda is a very inexpensive solution. They charge for the number of times we run it. If you run AWS Lambda for one time, they charge around 50 cents or 25 cents for the use. I don't know the exact price, but it's less than a dollar."
"Price-wise, AWS Lambda is very cheap. It's not free, but it's not that expensive."
"The fees are volume-based."
"The price is expensive and is based on usage. The more users you have the higher the cost."
"Price-wise, AWS Lambda is a five out of ten."
"The price of the solution is reasonable and it is a pay-per-use model. It is very good for cost optimization."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
19%
Financial Services Firm
14%
Retailer
6%
Manufacturing Company
6%
Educational Organization
69%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Computer Software Company
4%
Manufacturing Company
3%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Amazon EC2?
The scalability and elasticity are helpful.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Amazon EC2?
I'm going to mention again that there is quite a bit of complexity within the pricing of EC2 instances. I'm just going to give it six out of ten since there are various standards, upfront and commi...
What needs improvement with Amazon EC2?
There is not much to be improved or enhanced. One of the things that need to be looked into is the complex pricing, which is rather intense. Sometimes, clients don't understand the structures. Thes...
Which is better, AWS Lambda or Batch?
AWS Lambda is a serverless solution. It doesn’t require any infrastructure, which allows for cost savings. There is no setup process to deal with, as the entire solution is in the cloud. If you use...
What do you like most about AWS Lambda?
The tool scales automatically based on the number of incoming requests.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for AWS Lambda?
AWS Lambda is cheaper compared to running an instance continuously. You only pay for what you use, making it cost-effective.
 

Comparisons

 

Also Known As

Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud, EC2
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Netflix, Expedia, TimeInc., Novaris, airbnb, Lamborghini
Netflix
Find out what your peers are saying about AWS Lambda vs. Amazon EC2 and other solutions. Updated: March 2025.
845,040 professionals have used our research since 2012.