Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Apache Storm VS Google Cloud Functions

Compare Apache Storm VS Google Cloud Functions and see what are their differences

Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

Apache Storm logo Apache Storm

Apache Storm is a free and open source distributed realtime computation system.

Google Cloud Functions logo Google Cloud Functions

A serverless platform for building event-based microservices.
  • Apache Storm Landing page
    Landing page //
    2019-03-11
  • Google Cloud Functions Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-25

Apache Storm features and specs

  • Real-Time Processing
    Apache Storm is designed for processing data in real-time, which makes it ideal for applications like fraud detection, recommendation systems, and monitoring tools.
  • Scalability
    Storm is capable of scaling horizontally, allowing it to handle increasing amounts of data by adding more nodes, making it suitable for large-scale applications.
  • Fault Tolerance
    Storm provides robust fault-tolerance mechanisms by rerouting tasks from failed nodes to operational ones, ensuring continuous processing.
  • Broad Language Support
    Apache Storm supports multiple programming languages, including Java, Python, and Ruby, allowing developers to use the language they are most comfortable with.
  • Open Source Community
    Being an Apache project, Storm benefits from a strong open-source community, which contributes to its development and offers abundant resources and support.

Possible disadvantages of Apache Storm

  • Complex Setup
    Setting up and configuring Apache Storm can be complex and time-consuming, requiring detailed knowledge of its architecture and the underlying infrastructure.
  • High Learning Curve
    The architecture and components of Storm can be difficult for new users to grasp, leading to a steeper learning curve compared to some other streaming platforms.
  • Maintenance Overhead
    Managing and maintaining a Storm cluster can require significant effort, including monitoring, troubleshooting, and scaling the infrastructure.
  • Error Handling
    While Storm is fault-tolerant, its error handling at the application level can sometimes be challenging, requiring careful design to manage failures effectively.
  • Resource Intensive
    Storm can be resource-intensive, particularly in terms of memory and CPU usage, which can lead to increased costs and necessitate powerful hardware.

Google Cloud Functions features and specs

  • Scalability
    Google Cloud Functions automatically scale up or down as per demand, allowing you to handle varying workloads efficiently without manual intervention.
  • Cost-effectiveness
    You only pay for the actual compute time your functions use, rather than for pre-allocated resources, making it a cost-effective solution for many use cases.
  • Easy Integration
    Seamless integration with other Google Cloud services like Cloud Storage, Pub/Sub, and Firestore simplifies building complex, event-driven architectures.
  • Simplified Deployment
    Deploying functions is straightforward and does not require managing underlying infrastructure, reducing the operational overhead for developers.
  • Supports Multiple Languages
    Supports various programming languages including Node.js, Python, Go, and Java, offering flexibility to developers to use the language they are most comfortable with.

Possible disadvantages of Google Cloud Functions

  • Cold Start Latency
    Functions may experience cold start latency when they have not been invoked for a while, leading to higher initial response times.
  • Limited Execution Time
    Cloud Functions have a maximum execution timeout (typically 9 minutes), making them unsuitable for long-running tasks or processes.
  • Vendor Lock-In
    Heavily relying on Google Cloud Services can make it difficult to migrate to other cloud providers, leading to potential vendor lock-in.
  • Complexity in Local Testing
    Testing cloud functions locally can be challenging and may not fully replicate the cloud environment, complicating the development and debugging process.
  • Limited Customization
    Less control over the underlying infrastructure might pose challenges if you require specific customizations that are not supported by Cloud Functions.

Analysis of Google Cloud Functions

Overall verdict

  • Yes, Google Cloud Functions is a good choice for developers who need a reliable and scalable serverless platform. Its integration with the Google Cloud ecosystem and support for multiple trigger types make it a versatile tool for building applications quickly and efficiently.

Why this product is good

  • Google Cloud Functions is a serverless execution environment that allows you to run your code in response to events without the complexity of managing servers. It is known for its ease of use, scalability, and seamless integration with other Google Cloud services. The pay-as-you-go pricing model makes it cost-effective for applications with variable workloads. Additionally, it supports multiple programming languages, enabling developers to use their preferred technology stack.

Recommended for

  • Developers looking for a serverless compute solution.
  • Teams building microservices and event-driven architectures.
  • Organizations that prefer a pay-per-use pricing model to optimize cost.
  • Projects requiring automatic scaling to handle varying loads.
  • Developers wanting to integrate easily with other Google Cloud services.

Apache Storm videos

Apache Storm Tutorial For Beginners | Apache Storm Training | Apache Storm Example | Edureka

More videos:

  • Review - Developing Java Streaming Applications with Apache Storm
  • Review - Atom Text Editor Option - Real-Time Analytics with Apache Storm

Google Cloud Functions videos

Google Cloud Functions: introduction to event-driven serverless compute on GCP

More videos:

  • Review - Building Serverless Applications with Google Cloud Functions (Next '17 Rewind)

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Apache Storm and Google Cloud Functions)
Big Data
100 100%
0% 0
Cloud Computing
0 0%
100% 100
Stream Processing
100 100%
0% 0
Cloud Hosting
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using Apache Storm and Google Cloud Functions. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Apache Storm and Google Cloud Functions

Apache Storm Reviews

Top 15 Kafka Alternatives Popular In 2021
Apache Storm is a recognized, distributed, open-source real-time computational system. It is free, simple to use, and helps in easily and accurately processing multiple data streams in real-time. Because of its simplicity, it can be utilized with any programming language and that is one reason it is a developer’s preferred choice. It is fast, scalable, and integrates well...
5 Best-Performing Tools that Build Real-Time Data Pipeline
Apache Storm is an open-source distributed real-time computational system for processing data streams. Similar to what Hadoop does for batch processing, Apache Storm does for unbounded streams of data in a reliable manner. Built by Twitter, Apache Storm specifically aims at the transformation of data streams. Storm has many use cases like real-time analytics, online machine...

Google Cloud Functions Reviews

Top 7 Firebase Alternatives for App Development in 2024
Google Cloud Functions is a natural choice for those looking to migrate from Firebase while staying within the Google Cloud ecosystem.
Source: signoz.io

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Google Cloud Functions should be more popular than Apache Storm. It has been mentiond 48 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Apache Storm mentions (11)

  • Data Engineering and DataOps: A Beginner's Guide to Building Data Solutions and Solving Real-World Challenges
    There are several frameworks available for batch processing, such as Hadoop, Apache Storm, and DataTorrent RTS. - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago
  • Real Time Data Infra Stack
    Although this article lists a lot of targets for technical selection, there are definitely others that I haven't listed, which may be either outdated, less-used options such as Apache Storm or out of my radar from the beginning, like JAVA ecosystem. - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago
  • In One Minute : Hadoop
    Storm, a system for real-time and stream processing. - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago
  • Elon Musk reportedly wants to fire 75% of Twitter’s employees
    Google has scaled well and has helped others scale, Twitter has always been behind by years. I think the only thing they did well was Twitter Storm, now taken up by Apache Foundation. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Spark for beginners - and you
    Streaming: Sparks Streamings's latency is at least 500ms, since it operates on micro-batches of records, instead of processing one record at a time. Native streaming tools like Storm, Apex or Flink might be better for low-latency applications. - Source: dev.to / over 3 years ago
View more

Google Cloud Functions mentions (48)

  • Top 10 Programming Trends and Languages to Watch in 2025
    Serverless architectures are revolutionizing software development by removing the need for server management. Cloud services like AWS Lambda, Google Cloud Functions, and Azure Functions allow developers to concentrate on writing code, as these platforms handle scaling automatically. - Source: dev.to / 25 days ago
  • Exploring Serverless APIs: A Guide for Developers
    Google Cloud Functions bases pricing on Invocations, runtime, and memory with competitive free tier options. - Source: dev.to / about 2 months ago
  • Get Started with Serverless Architectures: Top Tools You Need to Know
    Google Cloud Functions Google Cloud Functions is a scalable serverless execution environment for building and connecting cloud services. It provides triggers automatically, with out-of-the-box support for HTTP and event-driven triggers from GCP services. There are two types of Google Cloud Functions: API cloud functions and event-driven cloud functions. The API cloud functions are invoked from standard HTTP... - Source: dev.to / 2 months ago
  • Stay Compliant, Mitigate Risks: Understanding AML/KYC as a technologist
    Ensure that the processing and throughput requirements of your AML/KYC solutions can handle appropriately sized volumes of data and transactions for your organization’s needs efficiently. A microservices architecture using tools like Docker or Kubernetes for proprietary systems can help to ensure scalability, allowing you to scale individual components as needed. Exploit load balancing and caching mechanisms to... - Source: dev.to / 11 months ago
  • Next.js Deployment: Vercel's Charm vs. GCP's Muscle
    Data-Driven Projects: Seamless integration with Google's data and AI/ML services (like Cloud Functions and Cloud SQL) streamlines development workflows for data-driven applications. - Source: dev.to / 11 months ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Apache Storm and Google Cloud Functions, you can also consider the following products

Apache Spark - Apache Spark is an engine for big data processing, with built-in modules for streaming, SQL, machine learning and graph processing.

Google App Engine - A powerful platform to build web and mobile apps that scale automatically.

Apache Flink - Flink is a streaming dataflow engine that provides data distribution, communication, and fault tolerance for distributed computations.

Salesforce Platform - Salesforce Platform is a comprehensive PaaS solution that paves the way for the developers to test, build, and mitigate the issues in the cloud application before the final deployment.

Google BigQuery - A fully managed data warehouse for large-scale data analytics.

AWS Lambda - Automatic, event-driven compute service