Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

AWS Lambda VS Databricks Runtime

Compare AWS Lambda VS Databricks Runtime and see what are their differences

AWS Lambda logo AWS Lambda

Automatic, event-driven compute service

Databricks Runtime logo Databricks Runtime

Cloud Platform as a Service (PaaS)
  • AWS Lambda Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-04-29
  • Databricks Runtime Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-16

AWS Lambda features and specs

  • Scalability
    AWS Lambda automatically scales your application by running your code in response to each trigger. This means no manual intervention is required to handle varying levels of traffic.
  • Cost-effectiveness
    You only pay for the compute time you consume. Billing is metered in increments of 100 milliseconds and you are not charged when your code is not running.
  • Reduced Operations Overhead
    AWS Lambda abstracts the infrastructure management layer, so there is no need to manage or provision servers. This allows you to focus more on writing code for your applications.
  • Flexibility
    Supports multiple programming languages such as Python, Node.js, Ruby, Java, Go, and .NET, which allows you to use the language you are most comfortable with.
  • Integration with Other AWS Services
    Seamlessly integrates with many other AWS services such as S3, DynamoDB, RDS, SNS, and more, making it versatile and highly functional.
  • Automatic Scaling and Load Balancing
    Handles thousands of concurrent requests without managing the scaling yourself, making it suitable for applications requiring high availability and reliability.

Possible disadvantages of AWS Lambda

  • Cold Start Latency
    The first request to a Lambda function after it has been idle for a certain period can take longer to execute. This is referred to as a 'cold start' and can impact performance.
  • Resource Limits
    Lambda has defined limits, such as a maximum execution timeout of 15 minutes, memory allocation ranging from 128 MB to 10,240 MB, and temporary storage up to 512 MB.
  • Vendor Lock-in
    Using AWS Lambda ties you into the AWS ecosystem, making it difficult to migrate to another cloud provider or an on-premises solution without significant modifications to your application.
  • Complexity of Debugging
    Debugging and monitoring distributed, serverless applications can be more complex compared to traditional applications due to the lack of direct access to the underlying infrastructure.
  • Cold Start Issues with VPC
    When Lambda functions are configured to access resources within a Virtual Private Cloud (VPC), the cold start latency can be exacerbated due to additional VPC networking overhead.
  • Limited Execution Control
    AWS Lambda is designed for stateless, short-running tasks and may not be suitable for long-running processes or tasks requiring complex orchestration.

Databricks Runtime features and specs

  • Optimized Performance
    Databricks Runtime is optimized for performing heavy data workloads, providing better performance compared to using open-source Apache Spark without specific tuning.
  • Built-in Integrations
    It includes built-in integrations with popular data storage and management services like Azure, AWS, and many other data ecosystem tools, making it easier to set up a data infrastructure.
  • Enhanced Security
    Databricks Runtime offers advanced security features including role-based access controls and encryption to ensure that data is protected while being processed.
  • Up-to-date Libraries
    It provides a set of libraries that are kept up-to-date with the latest versions and improvements, ensuring that users have access to the best tools for data processing and analytics.
  • Collaboration Features
    The platform facilitates collaboration among data teams with tools like notebooks that can be shared and collaboratively edited in real time.

Possible disadvantages of Databricks Runtime

  • Cost
    While Databricks Runtime offers many advanced features, they come at a cost, which can be a significant factor for smaller organizations or startups with limited budgets.
  • Complexity
    For users who are not familiar with cloud-based data platforms, setting up and managing Databricks can be complex and might require a steep learning curve.
  • Dependency on Cloud Provider
    Since Databricks relies on cloud providers like AWS or Azure, users are dependent on these services, which can introduce risks related to service availability and outages.
  • Vendor Lock-in
    Using Databricks Runtime can lead to vendor lock-in, where migrating to another platform might become challenging due to the proprietary features and integrations you rely on.
  • Resource Management
    Managing and optimizing resource usage in Databricks can be complex, and inefficient resource management can lead to increased costs.

AWS Lambda videos

AWS Lambda Vs EC2 | Serverless Vs EC2 | EC2 Alternatives

More videos:

  • Tutorial - AWS Lambda Tutorial | AWS Tutorial for Beginners | Intro to AWS Lambda | AWS Training | Edureka
  • Tutorial - AWS Lambda | What is AWS Lambda | AWS Lambda Tutorial for Beginners | Intellipaat

Databricks Runtime videos

Advancing Spark - Databricks Runtime 7 5 Review

More videos:

  • Review - Advancing Spark - Databricks Runtime 7 3 Beta Review
  • Demo - Databricks Runtime for Machine Learning Demo

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to AWS Lambda and Databricks Runtime)
Cloud Computing
94 94%
6% 6
Cloud Hosting
93 93%
7% 7
Developer Tools
92 92%
8% 8
Development
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare AWS Lambda and Databricks Runtime

AWS Lambda Reviews

Top 7 Firebase Alternatives for App Development in 2024
AWS Lambda is suitable for applications with varying workloads and those already using the AWS ecosystem.
Source: signoz.io

Databricks Runtime Reviews

We have no reviews of Databricks Runtime yet.
Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, AWS Lambda seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 274 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.

AWS Lambda mentions (274)

View more

Databricks Runtime mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Databricks Runtime yet. Tracking of Databricks Runtime recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing AWS Lambda and Databricks Runtime, you can also consider the following products

Amazon S3 - Amazon S3 is an object storage where users can store data from their business on a safe, cloud-based platform. Amazon S3 operates in 54 availability zones within 18 graphic regions and 1 local region.

Fission.io - Fission.io is a serverless framework for Kubernetes that supports many concepts such as event triggers, parallel execution, and statelessness.

Amazon API Gateway - Create, publish, maintain, monitor, and secure APIs at any scale

Nuclio - Nuclio is an open source serverless platform.

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

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