Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

AWS Lambda VS PythonAnywhere

Compare AWS Lambda VS PythonAnywhere and see what are their differences

AWS Lambda logo AWS Lambda

Automatic, event-driven compute service

PythonAnywhere logo PythonAnywhere

Host, run, and code Python in the cloud: PythonAnywhere
  • AWS Lambda Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-04-29
  • PythonAnywhere Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-09-30

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.

PythonAnywhere features and specs

  • Ease of Use
    PythonAnywhere provides a user-friendly interface with pre-configured settings, which makes it simple for beginners to deploy and manage Python applications without the need to manage server infrastructure.
  • Integrated Development Environment
    It includes an in-browser code editor and Python console, making it convenient to edit and run code on the go without needing to install any software locally.
  • Affordable Pricing
    Offers various pricing tiers, including a free tier, which is very attractive for small projects, prototypes, and learning purposes.
  • Scalability
    Offers options to scale applications as needed, making it suitable for growing projects that may require additional resources over time.
  • Built-in Python Libraries
    Comes pre-installed with many common Python libraries and frameworks, saving users the time and effort of setting up dependencies.
  • Built-in MySQL Support
    Provides built-in support for MySQL databases, making it straightforward to set up and manage databases for your applications.
  • Automated Backups
    Includes automated backup features to help secure your data and provide peace of mind.

Possible disadvantages of PythonAnywhere

  • Limited Customization
    The pre-configured environment limits customization options, which may be a drawback for more advanced users who require specific configurations or installations.
  • Free Tier Limitations
    The free tier has significant limitations, including restricted CPU time and storage space, which can hinder more demanding applications.
  • Performance
    Shared plans might experience slower performance during peak times due to the shared nature of the infrastructure.
  • Lack of Root Access
    Users do not have root access to the underlying system, which can be a limitation for deploying certain types of applications or custom services.
  • Support Limitations
    While it offers community support and documentation, the level of professional support might not meet the needs of all users, especially those on lower-tier plans.
  • Limited Language Support
    Primarily focused on Python, which may not suit all projects, especially those requiring multi-language support.
  • Resource Constraints
    Lower-tier plans have stringent resource limits (CPU, RAM, storage), which can be restrictive for resource-intensive applications.

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

PythonAnywhere videos

Python Anywhere with pythonanywhere - Simplified Python VPS hosting

More videos:

  • Review - Deploy Python Flask App on Pythonanywhere.com
  • Review - PythonAnywhere in one minute

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to AWS Lambda and PythonAnywhere)
Cloud Computing
89 89%
11% 11
Text Editors
0 0%
100% 100
Cloud Hosting
88 88%
12% 12
Developer Tools
100 100%
0% 0

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 PythonAnywhere

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

PythonAnywhere Reviews

We have no reviews of PythonAnywhere yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, AWS Lambda should be more popular than PythonAnywhere. 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)

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PythonAnywhere mentions (55)

  • [Offer] I need someone to set up a webhook in my WordPress site and a Python server with listener + bot
    The website is already built. Each comment will have a reddit post URL, and the bot should leave a comment on that URL. We can use pythonanywhere.com for this to make it easiest. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Flask and web hosting
    If you are learning, use pythonanywhere.com as they specialize in python, and make setup easy. Only $5 a month. Start with a barebones flask app, get it to run, then follow a tutorial. Actually better to build the app locally, easier to test with IDE like Pycharm. Then upload to the net. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Redirecting client to my server via a external server
    Hello, I have a Minecraft server running on a Rpi with Paper. It works great and I use it to play with some of my friends. However, the server's public IP address often changes, meaning that I have to give my friends the new IP address daily. Being a programmer, I feel this could be automated. I don't want to buy a domain, so I want to try and setup a system where the server sends Its IP to my PythonAnywhere... Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Question Gallery WebApp Django or Flask?
    Hosting wise, I would reccomend pythonanywhere.com, combined with either https://imagekit.io or https://cloudinary.com. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Cheap Heroku alternative for PHP MySQL app
    So what is the best alternative? I have one Plotly Dash app on pythonanywhere.com where I spend 6 bucks a month so I don't want to spend anymore than 5 dollars per month on the PHP + MySQL. Source: about 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing AWS Lambda and PythonAnywhere, 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.

Heroku - Agile deployment platform for Ruby, Node.js, Clojure, Java, Python, and Scala. Setup takes only minutes and deploys are instant through git. Leave tedious server maintenance to Heroku and focus on your code.

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

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

DigitalOcean - Simplifying cloud hosting. Deploy an SSD cloud server in 55 seconds.

Google Cloud Functions - A serverless platform for building event-based microservices.