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Google Cloud Functions VS what3words

Compare Google Cloud Functions VS what3words and see what are their differences

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Google Cloud Functions logo Google Cloud Functions

A serverless platform for building event-based microservices.

what3words logo what3words

Geocoding system for the simple communication of locations with a resolution of 3 m
  • Google Cloud Functions Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-25
  • what3words Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-12-11

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.

what3words features and specs

  • Precision
    what3words divides the world into 3m x 3m squares, providing very precise location information. This can be more specific than traditional street addresses and helpful in areas with limited addressing.
  • Ease of Use
    Three-word combinations are generally easier to remember and communicate than long strings of GPS coordinates, making it user-friendly for the general public.
  • Global Coverage
    what3words provides an addressing solution for the entire world, including areas that do not have formal street addresses or those that are difficult to map with conventional systems.
  • Integration
    The system can be easily integrated into various applications and services, such as delivery services, emergency response, and navigation apps, increasing its utility.
  • Language Support
    what3words is available in multiple languages, which helps in overcoming language barriers and can be a valuable tool for international use.

Possible disadvantages of what3words

  • Dependency on Technology
    To decode and use what3words addresses, an internet connection or the company’s app is generally required, which can be limiting in areas without robust technology infrastructure.
  • Privacy Concerns
    The precise nature of what3words could raise privacy issues, as it can pinpoint exact locations of residences or individuals if misused.
  • Proprietary System
    what3words is a proprietary system, which means users are dependent on a private company. This can lead to potential concerns about data ownership and longevity of the service.
  • Ambiguity in Pronunciation
    Certain word combinations may be difficult to pronounce or may sound similar to other combinations, leading to potential errors in communication.
  • Complexity in Error Correction
    A mistake in one of the three words could lead to an entirely different and possibly distant location. Unlike traditional addresses, there's less redundancy to aid in error correction.

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.

Analysis of what3words

Overall verdict

  • Overall, What3words is considered useful and innovative, particularly in scenarios where traditional addressing falls short. It offers significant advantages for navigation, delivery services, and emergency response. However, its adoption depends on industry uptake and user awareness, and it is sometimes critiqued for being a proprietary system.

Why this product is good

  • What3words divides the world's surface into 3m x 3m squares and assigns a unique three-word address to each square. This system provides an easy-to-remember way to specify locations precisely, especially in areas with no formal addressing or for delivering exact coordinates in emergencies or logistics.

Recommended for

    What3words is recommended for use cases such as logistics and delivery services needing precise locations, outdoor activities and adventure travel where traditional addresses are impractical, emergency services requiring quick and exact location data, and individuals or organizations operating in developing regions with poor address infrastructure.

Google Cloud Functions videos

+ Add

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

More videos:

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

what3words videos

+ Add

What3words navigation app reviewed

More videos:

  • Tutorial - How to use What3Words
  • Review - what3words in 2020 - Year in Review

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Google Cloud Functions and what3words)

Google Cloud Functions

what3words

Cloud Computing
100 100%
Cloud Computing
0% 0
Maps
0 0%
Maps
100% 100
Cloud Hosting
100 100%
Cloud Hosting
0% 0
Mapping And GIS
0 0%
Mapping And GIS
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 Google Cloud Functions and what3words

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

what3words Reviews

Best cycling apps 2023 | 21 of the best iPhone and Android apps to download
The What3words app takes a simple and unique approach to locating and navigating to specific places. What3words
Source: www.bikeradar.com
Best cycling apps | 18 of the best iPhone and Android apps to download
The What3words app takes a simple and unique approach to locating and navigating to specific places. What3words
Source: www.bikeradar.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, what3words should be more popular than Google Cloud Functions. It has been mentiond 125 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.

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 / 23 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

what3words mentions (125)

  • Japan Post launches 'digital address' system
    IBAN for home addresses. Yawn. Nothing beats the What Three Words system and would be much more fun if not routeable at scale. https://what3words.com/. - Source: Hacker News / 10 days ago
  • Reverse Geocoding Is Hard
    What 3 words (https://what3words.com/) solves this problem, but it doesn't seem to be popular. If anyone has experience, I would be curious to know why. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 month ago
  • Government report proves that we need to liberate the Postcode Address File
    Or we can just start using https://what3words.com/ and geolocation. I disagree with the report, I think it's feasible with a bit of creativity. The government also has this: https://www.data.gov.uk/dataset/091feb1c-aea6-45c9-82bf-768a15c65307/open-postcode-geo We could also start with an imperfect solution, offer it as a free API (maybe even self-hosted and communicating with other services p2p) and wait for users... - Source: Hacker News / 10 months ago
  • I Know What Your Password Was Last Summer
    Something to add to their list of common passwords is the What3Words database of locations https://what3words.com It's something like 50trillion sets of looks-random strings. That's quite a lot, but if the list could be narrowed very significantly to get some likely results by selecting locations in: 1) cities where a company is physically located 2) large capital & global cities 3) significant landmarks I see... - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • No rapid numbers on driveways
    I’m waiting for these guys to make a breakthrough here. Source: over 1 year ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Google Cloud Functions and what3words, you can also consider the following products

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

OSGeo - QGIS is a desktop geographic information system, or GIS.

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.

ArcGIS - ArcGIS software is a data analysis, cloud-based mapping platform that allows users to customize maps and see real-time data ranging from logistics support to overall mapping analysis.

AWS Lambda - Automatic, event-driven compute service

OpenStreetMap - OpenStreetMap is a map of the world, created by people like you and free to use under an open license.

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