Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

LocalStack VS AWS Shell

Compare LocalStack VS AWS Shell and see what are their differences

LocalStack logo LocalStack

LocalStack collects & analyzes the social media activity on every business in America. 

AWS Shell logo AWS Shell

An integrated shell for working with the AWS CLI. Contribute to awslabs/aws-shell development by creating an account on GitHub.
  • LocalStack Landing page
    Landing page //
    2020-07-22
  • AWS Shell Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-28

LocalStack features and specs

  • Cost Efficiency
    LocalStack allows developers to emulate AWS services on their local machine, reducing the need for constantly deploying to AWS during the development phase, hence saving on cloud service costs.
  • Development Speed
    By using LocalStack, developers can quickly test and iterate their cloud-based applications locally without the delay of deploying to a remote AWS environment, speeding up the development process.
  • Network Independence
    LocalStack can run entirely offline, meaning that developers are not dependent on internet connectivity while developing and testing AWS cloud services, which is advantageous in network-restricted environments.
  • Isolation
    Running services locally provides an isolated environment for testing, which minimizes the risk of affecting live resources or incurring costs due to accidental cloud service usage.
  • Integration
    LocalStack integrates well with various CI/CD systems, allowing for automated testing and development workflows with simulated AWS services.

Possible disadvantages of LocalStack

  • Service Limitations
    LocalStack does not support all AWS services; some of the less commonly used services may not be available or fully supported, limiting its applicability in certain scenarios.
  • Performance Discrepancies
    The performance characteristics of LocalStack services may differ from their AWS counterparts, which can lead to discrepancies in performance testing and benchmarking.
  • Setup Complexity
    Setting up and maintaining LocalStack can be complex due to dependencies, necessary configurations, and the need for continuous updates to stay in sync with AWS changes.
  • Feature Parity
    As AWS adds new features and updates existing services, it may take time for LocalStack to implement these changes, potentially lagging behind AWS in terms of features.
  • Scaling
    LocalStack is primarily for development and testing on a small scale. It may not replicate the scalability of AWS services, which could limit the feasibility of load testing.

AWS Shell features and specs

  • Interactive Environment
    AWS Shell provides an interactive command-line environment designed to help users interact more easily with AWS services. It enhances the user experience by offering features like auto-complete and command history.
  • Intelligent Recommendations
    The tool provides suggestions and documentation for AWS commands, which can be very helpful for both new and experienced users by reducing the time spent looking up documentation.
  • Command Completion
    AWS Shell supports inline command completion, which allows users to quickly access available commands and their options, improving efficiency and productivity.
  • Cross-Platform
    Being based on Python, AWS Shell is cross-platform and can be run on different operating systems like Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Possible disadvantages of AWS Shell

  • Outdated Repository
    The repository may not be actively maintained, leading to potential issues with compatibility with newer AWS SDK versions or missing features introduced in later AWS CLI releases.
  • Learning Curve
    Users who are accustomed to using the standard AWS CLI may need to spend time learning how to effectively leverage the interactive features of AWS Shell.
  • Limited Customization
    Compared to more advanced shell tools and integration features, AWS Shell may offer limited customization options for power users who wish to fine-tune their development environment.
  • Dependency on Python
    Since AWS Shell runs on Python, users need to ensure that Python is installed and configured, which could be a constraint for environments with strict software policies.

LocalStack videos

AWS LocalStack SQS - Installing AWS LocalStack

More videos:

  • Review - Serverless Localstack Lambda
  • Review - Serverless LocalStack Lambda API Gateway

AWS Shell videos

No AWS Shell videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

Add video

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to LocalStack and AWS Shell)
Developer Tools
63 63%
37% 37
Weather Apps
61 61%
39% 39
Weather API
100 100%
0% 0
AWS Tools
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, AWS Shell seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 4 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.

LocalStack mentions (0)

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

AWS Shell mentions (4)

  • 9 Ways to an EKS Cluster - Way 2 - AWS CLI
    While at it - I heartily recommend you to install aws-shell which boosts your aws cli productivity by providing graphical autocompletion, hints and shortcuts as shown in the image below. I only discovered it recently myself and it's definitely a game changer! - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • Starting to use AWS CLI at work. Need beginner tips.
    Aws-shell will improve your life :) https://github.com/awslabs/aws-shell. Source: over 3 years ago
  • My Most Loved AWS Developer Tools & Resources
    With aws-shell you're able to quickly run commands against any AWS API from your local terminal with great auto-completion. I use it very regularly and it reduces the need to jump to the documentation. You can find it on Github but can also install it easily via your favorite package manager like homebrew. - Source: dev.to / over 3 years ago
  • MTurk Requester Notify-workers fails with endpoint URL error
    If so the region config is explained here: https://github.com/awslabs/aws-shell#configuration. Source: almost 4 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing LocalStack and AWS Shell, you can also consider the following products

aws-cli - Universal Command Line Interface for Amazon Web Services

AWS Amplify - JavaScript library for app development using cloud services

Troposphere - Weather forecast and climate data APIs for developers

awless - A mighty command line interface for Amazon Web Services

Oh My Zsh - A delightful community-driven framework for managing your zsh configuration.

Blox - Your crypto assets in sync