AWS Firecracker vs Fission: What are the differences?

Introduction

In the realm of serverless computing, AWS Firecracker and Fission are two popular choices. Both offer unique features and functionalities that cater to different use cases. Below are the key differences between AWS Firecracker and Fission.

1. Architecture: AWS Firecracker is a virtualization technology that utilizes the KVM hypervisor to create lightweight microVMs for running serverless workloads. On the other hand, Fission is a serverless platform built on top of Kubernetes, providing a container-based approach to executing functions.

2. Scalability: AWS Firecracker is designed for high performance and scalability, capable of launching thousands of microVMs within seconds to handle bursty workloads efficiently. In contrast, Fission offers auto-scaling capabilities based on resource utilization metrics, allowing for dynamic scaling of function instances as needed.

3. Programming Language Support: Fission supports multiple programming languages such as Node.js, Python, Go, and Java for writing serverless functions, providing developers with flexibility in choosing the language that best suits their applications. In comparison, AWS Firecracker is language-agnostic and can run any workload that can be containerized.

4. Management Overhead: AWS Firecracker abstracts away the complexities of managing virtual machines by providing a lightweight and secure environment for running serverless workloads. Conversely, Fission requires the underlying Kubernetes cluster to be maintained, leading to additional management overhead in terms of monitoring, scaling, and updating the platform.

5. Integration with AWS Services: As an AWS native service, Firecracker seamlessly integrates with other AWS services such as AWS Lambda, API Gateway, and CloudWatch, making it easier for users to build serverless applications within the AWS ecosystem. Fission, while offering integrations with various cloud providers, may require additional configuration and setup to work seamlessly with AWS services.

Summary

In summary, while both AWS Firecracker and Fission cater to the serverless computing space, they differ in their architecture, scalability, programming language support, management overhead, and integration with AWS services. Each platform offers unique strengths and limitations, allowing users to choose the one that best aligns with their specific requirements.