AWS Lambda vs Knative: What are the differences?

Introduction AWS Lambda and Knative are two popular serverless computing platforms that allow developers to run code without having to provision or manage servers. While both platforms provide similar functionality, there are several key differences between them. This article will explore these differences in detail.

1. Deployment Model: AWS Lambda follows a fully managed approach, where developers simply have to upload their code and the platform takes care of the rest. On the other hand, Knative is a Kubernetes-based platform that provides a more flexible and portable deployment model. It allows developers to leverage features of Kubernetes and deploy their functions anywhere, giving them more control over their infrastructure.

2. Vendor Lock-in: AWS Lambda operates within the AWS ecosystem, which means that developers are tied to the AWS infrastructure and services provided by Amazon. In contrast, Knative is an open-source project that can run on any Kubernetes distribution, providing developers with more options and avoiding vendor lock-in. This makes Knative a more attractive choice for organizations looking for multi-cloud or hybrid-cloud deployments.

3. Scaling: While both platforms support auto-scaling, AWS Lambda has a more fine-grained approach to scaling. It can scale individual functions independently based on the incoming workload, allowing for more efficient resource utilization. Knative, on the other hand, scales at the level of the entire container, which may result in over-provisioning or under-provisioning of resources depending on the workload.

4. Pricing Model: AWS Lambda charges based on the number of requests and the duration of execution, with different pricing tiers for different regions. Knative, being an open-source project, does not have its own pricing model. Instead, the cost of running Knative functions depends on the underlying infrastructure on which it is deployed, such as Kubernetes clusters, which may incur additional costs.

5. Event Sources: AWS Lambda provides a wide range of event sources, including HTTP requests, database updates, and file uploads, allowing developers to easily trigger their functions based on various inputs. Knative, being built on Kubernetes, also supports a variety of event sources but may require additional configuration to integrate with certain third-party services.

6. Maturity and Ecosystem: AWS Lambda is a mature and well-established service that has been widely adopted by organizations of all sizes. It has a robust ecosystem of tools, integrations, and community support. Knative, on the other hand, is a relatively newer project and may not have the same level of maturity or community adoption. However, it benefits from being built on Kubernetes, which itself has a large and active community.

In Summary, AWS Lambda and Knative differ in their deployment model, vendor lock-in, scaling approach, pricing model, event sources, and maturity/ ecosystem. These differences make each platform more suitable for specific use cases and requirements.