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Google Cloud Functions vs Knative

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Google Cloud Functions vs Knative: What are the differences?

Introduction

Google Cloud Functions and Knative are both serverless platforms that allow developers to deploy and run applications without dealing with underlying infrastructure. However, there are key differences between the two that distinguish them from each other.

  1. Platform: Google Cloud Functions is a fully managed serverless platform provided by Google Cloud, while Knative is an open-source platform that runs on Kubernetes. Google Cloud Functions is a more integrated and managed service, while Knative provides more flexibility and control over the underlying infrastructure.

  2. Supported Languages: Google Cloud Functions supports several programming languages, including Node.js, Python, Go, and Java. Knative, on the other hand, supports any language that can run on Kubernetes, giving developers a wider range of language choices.

  3. Scaling: Both Google Cloud Functions and Knative automatically scale applications based on incoming traffic. However, Google Cloud Functions provides automatic scaling out of the box, while scaling with Knative requires additional configuration and setup.

  4. Event Triggers: Google Cloud Functions provides built-in event triggers for various Google Cloud services, such as Cloud Storage, Pub/Sub, and Firestore. Knative, on the other hand, supports custom event sources through its eventing system, allowing developers to build more complex event-driven applications.

  5. Vendor Lock-in: Google Cloud Functions is a proprietary service offered by Google Cloud, which means that applications deployed on Google Cloud Functions are tied to the Google Cloud platform. Knative, being an open-source project, offers more portability and allows applications to be deployed on any Kubernetes-based infrastructure.

  6. Managed Services Integration: As part of the Google Cloud ecosystem, Google Cloud Functions integrates seamlessly with other services provided by Google Cloud, such as Cloud Pub/Sub, Cloud Storage, and Firestore. Knative, being a more generic platform, requires additional configuration and integration work to use managed services from different cloud providers.

In summary, Google Cloud Functions is a fully managed serverless platform provided by Google Cloud, while Knative is an open-source platform that runs on Kubernetes. Google Cloud Functions offers a more integrated and managed solution with built-in event triggers and easy integration with other Google Cloud services. On the other hand, Knative provides more flexibility, control, and portability by running on Kubernetes and supporting any programming language.

Decisions about Google Cloud Functions and Knative
Clifford Crerar
Software Engineer at Bidvest Advisory Services · | 9 upvotes · 70K views
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Google Cloud RunGoogle Cloud Run
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Google App EngineGoogle App EngineGoogle Cloud FunctionsGoogle Cloud Functions

Run cloud service containers instead of cloud-native services

  • Running containers means that your microservices are not "cooked" into a cloud provider's architecture.
  • Moving from one cloud to the next means that you simply spin up new instances of your containers in the new cloud using that cloud's container service.
  • Start redirecting your traffic to the new resources.
  • Turn off the containers in the cloud you migrated from.
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Pros of Google Cloud Functions
Pros of Knative
  • 7
    Serverless Applications
  • 5
    Its not AWS
  • 4
    Simplicity
  • 3
    Free Tiers and Trainging
  • 2
    Simple config with GitLab CI/CD
  • 1
    Built-in Webhook trigger
  • 1
    Typescript Support
  • 1
    Blaze, pay as you go
  • 1
    Customer Support
  • 5
    Portability
  • 4
    Autoscaling
  • 3
    Open source
  • 3
    Eventing
  • 3
    Secure Eventing
  • 3
    On top of Kubernetes

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Cons of Google Cloud Functions
Cons of Knative
  • 1
    Node.js only
  • 0
    Typescript Support
  • 0
    Blaze, pay as you go
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    What is Google Cloud Functions?

    Construct applications from bite-sized business logic billed to the nearest 100 milliseconds, only while your code is running

    What is Knative?

    Knative provides a set of middleware components that are essential to build modern, source-centric, and container-based applications that can run anywhere: on premises, in the cloud, or even in a third-party data center

    Need advice about which tool to choose?Ask the StackShare community!

    What companies use Google Cloud Functions?
    What companies use Knative?
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    What tools integrate with Google Cloud Functions?
    What tools integrate with Knative?

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    What are some alternatives to Google Cloud Functions and Knative?
    AWS Lambda
    AWS Lambda is a compute service that runs your code in response to events and automatically manages the underlying compute resources for you. You can use AWS Lambda to extend other AWS services with custom logic, or create your own back-end services that operate at AWS scale, performance, and security.
    Google App Engine
    Google has a reputation for highly reliable, high performance infrastructure. With App Engine you can take advantage of the 10 years of knowledge Google has in running massively scalable, performance driven systems. App Engine applications are easy to build, easy to maintain, and easy to scale as your traffic and data storage needs grow.
    Azure Functions
    Azure Functions is an event driven, compute-on-demand experience that extends the existing Azure application platform with capabilities to implement code triggered by events occurring in virtually any Azure or 3rd party service as well as on-premises systems.
    Firebase
    Firebase is a cloud service designed to power real-time, collaborative applications. Simply add the Firebase library to your application to gain access to a shared data structure; any changes you make to that data are automatically synchronized with the Firebase cloud and with other clients within milliseconds.
    Heroku
    Heroku is a cloud application platform – a new way of building and deploying web apps. Heroku lets app developers spend 100% of their time on their application code, not managing servers, deployment, ongoing operations, or scaling.
    See all alternatives

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