AWS Lambda vs Heroku Postgres: What are the differences?

Introduction

AWS Lambda and Heroku Postgres are both popular cloud-based services that provide different functionalities. Here are the key differences between AWS Lambda and Heroku Postgres:

1. Deployment Model: AWS Lambda is a serverless computing platform where developers write and upload code, and the platform automatically provisions and manages the execution environment. On the other hand, Heroku Postgres is a cloud-based database service that serves as a fully managed PostgreSQL database. It provides a traditional deployment model where users need to provision and manage their database instances.

2. Scalability: AWS Lambda automatically scales the application to handle incoming requests, running code in parallel across multiple servers if required. It can handle large numbers of concurrent requests without the need for manual scaling. Heroku Postgres, as a database service, can handle horizontal scaling but requires manual configuration and monitoring for scaling up the database instances.

3. Billing: AWS Lambda pricing is based on the actual usage and execution time of the functions. Users are billed for the number of requests and the duration of code execution. On the other hand, Heroku Postgres pricing is based on the size and performance level of the provisioned database instances. Users pay for the allocated resources regardless of the actual usage.

4. Functionality: AWS Lambda focuses on serverless execution of code, providing a platform to run event-driven functions in response to various triggers. It supports various programming languages and enables developers to build scalable and event-driven applications easily. Heroku Postgres, on the other hand, is a fully managed PostgreSQL database service. It provides a wide range of database functionalities and features, including data storage, retrieval, and manipulation.

5. Vendor Lock-in: AWS Lambda is a service provided by Amazon Web Services (AWS), which means it is tightly integrated with other AWS services and can utilize the AWS ecosystem. This can lead to vendor lock-in, as migrating to another cloud provider can be complex. Heroku Postgres, although owned by Salesforce, can be used independently and can be easily migrated to other PostgreSQL-compatible database providers.

6. Management and Administration: AWS Lambda provides a fully managed environment where AWS takes care of server maintenance, security, and other management aspects. Developers only need to focus on writing code and configuring triggers. Heroku Postgres, as a managed database service, handles many management tasks like backups, high availability, and database upgrades, but users still need to handle certain administrative tasks like schema design and indexing.

In Summary, AWS Lambda is a serverless computing platform that focuses on executing event-driven functions at scale, while Heroku Postgres is a managed PostgreSQL database service that provides a traditional deployment model for PostgreSQL applications.