Serverless Functions and Lambda Functions are often conflated in discussions, but they have distinct differences in strict terms:
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Serverless Functions:
- This is a broad concept referring to any type of function running in a serverless computing environment. Serverless computing enables developers to write and deploy code without managing servers.
- In a serverless architecture, developers focus solely on business logic code, while the underlying runtime environment, server maintenance, and scaling are managed by cloud service providers.
- Common serverless platforms include AWS Lambda, Azure Functions, Google Cloud Functions, etc.
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Lambda Functions:
- Lambda Functions are a specific service product of Amazon Web Services (AWS), a type of serverless computing service, but specifically refer to the implementation on the AWS platform.
- AWS Lambda allows you to run code in response to events, such as file uploads to AWS S3 or updates to DynamoDB tables, without worrying about server configuration or management.
- Lambda service automatically handles scaling for individual requests and charges based on the exact duration of function runtime, without requiring pre-purchased server capacity.
In summary, Serverless Functions is a general term encompassing functions across all serverless platforms, while Lambda Functions specifically refer to the AWS implementation of serverless computing.