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AWS Lambda vs Apache NiFi comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

Apache NiFi
Ranking in Compute Service
8th
Average Rating
7.8
Number of Reviews
13
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
AWS Lambda
Ranking in Compute Service
1st
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.5
Number of Reviews
83
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Compute Service category, the mindshare of Apache NiFi is 8.0%, up from 7.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of AWS Lambda is 21.0%, down from 23.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Compute Service
 

Featured Reviews

Bharghava Raghavendra Beesa - PeerSpot reviewer
The tool enables effective data transformation and integration
There are some areas for improvement, particularly with record-level tasks that take a bit of time. The quality of JSON data processing could be improved, as JSON workloads require manual conversions without a specific process. Enhancing features related to alerting would be helpful, including mobile alerts for pipeline issues. Integration with mobile devices for error alerts would simplify information delivery.
Wai L Lin O - PeerSpot reviewer
A serverless solution with easy integration features
We use AWS Lambda because it provides a solution for our needs without requiring us to manage our infrastructure. With the tool, we only pay for the resources we use. Additionally, it is straightforward to implement and integrates with other services like API Gateway. The tool's serverless nature has had the most significant impact on our workflow. I find it particularly attractive because it eliminates the need for managing servers. In my previous experience, managing upgrades and updates was quite challenging. The solution's integration process with other AWS services was relatively easy. We primarily use AWS services such as EventBridge for scheduling processes and log management.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"The initial setup is very easy."
"It is highly effective for handling real-time data by working with APIs for immediate and continuous data extraction."
"The most valuable features of this solution are ease of use and implementation."
"It's an automated flow, where you can build a flow from source to destination, then do the transformation in between."
"Visually, this is a good product."
"The initial setup is very easy. I would rate my experience with the initial setup a ten out of ten, where one point is difficult, and ten points are easy."
"The most valuable feature has been the range of clients and the range of connectors that we could use."
"We can integrate the tool with other applications easily."
"The programming language and the integration with other AWS services are the most valuable features."
"Lambda is trigger-based, which means it only activates when accessed, ensuring cost savings."
"What I like best about AWS Lambda is that it's feature-rich, and I appreciate that. I also like that it's stable and supports many languages."
"The serverless computing feature eliminates the need to manage servers, provision, or scale."
"The solution is highly scalable."
"The automation feature is valuable."
"The main features of this solution are the ability to integrate multiple AWS applications or external applications very quickly and organize all of them. Additionally, it is easy to use and you can run various programming languages, such as Python, Go, and Java."
"The feature I found most valuable about Lambda is the fact that it's serverless."
 

Cons

"The quality of JSON data processing could be improved, as JSON workloads require manual conversions without a specific process."
"We run many jobs, and there are already large tables. When we do not control NiFi on time, all reports fail for the day. So it's pretty slow to control, and it has to be improved."
"The overall stability of this solution could be improved. In a future release, we would like to have access to more features that could be used in a parallel way. This would provide more freedom with processing."
"The use case templates could be more precise to typical business needs."
"There should be a better way to integrate a development environment with local tools."
"There are some claims that NiFi is cloud-native but we have tested it, and it's not."
"More features must be added to the product."
"I think the UI interface needs to be more user-friendly."
"Lambda has limitations on the amount of memory you can use and is not a good solution for long running processes."
"AWS Lambda should improve its compatibility with the language used to write the code."
"The setup was pretty complex because there were many steps. For me, it was complex because I was somewhat new at it. It could be easier for someone who has done it a bunch of times. I just found that it was a very dense user experience. There's a lot going on during setup."
"We don't have the inbuilt modules in AWS Lambda. If more modules were built into or integrated with AWS Lambda, that would help developers to code."
"AWS Lambda is a bit difficult to set up if someone doesn't know how to code."
"The runtime could be improved. There are certain use cases where I need a Lambda function to run longer."
"I would like to see more integration with other platforms."
"If it is a specific ETL process or a long-term one, then AWS Lambda is not a good option."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution is open-source."
"It's an open-source solution."
"I used the tool's free version."
"We use the free version of Apache NiFi."
"The price is expensive and is based on usage. The more users you have the higher the cost."
"AWS is slightly more expensive than Azure."
"Price-wise, AWS Lambda is a five out of ten."
"For licensing, we pay a yearly subscription."
"We don't need to pay for licensing to use Lambda."
"AWS Lambda is a cheap solution."
"The solution follows a pay-as-you-go licensing model, which results in cost savings."
"The pricing is on-demand and based on runs or times that are billed out monthly."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
17%
Computer Software Company
14%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Retailer
7%
Educational Organization
69%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Computer Software Company
4%
Manufacturing Company
3%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with Apache NiFi?
There are some areas for improvement, particularly with record-level tasks that take a bit of time. The quality of JSON data processing could be improved, as JSON workloads require manual conversio...
Which is better, AWS Lambda or Batch?
AWS Lambda is a serverless solution. It doesn’t require any infrastructure, which allows for cost savings. There is no setup process to deal with, as the entire solution is in the cloud. If you use...
What do you like most about AWS Lambda?
The tool scales automatically based on the number of incoming requests.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for AWS Lambda?
AWS Lambda is cheaper compared to running an instance continuously. You only pay for what you use, making it cost-effective.
 

Comparisons

 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Macquarie Telecom Group, Dovestech, Slovak Telekom, Looker, Hastings Group
Netflix
Find out what your peers are saying about AWS Lambda vs. Apache NiFi and other solutions. Updated: March 2025.
845,040 professionals have used our research since 2012.