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AWS Lambda vs Google Cloud Dataflow 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:
 

ROI

Sentiment score
7.4
AWS Lambda offers high ROI with low costs, automatic scaling, and pay-as-you-go pricing, enhancing development focus.
Sentiment score
5.6
Google Cloud Dataflow was appreciated for cost savings and time efficiency, though some considered its impact not fully assessable yet.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
7.1
AWS Lambda support receives mixed reviews, praised for enterprise plans but critiqued for response times and personalized cost concerns.
Sentiment score
6.6
Google Cloud Dataflow support varies, with users praising technical resolution but highlighting inconsistent response times and accessibility.
The fact that no interaction is needed shows their great support since I don't face issues.
Google's support team is good at resolving issues, especially with large data.
Whenever we have issues, we can consult with Google.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.8
AWS Lambda efficiently scales with traffic, integrates well with AWS, but may raise cost concerns at high volumes.
Sentiment score
7.3
Google Cloud Dataflow excels in scalability and efficiency, making it ideal for real-time data processing and dynamic needs.
I would rate how scalable AWS Lambda is a nine on a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 would be the lowest and 10 would be the highest level of scalability.
Google Cloud Dataflow has auto-scaling capabilities, allowing me to add different machine types based on pace and requirements.
As a team lead, I'm responsible for handling five to six applications, but Google Cloud Dataflow seems to handle our use case effectively.
Google Cloud Dataflow can handle large data processing for real-time streaming workloads as they grow, making it a good fit for our business.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.1
AWS Lambda offers stable, reliable performance with high availability, despite occasional latency issues, suitable for mission-critical applications.
Sentiment score
8.3
Google Cloud Dataflow is stable, reliably handles tasks, and benefits from automatic scaling, with minor issues on complex tasks.
I have not encountered any issues with the performance of Dataflow, as it is stable and backed by Google services.
The job we built has not failed once over six to seven months.
The automatic scaling feature helps maintain stability.
 

Room For Improvement

AWS Lambda requires improved integration, language support, performance, scalability, user-friendliness, and competitive pricing for enhanced third-party interoperability.
Google Cloud Dataflow needs better Kafka integration, improved error logs, reduced startup time, and enhanced Python SDK features.
Outside of Google Cloud Platform, it is problematic for others to use it and may require promotion as an actual technology.
Dealing with a huge volume of data causes failure due to array size.
I would like to see improvements in consistency and flexibility for schema design for NoSQL data stored in wide columns.
 

Setup Cost

AWS Lambda's pay-per-use pricing is cost-effective for small workloads, offering flexibility and savings over traditional servers.
Google Cloud Dataflow is praised for cost-effectiveness and scalability, offering competitive pricing influenced by pipeline complexity and company size.
It is part of a package received from Google, and they are not charging us too high.
 

Valuable Features

AWS Lambda offers serverless architecture, easy integration, auto-scaling, and cost-efficiency for developers prioritizing flexibility and quick deployments.
Google Cloud Dataflow offers seamless integration, multi-language support, scalability, and serverless data handling for efficient batch and streaming processes.
It supports multiple programming languages such as Java and Python, enabling flexibility without the need to learn something new.
The integration within Google Cloud Platform is very good.
Google Cloud Dataflow's features for event stream processing allow us to gain various insights like detecting real-time alerts.
 

Categories and Ranking

AWS Lambda
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
89
Ranking in other categories
Compute Service (1st)
Google Cloud Dataflow
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
14
Ranking in other categories
Streaming Analytics (7th)
 

Mindshare comparison

AWS Lambda and Google Cloud Dataflow aren’t in the same category and serve different purposes. AWS Lambda is designed for Compute Service and holds a mindshare of 19.4%, up 19.1% compared to last year.
Google Cloud Dataflow, on the other hand, focuses on Streaming Analytics, holds 6.0% mindshare, down 7.7% since last year.
Compute Service
Streaming Analytics
 

Featured Reviews

Andrew-Wong - PeerSpot reviewer
Convenience in deployment process with room for code preview improvement
Having a better preview would be helpful. Sometimes, if my Lambda code is too big, it can be inconvenient as I'm unable to see my code when it exceeds a certain size. AWS has a limit, like a three-megabyte limit, beyond which I cannot view or edit the code easily.
Jana Polianskaja - PeerSpot reviewer
Build Scalable Data Pipelines with Apache Beam and Google Cloud Dataflow
As a data engineer, I find several features of Google Cloud Dataflow particularly valuable. The ability to test solutions locally using Direct Runner is crucial for development, allowing me to validate pipelines without incurring the costs of full Dataflow jobs. The unified programming model for both batch and streaming processing is exceptional - requiring only minor code adjustments to optimize for either mode. This flexibility extends to language support, with robust implementations in both Java and Python, allowing teams to leverage their existing expertise. The platform's comprehensive monitoring capabilities are another standout feature. The intuitive interface, Grafana integration, and extensive service connectivity make troubleshooting and performance tracking highly efficient. Furthermore, seamless integration with Google Cloud Composer (managed Airflow) enables sophisticated orchestration of data pipelines.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
20%
Computer Software Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Educational Organization
6%
Financial Services Firm
17%
Manufacturing Company
12%
Retailer
11%
Computer Software Company
9%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

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?
The pricing of AWS Lambda is reasonable. It's beneficial and cost-effective for users regardless of the number of instances used.
What do you like most about Google Cloud Dataflow?
The product's installation process is easy...The tool's maintenance part is somewhat easy.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Google Cloud Dataflow?
Pricing is normal. It is part of a package received from Google, and they are not charging us too high.
What needs improvement with Google Cloud Dataflow?
I am not sure, as we built only one job, and it is running on a daily basis. Everything else is managed using BigQuery schedulers and Talend. However, occasionally, dealing with a huge volume of da...
 

Also Known As

No data available
Google Dataflow
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Netflix
Absolutdata, Backflip Studios, Bluecore, Claritics, Crystalloids, Energyworx, GenieConnect, Leanplum, Nomanini, Redbus, Streak, TabTale
Find out what your peers are saying about Amazon Web Services (AWS), Apache, Oracle and others in Compute Service. Updated: August 2025.
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