evrtng functions vs. the Cloud Giants
How does Apache OpenWhisk on evrtng compare to AWS Lambda, Google Cloud Functions, and Azure Functions? Here's the honest breakdown.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature |
evrtng functions Apache OpenWhisk |
AWS Lambda Amazon Web Services |
Cloud Functions Google Cloud |
Azure Functions Microsoft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| // PRICING | ||||
| Requests | $0.20 / 1M | $0.20 / 1M | $0.40 / 1M | $0.20 / 1M |
| Compute (GB·s) | $0.0000167 | $0.0000166667 | $0.0000100 | $0.000016 |
| Free Tier (requests) | — | 1M / month | 2M / month | 1M / month |
| Idle cost | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 (Consumption) |
| Pricing model | Pay-per-use | Pay-per-use | Pay-per-use | Pay-per-use / Premium |
| // LANGUAGES & RUNTIMES | ||||
| JavaScript / Node.js | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Python | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Java | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Go | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| PHP | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Ruby | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Swift | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| .NET / C# / F# | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Rust | ✓ (Docker) | ✓ (custom) | ✗ | ✗ |
| ANSI C | ✓ (Docker) | ✓ (custom) | ✗ | ✗ |
| Custom Docker Runtime | ✓ Native | ✓ Container Image | ✗ | ✓ (Premium) |
| Total official runtimes | 11+ | 9 | 6 | 7 |
| // ARCHITECTURE & FEATURES | ||||
| Event-driven triggers | ✓ HTTP, MQTT, DB, Cron | ✓ HTTP, S3, SQS, DynamoDB… | ✓ HTTP, Pub/Sub, Firestore | ✓ HTTP, Queue, Event Hub |
| Action Sequences (chaining) | ✓ Native | ✓ Step Functions | ✓ Workflows (separate) | ✓ Durable Functions |
| Web Actions / HTTP endpoints | ✓ Built-in | ✓ via API Gateway | ✓ Built-in | ✓ Built-in |
| Max execution time | 5 min (default) | 15 min | 60 min (2nd gen) | 10 min (Consumption) |
| Max memory | Configurable | 10,240 MB | 16,384 MB | 1,536 MB |
| Cold start performance | ~100ms (Node/Python) | ~100–500ms | ~100–400ms | ~200ms–2s |
| Concurrent executions | Thousands | 1,000 (default, scalable) | 3,000 (regional) | Unlimited (Consumption) |
| Open Source platform | ✓ Apache OpenWhisk | ✗ Proprietary | ✗ Proprietary | ✓ Partially (host) |
| Self-hostable | ✓ Full control | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ via Docker |
| Vendor lock-in | Low (open standard) | High | High | Medium |
| CLI tooling | wsk CLI | aws CLI / SAM | gcloud CLI | Azure CLI / Core Tools |
| Local development | ✓ Docker / Minishift | ✓ SAM Local | ✓ Functions Framework | ✓ Core Tools |
// Data reflects platform capabilities as of 2025/2026. Pricing may vary by region and tier.
Where evrtng functions Stands Out
Most Languages
11+ official runtimes plus any custom Docker image. PHP, Swift, Ruby, Scala, Rust — languages other platforms dropped or never supported.
No Vendor Lock-in
Built on Apache OpenWhisk — an open standard. Your functions and triggers run anywhere OpenWhisk is deployed. Take your code and go.
Native Sequences
Chain actions into workflows natively with one command. No separate orchestration service (like Step Functions or Workflows) needed.
Flexible Triggers
HTTP, MQTT, database changes, cron, Kafka — connect to any event source without proprietary glue services.
Web Actions Built-in
Expose any function as a public HTTP endpoint with full control over response headers, cookies, and content type. No API Gateway required.
Battle-tested Core
Apache OpenWhisk was built by IBM, Adobe, and Red Hat. It powers production workloads at scale and is developed under the Apache Software Foundation.
Where the Cloud Giants Win
We believe in transparency. Here's where AWS, GCP, and Azure currently have an edge.
AWS Lambda
- 15-minute max execution time (vs 5 min default)
- Massive native integration ecosystem (200+ AWS services)
- VPC networking, Layers, and SnapStart for Java
- Up to 10 GB memory per function
Google Cloud Functions
- 2M free invocations per month (generous free tier)
- 60-minute timeout for 2nd gen functions
- Up to 16 GB memory per function
- Lower GB·s pricing ($0.0000100 vs $0.0000167)
Azure Functions
- Durable Functions for long-running stateful workflows
- Deep Microsoft ecosystem integration (.NET, VS Code)
- Premium plan removes cold starts with pre-warmed instances
- Strong enterprise support and compliance certifications
General Consideration
- OpenWhisk is more complex to self-host than hosted alternatives
- Smaller managed ecosystem — fewer native trigger integrations
- Community smaller than AWS/Azure but growing
- No built-in free tier on evrtng (pay from first request)
When to Choose evrtng functions
✓ Great fit if you…
→ Consider alternatives if you…
Deploy your first function today
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