Cloudflare Workers vs AWS Lambda: Complete Comparison Guide
Compare Cloudflare Workers and AWS Lambda on cold starts, execution time, edge computing, and cost. Discover which serverless platform best fits your use case.
Cloudflare Workers
Cloudflare Workers is an edge computing platform that executes code at over 200 locations worldwide. Built on V8 isolates (the same engine as Chrome), Workers offer 0ms cold starts and sub-millisecond startup times. The platform supports JavaScript, TypeScript, Rust, and Python, and integrates seamlessly with Cloudflare's ecosystem of KV Storage, Durable Objects, R2, and D1.
AWS Lambda
AWS Lambda is the pioneer of serverless computing and the most widely used Function-as-a-Service platform. Lambda runs in AWS regions and supports virtually any runtime (Node.js, Python, Java, Go, .NET, Ruby). With a maximum execution time of 15 minutes and deep integration into the AWS ecosystem, Lambda is suitable for both simple API endpoints and complex data processing pipelines.
Comparison table
| Feature | Cloudflare Workers | AWS Lambda |
|---|---|---|
| Cold starts | 0ms — V8 isolates start instantaneously without cold start | 100ms-10s depending on runtime, memory, and VPC configuration |
| Execution limit | Maximum 30 seconds CPU time (higher on paid plans) | Maximum 15 minutes per execution — suitable for long-running tasks |
| Locations | 200+ edge locations worldwide — code runs close to the user | 30+ AWS regions — configured per region |
| Runtimes | JavaScript/TypeScript, Rust, Python (via WASM) | Node.js, Python, Java, Go, .NET, Ruby, and custom runtimes |
| Ecosystem | KV Storage, Durable Objects, R2, D1, Queues, AI | Full AWS ecosystem: S3, DynamoDB, SQS, Step Functions, etc. |
| Pricing model | Free 100K requests/day, then $0.50/million requests | Free 1M requests/month, then $0.20/million requests + compute |
Verdict
Cloudflare Workers and AWS Lambda represent two fundamentally different approaches to serverless computing. Workers excel in edge computing with 0ms cold starts at 200+ locations — perfect for latency-sensitive endpoints and edge logic. Lambda offers the broadest functionality with any runtime, 15-minute execution time, and the full AWS ecosystem. For API endpoints and edge middleware, Workers is superior; for complex backend workloads and long-running tasks, Lambda is the better choice.
Our recommendation
At MG Software, we deliberately choose Cloudflare Workers when latency and global availability are crucial — think API gateways, auth middleware, and geo-routing. For more complex backend logic, we use Supabase Edge Functions or recommend AWS Lambda when deep AWS integration is needed. The combination of Vercel Edge Functions for frontend and Supabase Edge Functions for backend covers most use cases our clients have without the complexity of a full AWS setup.
Frequently asked questions
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