Lambda vs App Runner vs Fargate — Which One Should You Choose?

AWS offers multiple ways to run applications, but choosing the right one depends on your product stage, traffic, cost expectations, and how much DevOps you want to handle. In this blog, we simplify the differences so founders and teams can make the right decision.

🟦 1. AWS Lambda (Serverless)

Lambda is event‑driven, serverless compute. You don't manage servers, you only pay for requests, and it’s perfect for lightweight APIs and MVPs.

• Lowest cost
• No servers to manage
• Cold starts may affect performance
• Best for low–medium traffic

🟩 2. AWS App Runner

App Runner is managed containers with zero DevOps. Great for SaaS apps, predictable traffic, and AI workloads that need warm containers.

• No cold starts
• Simple Docker deployments
• Automatically scales
• Perfect for mid‑size apps and startups

🟥 3. AWS Fargate (ECS)

Fargate is enterprise‑grade container orchestration. You get full VPC control, scaling rules, and multi‑service architectures.

• Most scalable option
• Best for high traffic
• More DevOps compared to App Runner
• Great for large SaaS or enterprise

🎯 Summary Recommendation

• MVP / low traffic: Lambda
• SaaS / SME apps: App Runner
• Enterprise / heavy apps: Fargate

Still confused? We help founders choose the right AWS architecture based on budget, growth plans, and team size.