Comparisons

DenkOps vs AWS Lambda.

Lambda can scale from zero to enormous burst load and sits deep inside the AWS ecosystem. DenkOps takes the opposite trade: an always-on slot with no cold start, unlimited run time, a durable disk and flat pricing, better suited to steady APIs, workers and AI agents than to spiky, idle-most-of-the-time functions.

Start on DenkOps →
01 · The spec, side by side

Read the table.
Then pick.

SpecDenkOpsAWS Lambda
Max run timeUnlimited15 min per invocation
Persistent diskDurable /persist on every slotEphemeral /tmp; EFS needs extra config
Cold startNone (always-on slot)Present unless provisioned concurrency is paid for
Egress defaultBlocked by default, whitelist to allowOpen (VPC egress needs configuration)
Pricing modelFlat per slotPer request + GB-seconds
Agent / MCP focusMCP-first, deploy from Claude CodeGeneral-purpose FaaS
EU hostingEU regionsEU AWS regions available
Scale-to-zero & burst scaleAlways-on; no scale-to-zeroTrue scale-to-zero, massive burst concurrency, deep AWS ecosystem

That last row is the honest trade-off: Lambda's ability to scale to zero and burst to huge concurrency, plus tight integration with the rest of AWS, is a real advantage DenkOps doesn't try to match.

02 · Honest fit

Different traffic shapes,
different answers.

When DenkOps is the right choice
  • → You're running an AI agent loop or MCP server that needs to hold state or run past 15 minutes
  • → Your traffic is steady rather than spiky, so invocation billing doesn't buy you much
  • → You want a durable local disk without wiring up EFS or S3 for simple state
  • → You want one flat number on the invoice instead of request + GB-second math
When AWS Lambda is the right choice
  • → Your workload is idle most of the time and you want to pay close to nothing when it's not running
  • → You need to burst to very high concurrency for short spikes
  • → You're already deep in the AWS ecosystem and want tight integration with S3, SQS, EventBridge, IAM, etc.
  • → Each unit of work genuinely finishes in well under 15 minutes
03 · FAQ

Questions people
actually ask.

Is DenkOps a good AWS Lambda alternative?

Yes, for steady-traffic APIs, workers and AI agents that want no cold start and flat pricing instead of per-invocation billing. Lambda remains the stronger pick for true scale-to-zero or spiky workloads, or deep AWS ecosystem integration.

Does DenkOps scale to zero like Lambda?

No. A DenkOps slot is always-on, which is what removes cold start, but you pay for it whether or not it's handling requests. Lambda can scale to zero and cost nothing when idle, a genuine advantage for spiky or rarely-used workloads.

Is Lambda cheaper than DenkOps for low traffic?

For very low or bursty traffic, Lambda's pay-per-invocation model can be cheaper. As traffic grows steadier or higher, DenkOps's flat per-slot pricing becomes easier to forecast and can end up cheaper. It depends on your traffic shape.

Why use DenkOps instead of Lambda for an AI agent?

Lambda's 15-minute limit and cold start make it awkward for a long agent loop. DenkOps slots have no cold start, no runtime limit, a durable disk and flat pricing, while Lambda is unmatched for burst scale and AWS ecosystem depth.

04 · Next step

Try it on your own service.

Push what you already have and see how it runs on an always-on slot with a durable disk and zero-trust egress. If you're deploying an API or backend rather than an agent, start with API & backend hosting. Deploying an agent or MCP server instead? See deploy AI agents on DenkOps.

Start on DenkOps →
# any language, any framework
$ ls
main.py requirements.txt
 
› deploy on DenkOps
→ live at https://my-service.denkops.app
slot: always-on · /persist mounted · egress: blocked by default