When you're building and deploying serverless applications, two names you'll hear often are AWS SAM (Serverless Application Model) and the Serverless Framework. Both are powerful tools designed to simplify the development and deployment of serverless apps, especially on AWS. But which one should you use—and when?
In this article, we’ll break down the key differences between AWS SAM and the Serverless Framework, explain how they work, highlight the pros and cons of each, and help you decide which tool fits your project best. Whether you're a developer just starting out or an engineering lead making architecture decisions, this guide will give you the clarity you need.
Understanding Serverless Deployment Tools
Before we dive into the comparison, let’s quickly understand what serverless deployment tools actually do.
When you build a serverless app—usually using AWS Lambda functions, API Gateway, DynamoDB, and other services—you still need a way to define how all these resources work together. Writing all that manually in YAML or JSON using CloudFormation is time-consuming and error-prone. That’s where tools like AWS SAM and Serverless Framework come in—they let you define, organize, and deploy your infrastructure as code, with less complexity and better structure.
What Is AWS SAM?
AWS SAM is an open-source framework created and maintained by Amazon Web Services. It’s built specifically to work with AWS, and it extends AWS CloudFormation by simplifying the process of defining serverless applications.
With SAM, you write your infrastructure and app configuration in a simple YAML file called template.yaml. For example, you can define a Lambda function, API Gateway endpoint, and DynamoDB table all in one place.
Here’s a basic example:
Resources:
HelloWorldFunction:
Type: AWS::Serverless::Function
Properties:
Handler: app.lambda_handler
Runtime: python3.9
Events:
HelloWorld:
Type: Api
Properties:
Path: /hello
Method: get
You then deploy the app using the SAM CLI commands like sam build and sam deploy.
Key Features of AWS SAM:
- Deep integration with AWS services
- Uses native AWS CloudFormation
- Built-in local testing and debugging (
sam local) - Supports CI/CD pipelines with CodePipeline or GitHub Actions
- Ideal for AWS-centric development
What Is the Serverless Framework?
The Serverless Framework is a popular open-source tool that helps developers deploy serverless apps to various cloud providers—not just AWS. It supports AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and more, making it a more flexible option if you're working in a multi-cloud environment.
With Serverless Framework, you also write your infrastructure in YAML using a serverless.yml file. The syntax is slightly different, but the idea is the same.
Here’s what it might look like:
service: hello-world
provider:
name: aws
runtime: nodejs18.x
functions:
hello:
handler: handler.hello
events:
- http:
path: hello
method: get
You use commands like sls deploy and sls invoke to manage deployments.
Key Features of Serverless Framework:
- Multi-cloud support
- Rich plugin ecosystem (over 100+ community plugins)
- Easy configuration and deployment
- Built-in monitoring and alerts (with Serverless Dashboard)
- Flexible and extensible for large projects
Comparing AWS SAM and Serverless Framework
Now that we know what each tool does, let’s compare them across key dimensions.
1. Cloud Provider Support
- AWS SAM is AWS-only. It’s deeply integrated with AWS services and doesn’t work with other clouds.
- Serverless Framework is cloud-agnostic. It supports AWS, Azure, GCP, and more.
Winner: Serverless Framework (for multi-cloud needs)
2. Ease of Use
- AWS SAM has a steeper learning curve for beginners, especially if you're not familiar with CloudFormation.
- Serverless Framework offers a smoother setup and more beginner-friendly syntax.
Winner: Serverless Framework
3. Local Development and Testing
- AWS SAM shines here. It supports local emulation of AWS services (like Lambda and API Gateway) with Docker containers. You can test functions offline using
sam local start-api. - Serverless Framework supports local development too, but it’s not as tightly integrated or accurate when mimicking AWS behavior.
Winner: AWS SAM
4. Plugins and Extensibility
- AWS SAM has limited customization. While it's reliable, it doesn’t offer a wide plugin ecosystem.
- Serverless Framework is highly extensible. You can install plugins for almost anything—logging, security, Webpack bundling, and more.
Winner: Serverless Framework
5. Deployment Speed
- AWS SAM uses CloudFormation directly, which can be slow, especially for large stacks.
- Serverless Framework is faster for iterative development and supports incremental deployments.
Winner: Serverless Framework (though newer SAM features like "guided deploy" are improving this)
6. Monitoring and Debugging
- AWS SAM relies on CloudWatch and X-Ray, which are powerful but require setup and manual work.
- Serverless Framework offers built-in monitoring with the Serverless Dashboard (free and pro versions), making it easier to track invocations, errors, and latency.
Winner: Serverless Framework (for out-of-the-box monitoring)
Real-World Use Cases
Let’s look at a few examples of when each tool makes more sense.
🟦 Use AWS SAM when:
- You are fully committed to AWS and want tight integration.
- You prefer native AWS tooling and security.
- You want to take advantage of AWS-specific features like IAM roles, Step Functions, or CodeDeploy.
- Your team is already using CloudFormation.
🟨 Use Serverless Framework when:
- You need multi-cloud support or plan to move services across providers.
- You want a faster and simpler setup for MVPs or prototypes.
- Your team values flexibility, quick iterations, and a large plugin ecosystem.
Pros and Cons Summary
| Feature | AWS SAM | Serverless Framework |
|---|---|---|
| Cloud Support | AWS only | Multi-cloud |
| Learning Curve | Moderate to steep | Beginner-friendly |
| Local Testing | Excellent | Good |
| Plugin Ecosystem | Limited | Extensive |
| Deployment Speed | Slower | Faster (esp. with incremental) |
| Monitoring | Manual setup (CloudWatch) | Built-in (Serverless Dashboard) |
| Best for | AWS-heavy, regulated apps | Rapid development, flexibility |
Final Thoughts: Which Should You Choose?
If you’re building on AWS and want to stay close to native tooling, AWS SAM is a strong choice. It’s secure, powerful, and constantly evolving with new features from Amazon.
But if you want speed, flexibility, and a great developer experience—especially in startups or smaller teams—Serverless Framework is hard to beat.
At the end of the day, both tools are excellent. The right one depends on your team’s experience, your project needs, and your long-term infrastructure goals.
Pro Tip: Use Both in the Right Context
Some teams even use AWS SAM for core infrastructure and Serverless Framework for microservices where speed and flexibility matter. It doesn’t have to be an either-or decision.
Final Words
Serverless development is growing rapidly, and tools like AWS SAM and Serverless Framework are making it easier to build scalable, event-driven apps. Choose the one that fits your flow—and don’t be afraid to experiment. The best way to learn is to try both and see what feels right for your team.
If you found this comparison helpful, consider sharing it with your team or bookmarking it for future reference. And if you want more guides like this, let me know!
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