Serverless functions
AWS Lambda MicroVMs vs Azure Container Apps dynamic sessions
AWS Lambda MicroVMs map to Azure Container Apps dynamic sessions.
Both provide VM-grade isolation (Firecracker on AWS, Hyper-V on Azure) for running untrusted code, but they differ in lifecycle and state.
Side-by-side comparison
| Aspect | Amazon Web Services | Microsoft Azure |
|---|---|---|
| Service | AWS Lambda MicroVMs | Azure Container Apps dynamic sessions |
| Lifecycle | Launched June 2026. Available in 14 Regions as of Oct 22, 2026, on Arm64. | Generally available |
| What it is | Stateful Firecracker sandboxes for running user- or AI-generated code. Each has its own HTTPS endpoint (HTTP/2, gRPC, WebSockets), suspend and resume, and sessions of up to 8 hours. | Pools of Hyper-V-isolated sandboxes, either built-in code-interpreter sessions or your own container image, for running untrusted or AI-generated code with fast allocation. |
| Pricing model | Billed for MicroVM resources while running, at a lower rate while suspended. See the Lambda pricing page. | Code interpreter sessions are billed per session-hour. Custom container sessions are billed by the session pool's resource consumption. |
| Docs | AWS Lambda MicroVMs docs | Azure Container Apps dynamic sessions docs |
| Pricing page | AWS Lambda MicroVMs pricing | Azure Container Apps dynamic sessions pricing |
| Exams | DVA-C02 Retiring | AI-200 |
Key differences
- Lifecycle. MicroVMs are stateful, with suspend and resume, sessions up to 8 hours, and their own HTTPS endpoint (HTTP/2, gRPC, WebSockets). Dynamic sessions are allocated from a pre-warmed pool by session ID and reclaimed after a cooldown period.
- Images. MicroVMs launch from snapshot images built from your Dockerfile. Dynamic sessions offer a built-in code interpreter (Python, Node.js) or your own container image.
- Networking. MicroVMs have internet egress by default and VPC access through a Lambda Network Connector. Dynamic sessions offer optional network egress controls.
- See also Amazon Bedrock AgentCore Code Interpreter and Foundry agent tools for agent-specific code execution.
Pricing summary
Pricing models only. No prices are quoted because they change by region and over time.
- AWS
- Billed for MicroVM resources while running, at a lower rate while suspended. See the Lambda pricing page. AWS Lambda MicroVMs pricing →
- Azure
- Code interpreter sessions are billed per session-hour. Custom container sessions are billed by the session pool's resource consumption. Azure Container Apps dynamic sessions pricing →
Certification exam mapping
| Exam | Provider | Level | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| AWS Certified Developer – Associate DVA-C02 | AWS | Associate | retiring Being updated to DVA-C03. Registration for DVA-C03 opens Oct 27, 2026. Last day to take DVA-C02 is Nov 30, 2026. |
| Microsoft Certified – Azure AI Cloud Developer Associate AI-200 | Azure | Associate | current Back-end services, containers, and architecture for AI solutions on Azure. |
Relevance is based on each exam's published scope, not a line-by-line objective match. Check the official study guide.
Verification notes
- The MicroVM suspended-state billing and the Azure per-session-hour model are summarized from the pricing pages. Rates aren't quoted.
FAQ
What is the Azure equivalent of AWS Lambda MicroVMs?
AWS Lambda MicroVMs map to Azure Container Apps dynamic sessions. Both provide VM-grade isolation (Firecracker on AWS, Hyper-V on Azure) for running untrusted code, but they differ in lifecycle and state.
How does pricing compare between AWS Lambda MicroVMs and Azure Container Apps dynamic sessions?
AWS: Billed for MicroVM resources while running, at a lower rate while suspended. See the Lambda pricing page. Azure: Code interpreter sessions are billed per session-hour. Custom container sessions are billed by the session pool's resource consumption. Check the official pricing pages for current rates.
Which certification exams cover this topic?
AWS Certified Developer – Associate (DVA-C02) [retiring]; Microsoft Certified – Azure AI Cloud Developer Associate (AI-200).