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What's the Difference Between AWS Local Zones and AWS Wavelength?

Compare AWS Local Zones and AWS Wavelength side by side — features, pricing, and ideal use cases to help you choose the right product.

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Comparisons
AWS Local Zones
AWS Wavelength
Category

Compute, Edge Computing

Compute, Edge Computing
Description

Infrastructure to deploy latency-sensitive workloads near end users

Deploy ultra-low-latency applications at the edge of 5G networks.
Best for
  • Media content creation
  • Real-time gaming
  • Live video streaming
  • Machine learning inference
  • 5G edge applications
  • Real-time gaming
  • AR/VR streaming
  • Connected vehicles
Key features
  • Low-latency compute
  • VPC extension
  • Multiple services available
  • Direct Connect support
  • Metro-area deployment
  • 5G carrier integration
  • EC2 instances at edge
  • VPC extension
  • Low-latency access
  • Multiple carrier support
Pricing model

Pay for underlying resources used

Pay for underlying EC2 and EBS resources
Free tier

No

No
Expert take

“Local Zones bring AWS infrastructure to metro areas for single-digit millisecond latency to end users. Deploy the same APIs and services without managing edge hardware.”
— Oleksii Bebych, re:Post Top Contributor [profile]

“Wavelength embeds AWS compute inside 5G carrier networks for single-digit millisecond latency. Use it for real-time gaming, AR/VR, and connected vehicle applications.”
— Riku Kobayashi, re:Post Top Contributor [profile]
Product page

Learn more about AWS Local Zones »

Learn more about AWS Wavelength »

When to use AWS Local Zones or AWS Wavelength

Use AWS Local Zones when:

  • Media content creation
  • Real-time gaming
  • Live video streaming
  • Machine learning inference

Learn more about AWS Local Zones »

Use AWS Wavelength when:

  • 5G edge applications
  • Real-time gaming
  • AR/VR streaming
  • Connected vehicles

Learn more about AWS Wavelength »

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