Burst vs Alternatives
How does Burst compare to other ways of running background tasks? Here's an honest comparison to help you choose the right tool.
Burst vs Modal
Modal is a powerful serverless platform for ML and data workloads. It requires learning their framework and restructuring your code.
| Feature | Burst | Modal |
|---|---|---|
| Learning curve | None — run existing code | Framework + decorators |
| Code changes | None required | Must restructure for Modal |
| Deployment | Push from local repo | Framework-dependent |
| Best for | Quick background tasks | ML/data workloads |
| Target users | Developers, small teams | ML engineers, data teams |
When to choose Burst
Choose Burst if you want to run your existing code without learning a new framework. Choose Modal if you're building ML infrastructure and want their specialized tooling.
Burst vs AWS Lambda
Lambda is great for short-lived event handlers, but it times out at 15 minutes and requires AWS configuration.
| Feature | Burst | AWS Lambda |
|---|---|---|
| Max runtime | No limit | 15 minutes |
| Configuration | None | IAM, CloudFormation, SAM |
| Setup time | 1 minute | 30+ minutes |
| Cold start | Sub-second | Variable |
| Best for | Long-running tasks | Short event handlers |
When to choose Burst
Choose Burst for tasks that run longer than 15 minutes. Choose Lambda for short-lived event-driven functions within the AWS ecosystem.
Burst vs Self-Hosted (VPS)
A VPS gives you full control but requires setup, maintenance, and ongoing management.
| Feature | Burst | VPS |
|---|---|---|
| Setup time | 1 minute | Hours to days |
| Maintenance | None | Full server management |
| Scaling | Automatic | Manual |
| Cost model | Per job | Fixed monthly |
| Best for | Variable workloads | Always-on services |
When to choose Burst
Choose Burst if you want fire-and-forget execution without server management. Choose VPS if you need always-on services or want full control over the environment.
Burst vs GitHub Actions
GitHub Actions is designed for CI/CD pipelines triggered by repository events, not on-demand background tasks.
| Feature | Burst | GitHub Actions |
|---|---|---|
| Trigger model | On-demand CLI | Event-triggered (commits, PRs) |
| Max runtime | No limit | 6 hours |
| Use case | Background compute | CI/CD pipelines |
| Billing | Per job | Per minute |
| Best for | Ad-hoc long tasks | Automated workflows |
When to choose Burst
Choose Burst for on-demand background tasks you trigger from the command line. Choose GitHub Actions for automated CI/CD workflows triggered by repository events.
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