eventbridge vs sns


Amazon EventBridge and Amazon Simple Notification Service (SNS) are both AWS services that facilitate event-driven architectures and messaging, but they have different use cases and characteristics. Let’s compare Amazon EventBridge and Amazon SNS:

Amazon EventBridge:

  1. Service Type:

    • Event Bus Service: Amazon EventBridge is a fully managed event bus service that simplifies the development of event-driven architectures.
  2. Event Patterns:

    • Event Patterns: EventBridge supports event patterns and rules that allow you to route events from different sources to different targets (e.g., Lambda functions, SQS queues, SNS topics).
  3. Integration with AWS Services:

    • AWS Services Integration: EventBridge integrates seamlessly with various AWS services, allowing you to ingest events from services like AWS CloudTrail, AWS S3, and custom applications.
  4. Schema Registry:

    • Schema Registry: EventBridge includes a schema registry that enables you to enforce event schemas and discover the structure of events.
  5. Cross-Account and Cross-Region:

    • Cross-Account and Cross-Region: EventBridge supports cross-account and cross-region event routing.

Amazon Simple Notification Service (SNS):

  1. Service Type:

    • Pub/Sub Messaging Service: Amazon SNS is a fully managed pub/sub messaging service that allows the distribution of messages to a distributed set of subscribers.
  2. Message Topics:

    • Topics: SNS uses topics to which subscribers (e.g., endpoints, Lambda functions, SQS queues) can subscribe. Messages published to a topic are delivered to all subscribers.
  3. Fanout and Multicast:

    • Fanout and Multicast: SNS enables fanout and multicast scenarios where a single message can be sent to multiple subscribers.
  4. Message Filtering:

    • Message Filtering: SNS supports message filtering, allowing subscribers to receive only messages of interest.
  5. Cross-Account:

    • Cross-Account: SNS supports cross-account messaging, allowing topics to be accessed across AWS accounts.

Choosing Between EventBridge and SNS:

  • Event-Driven Architecture:

    • EventBridge: Suited for building event-driven architectures with rich event patterns and integrations with various AWS services.
    • SNS: Suited for pub/sub messaging scenarios where messages are sent to multiple subscribers.
  • Event Routing:

    • EventBridge: Provides a more sophisticated event routing mechanism with event patterns and rules.
    • SNS: Offers pub/sub messaging with topics and the ability to filter messages based on attributes.
  • Integration with AWS Services:

    • EventBridge: Integrates with various AWS services, including built-in support for events from AWS services.
    • SNS: Works well as a generic pub/sub messaging service and can be used for various scenarios.
  • Message Filtering:

    • EventBridge: Enforces event schemas with a schema registry but does not offer built-in message filtering like SNS.
    • SNS: Supports message filtering, allowing subscribers to receive only messages of interest.
  • Cross-Account Access:

    • EventBridge: Supports cross-account and cross-region event routing.
    • SNS: Supports cross-account messaging, allowing topics to be accessed across AWS accounts.
  • Use Cases:

    • EventBridge: Well-suited for building event-driven applications, especially those that require rich event routing and integration with AWS services.
    • SNS: Well-suited for scenarios where you need to broadcast messages to multiple subscribers, and where message filtering based on attributes is important.

In summary, the choice between Amazon EventBridge and Amazon SNS depends on your specific requirements and the nature of your application. EventBridge is particularly powerful for event-driven architectures with sophisticated event routing, while SNS excels in providing a flexible pub/sub messaging service for scenarios with multiple subscribers and message filtering needs.


AWS EventBridge and AWS Simple Notification Service (SNS) are both messaging services that can be used to send and receive messages. However, there are some key differences between the two services.

EventBridge is a serverless event bus that allows you to connect different AWS services and SaaS applications. EventBridge can be used to send and receive events from a variety of sources, such as DynamoDB, S3, and CloudWatch.

SNS is a fully managed messaging service that allows you to send and receive messages to and from applications and devices. SNS can be used to send notifications, send alerts, and deliver messages to mobile devices.

Here is a table comparing EventBridge and SNS:

FeatureEventBridgeSNS
Type of serviceEvent busMessage queue
Event sourcesDynamoDB, S3, CloudWatch, and other AWS servicesApplications and devices
Event typesCustom events, scheduled events, and stream eventsCustom events
Message deliveryAt-least-once deliveryAt-least-once delivery
Message retentionUp to 365 daysUp to 14 days
ScalabilityScalable to millions of events per secondScalable to millions of messages per second
CostPay-as-you-goPay-as-you-go

Which service should you choose?

If you need to connect different AWS services and SaaS applications, then EventBridge is a good choice. EventBridge is a good choice for applications that need to be event-driven and that need to be able to scale to millions of events per second.

If you need to send and receive messages to and from applications and devices, then SNS is a good choice. SNS is a good choice for applications that need to send notifications, send alerts, and deliver messages to mobile devices.

Here are some specific use cases for each service:

  • EventBridge:
    • Sending and receiving events from different AWS services
    • Building event-driven applications
    • Connecting SaaS applications
  • SNS:
    • Sending notifications
    • Sending alerts
    • Delivering messages to mobile devices

Ultimately, the best way to choose between EventBridge and SNS is to consider your specific needs and requirements. If you are not sure which service is right for you, then you can try both services and see which one works better for your needs.

Here are some additional things to keep in mind:

  • EventBridge is more expensive than SNS for small applications. This is because EventBridge charges a minimum fee, even if you are not sending or receiving any events. SNS does not charge a minimum fee.
  • EventBridge can be more difficult to use than SNS. This is because EventBridge requires you to have more knowledge of AWS services and event-driven architectures.
  • SNS is more flexible than EventBridge. This is because SNS allows you to control the message delivery and retention policies.

If you are not sure which service is right for you, then you can start with SNS and then switch to EventBridge if you need more features or flexibility.

Additionally, the following table summarizes the key differences between EventBridge and SNS:

FeatureEventBridgeSNS
Event sourceAWS services and SaaS applicationsApplications and devices
Message deliveryAt-least-once deliveryAt-least-once delivery
Message retentionUp to 365 daysUp to 14 days
ScalabilityScalable to millions of events per secondScalable to millions of messages per second
CostPay-as-you-goPay-as-you-go
Use casesEvent-driven applications, connecting AWS services and SaaS applicationsSending notifications, sending alerts, delivering messages to mobile devices

Conclusion

Both EventBridge and SNS are powerful messaging services that can be used to send and receive messages. However, they have different strengths and weaknesses. EventBridge is a good choice for applications that need to be event-driven and that need to be able to scale to millions of events per second. SNS is a good choice for applications that need to send and receive messages to and from applications and devices.

The best way to choose between EventBridge and SNS is to consider your specific needs and requirements.


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