Orch8 vs AWS Step Functions

Step Functions: AWS-native

Step Functions uses Amazon States Language (ASL) — a JSON-based workflow definition specific to AWS. Workflows integrate directly with Lambda, SQS, DynamoDB, SNS, ECS, and 200+ other AWS services via native SDK integrations.

This deep integration is a major strength within AWS. The trade-off: migrating workflows off AWS means rewriting them. ASL has no equivalent outside the AWS ecosystem, and native service integrations would need to be replaced with custom code.

Orch8: infrastructure-independent

Orch8 sequences are defined in a generic JSON DSL. Workers are plain REST endpoints — they can run on any cloud, any container platform, or bare metal. There is no proprietary service integration layer.

Move from AWS to GCP, Azure, or on-prem without changing workflow definitions or worker code. The engine itself runs anywhere a Rust binary and PostgreSQL (or SQLite) can run.

Step Functions — Amazon States Language

{
  "StartAt": "SendWelcomeEmail",
  "States": {
    "SendWelcomeEmail": {
      "Type": "Task",
      "Resource": "arn:aws:lambda:us-east-1:123:function:sendEmail",
      "Next": "WaitThreeDays"
    },
    "WaitThreeDays": {
      "Type": "Wait",
      "Seconds": 259200,
      "Next": "SendFollowUp"
    },
    "SendFollowUp": {
      "Type": "Task",
      "Resource": "arn:aws:lambda:us-east-1:123:function:sendFollowUp",
      "End": true
    }
  }
}

Orch8 — portable JSON DSL

{
  "sequence_id": "onboarding",
  "steps": [
    {
      "handler": "send_welcome",
      "delay": { "duration": 0 }
    },
    {
      "handler": "send_follow_up",
      "delay": { "duration": 259200000 },
      "delay_business_days_only": true,
      "timezone": "America/New_York"
    }
  ]
}