DynamoDB Local vs LocalStack
DynamoDB Local
docs.aws.amazon.com
LocalStack
localstack.cloudSide by side
| Figure | DynamoDB Local | LocalStack |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $2.42/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | Yes |
| Web | — | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 14 |
| Spec score · Service Virtualization Software | 8.0 (#11) | 9.1 (#2) |
| Integrations | AWS documents using DynamoDB Local with the AWS CLI, AWS SDKs, Docker Compose, Maven, and AWS CloudShell. | Documentation covers integrations with SDKs, application frameworks, testing tools and LocalStack Extensions. |
| Purpose | DynamoDB Local lets developers develop and test applications without accessing the DynamoDB web service. | LocalStack simulates cloud environments on customer infrastructure so developers and AI agents can validate cloud applications before deployment. |
| Telemetry | DynamoDB Local collects generic usage metrics, system and environment information, and errors; AWS says it does not collect personal information or extract sensitive project-level information. | The open-source version may send anonymized usage information to a central server, alongside update and error-reporting communications. |
Plans
LocalStack
- Azure Public PreviewFree
- HobbyFree
- Hobby (LocalStack for AWS)Free
- Base (LocalStack for Snowflake)$29 a year
- Snowflake Base (annual)$29 a year
- Snowflake Base (monthly)$35 a month
- Base (annual)$39 a year
- Base (LocalStack for AWS)$39 a year
- Base (monthly)$45 a month
- Ultimate$89 a year
In their own words
DynamoDB Local
DynamoDB Local lets developers develop and test applications without accessing the DynamoDB web service. It can run without an internet connection, and AWS says local use can help avoid throughput, storage and data-transfer fees. Developers can obtain it as a download, Apache Maven dependency or Docker image, and AWS documents use with the AWS CLI, AWS SDKs, Docker Compose, Maven and AWS CloudShell. Data can persist in a local database file or remain in memory, where it is lost when DynamoDB Local stops. The downloadable version requires configured credentials, though AWS says they need not be valid AWS credentials for local access. AWS identifies v3.x as current and recommends it for local testing and development; v2.x is legacy and v1.x is deprecated. Running v2.6.0 or later requires JRE 17.x or newer. Telemetry can be disabled with a command-line option or environment settings. DynamoDB Local does not support point-in-time recovery, tagging or vector indexes; it also lacks parallel scans, ignores provisioned throughput settings and treats table names as case insensitive. AWS describes it as a development and testing tool, not a production service.
LocalStack
LocalStack simulates cloud environments on customer infrastructure so developers and AI agents can validate applications before deployment. It currently emulates AWS and Snowflake, with AWS coverage described as 120+ services; an Azure public preview is coming soon. A typical workflow deploys application code and infrastructure-as-code resources into a local container, where teams can inspect failures and validate fixes before changing the endpoint to ship. LocalStack can run in GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, CircleCI, and Jenkins through a Docker image. The listed infrastructure-as-code tools include CDK, Terraform, and Pulumi. LocalStack is designed for development and testing, not production customer-facing applications. Hobby is free, offers 30+ emulated services and one personal sandbox, and is restricted to non-commercial use. AWS Base costs $39 a year, billed at $39 per license per month annually, or $45 per license per month billed monthly. LocalStack supports API, Linux, macOS, self-hosted, web, and Windows environments.