DynamoDB Local vs Wilma

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.

Wilma is free, GPLv3-or-later software for developing and testing applications that depend on other services. It combines a service stub with an HTTP/HTTPS transparent proxy, allowing teams to capture, decode, save, and forward traffic, including two-way SSL, or generate configured responses. It can operate as a proxy, a stub, or both. JSON files define stub behavior, and configurations can be uploaded or changed through the interface or service while Wilma runs. Real-time interceptors can inspect or modify requests and responses; custom interceptors, condition checkers, and response formatters can be added, including through classes or JAR files. Message Search finds logged request-response pairs. Wilma supports unit, integration, functional, end-to-end, performance, and manual testing. It is available as Docker images, GitHub release ZIP files, or source builds. The application requires JRE 11, while Message Search requires JDK 11. Logging can be controlled and old logs deleted on schedules.