Learn SERVERLESS-STACK with Real Code Examples
Updated Nov 27, 2025
Explain
SST simplifies serverless development by pairing CDK infrastructure with a high-productivity local dev environment.
Live Lambda Reloading lets developers instantly test Lambda changes without redeploying.
Provides opinionated yet extensible constructs for API, storage, queues, auth, and more.
Works seamlessly with React, Next.js, SvelteKit, Astro, and static frontends.
Ideal for modern cloud-native, scalable, pay-per-use applications.
Core Features
Infrastructure as code (CDK)
Lambda-based backend services
DynamoDB/Postgres guides and helpers
Auth constructs (Cognito, Auth0, custom)
Static site + Next.js deployments
Basic Concepts Overview
Stacks and constructs
Live Lambda Reloading environment
Function, API, Table, Bucket constructs
Cross-stack linking
Deployment stages
Project Structure
sst.config.ts (entry point)
packages/functions (Lambda code)
packages/core (shared utilities)
stacks/ (infrastructure)
frontend/ for UI frameworks
Building Workflow
Define infrastructure via stacks
Implement Lambda functions
Connect resources using SST constructs
Test with `sst dev`
Deploy with `sst deploy`
Difficulty Use Cases
Beginner: simple REST API with Lambda + DynamoDB
Intermediate: multi-stack app with auth and frontend
Advanced: event-driven workflow using SQS/EventBridge
Expert: microservices with multiple environments
Architect: full multi-stage CI/CD pipeline + observability
Comparisons
SST vs AWS SAM - SST offers richer full-stack features
SST vs Serverless Framework - SST has Live Lambda + CDK power
SST vs Pulumi - SST is optimized for AWS serverless
SST vs CDK alone - SST provides higher-level constructs
SST vs Amplify - SST is more flexible and backend-centric
Versioning Timeline
2020 - SST initial release
2021 - Live Lambda Reloading introduced
2022 - Next.js & StaticSite constructs
2023 - SST Console launched
2024–2025 - Wider CDK v2 integration + multi-stage enhancements
Glossary
Construct - CDK building block
Stack - deployable unit of infrastructure
Live Lambda - local lambda hot reload
Stage - environment like dev/staging/prod
Function URL - direct Lambda HTTP endpoint