STATIC COMPARISON / TIER B
Locust vs AWS Distributed Load Testing
Answer Locust is an open source, self-hosted load testing tool from Locust authors, scripted in Python. AWS Distributed Load Testing is an open source, vendor-hosted cloud load testing service from Amazon Web Services, scripted in Java, JavaScript. The practical split is who runs the load generators: Locust on your own infrastructure, AWS Distributed Load Testing on the vendor's.
Curator verdict
Both cover HTTP, HTTPS. On recorded coverage Locust is the wider of the two (3 protocols against 2), which matters only if your workload actually uses the extra ones. Data residency and who operates the generators usually settle Locust against AWS Distributed Load Testing. Run the same scenario on both before you standardize; the rows below only tell you what is true on paper.
Spec matrix
| Field | Locust | AWS Distributed Load Testing |
|---|---|---|
| Vendor | Locust authors | Amazon Web Services |
| Category | Load Testing | Cloud Load Testing |
| License | Open Source | Open Source |
| Deployment | Self-hosted | Cloud |
| Status | Active | Active |
| First released | 2011 | 2018 |
| Pricing | Free; MIT License. | Free solution code; pay AWS infrastructure costs. |
| Scripting | Python | Java, JavaScript |
| Protocols | HTTP, HTTPS, WebSocket | HTTP, HTTPS |
| OS support | Windows, macOS, Linux | Linux |
How to choose
- Pick AWS Distributed Load Testing to avoid operating injectors, Locust when residency or air-gapped runs rule a hosted service out.
- Only Locust records support for WebSocket — one hard requirement there decides the pair on its own.
- Match the authoring language to the team: Locust means Python, AWS Distributed Load Testing means Java, JavaScript.
- Open the Test Rig to compare license, deployment, protocol and OS rows side by side.
Need more than two tools or a shareable matrix? Use the live Test Rig from the directory compare tray.
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