Serverless for builders

Deploy a Function. Get an API. Skip the cloud ceremony.

LoveKit is a minimalist function deployment platform for webhooks, bots, and small APIs. No IAM. No console maze. No infrastructure before logic.

Building an MVP or side project? See Small Projects.

Get started freeCompare to Lambda

Runtimes

Node 18–24

Timeout

Up to 60s

Languages

JS + TS

From idea to endpoint

Example: Payload handler

type Payload = {
  [key: string]: any;
};

export async function handler(payload: Payload) {
  console.log("Payload: ", payload);
  return {
    status: "OK",
    message: "Successful"
  };
}

Deploy

Instant endpoint

Observe

Logs + invocations

Iterate

Ship changes fast

Stripe webhooks

Handle payments and subscriptions without spinning up a server or wiring API Gateway.

See examples

Mobile app backends

Ship a tiny API for your MVP without turning your weekend into a cloud project.

See examples

Slack + Discord bots

Event handlers, command endpoints, and automation that stays simple to deploy and observe.

See examples

Stay in flow

The difference isn't features. It's friction.

For webhooks, bots, and small APIs, the setup should not outweigh the code. Flip between the typical cloud workflow and LoveKit.

Write the function first. Infrastructure stays out of the way.

Deploy a handler, get an endpoint, ship the feature. Keep moving while you still care about the idea.

  1. 1Write handler
  2. 2Deploy
  3. 3Use endpoint

What it feels like

You keep your attention on the logic: verify a signature, transform a payload, respond to an interaction. The deployment is just a step, not a project.

Best for

Webhooks, bots, and small APIs you want to ship fast

Quick summary

Minimal steps. Max momentum.

Positioning

Built for shipping, not enterprise cloud management.

AWS, Azure, and GCP are amazing for distributed systems and deep service integrations. LoveKit is for the other 80% of backend work: the small handlers that keep your product moving.

Simple by default

No cloud console maze before your first request.

Developer-first

Deploy and iterate without breaking focus.

Practical runtimes

Node 18/20/22/24 + JS/TS for real apps.

What you get

Per-function runtimes

Choose Node 18, 20, 22, or 24 per function.

Timeout control

Set timeouts per handler (up to 60 seconds).

Dependencies

Install npm packages where you need them.

Logs + invocations

Debug quickly with execution logs and request history.

Usage tracking

Monitor invocation and execution time in the dashboard.

API keys

Protect endpoints with a simple Bearer token model.

Looking for a Lambda-style breakdown?

Feature comparisons + when Lambda is actually better.

Read the comparison

The cognitive load problem

Your brain is doing infra math before you write code.

The frustrating part of “serverless” isn't the runtime. It's the decision stack that shows up before your first request ever hits a handler.

Context switching

From product logic → dashboards → permissions.

Decision fatigue

Too many knobs for tiny handlers.

Lost momentum

Setup steals your best hour.

LoveKit removes the decision fatigue so you focus on what the function does, not where it runs.

The “decision stack”

These aren't hard problems. They're just not your product.

Cloud providerRegionRuntime versionMemoryTimeoutIAM policiesPermissionsAPI GatewayVPC?LogsSecretsCold startsBilling alertsRetries
AWS setup frictionHigh
LoveKit setup frictionLow

Built for real-world use cases

Webhooks, bots, small APIs, and automation—without the cloud console detour.

See patterns & examples

Webhook handlers that just work

Verify signatures, handle retries safely, and keep billing logic out of your frontend. No server setup. No API Gateway ceremony.

Signature verificationIdempotencyRetries + observability
import crypto from "node:crypto";

export default async function handler(req) {
  const sig = req.headers["stripe-signature"];
  const body = await req.text();

  // Verify webhook signature (illustrative)
  const expected = crypto
    .createHmac("sha256", process.env.STRIPE_WEBHOOK_SECRET)
    .update(body)
    .digest("hex");

  if (!sig || !sig.includes(expected)) {
    return Response.json({ ok: false }, { status: 400 });
  }

  // Update subscription, write to DB, notify…
  return Response.json({ ok: true });
}

Who LoveKit is for (and who it's not)

LoveKit is for indie hackers, startup developers, and small teams who want to ship without becoming infrastructure specialists.

Great fit

When you want to ship a handler and get back to product work.

Webhooks and small APIsBots and automationMVP backendsTeams without DevOps bandwidthDevelopers tired of cloud setup

Not the point

When your workload genuinely needs deep cloud plumbing.

Complex multi-region architecturesStrict compliance-heavy workloadsAdvanced cloud networking requirementsEverything-in-one-cloud strategies

If your application genuinely needs enterprise-grade infrastructure, use AWS or Azure. If you just need a function to run as an API, LoveKit removes the overhead.

The developer experience

Instead of an infrastructure checklist, you stay in flow.

Typical

Setup becomes the project.

  1. 1Create account + keys
  2. 2IAM roles + policies
  3. 3API Gateway / URL setup
  4. 4Logging configuration
  5. 5Permissions + testing loop

LoveKit

Stay in flow.

  1. 1Write function
  2. 2Deploy
  3. 3Use endpoint

When infrastructure setup takes longer than writing the code, something is off.

Need a deeper breakdown? See AWS Lambda alternative.

Coming soon: AI-assisted function generation

The next step removes not just infrastructure friction, but coding friction too.

Soon you'll be able to describe what you want in plain language and instantly generate deployable backend logic:

Stripe

Create a webhook handler that verifies Stripe signatures and stores subscription events.

Coming soonPrompt → endpoint

Slack

Build a Slack bot that responds to /standup and posts answers to a channel.

Coming soonPrompt → endpoint

Automation

Fetch data hourly and alert me if values exceed a threshold.

Coming soonPrompt → endpoint

Frequently asked questions

Is LoveKit a replacement for AWS Lambda?

LoveKit is a lightweight alternative for developers who want to deploy simple functions without configuring cloud infrastructure. It's ideal for webhooks, small APIs, bots, and automation. If you need deep AWS integration or enterprise-grade orchestration, Lambda is often the right choice.

Does LoveKit support scheduled tasks (cron jobs)?

Cron scheduling is in development. For now, trigger LoveKit functions using webhooks from an external scheduler or automation tool.

What programming languages are supported?

JavaScript and TypeScript on Node.js runtimes (Node 18, 20, 22, or 24).

How does authentication work?

LoveKit uses project API keys. Generate a key in your dashboard and call functions using a Bearer token.

What are the usage limits?

Limits depend on your plan and current product configuration. You can track invocations and execution time in the dashboard, and per-function timeouts are configurable up to 60 seconds.

Ready to turn your code into an API?

No credit card required. Deploy your first function in under a minute.

Get started freeServerless · No infra · Developer-first