aws-sdk

From a security perspective, aws-sdk v2 gets the fundamentals right. TLS 1.2+ is enforced by default, credentials follow the standard chain (env vars → instance profiles → config files), and the SDK handles signature v4 signing transparently. Error messages are generally safe, though you need to be careful with logging since AWS errors can sometimes include resource ARNs that might be considered sensitive.

The authentication model is solid - IAM integration works seamlessly, and temporary credentials via STS are straightforward. Input validation happens server-side which means you get clear error responses, though client-side validation is minimal. The SDK doesn't do much to prevent common mistakes like overly-permissive policies or misconfigured S3 buckets - that's on you.

Dependency-wise, this is a massive package that pulls in every AWS service by default, creating a large attack surface. The maintainers are responsive to CVEs, but the sheer size means updates are frequent. For production, use aws-sdk v3 instead - it's modular, tree-shakeable, and has better credential management patterns.

The AWS SDK v2 is a comprehensive library that covers virtually every AWS service, and it works reliably for what it does. The callback-and-promise dual API pattern is well-established, though it feels dated compared to modern async/await patterns. TypeScript support exists but is generated and often lacks the precision you'd want - you'll frequently find yourself casting or dealing with overly broad types like `any` in service responses.

Error handling is functional but inconsistent across services. Some errors have clear codes and messages, while others require you to parse string messages or check nested properties. The documentation is extensive but scattered - you'll bounce between AWS docs, SDK docs, and StackOverflow regularly. IDE autocomplete works but can be sluggish with the massive service definitions.

The biggest practical issue is the bundle size. Even tree-shaking doesn't help much - importing a single service pulls in substantial code. For Lambda functions or browser applications, this is painful. The maintenance mode status also means new AWS features appear in v3 first, sometimes with significant delays before v2 gets them.

The AWS SDK v2 gets the job done but comes with significant operational overhead. Bundle size is massive—importing a single service still pulls in substantial code. Memory footprint grows quickly in containerized environments, especially when instantiating multiple service clients. The good news: connection pooling works reliably once configured, but defaults are conservative (50 max sockets) and require tuning for high-throughput scenarios.

Error handling is inconsistent across services. Some operations retry automatically with exponential backoff, others don't. You'll need to wrap calls in your own retry logic for production use. Timeout behavior varies—some clients respect httpOptions.timeout, others seem to ignore it. Debugging connection exhaustion issues requires enabling request logging, which is verbose but essential.

Observability is bare-bones. No built-in metrics for connection pool utilization or request queuing. You'll instrument this yourself using middleware hooks or the 'httpUploadProgress'/'httpDownloadProgress' events. The SDK does handle credential rotation gracefully, and pagination helpers (eachPage, eachItem) prevent common memory leaks when scanning large datasets.