FAQ

Is there a way to upgrade an existing Amplify project from Gen 1 to Gen 2?

We are still actively developing migration tooling to aid in transitioning your project from Gen 1 to Gen 2. Until then, we recommend you continue working with your Gen 1 Amplify project. We’ve put together a Gen 1 vs. Gen 2 feature support matrix here. We remain committed to supporting both Gen 1 and Gen 2 for the foreseeable future. For new projects, we recommend adopting Gen 2 to take advantage of its enhanced capabilities. Meanwhile, customers on Gen 1 will continue to receive support for high-priority bugs and essential security updates.

If I have a Gen 1 app, can I use Gen 2 in it?

Amplify Gen 1 and Gen 2 follow different architectural and tooling paradigms, which was necessary to address common customer feedback from Gen 1. You will need to use our upcoming migration tooling to move from a Gen 1 to Gen 2 app. You cannot use Amplify Gen 1 (Studio/CLI) in the same app as Gen 2.

Should I use Amplify Gen 1 or Gen 2 in new apps?

If you're building a new app, we recommend you use Amplify Gen 2.

Does Amplify Gen 2 support DataStore?

Amplify Gen 2 supports GraphQL APIs without DataStore. We will release migration support for moving DataStore Gen 1 apps to Gen 2.

What programming languages does Amplify Gen 2 support?

Amplify Gen 2 supports a wide range of programming languages for client-side development. This includes dedicated client-side libraries for JavaScript, TypeScript, Dart, Java, Kotlin, and Swift. For backend development, Amplify Gen 2 uses TypeScript.

In Gen 1, Amplify offered a set of use case categories for building applications (for example, Authentication, Analytics, API, DataStore, Geo, and Predictions). Are those same categories available in Gen 2?

Amplify Gen 2 offers built-in support for Auth, Data, Storage, and Functions. Other use cases can be implemented in Amplify Gen 2 as well using AWS Cloud Development Kit (AWS CDK) constructs which there is documentation for under the respective category name.

Can I use Gen 2 with a JavaScript frontend that doesn't use TypeScript?

Yes. Amplify Gen 2's TypeScript backend definition works with JavaScript frontends. In addition, you still get an end-to-end typed data fetching experience even with a pure JavaScript frontend. See Generate a Data client for the recommended JavaScript client code.

What if we want to add a feature like AI/ML or Amazon Location Service to our application in Gen 2?

Because Amplify builds on the AWS Cloud Development Kit (AWS CDK), any AWS services supported by the CDK can be added to your app using custom resources and L2/L1 AWS CDK constructs.

What happens once my application grows too big and I want to do more configuration with my application (add more features, other AWS services, etc.)?

You can stay with Amplify no matter how big your application grows. Amplify is layered on top of the AWS CDK and AWS CloudFormation. These provide a standardized way of interacting with AWS, so you can add any AWS service supported by CDK to your Amplify app. You can also override Amplify-generated configuration of your resources using the CDK. You can use any deployment pipeline you choose if you want more control over your CI.

How much does it cost to operate Amplify Gen2?

You can read all about Amplify's pricing on our pricing page.

Which Amplify JavaScript version is compatible with Gen 2?

Amplify JavaScript version 6.2.0 and above is compatible with backends created by Amplify Gen 2.