There are three primary cloud service models: Software as a Service (SaaS), Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), and Platform as a Service (PaaS). Let’s dive in deeper to help you understand the main differences!
What is IaaS?
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) is ideal for companies looking to avoid the hassle of managing their on-premises data centers. IaaS offers virtual computing resources through the Internet, with the cloud provider hosting essential infrastructure components usually found in traditional data centers. This includes servers, storage, networking hardware, and the virtualization layer or hypervisor. It allows users to control their infrastructure without maintaining physical hardware.
Benefits and Examples of IaaS.
Benefits:
Cost-efficiency
Using a predictable pricing model (such as the one we use in AlphaVPS) makes infrastructure services more accessible for small businesses.
Scalability and Flexibility
IaaS allows users to scale their resources rapidly as demand increases, automatically or with minimal management.
Reduced Maintenance
IaaS takes the burden of technical maintenance, software updates, and equipment troubleshooting off users' shoulders. Providers also offer uptime guarantees to ensure consistent service availability. Many of them operate physical data centers in various locations, enabling users to host applications nearer to their end customers. This helps reduce network latency and enhances the overall customer experience.
Examples:
Some of the best examples of Instracture as a Service company are Google Cloud Platform, Microsoft Azure, and Amazon Web Services (AWS). AlphaVPS is also a great example of an IaaS business.
What is SaaS?
Software as a Service (SaaS) is also called Web-Based Software and it is a cloud computing service model where the SaaS provider delivers application software to the customers while managing all physical and software resources. SaaS is typically accessed via web applications.
Benefits and Examples of SaaS
Benefits:
Improves Data Security
SaaS providers invest heavily in security technology and expertise;
Accessibility
Available 24/7 via Internet browser;
Cost-efficiency
Similar to IaaS, SaaS uses a predictable pricing model;
Scalability
Effortlessly adjust a solution to meet the needs of your business.
Examples:
Some of the most recognizable examples of SaaS include Salesforce, SAP, Mailchimp, Canva, and Google Apps.
What is PaaS?
Platform as a Service (PaaS) is a cloud computing model in which a third-party provider offers hardware and software tools to customers via the Internet, typically for application development. Similar to IaaS, the PaaS provider manages the hosting of these resources on its infrastructure, allowing developers to focus on building and running applications without the need to install hardware and software on-site.
Benefits and Examples of PaaS
Benefits:
Scalability
PaaS provides the ability to scale down or scale up to meet your needs;
Flexibility
Development Teams can access shared PaaS tools and services from anywhere in the world via an Internet connection;
Cost-efficiency
Similar to IaaS and SaaS - with PaaS customers also pay only for the resource they use;
Security
The PaaS provider is the one responsible for securing the infrastructure.
Examples:
Some of the PaaS examples include - OpenShift by Red Hat, Heroku, Jelastic, Oracle Cloud Platform (OCP), VMware (Pivotal) Cloud Foundry, Google App Engine, and many others.
How to choose between IaaS, SaaS, and PaaS?
Each of the Cloud Service models comes with distinct functionalities, so it is important to understand the differences. It doesn’t matter what you need - cloud-based software for storage, a user-friendly platform for developing custom applications, or full control over your infrastructure without having to physically maintain it, there is a cloud service designed exactly for your needs.
IaaS and AlphaVPS
As already established, AlphaVPS exemplifies the IaaS business model. Our key offerings include fast and affordable VPS, budget-friendly Dedicated Servers, and Colocation, backed by phenomenal support on an amazing network and hardware.
With our locations in Europe and the US, we guarantee 99.9% uptime.
Learn more about our products and services here.