What are the different types of cloud computing?

Katie Collins -

As more and more businesses move their operations to the cloud and away from on-premises servers, cloud computing has become an essential part of modern business infrastructure. But what exactly is cloud computing, and what are the different types of cloud computing services you could be using to streamline operations?

In this post, we’ll discuss the three primary cloud service models in more detail – IaaS vs PaaS vs SaaS – exploring what each offers and how they meet different needs. In addition, we’ll walk you through cloud deployment structures like public cloud, private cloud, hybrid cloud and multicloud, explaining the flexibility, security and cost aspects of each.

What is cloud computing?

Simply put, cloud computing uses the internet to deliver computing services such as storage, software, databases and analytics, amongst other things, via the cloud. Relying on internet-based services has become incredibly popular amongst companies, because it’s easier to manage and scale resources through the cloud.

A cloud server is hosted via a cloud computing platform, and the use of this platform allows these servers to be incredibly flexible when it comes to scaling resources. That is why cloud computing is such a popular choice.

Learn more: What is cloud computing? and What is a cloud server?

What are the types of cloud infrastructure?

There are four main deployment structures within cloud computing, and the one you decide to go with will depend on your resource requirements and your knowledge of cloud computing capabilities:

  • Public cloud
  • Private cloud
  • Hybrid cloud
  • Multiclouds

So, let’s get into each one.

What is a public cloud?

A public cloud, as the name suggests, is public and open to anyone. As with most types of cloud computing, the public cloud has its data managed remotely, and most that are open to the public are free to use.

The benefits of a public cloud 

A public cloud will keep your costs low as you only pay for what you use, and you can leave most of the management to your cloud provider, making this option a great one for first timers.

The drawbacks of a public cloud

Public cloud can pose security and compliance concerns due to its shared infrastructure. Additionally, users may experience less control over their environment and potential performance issues during peak demand.

What is a private cloud?

A private cloud is well, private, and only offers its cloud computing services to single users. When we talk about single users, this may be a single organisation or a business using their own private cloud – with all of the resources dedicated to them. A private cloud can be based on the user’s premises or sourced from a cloud provider’s data centre.

The benefits of a private cloud

The most obvious benefit of a private cloud is that all of the resources are dedicated to you. Not to mention that as you’re not sharing your cloud with anyone else, security is much higher, too.

The drawbacks of a private cloud

One of the main drawbacks of private cloud is higher costs due to dedicated hardware and infrastructure management. Private cloud also lacks the scalability and flexibility of public cloud solutions, making it less suitable for rapidly growing or fluctuating workloads.

What is a hybrid cloud?

A hybrid cloud combines aspects of both public and private clouds. For example, you may have the physical server on your premises but you store your resources in the cloud. You could say that using a hybrid cloud is the best of both worlds.

The benefits of a hybrid cloud

With a hybrid cloud, your business can adapt and change its cloud needs very easily. A mix of both public and private clouds can give your business a bit more flexibility.

The drawbacks of a hybrid cloud

Hybrid cloud can introduce complexity in management and integration between platforms. Ensuring consistent security, compliance and data compatibility can therefore be challenging and resource-intensive.

What is a multicloud?

A multicloud is the use of multiple different cloud services from various cloud providers. This could be a private or public cloud. A multicloud can actually become a hybrid cloud when the different clouds are connected in some way – involving the integration of the different services, for example.

The benefits of a multicloud

Through the use of multiple different providers, multicloud offers improved security and performance. There’s also the added benefit of being able to pick and choose cloud providers and their services based on what they have to offer you – meaning you get the cream of the crop in terms of cloud computing.

The drawbacks of a multicloud

Multiclouds can be difficult to manage due to the complexity of coordinating multiple platforms. This approach also increases the risk of security gaps and inconsistent performance if not properly integrated and monitored.

Which cloud is best for you?

The type of cloud you pick will really depend on your demand predictability. If you’re unsure what sort of resources you need, but you’re certain that you’ll have lots of users, a public cloud is your safest bet. If your business knows exactly what’s required and you’re happy taking a bit more control with your cloud computing, then a private cloud is great to use. Progressing onto a multicloud or a hybrid cloud is recommended after you have some more background knowledge about cloud services and what the different providers have to offer you.

Learn more about the pros and cons of different cloud deployment models in our guide to private cloud vs public cloud.

The types of cloud computing service models

Cloud computing services or models offer infrastructure, platforms, or software via the internet. There are three main types of cloud services or cloud service models to choose from – PaaS vs SaaS vs IaaS​ – and the one you or your business decides to use depends on your requirements and the outcome you’re looking for.

The three main types of services in cloud computing:

  • Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS)
  • Platforms-as-a-Service (PaaS)
  • Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)

What is Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS)?

If you opt for IaaS, a cloud provider will manage the infrastructure for you. This means that the servers, hardware and data storage will all be controlled by your provider via the internet, but you will have control over your OS and your apps. The benefit of your provider taking care of most of the infrastructure is that if anything goes wrong, they’ll sort it out for you. Using IaaS is ideal for beginners, and many businesses will opt for this type of cloud computing model before possibly moving onto another model if necessary.

The benefits of IaaS

The scalability of resources is very easy through the IaaS model, and users can increase or decrease whichever resources they need. This helps to keep costs low. Overall, IaaS is the cheapest option out of all of the cloud computing models.

The drawbacks of IaaS

IaaS requires users to manage their own OS, applications and data. This added responsibility demands a higher level of technical expertise and can introduce complexity in configuration and maintenance.

Examples of IaaS include:

  • AWS EC2 Instance
  • Google Cloud VM Instance (Google Compute Engine)
  • Azure Virtual Machine

What is Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS)?

This type of cloud infrastructure has both its hardware and application-software components managed by a cloud provider, and you take care of the apps and their data. PaaS is regularly used by programmers and developers as it can form great test environments for developing new apps, software or services. These test environments means a user doesn’t need to control the whole infrastructure, which definitely makes the life of a developer or programmer easier.

The benefits of PaaS

As we explained above, PaaS is great for developers and programmers as it helps to create a controlled test environment that’s not connected to the wider infrastructure. This means that testing out new software is simpler to manage.

The drawbacks of PaaS

PaaS can limit flexibility due to provider-specific frameworks and tools. This dependency may lead to vendor lock-in, making migration and customisation more difficult.

Examples of PaaS include:

  • AWS Elastic Beanstalk
  • Google App Engine
  • Microsoft Azure Web Apps
  • Google Cloud SQL

What is Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)?

SaaS is our last type of cloud computing model, and this is one you may have heard of before. As the name suggests, SaaS is closely linked to software and apps, but instead of installing either of these you just access them via the internet. SaaS is fully managed by a cloud service provider, so as a user you’ll have a fully hands-off experience. Due to it being managed by a provider, any general maintenance or updates are taken care of, and you can just focus on using the SaaS. As anyone can access this cloud computing model online, there’s no need for each user to download the app to their computer.

The benefits of SaaS

A major advantage of SaaS is the hands-off approach – users have no access to the main infrastructure and are not responsible for any changes or updates. As SaaS is also web-based, this means that it’s easy to use and lots of users can connect to it.

The drawbacks of SaaS

With SaaS, users have limited control over software functionality, updates and data storage, as these are handled by the cloud provider. Plus, reliance on internet connectivity and third-party providers can raise concerns around compliance and service availability.

Examples of SaaS include:

  • Microsoft Office365
  • Google GSuite
  • Slack
  • DocuSign
  • MailChimp
  • Dropbox

Want to learn more about cloud computing? Check out the Fasthosts blog for more information about everything cloud or hosting-related!

We hope this answers all of your burning questions, but if you still need further advice on how hosting solutions can streamline your business operations, get in touch with our sales team at any time for expert guidance.