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Proxar · UK expertise
IaaS and PaaS: which approach fits your business?
IaaS and PaaS describe different ways of supplying the technology behind an application. The practical question is how much control you need and how much of the underlying work you want the platform provider to handle.
We help you compare that choice against your application, your team’s skills and the cost of keeping it running.
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We help you choose and look after the technology your team uses every day.
IaaS: you manage more of the software stack
Infrastructure as a Service supplies resources such as virtual servers, storage and networking. Your team, or a management provider, still needs to look after the operating systems and the software installed on them.
That flexibility can be useful for an existing application with particular server requirements. It also leaves work to do: updates, configuration and recovery above the infrastructure layer. When comparing prices, include the people and tools needed for that work rather than looking only at the resource charge.
PaaS: the application must fit the platform
Platform as a Service provides a managed environment for a supported application or database. The provider takes care of more of the underlying technology, which can reduce some of the administration your team would otherwise do.
The trade-off is fit. Supported features, versions and limits need checking against the application. Your business still has responsibilities for its information, access and application behaviour. PaaS does not mean there is nothing left to configure, protect or support.
Engineers planning infrastructure and platform cloud services · Illustrative image
Choose one workload at a time
Start with what the application requires. An older system tied to a specific server setup may need a different approach from a new application built for a managed platform. Next, ask who will operate it and what skills they have available.
Then compare the whole cost: running charges, licences, implementation and ongoing support. Include connections to retained systems and the work involved in recovery. You can use different models for different applications; the decision does not have to become a rule for every system in the business.
Our IaaS service and PaaS service pages go into the delivery detail. When the main requirement is someone to host and look after an environment, managed hosting explains that service arrangement.
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Before you decide
Your questions, answered
Where does managed hosting fit?
Managed hosting describes hosting plus agreed operational care, not a separate name for IaaS. An IaaS environment can be managed for you, while a PaaS application can still need administration and support. The important comparison is the work included and the work that stays with your team.
Is PaaS always cheaper than IaaS?
Not necessarily. The comparison depends on the application, resources, usage and work needed to operate it. A service with a higher platform charge might reduce administration, while a poor fit could create extra development work. Compare the complete arrangement rather than one advertised resource price.
Can an older application run on PaaS?
It needs a compatibility review. Some applications depend on operating-system access or components that do not fit a particular managed platform. Check with the application owner or supplier and test the relevant features. The answer should come from those requirements, not a preference for one cloud model.
Who is responsible for our data?
Your organisation still needs clear arrangements for access, protection and recovery under either model. A provider managing more infrastructure does not remove every responsibility above it. The proposal should explain which controls and recovery tasks are supplied, which you retain and how the result will be tested.
Your next step
You do not need to choose the acronym first
Tell us which application you need to run and who will look after it. We will help compare the options in terms of control, day-to-day work and cost.