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Types of Cloud Service Models & Which One Should You Choose?

By Pavan Vadapalli

Updated on Feb 25, 2025 | 11 min read | 6.3k views

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Cloud Computing is offered in three diverse help models which each fulfil an extraordinary arrangement of business necessities. These three cloud service models are referred to as Software as a Service (SaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS).

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What Are Cloud Service Models?

Cloud service models are quickly developing business models that transform and streamline the client-business relationship from the old, traditional ownership model to the one considering services on a non-ownership basis. 

What is Cloud Computing?

Cloud computing is the on-request accessibility of PC framework assets, mainly information stockpiling (cloud storage) and figuring power, without direct dynamic administration by the client.

Cloud Computing is offered in three diverse help models which each fulfil an extraordinary arrangement of business necessities. These three cloud service models are referred to as Software as a Service (SaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS).

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Software as a Service (SaaS)

Software-as-a-Service, or SaaS for short, is a cloud-based strategy for giving programming to clients. SaaS clients buy into an application instead of buying it once and introducing it. Clients can sign into and utilise a SaaS application from any viable gadget over the Internet. The real application runs in cloud workers that might be far eliminated from a client’s area.

Characteristics of SaaS

  • It is run out of one main location. 
  • Directly hosted on a distant server. 
  • The payment mode for the services here is pay-per-use
  • It can be reached via the Internet. 
  • Updates to software and hardware are not the responsibility of SaaS users.

What are the preferences and weaknesses of utilising SaaS?

The SaaS model has various advantages and disadvantages, even though for present-day organisations and clients, the professionals of SaaS regularly exceed the cons. Here is a portion of the preferences and weaknesses of utilising SaaS applications:

Access from anywhere, on any device.

Access from anyplace, on any gadget. Regularly, clients can sign into SaaS applications from any gadget and any area. Clients don’t have to reinstall SaaS applications or buy new licenses each time they change to another gadget.

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No need for updates

No requirement for updates or establishments. The SaaS supplier updates and fixes the application on a progressing premise.

Favourable position: Scalability

The SaaS supplier handles scaling up the application, for example, adding more information base space or more register power as use increments.

Preferred position: Cost reserve funds

SaaS reduces down on interior IT expenses and overhead. The SaaS supplier keeps up the workers and framework that help the application, and the main expense to a business is the membership cost of the application.

Burden: Vendor lock-in.

Now is the ideal time-devouring and costly to move to another application if an association’s whole information base is put away inside the old application.

Impediment (for ventures): Security and consistency

With SaaS applications, the obligation regarding ensuring those applications and their information moves from inside IT groups to the outer SaaS suppliers. For little to medium-sized organisations, this is (to a lesser degree) a weakness, as enormous cloud suppliers ordinarily have more assets for setting up solid security.

What are a few instances of SaaS organisations?

As referenced above, online email suppliers fit into the SaaS classification. Other notable SaaS organisations incorporate Salesforce, Slack, MailChimp, and Dropbox.

Platform as a Service (PaaS)

In the Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) model, designers lease all they require to construct an application, depending on a cloud supplier for development tools, infrastructure, and operating systems. This is one of the three cloud service models of distributed computing. PaaS immeasurably disentangles web application development; from the engineer’s point of view, all backend management happens in the background. 

Characteristics of PaaS

  • PaaS provides a browser-based development environment. 
  • It enables the developer to establish a database and change the application code using either point-and-click tools or an API. 
  • Web service interfaces, scalability, and security are all included with PaaS. 
  • Additionally, PaaS offers web services interfaces that let us integrate applications running on different platforms. 

What is remembered for PaaS?

The primary contributions included by PaaS merchants are:

  • Middleware
  • Operating systems
  • Database management
  • Infrastructure

Middleware

Stages offered as a help ordinarily incorporate middleware, so designers don’t need to fabricate it themselves. Middleware is vital for running an application; however, end clients don’t communicate with it.

Operating systems

A PaaS seller will give and keep up the operating framework that designers take a shot at and the application runs on.

Databases

PaaS suppliers control and look after databases. They will, for the most part, give designers a database management framework too.

Infrastructure

PaaS is the following layer up from IaaS in the distributed computing administration model, and everything remembered for IaaS is likewise remembered for PaaS. A PaaS supplier either oversees workers, stockpiling, and actual server farms, or buys them from an IaaS supplier.

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For what reason do designers use PaaS?

Quicker and ideal opportunity to showcase

With PaaS, they should simply compose the code and test the application, and the seller handles the rest.

One climate beginning to end.

PaaS grants engineers to construct, test, investigate, convey, host, and update their applications all in a similar climate. This empowers engineers to be certain a web application will work as facilitated before their delivery appropriately, and it disentangles the application development lifecycle.

Cost

PaaS is savvier than utilising IaaS by and large. Overhead is decreased because PaaS clients don’t have to oversee and arrange virtual machines.

The simplicity of permitting.

PaaS suppliers handle all permitting for operating systems, development tools, and all that else remembered for their foundation.

Also Read: Top Cloud Computing Models Explained

What are the expected disadvantages of utilising PaaS?

Merchant lock-in

It might turn out to be difficult to switch PaaS suppliers since the application is constructed utilising the seller’s tools and explicitly for their foundation. To switch sellers, designers may have to either revamp or vigorously change their application.

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Security and consistency challenges

In a PaaS engineering, the outer merchant will store most or the entirety of an application’s information, alongside facilitating its code. Now and again the merchant may store the databases through a further outsider, an IaaS supplier.

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

IaaS is otherwise called Hardware as a Service (HaaS). It is a figuring foundation overseen over the web. The principle bit of leeway of utilising IaaS is that it encourages clients to stay away from the expense and unpredictability of buying and dealing with the actual workers.

Characteristics of IaaS

  • These virtual machines come with pre-configuration with different operating systems, like Solaris, Linux, and Windows. 
  • Resource availability on demand. 
  • Simple on-demand scaling up and down of the computing resources.

What are the Pros and Cons of IaaS?

Pros of Iaas:

  • Consumption-based hardware purchases are possible. 
  • The supplier can deploy the resources at any moment to a customer’s environment. 
  • The setting up of servers, networking, and storage can all be automated with ease. 
  • Clients maintain total command over their underlying infrastructure. 
  • Depending on your demands, it can be sized up or down. 

Cons of IaaS:

  • The fact that you’re in-charge means you’ll be responsible for restoring any lost data. 
  • You must make sure that your operating systems and applications are reliable and offer the highest level of security. 
  • IaaS companies only supply the servers and API; you are responsible for configuring everything else. 

Additional As a Services To Know About

Now that you know what is IaaS, PaaS, SaaS, explore some other crucial As a Services: 

MaaS 

(Monitoring as a Service)

No matter where they are, it enables users to keep an eye on the condition of their vital applications.

CaaS

(Communication as a Service)

It uses enterprise-level VPNs, PBX, VoIP, and Unified Communications in place of the pricey IT infrastructure management, hosting, and purchasing costs. 

DaaS

(Desktop as a Service)

It guarantees a dependable, consistent user experience for the remote usage of programs, applications, and files wherever and whenever it is needed.

DRaaS

(Disaster Recovery as a Service)

It is a cloud computing concept that offers protection from unnatural (or induced) disasters. 

Cloud Service Models: Which One To Learn?

Given the various types of cloud service models available, deciding which one to learn may seem confusing. Knowing, understanding, and familiarity with both PaaS and IaaS is essential for those who intend to work as system administrators. 

But why learn both? That’s because PaaS always runs and operates on top of IaaS, irrespective of what you develop or deploy. However, one must comprehend Software as a Service (SaaS) if they intend to work as a consultant, like a financial consultant, or if they plan to contribute to a packaged program, like SAP, HRMS, etc. 

Conclusion

Which one should you choose?

Freedom to make it exactly how you want – IaaS is best —->SaaS is least flexible like an App on your phone where you must accept updates and changes. 

The Effort to Set up and Maintain – IaaS is hardest —->SaaS is easiest because someone else does it for you.

Cost – Varies by often when you do a full analysis the bundled SaaS is cheaper over the entire lifespan of the application.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Is Cloud computing safe for businesses?

2. What advantages does Cloud computing offer to businesses?

3. How is Virtualisation different from Cloud Computing?

4. Is Cloud computing safe for businesses?

5. What advantages does Cloud computing offer to businesses?

6. How is Virtualisation different from Cloud Computing?

Pavan Vadapalli

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