IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS: What are they and what’s the Difference

The Three Main Types of Cloud Computing

The IT and telecommunications spheres are so full of acronyms that it can sometimes be overwhelming for the uninitiated (and even the veterans). Three acronyms of particular importance are IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS, as they are the three main types of cloud computing. 

IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS are unique, offering their own benefits; however, they are not direct rivals of each other, merely separate tools for different tasks with varying levels of compatibility. 

IaaS

Stands for Infrastructure as a Service. IaaS providers offer cloud-based alternatives to on-premise models including pay-as-you-go storage and virtualization. IaaS allows businesses to transfer their data from on-premise storage to public or private cloud storage in a data center. For more on IaaS, check out our blog IaaS and Cloudtrek.   

PaaS

Stands for Platform as a Service. PaaS vendors provide hardware and software tools over the internet for businesses to develop their applications. PaaS users tend to be developers (bigcommerce).

SaaS

Stands for Software as a Service. SaaS is a means of software licensing and delivery, hosted on a centralized platform and based upon a subscription fee. SaaS software is available through third parties such as Google Apps, Slack, and Dropbox. 

Similarities Between IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS

As cloud computing continues to grow in popularity, many businesses are switching from on-premise to cloud or hybrid models. IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS are all means of enabling a business to use the cloud. It provides greater security, visibility, and frees up a business’s IT people to pursue productive tasks. Similarly, they are all quite cost-effective as they can save businesses resources, time, and manpower. 

Differences Between IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS

The most basic differences between IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS are their functions and capabilities. IaaS provides users with servers and storage. PaaS gives users access to the tools necessary to create and manage applications. SaaS allows users to access vendors’ cloud-based software. At their core, IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS are all building blocks for cloud computing. Although functionality wise they are all different, they do lead to similar gains and results. 

Conectrix wants to be your personal technology negotiator. If you have any questions concerning IaaS, PaaS, or SaaS, feel free to reach out to Conectrix. With us, you can expect considerable improvements to your current technology situation.