Updated July 5, 2023
Difference Between SAAS vs Cloud
SaaS vs Cloud in this article. The advancement of technology encompassing networks, storage, and processing power led to the epitome of computing, this is in a current trend called cloud computing or commonly as a cloud. So cloud is a standardized model that allows on-demand network access to shared computing resources, the cloud model emphasizes on the management, storage and processing data online using the internet. The cloud has 3 major delivery model and SaaS is one of them which is known as Software as a Service. It is an on-demand service that is available to users on pay per use basis; it is installed on the software provider’s computers and is available online for the users.
Head to Head Comparison Between SAAS vs Cloud (Infographics)
Below is the Top 7 comparison between SAAS vs Cloud:
Key Difference Between SAAS and Cloud
There are many differences between the SAAS vs Cloud. But let’s have a look at key and major differences between them:
- Cloud computing can be considered as a superset of SaaS, the cloud model that enables on-demand network access with least management effort whereas the SaaS is a subset of Cloud but it is worth noticing that not all SaaS models are created on the cloud, they can also be made on the local terminal and deployed t cloud-based server.
- Talking of service providers under each category we have Google, Adobe, Slack, Shopify, Microsoft and many others under the SaaS categories whereas AWS, MS Azure, Google cloud platform, IBM cloud, Adobe creative cloud, VMware & Rackspace to be some of the big players in the cloud market.
- A cloud user has an ability to customize and manage application on the server which is hosted remotely by any third party, it means you have an access to your data on the server whereas SaaS a user has no rights to maintain server an data, only subscriptions are taken for using a fully developed software via web browser, it means no rights to management and customization of the application.
- Data backup facility is one crucial differentiator between the two; a SaaS user does not have the privilege of data storage while a Cloud user can perform this automatically.
- In SaaS the user does not have control over the servers; it can be canceled anytime without the user’s permission whereas in the cloud the user has full authority as they own the servers with no interference without their permission.
- A cloud is an ocean in itself, all the major cloud providers provide a huge range of solutions let us see the example of com products, from AI, AR VR, Blockchain and Application integration whereas this big application selection and categories are not available for SaaS. A complete enterprise solution is something a cloud offers to its user’s but the same cannot be said for SaaS.
SAAS vs Cloud Comparison Table
Given below are the major difference between SAAS vs Cloud:
| Basis of Comparison | SaaS | Cloud |
| History | Centralized hosting found its bases back in the year 1960, but with revolutionary changes in the 1990’s a new class on centralized computing arrived which was known as an Application service provider (ASP). SaaS is an extension of ASP. | The term cloud computing first appeared in early 1996; its first reference was mentioned in an internal document of Compaq. Amazon popularized it with its EC2 (elastic compute cloud) in the year 2006. |
| Definition | SaaS is a full-blown application, and not a way to build an application. | Cloud computing is a delivery of computing services on the internet |
| Deliverables | Application as an output/utilities. | Computing with utilities. |
| Types | Packaged clouds: One of the most crucial deliverables under the SaaS business model is the packaged cloud; it has several utilities like HR, CRM, etc which are common to every organization. Collaborative softwares focus on collaborative efforts like web conferencing, documentation centralization, emails, messaging, etc. Management tools that are very useful for the development process and also an important integration build into the SaaS platform, are used for monitoring, testing, etc. | Public cloud: The service is provided to multiple clients using the same shared external infrastructure. Private cloud subscription is exclusively meant for one user based on their specific needs. A hybrid cloud is a complex solution combining the public and private clouds altogether. E.g. sensitive information of an organization gets stored in private cloud and general information on the public. |
| Developed by | There is no one name associated with its emergence. | Joseph Carl Robnett Licklider in the year 1960. |
| Applications | Today SaaS is present in all segments of the industry, let us see some commonly occurring applications: Collaboration/Communication/Social CRM Customer Service/Support Human Resources/Talent Management Ecommerce Procurement/Spending/Sourcing Management Software Development/QA Testing Business Intelligence Analytics Budgeting/Reporting/Planning Governance, Risk & Compliance ERP/Manufacturing/Supply Chain Finance/Accounting |
There is a list of applications which are developed in all segments and business categories, let us see some of the commonly occurring one: Online File storage Photo editing software Digital video software Twitter-related applications Creating image-album Web application for antivirus Word processing application Spreadsheets Presentation software Finding a way on the map E-commerce software Miscellaneous applications |
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Conclusion
Where are we heading towards is the bigger question when we look at cloud and SaaS, SaaS has been around us since the 1960s and survived over decades and getting bigger and better every day? Whether you call it a SaaS or cloud computing the industry is showing exponential growth, with its hold to almost all kinds of market segments both with an even bigger user segment.
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This is a guide to SAAS vs Cloud. Here we discuss the difference between SAAS vs Cloud, along with key differences, infographics, & comparison table.
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