Cloud Services : SaaS vs PaaS vs IaaS vs STaaS vs BaaS

Abdelmajid BACO
2 min readFeb 10, 2023

A Quick Guide to Understanding the Different Types of Cloud Services

Photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash

Cloud services are services that are hosted, managed, and provided over the internet. Examples of cloud services include Software as a Service (SaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Storage as a Service (STaaS), and Backup as a Service (BaaS). Cloud services enable businesses to store data and access applications without having to purchase hardware or manage a physical infrastructure.

SaaS

Software as a Service is a cloud-based software delivery model in which applications are hosted by a third-party provider and delivered to customers over the internet. Examples of SaaS include customer relationship management (CRM) software, such as Salesforce, office applications such as Microsoft Office 365, and G Suite (formerly Google Apps).

PaaS

Platform as a Service is a cloud-based development and deployment platform that provides developers with the tools, components, and services needed to build, deploy, and manage applications. Examples of PaaS include Google App Engine and Amazon Elastic Beanstalk. PaaS solutions provide users with all of the tools and services necessary to create, test, debug, and deploy applications on the cloud without having to purchase or configure any infrastructure.

IaaS

Infrastructure as a Service is a cloud computing model in which an organization purchases or leases computing infrastructure, such as servers and storage, over the internet. Examples of IaaS include Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform. With IaaS, an organization has complete control over their infrastructure as they can configure, deploy, and manage it according to their requirements.

STaaS

Storage as a Service is a cloud-based storage solution that enables users to store, access, and protect their data online. Examples of STaaS include Dropbox, Google Drive, and Amazon S3. STaaS solutions provide users with a secure and scalable storage solution that allows them to easily store, access, and share data from any device.

BaaS

Backup as a Service is a cloud-based backup solution that enables users to store, replicate, and secure their data. Examples of BaaS include Carbonite, Microsoft Azure Backup, and Amazon Glacier. BaaS solutions provide users with an automated backup solution that is secure, reliable, and cost-effective.

Thank you for taking the time to read my article! I hope you found it helpful and that it gave you an in-depth understanding of the different types of cloud services available.

--

--

Abdelmajid BACO

Senior Full Stack .Net / Angular Developer, Cloud & Azure DevOps, Carrier Manager, Husband, and Father.