Multi-cloud and hybrid cloud trends are on the rise for one reason: many top companies use either or both cloud hosting options for their everyday workflows. However, these two terms are commonly used interchangeably by some users, therefore, clarification is needed.
What is multi-cloud vs. hybrid cloud? How can either or both models help businesses? This article will show you the difference between multi-cloud and hybrid cloud models. It will also guide you in choosing the best option for your company’s objectives.
What is multi-cloud?
When a company uses multi-cloud solutions for its operations, its workflows are deployed on multiple public cloud servers. For proper context, a public cloud is any third-party cloud services provider offering a solution stack to software and engineering teams interested in such services.
For example, an organisation is said to deploy a multi-cloud model if it uses Microsoft Azure for its database, Amazon AWS for developing and testing apps, and Google Cloud for scalability features.
What is a hybrid cloud?
A hybrid cloud combines a company’s on-premise private cloud with one public cloud server. A private cloud is dedicated to a single organisation and may be hosted by third-party vendors or on-premises infrastructure.
When a hybrid cloud model integrates more than one public cloud service provider, it might as well be regarded as a multi-cloud deployment.
What are the pros and cons of multi-cloud?
Multi-cloud deployments are suitable for most organisations for many reasons, but there are a few downsides. See some pros and cons of multi-cloud below:
Pros
- Reduced deployment and maintenance costs
- Increased flexibility
- Makes scalability easier
- Does not require a dedicated in-house IT team
- Relatively low TCO compared to hybrid cloud
Cons
- Lesser security
- Possible complex and expensive migration
- Limited control and access
What are the pros and cons of a hybrid cloud?
Hybrid cloud environments are most relevant for organisations with keen attention to data privacy and security, such as health agencies, fintech, etc. Aside from privacy and many other perks, hybrid cloud environments also have downsides.
Pros
- High scalability and flexibility
- Reduced security risks
- Policy-driven deployment
- More reliable
- Unrestricted control and access
Cons
- Potential for high TCO
- Steep maintenance costs
- Possible compatibility and integration issues
When to use multi-cloud vs. hybrid cloud
Knowing the correct cloud deployment for your organisation depends on several factors we’ll examine below:
#1. Cost
If cutting costs is your primary goal, opting for a multi-cloud environment might be a good choice. Since multi-cloud models allow users to leverage different features from one or more public cloud vendors, the average overhead is significantly less than a hybrid cloud model.
With multi-cloud deployments, you will never have to worry about regular maintenance fees or acquiring new and expensive systems for scaling your software product development. The vendor should take care of all that if they want to stay in business.
Other costs you can easily avoid by using a multi-cloud solution are expenses from IT personnel onboarding, security updates, and data provisioning.
In contrast with multi-cloud, a hybrid cloud solution is more expensive due to the potential for a high TCO and steep maintenance costs, especially when it is necessary to scale operations for improved customer satisfaction.
Our recommendation for low-cost cloud implementations: Multi-Cloud Model
#2. Privacy and security
Multi-cloud and hybrid cloud models are secure, but hybrid cloud deployment offers more security and privacy options than multi-cloud. For businesses handling highly confidential information, it would be better to use an on-premise infrastructure or a private cloud to store customer data.
Although privacy and security are critical in some industries, such as healthcare providers, finance companies, and legal firms, the cost of deploying and maintaining a private cloud or an on-premise system is significantly higher than public clouds.
As more and more companies are turning to third-party cloud companies, most cloud service providers are integrating more reliable security and privacy features. Suppose you’re willing to trade off the extra security layers an on-premises infrastructure offers for reduced costs, a multi-cloud deployment is not a bad idea.
Our recommendation for privacy and security: Hybrid Cloud Model
#3. Flexibility and control
As expected, most cloud service providers have policies that users must adhere to if they wish to continue the services they deploy on the platforms. These policies may affect some companies’ flexibility and limit their control over the deployment of their preferred tech stack.
If your company is limited or restricted from deploying some software stack because of unfavourable policies, using a hybrid cloud may come in handy for more flexibility and control over your business’s operations.
In any case, the top cloud services providers like Amazon AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud offer fair policies and multiple tech stacks you can leverage, giving you enough flexibility to carry out product development operations. Plus, you can partner with Zartis for seamless software product development for your company.
Our recommendation for flexibility and control: Hybrid Cloud Model
#4. Scalability
At some point in business, you must scale operations as more people use your services or if you wish to improve your customer’s experience with your products. Having a quick and cost-effective way to scale your business becomes vital at this point.
Multi-cloud and hybrid cloud deployments are scalable, but the multi-cloud model is cheaper. Scaling a hybrid cloud environment is more expensive due to the costs incurred from adding new equipment, software, and tools to your on-premise data centre.
You may also incur costs onboarding a professional IT team to install, run, and maintain your on-premise systems. This extra cost is avoidable in multi-cloud deployments because you can easily find cost-effective solutions from several vendors with services that can help you quickly scale your operations.
Our recommendation for Scalability: Multi-Cloud Model
Hybrid cloud use cases
1. Digital transformation
Many businesses partially or fully migrate to the cloud to build more scalable processes. However, migrating to the cloud is challenging due to compliance factors and legacy applications. An easy way out is to retain private data centres for legacy applications while using a public cloud for some software stacks.
2. Disaster recovery
On-premises systems can fail because of weather, natural disaster, or intruder activities. It is helpful to back up all the on-premise data on the cloud to avoid a significant interruption to a company’s workflow. However, this use case requires careful planning and implementation, risk assessment, and proper management.
Multi-cloud use cases
1. Applications with multiple components
Multi-cloud is suitable for systems having multiple components with distinct requirements. For instance, a software product may require quick scalability for web and app servers, but the backend may require raw computing power.
Using a single cloud provider can box a company into templates that prevent them from achieving optimal setup for both components. In a multi-cloud model, a company can distribute workloads across different vendors to ensure optimal product development and scalability.
2. Data backup and recovery
Multi-cloud deployments make it easier, cheaper, more secure, and more reliable to store data. Also, relying on multiple cloud solution vendors allows businesses to have a backup system for disaster recovery. However, companies need to keep a detailed inventory of public servers they use and services deployed on those vendors.
Zartis integrates with multi-cloud and hybrid cloud models to help you build great products
Are you looking to build helpful software solutions that address your customers’ problems in the most efficient way possible? Zartis has over ten years of professional track record integrating with companies’ engineering teams to develop products their customers love. Companies without a solid engineering team also trust us to help them build one from scratch. Reach us now to help you start off your software development agenda!
