Before you make a decision
Cloud infrastructure replaces some equipment purchases with ongoing service charges. The important buying question is not simply whether cloud is cheaper: it is which resources your workload needs, how usage changes, and who manages the work.
Start with the workload, not the provider
Write down what the application does, its expected traffic, where users are based and how much downtime the business can tolerate. A small internal tool and a customer-facing checkout have different requirements. Compare providers using the same workload assumptions rather than their smallest advertised instance.
Build a full monthly estimate
Include compute time, storage, requests, data transfer, backups, monitoring and support. Ask which resources keep charging when an application is idle. Identify the person responsible for reviewing bills and setting budget notifications. A calculator estimate is a planning aid; actual usage determines the invoice.
Plan how you would leave
Check how data can be exported and what migration effort would be involved. Managed services can reduce operations work but may increase dependence on provider-specific features. Document access permissions, backup ownership and a recovery process before putting critical data into production.
Your comparison worksheet
Bring these questions to the conversation
| Compare | Ask |
|---|---|
| Compute | What is billed when resources are idle? |
| Storage | What do backups and retrieval add? |
| Networking | What traffic leaves the platform? |
| Operations | Who patches, monitors and responds? |
Your quick checklist
- Define the workload and expected usage.
- Include networking, backup and support in the estimate.
- Set budget alerts and assign a bill owner.
- Check data export and recovery procedures.
Editorial learning notes, not individual technical or purchasing advice. Verify current features and terms with the provider. Videos remain the property of their respective publishers.