Cloud vs On-Premise
Cloud is the right default for most workloads — elastic scale, no hardware to run, and pay-for-use economics. On-premise still wins for strict data-residency or regulatory needs, predictable heavy workloads, or existing datacentre investment. Hybrid is common.
| Criterion | Cloud | On-Premise |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | Low — no hardware | High — capital purchase |
| Elastic scaling | On demand | Fixed capacity |
| Data residency / control | Region-dependent | Full physical control |
| Ops burden | Provider-managed | Your team runs it |
| Cost at steady heavy load | Can be high | Predictable |
| Time to launch | Minutes | Weeks to procure |
| Global reach | Built in | You build it |
Choose Cloud when
Most new systems, variable or growing workloads, global users, and teams that want to focus on product not datacentres.
Choose On-Premise when
Strict residency/regulatory mandates, steady predictable heavy compute, or significant existing on-prem investment.
The verdict
Default to cloud; keep or place on-prem only what regulation or economics genuinely require — often a hybrid. Lazlo designs cloud-native systems and the hybrid boundary where you need one.