PaaS (platform as a service)
Also called platform as a service.
Cloud hosting where you deploy your own application and the provider runs the servers, operating system and runtime underneath.
Last updated
What it is.
NIST SP 800-145 defines PaaS as the ability to deploy your own applications onto cloud infrastructure using languages, libraries, services and tools the provider supports. You control the application and some of its settings; you do not manage the network, servers, operating systems or storage underneath.
It sits between infrastructure, where you rent virtual machines and manage everything on them, and SaaS, where you use a finished application. Managed databases, app hosting platforms and serverless functions are all PaaS-style services.
Why it matters
PaaS removes a lot of operations work: patching servers, scaling, failover and certificates. A small team can ship and run a product without a dedicated operations engineer. The trade-off is less control, pricing that can climb with traffic, and some vendor lock-in to the provider's way of doing things.
In a product build
Most product builds start on PaaS-style hosting because it is quick to set up and easy to hand over. The hosting choice, and the accounts for it, should be in the client's name from the start.
Common mistakes.
- 01
Ignoring how the price grows with usage until the bill arrives.
- 02
Building on provider-only features without knowing what it would take to move.
- 03
Assuming the provider handles security. You still own your code, data access and settings.
Read the official text.
Primary sources this definition is based on.
- NIST SP 800-145, The NIST Definition of Cloud Computingchecked 2026-10-25
Related terms.
- SaaS (software as a service)Software you use over the internet, usually by subscription, while the provider runs the application and everything under it.
- Vendor lock-inWhen leaving a supplier, platform or tool would cost so much time or money that you are effectively stuck with it.
- UptimeThe share of time a service is working and reachable, usually written as a percentage such as 99.9%.
- Total cost of ownership (TCO)Everything a piece of software costs over its life, not just the price to build or buy it.
