PaaS vs IaaS: Which is Right for Your Business?
•By Wheelhouse Tech

The Difference
Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS)
You manage:
- Applications
- Data
- Runtime
- Middleware
- Operating System
Azure manages:
- Virtualization
- Servers
- Storage
- Networking
Best for: Teams with strong infrastructure expertise
Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS)
You manage:
- Applications
- Data
Azure manages:
- Everything else
Best for: Businesses wanting to focus on applications, not infrastructure
Cost Comparison
| Aspect | IaaS | PaaS |
|---|---|---|
| Setup Time | Weeks | Days |
| Operational Overhead | High | Low |
| Cost Predictability | Variable | Fixed |
| Scaling Complexity | Manual | Automatic |
Our Recommendation
For Brisbane SMBs, PaaS-first is the winning strategy because:
- Lower operational costs
- Faster innovation cycles
- Better security (managed by Azure)
- Less DevOps overhead
Questions?
Curious about which approach fits your business? Let's discuss your infrastructure strategy.
Ready to explore cloud-native for your business?
Let's talk about your ITMore Insights
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