What is PaaS (Platform-as-a-Service)?

Platform-as-a-Service is a cloud computing model that delivers applications over the internet. In a PaaS model, a cloud provider delivers hardware and software tools – usually those needed for application development – to its users as a service. A PaaS provider hosts the hardware and software on its own infrastructure. As a result, PaaS frees users from having to install in-house hardware and software to develop or run a new application.

How is Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) different from Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)?

While all three are cloud computing models that use the internet to deliver some or all of its services, the main difference lies in which services a provider manages and what a company manages. In the case of Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), a third-party provider manages most of the system’s services, such as servers and storage, while the company running the system manages its own applications and data.