What are the pros and cons of IaaS?

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) provides virtualized computing resources over the internet, allowing developers to rent servers, storage, and networking instead of maintaining physical hardware. The primary advantage of IaaS is scalability. Developers can quickly adjust resources like compute power or storage based on demand, avoiding over-provisioning. For example, a team running a web app on AWS EC2 can automatically scale server capacity during traffic spikes and reduce it during off-peak times. This elasticity is cost-effective, as you only pay for what you use. Additionally, IaaS eliminates upfront hardware costs and shifts maintenance (like hardware updates) to the provider, freeing teams to focus on application development.

However, IaaS has downsides. One major challenge is shared responsibility for security. While providers secure the physical infrastructure and hypervisor, users must manage their own OS, applications, and data. Misconfigurations, like leaving a cloud storage bucket publicly accessible, can lead to breaches. Cost management is another concern. Without careful monitoring, auto-scaling or unused resources can lead to unexpectedly high bills. For example, a developer might forget to terminate temporary test instances, resulting in ongoing charges. Performance can also be inconsistent if the provider’s network or hardware experiences bottlenecks, which users have little control over.

Finally, IaaS requires technical expertise to optimize. Teams must understand networking, security, and resource allocation to avoid inefficiencies. Vendor lock-in is another risk: using provider-specific tools (like AWS Lambda) can make migrating to another platform difficult. Despite these challenges, IaaS is a strong fit for teams needing flexible infrastructure without upfront investments. It’s particularly useful for startups, temporary projects, or applications with unpredictable workloads. By weighing scalability and cost efficiency against security responsibilities and management complexity, developers can decide if IaaS aligns with their project’s needs.