Bare metal cloud vs IaaS: What are the differences?

Many businesses implement cloud-based services as the cornerstones of their core digital infrastructure because of the cloud’s flexibility, scalability, and hands-off maintenance.

Server hosting is one of an online business’s most important cloud infrastructure choices. It provides the foundation from which everything else is built and allows for efficient optimization throughout your systems.  

Two of the most popular hosting solutions today are bare metal cloud and Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS). Unfortunately, no hosting solution exists that’s best for all businesses. Every business has unique needs and requirements. Solutions that work well for one might not work at all for another. 

This article will explore both the benefits and considerations of bare metal cloud vs IaaS and provide a few examples of when each might be the correct choice for your hosting needs. 

What is bare metal cloud?

Bare metal is a modern take on the traditional dedicated server. It provides the main benefits of dedicated physical servers but with the flexibility and customization that the cloud provides.

Bare metal cloud is a type of cloud computing that adds a virtualization layer to traditional bare metal servers. Users rent core physical infrastructure resources on an as-needed basis in an isolated, single-tenant environment. 

Bare metal cloud is typically a best-fit solution for businesses needing smooth performance for data-intensive workloads. Some examples include complex business operations, media streaming, gaming, and real-time analytics reporting. Additional benefits of bare metal solutions include:

• Security: Fully dedicated hardware and computing resources allow for heightened network security through system controls that outsiders can’t adjust.  
• Flexibility: As you’re the only tenant in a bare metal environment, the solution can be tweaked and customized to meet your use case’s specific needs and demands.
• Scalability: Many bare metal cloud solutions offer considerable scaling potential, as you can easily upgrade your CPU, RAM, and storage to your changing needs.

However, there are several key drawbacks to consider before implementing a bare metal cloud solution, such as a higher average cost than multi-tenant IaaS and fewer available advanced management tools. 

Use cases for bare metal cloud

Thanks to their isolated, single-tenant environments, bare metal servers are often a solution for applications with high security requirements. This includes businesses that must comply with stringent security or regulatory standards in their industry or country of operation.

A primary advantage of bare metal vs dedicated servers is the extra layer of scalability and flexibility offered via the cloud. The two can make excellent complementary solutions, as you can simply add or scale back bare metal resources according to need. At the same time, the dedicated server takes care of your regular planned resource demands.

Large ecommerce stores, SaaS companies providing tax-related services, and payroll software solutions are examples of businesses that might benefit from bare metal cloud vs IaaS due to their need for high levels of cybersecurity, reliable performance, and singular root access.

What is IaaS?

Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) refers to the provisioning and management of server infrastructure on a pay-as-you-go basis. This provides multiple users with on-demand access to the basic resources needed to set up their digital infrastructure without owning or maintaining physical hardware. IaaS provider solutions include things like servers, server components, connectivity, physical security, and electricity.

IaaS solutions take care of cumbersome tasks such as hardware upgrades, the creation of backups, and frequent software updates. Some of the key benefits of choosing an IaaS solution include:

• Customization: Although IaaS providers control and maintain the core infrastructure, you can still install, add, and configure additional infrastructure or software such as virtual machines, operating systems, or load balancers.
• Pricing: As IaaS solutions share resources between several tenants, they are often more economical than bare metal cloud solutions.
• On-demand scalability: IaaS allows operations to spin their virtual machines up and down depending on seasonal fluctuations in demand.

While IaaS has many benefits, it is not a perfect solution and has a few key drawbacks. 

For example, while its multi-tenant environment does result in a cheaper monthly cost, it is less secure than a single-tenant bare metal solution. This also introduces the possibility of having a “noisy neighbor” that uses a lot of the available resources, resulting in inconsistent and unreliable performance for you.

Use cases for IaaS

As long as you’re OK with shared hosting, IaaS solutions are excellent for anyone looking for a flexible, comparatively low-cost solution for their cloud infrastructure needs. 

It also works particularly well for organizations developing mobile or desktop applications that require frequent testing. Historically, this was one of the most common use cases for IaaS solutions. Development teams needing highly flexible and configurable testing environments would often use them to quickly test and collect information about in-progress software.

In recent years, however, an increasing number of businesses have begun to move infrastructure to the cloud. IaaS offers a flexible and scalable cloud environment that can be valuable for various businesses.

Considering factors for bare metal cloud vs IaaS

There are several major factors to consider when comparing bare metal cloud vs IaaS. These include, but aren’t limited to, security levels, compliance considerations, and integration with the infrastructure you already have in place.

Despite being distinctly different, bare metal vs IaaS often comes down to the level of security you need. It also comes down to whether you’re OK with shared hosting and your budget. Businesses prioritizing security or those not comfortable sharing resources should go with bare metal. IaaS provides an economical, scalable, and flexible multi-tenant alternative at a lower cost. 

Bare metal cloud solutions also work best for operations that currently use a type of dedicated server as part of their infrastructure. The two are complementary solutions that integrate seamlessly. 

Bare Metal-as-a-Service (BMaaS)

In recent years, bare metal solutions have even begun to be offered as a service, often referred to as Bare Metal-as-a-Service (BMaaS) or Metal-as-a-Service (MAAS). In this model, vendors leverage automation technology to increase the efficiency of their on-site data centers.

This is achieved by deploying bare metal cloud resources directly to a data center. These BMaaS solutions are delivered in a way that is not dissimilar to how IaaS solutions have long been provided. They also present a much lower barrier to entry than traditional solutions requiring physical infrastructure.

Performance and scalability comparison 

Two of the most important aspects of any hosting solution are its overall performance capabilities and ability to scale efficiently. 

At a high level, bare metal is typically associated with strong, reliable performance, while IaaS is known for its on-demand scalability. Whereas bare metal gets a performance boost from being a single-tenant solution offering direct access to physical resources, IaaS’ multi-tenant architecture provides more flexibility in scaling up or down.

This is perhaps the biggest benefit of the IaaS shared hosting model. You can buy more when you need it or allow others to take over those resources when you don’t. Conversely, this places you at a much higher risk of having a server neighbor bottleneck your system by taking up a large portion of available resources.

Selecting the right solution for your business

When deciding between bare metal and IaaS, it is important to dig into the positives and drawbacks of each before selecting the one that best fits your use case.

Bare metal cloud solutions typically best serve businesses with large budgets that prioritize security, performance, and full root access. 

Conversely, those looking for a more cost-efficient service that can scale dynamically and easily handle variable workloads might consider IaaS. This assumes sharing resources and the occasional period of inconsistent performance is not a dealbreaker.

While IaaS is almost always going to be the more economical option, it’s important to also consider the opportunity cost of each solution. For example, if your business experiences fluctuations in resource demands during the holiday period but chooses a solution that does not dynamically scale, you might be leaving money on the table 11 months out of the year. 

This works the other way as well. Businesses that need consistent performance, total server access, and data-intensive workloads will likely lose money in the long term if they opt for an IaaS solution, as it might not properly satisfy these needs.

Making an informed decision: bare metal cloud vs IaaS

The best way to ensure you’re making an informed decision when comparing bare metal cloud vs IaaS is to thoroughly educate yourself about each solution through resources such as this article. It is equally important to understand exactly what you want from your hosting solution and the digital infrastructure you already have in place.

Liquid Web offers a variety of hosting solutions, ranging from dedicated servers to bare metal cloud solutions. We help take the stress and difficulty out of building and maintaining your digital infrastructure. 

Find out for yourself why over 180,000 customers worldwide trust us with their hosting needs. Check out our plans to get started today, or reach out to speak with a solutions specialist.