What Is the difference between PaaS And FaaS?
Tags: cloud, serverless, devops, aws
Published: 2022-11-05 18:51:02

## Introduction

The term "PaaS" is often used interchangeably with "platform as a service," and the term “FaaS” has been coined to mean “function as a service.” However, these two terms can be quite confusing. In this article, we'll explain what PaaS (Platform-as-a-Service) actually means—and how it differs from FaaS (Function-as-a-Service). We'll also explain why both types of cloud services are important for any business that needs to rapidly grow its [infrastructure](https://www.vmware.com/topics/glossary/content/cloud-computing-infrastructure.html).

## What is PaaS?

PaaS is a [cloud-based computing](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/cloud-computing.asp) platform that provides a development environment for applications. PaaS can be characterized as a combination of [Infrastructure as a Service](https://www.techtarget.com/searchcloudcomputing/definition/Infrastructure-as-a-Service-IaaS)(IaaS), [Software as a Service](https://www.techtarget.com/searchcloudcomputing/definition/Software-as-a-Service)(SaaS), and [software development kits](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_development_kit)(SDKs). It offers a variety of services, including application [deployment](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_deployment), [scalability](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scalability), [high availability](https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatacenter/definition/high-availability), [load balancing](https://www.nginx.com/resources/glossary/load-balancing/), and [security](https://www.ibm.com/topics/cloud-security).

PaaS is used by organizations to develop and deploy applications quickly. Developers don't have to worry about setting up the infrastructure or managing it throughout the [application's lifecycle](https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/computer-science/application-lifecycle). They simply develop their applications using an SDK provided by the [PaaS provider](https://www.techtarget.com/searchcloudcomputing/feature/Top-10-PaaS-providers-and-what-they-offer-you), which will be hosted on its infrastructure. It provides an environment for running applications rather than just providing raw computing resources like [virtual machines](https://www.vmware.com/topics/glossary/content/virtual-machine.html) (VMs) or [physical servers](https://www.techtarget.com/searchitoperations/tip/Virtual-servers-vs-physical-servers-What-are-the-differences). However, these services are not always free; some providers charge based on usage or offer tiered pricing models that provide more resources for higher fees per month or year.

This is different from other cloud service models because it requires less development, testing, and support. It's more of a business model that provides everything you need to build an app—not just servers or scalability, but also the necessary tools for all stages of building and maintaining your application.

> The main benefit of PaaS is that you can focus your efforts on building your application instead of managing infrastructure.
> 

## PaaS manages the runtime environment and provides you with a platform to execute your code on.

PaaS is a type of cloud computing that provides a platform to build, deploy and run applications without the hassle of configuration and provisioning.

PaaS manages the runtime environment and provides you with a platform to execute your code on. The application runs in an isolated container that contains all the necessary dependencies like libraries, frameworks, etc., to run it. You don't need to worry about installing these things on your own hardware or operating system because PaaS takes care of it for you.

PaaS is ideal for small businesses and startups because it lets them focus on their core competencies instead of getting bogged down in [infrastructure management](https://www.suse.com/suse-defines/definition/it-infrastructure-management/). The best part is that you don't have to worry about maintaining servers or figuring out how many servers or VMs are needed to run your application because everything is handled by PaaS providers.

## What is FaaS?

FaaS is a [serverless computing](https://aviyel.com/post/3715/how-serverless-computing-is-going-to-change-the-cloud-landscape) model. It's a platform that lets you run your code without having to provision, manage or scale any servers.

FaaS is also known as "pay-as-you-go" because you only pay for what you use. This model of cloud computing was first developed by [PiCloud](https://techcrunch.com/2010/07/19/picloud-launches-serverless-computing-platform-to-the-public/%5C), who released the first version of their offering in 2010—and it picked up steam after Amazon released [AWS Lambda](https://aws.amazon.com/lambda/) in 2014, after which it has since become a major player in the industry's landscape.

FaaS is one of the most powerful tools in the cloud computing market, and it’s growing at a fast pace. In fact, its adoption [rate has increased by 25%](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0164121220301527) since 2017. This means that FaaS will continue to be an important part of the industry for years to come. There are a number of reasons why FaaS is becoming more popular and widely adopted. First, it offers developers the opportunity to focus on their code instead of worrying about infrastructure. Second, it allows you to use any programming language for building your applications—and there are no limits on how much you can scale up or down. Third, FaaS allows developers to test and deploy new functions in just a few seconds without having to worry about servers and infrastructure maintenance.

As a result, FaaS has proven to be an extremely valuable technology for both developers and businesses. It’s being used by big companies—like [Google](https://www.google.com/), [Netflix](https://www.netflix.com/np/), [Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/), and [Salesforce](https://www.salesforce.com/ap/?ir=1)—as well as many smaller startups who need a secure way to host their applications—and it’s helping them all save time and money in the process!

## FaaS manages all the infrastructure and integration points for you, it’s literally just a function.

FaaS is a cloud service that provides you with a runtime environment to run your code. It’s like PaaS, but with a different focus: instead of providing all the infrastructure and integration points for you, FaaS manages all the infrastructure and integration points for you so that you don’t have to worry about configuring servers or building out an entire cloud environment from scratch.

FaaS isn’t just limited to running code; it can also be used as an alternative way of developing applications in general. With FaaS technology (or Function as a Service), developers can build their own custom functions.

These functions are then deployed as “serverless” code that runs in the cloud services. This means that developers have a way to build applications without having to worry about building out their own servers or managing infrastructure. With FaaS technology, developers can focus on writing their code and deploying it with ease, which means less time spent worrying about server configuration and more time spent focusing on solving business problems.

Along with the benefits of FaaS, there are some drawbacks. The most significant is that developers must be highly proficient in their chosen language to use it effectively. Another drawback of FaaS is that it can be expensive if you use too much. Each execution costs money and this adds up quickly if you're running a lot of functions throughout your application—FaaS may not work well with enterprise-level applications at all (or with any apps that need to sustain high load over extended periods).

## Both are great cloud services.

PaaS and FaaS are both great cloud services. They have their own advantages, but they're still useful in different situations.

If your code does a lot of processing, PaaS is probably what you want to use—the runtime environment and integration points are managed by the provider, so all you have to worry about is writing your application. However, if the code is core to your business, then FaaS may be more appropriate because it manages all infrastructure and integration points for you.

The FaaS model is particularly useful for [large-scale applications](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/34683455/what-do-we-actually-mean-by-large-scale-web-application) or production systems because it removes a lot of the development and deployment overhead. You don't need to worry about scaling or infrastructure management; these are all taken care of by the cloud provider.

If you're building an application that doesn't have to run 24/7, then PaaS is probably the better choice. It's easier to start with a pre-built platform, and it's also less expensive because most providers charge per hour or per usage rather than for a monthly subscription fee. One of the biggest benefits of PaaS is that it allows developers to focus on their code rather than on managing infrastructure. By choosing this model, you'll save time and money by not having to worry about things like scaling or patching security vulnerabilities.

The downside of PaaS is that it doesn't have the same flexibility as FaaS. If you want to make any changes to your application or infrastructure, then you'll need to build these features yourself or hire someone else to do it for you.

## What's the difference?

PaaS and FaaS are two types of cloud computing platforms that can be used to develop, host, and run applications. PaaS is a platform that supports the development and deployment of applications, while FaaS provides on-demand services that support the execution of functions.

**The main differences between PaaS and FaaS are that:**

PaaS is a platform where you can build, deploy and manage applications. You can use it to develop your application and then run it in the cloud. On the other hand, FaaS is a framework in which you create a serverless application by using different functions. Functions are executed when events occur in the system (for example, when an HTTP request is made) or as a response to an action by another function (for example, if there is an error in the first function).

In PaaS, you do not need to worry about how many resources your application needs because this is something that will be managed for you by the provider of PaaS services. On the other hand, in FaaS you have to define how many resources your application needs and allocate them yourself.

With PaaS, you can use ready-made tools such as databases or storage systems, while with FaaS you may need to write your own code for these functionalities.

## Paas and Faas are different…

PaaS and FaaS, while similar in some respects, are not the same or identical.

PaaS is a service that manages the runtime environment and provides you with a platform to execute your code on. It does pretty much everything for you, from setting up databases and firewalls to managing application load balancing and scaling by adding more servers as needed.

FaaS is a service that manages all the infrastructure and integration points for you, it’s literally just a function (or two). You don't get any of the other benefits of PaaS: no DevOps tooling or monitoring; just code execution! If your business logic is core to what makes your product work then FaaS might be what's right for you—but if not then PaaS will probably be better suited because it gives more flexibility in terms of deployment architecture as well as choice over how much code gets run at once.

## If the function is core to your business you'll probably want FaaS.

FaaS and PaaS have different strengths and weaknesses. The main difference between them is that with FaaS you must use a framework that handles all aspects of deployment such as scalability and security management while with PaaS there's no need for these issues because they're handled by external cloud providers.

If you're building [microservices](https://microservices.io/) or [machine learning models](https://towardsdatascience.com/all-machine-learning-models-explained-in-6-minutes-9fe30ff6776a) which require complex logic then it might be worth considering using FaaS instead because this type of application would probably benefit from having additional resources available on demand rather than having them pre-built into every application instance when deploying them via container technology like [Docker containers](https://www.docker.com/resources/what-container/)— but this decision depends entirely upon how extensive each project actually becomes!

> If the function is core to your business, you'll probably want FaaS. However, if your code is not crucial or can be written in a different way, then PaaS will probably be better suited for your needs.
> 

## Conclusion

In conclusion, both Platform as a Service(PaaS) and Function as a Service(FaaS) provide simple ways to deploy an application without maintaining servers or worrying about scaling issues themselves. PaaS lets you build software, and FaaS runs code in response to events so it doesn't need any further maintenance; it's an event-driven model. PaaS is good for deploying existing software using frameworks—you can think of these as add-ons that expand the functionality of your app without having to write custom code. Whereas FaaS can be used to build functions and microservices—computer programs designed with flexibility in mind so they work particularly well when split into separate pieces that interact over the internet. FaaS and PaaS both have their advantages and disadvantages. If you're building a simple application that doesn't need to scale, then PaaS is likely the way to go—you can focus on writing code instead of worrying about maintaining servers. But if you're looking for something more complex that requires custom plugins and flexibility in order to grow with your business, then Faa S might be better suited for you. So, the key is to figure out what your business needs are before choosing one over the other.