5 Lesser-Known Facts of Cloud Based Application Development

If cloud based application development is one your to-do-list, you’re on the same path as many innovative tech executives. Gartner’s cloud shift research estimates that two-thirds (65.9%) of IT spending will be directed to cloud technologies in 2025 alone.

And this comes as no surprise considering the numerous benefits cloud-based apps offer, including:

• Scalability on demand without hardware upgrades or delays
• Cost-efficient operations as organizations only pay for what they use
• Accelerated deployment of updates and new features, reducing time-to-market
• Easy access from anywhere and any device
• Efficient (and easy) integration with the company’s tools via APIs, webhooks, and managed services
• Added flexibility to accommodate future tech shifts

But before contacting cloud based application development companies, you should know a few things. Mainly the following five if you wish to avoid wasting your resources on an app no one will use.

1) Cloud-based apps aren’t the same as cloud-native apps

If you’re used to alternating between the terms ‘cloud based apps’ and ‘cloud-native apps’, you may want to stop.

Cloud-based applications are those hosted and run in the cloud. However, they aren’t necessarily designed specifically for cloud environments. Instead, they could have been built for the web or some software platform before being deployed in the cloud.

On the other hand, cloud-native applications are built specifically for cloud environments from the ground up.

Here’s a quick look at how they differ based on their features.

Architecture

Cloud based application development may not include containerization since these apps tend to have a monolithic or semi-modular architecture. This means all of the app’s components are tightly integrated and deployed as one unit.

Alternatively, cloud native app development leverages a microservices architecture, i.e. the app comprises small, independent services that communicate via APIs. These apps also often use serverless functions.

Scalability

While both cloud based and cloud native apps are scalable, the latter are a better fit if you’re looking for something extra. Especially automatic scaling as that’s usually a built-in feature.

Meanwhile, cloud based apps may require manual configuration or additional effort to scale efficiently.

Use of cloud services

As they’re designed for cloud from the very beginning, cloud native apps are deeply integrated with cloud services such as serverless computing. On the other hand, cloud based applications use some cloud features rather than the cloud ecosystem.

Deployment and updates

How these apps are deployed and updated should help you decide between cloud-native and cloud-based apps.

The former support automated deployments using CI/CD pipelines, and allow for continuous delivery and updates. As for the latter, it often follows a more traditional deployment model.

Performance optimization

Cloud-native apps are optimized for cloud environments. This, in turn, means high availability, resilience, and efficient resource usage for your organization.

Despite the lack of full optimization, cloud based application development utilizes cloud hosting to ensure performance.

Integration

Cloud based application developers can easily integrate your apps with third-party services, but there’s a small catch.

Due to the apps’ monolithic or partially modular architecture, they may need extra work to make integrations smooth, reliable, and secure. For instance, developers may resort to creating custom connectors or restructuring parts of the code.

So, the alternative may be a better option if you need highly-modular apps that don’t require additional resources for integrations.

🔥 Hot tip! Make sure to pick the right software development services to avoid any impact to your cloud app’s ROI.

2) Cloud-based apps are also not the same as cloud-enabled apps

Another couple of terms you shouldn’t use interchangeably is ‘cloud-based’ and ‘cloud-enabled’.

Cloud-enabled apps are traditional (legacy or on-premise applications) that were rehosted or slightly refactored to run in a cloud environment.

While they can benefit from cloud hosting perks such as offloaded hardware management, they lack cloud-native patterns like microservices or auto-scaling.

Here’s a quick look at the characteristics of cloud-enabled apps.

• Architecture – These apps usually retain a monolithic, legacy structure that isn’t optimized for cloud-native principles.
• Scalability – They have limited scalability, often requiring complex workarounds or infrastructure to grow.
• Use of cloud services – They rely mostly on legacy functionality, tend to only use the cloud for hosting purposes, and offer minimal service integration.
• Deployment and updates – Unlike cloud based application development, cloud-enabled app development follows legacy IT deployment cycles.
• Performance optimization – You need to factor in performance limitations since these apps weren’t originally designed for the cloud.
• Integration – There’s always a risk of integration challenges due to outdated architecture or limited API support.

3) A web app may be more suitable for your specific project

As tempting as cloud based apps may be, your project may suffice with a traditional web application.

A web application runs on a web server, and is accessed through a web browser over the internet or an intranet.

You may want to opt for this type of app if you need a browser-accessible interface that runs on all types of devices and doesn’t require large-scale processing. In fact, web apps are ideal for lightweight business applications such as internal tools and portals.

And to be brutally honest, a web app may be more budget-friendly. Especially if you’re outsourcing on a fixed-cost project basis and don’t need an advanced app.

The best way to assess which of these apps to pick is to contact an experienced cloud based web application development company. Your new tech partner can help you decide and implement your decision quickly.

🔥 Hot tip! If a web app is what you need, make sure to assess if .NET or Node JS is the right stack before signing a web development service.

4) There’s more to Cloud-based applications that IaaS, SaaS and PaaS

When it comes to cloud based application development, most people believe the process can produce only –

• Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) where virtualized computing resources are available for users to build and manage their own applications
• Platform as a Service (PaaS) for building, testing, and deploying applications without managing underlying infrastructure
• Software as a Service (SaaS) which is fully functional software applications delivered over the internet, accessible via browsers

However, that’s really not all you can get Mobile Backend as a Service (MBaaS).

MBaaS offers ready-to-use backend infrastructure and services specifically tailored for mobile applications. Instead of building and maintaining your own servers, databases, and APIs, you can have MBaaS platforms handle core backend functionality like user authentication and push notifications.

You can also discuss the following options with your development team –

• Backend as a Service (BaaS)
• Backup as a Service (BaaS)
• Data Base as a Service (DBaaS),
• Desktop as a Service (DaaS)
• Monitoring as a Service (MaaS)
• Network as a Service (NaaS)

5) DevOps and cloud-based apps are tightly connected

DevOps unifies software development and IT operations to enable faster, more reliable application delivery. It prioritizes automation, continuous integration and deployment (CI/CD), and real-time monitoring. As a result, efficiency, quality, and responsiveness become ingrained in the software lifecycle.

But DevOps isn’t just a nice-to-have anymore; it’s a must-have in cloud based application development. And here are three of many reasons why this relationship works –

• The Automation Link – Cloud platforms offer APIs and tools that make it easy to automate infrastructure provisioning, deployments, scaling, and monitoring. All of these are necessary for DevOps.
• Continuous Integration & Deployment (CI/CD) – DevOps pipelines depend on cloud-native CI/CD services such as GitHub Actions and AWS CodePipeline to deliver updates rapidly and reliably.
• Monitoring & Feedback Loops – Cloud-based observability tools support real-time logging, metrics, and alerting. All of these are necessary for DevOps’ feedback-driven workflows.

Bonus Fact) Your next cloud based app may be closer than you think

Offering both experience and expertise, DPL knows exactly how to turn your idea into a scalable, secure, and high-performing solution.

Choose us as your cloud based application development company and get ready to flaunt future-ready apps tailored for your needs, ready to grow your business.