Multi-cloud vs hybrid cloud: What are their differences?
Cloud computing has fundamentally changed how businesses operate. And this is why it's highly important to determine which cloud strategy works best for your organization.
You've likely heard terms like "multi-cloud" and "hybrid cloud" thrown around in boardroom discussions. These terms represent fundamentally different approaches to managing your IT infrastructure.
Your choice between these strategies will impact everything from security and compliance to operational efficiency and budget allocation.
Understanding which approach fits your specific needs requires more than surface-level definitions. You need practical insights that help you assess your unique business requirements.
We'll walk you through multi-cloud vs hybrid cloud strategies to help you make an informed decision that aligns with your business objectives.
Multi-cloud uses multiple public cloud providers (like AWS + Azure + Google Cloud) to avoid vendor lock-in and leverage each provider's best services.
Hybrid cloud combines your on-premises infrastructure with public cloud services for better control and compliance.
When to choose each approach:
- Multi-cloud - if you want flexibility across providers and have cloud-native applications
- Hybrid cloud - if you have regulatory requirements or significant on-premises investments
The challenge? Managing workloads across multiple clouds or integrating on-premises with cloud services traditionally requires complex tooling and deep expertise.
The solution? Northflank simplifies this by providing a unified platform where you can bring your own cloud accounts and manage everything through a single interface for both multi-cloud and hybrid cloud strategies.
Book a demo to speak with one of our engineers about your specific requirements, or try out the platform to see how it works for your use case.
Before we compare multi-cloud and hybrid strategies, you need to understand the building blocks that make up these approaches.
Public cloud services are computing resources provided by third-party providers over the internet, such as AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform, or IBM Cloud.
The word “public” doesn't mean the services are free; it means the cloud storage space and computing capacity aren't dedicated to you when you're not using them.
Public clouds provide shared infrastructure, pay-as-you-use pricing, rapid scalability, minimal upfront investment, and provider-managed maintenance and security updates.
Private cloud infrastructure provides dedicated computing resources exclusively for your organization.
This can be hosted on-premises in your data center or by a third-party provider who dedicates specific hardware to your company.
Private clouds provide complete control over security and compliance, customizable configurations, predictable costs for consistent workloads, data sovereignty, and higher upfront investment, but potentially lower long-term costs.
Multi-cloud refers to using multiple public cloud providers simultaneously to meet your diverse business needs. Rather than putting all your eggs in one basket, you distribute workloads across different cloud platforms like AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud Platform.
For instance, Netflix originally used only Amazon Web Services (AWS) but switched to multi-cloud by adding Google Cloud services for disaster recovery and artificial intelligence capabilities.
Some advantages of the multi-cloud approach:
- Avoid vendor lock-in and reduce dependency on a single provider
- Improved resilience if one provider experiences outages
- Cost optimization through competitive pricing and regional variations
- Access to best-of-breed services from each provider
Well, it comes with its limitations, some of which include:
- Managing multiple platforms requires diverse skill sets and increases complexity
- Each provider has different APIs, security models, and billing systems
- Data transfer fees between clouds can lead to unexpected costs
Here's the thing: These multi-cloud challenges don't have to be roadblocks. Northflank simplifies these complexities by providing a unified interface that handles the different APIs, billing systems, and platform management for you. Your team can get all the benefits of multi-cloud without the operational burden.
First, you need to assess your specific requirements and ask yourself these key questions:
- What are your primary business drivers? The answer determines if you prioritize cost optimization, avoiding vendor lock-in, or accessing specific services.
- Which workloads suit which providers? You might use AWS for compute-intensive applications, Google Cloud for machine learning, and Azure for Microsoft-integrated services.
- Do you have the expertise to manage multiple platforms? Your team needs skills across different cloud environments, APIs, and management tools.
Hybrid cloud combines your on-premises private infrastructure with public cloud services, creating a unified computing environment. This approach allows data and applications to move smoothly between your private and public cloud environments.
For example, a regional bank could process millions of customer records every night. They could keep sensitive data on-premises for compliance while using public cloud capacity during quarter-end peaks when processing demands spike.
Major benefits of the hybrid cloud approach:
- Maintain control over sensitive data while accessing cloud scalability
- Meet regulatory compliance requirements more easily with on-premises infrastructure
- Achieve cost efficiency by right-sizing workloads to appropriate environments
- Get a gradual migration path from traditional IT infrastructure
However, it has its challenges, which include:
- Establishing reliable connectivity between different platforms and legacy systems
- Network performance dependencies that can impact overall system reliability
- Higher skill requirements for managing both on-premises and cloud environments
- Ongoing costs for maintaining and upgrading physical infrastructure
The key is determining the optimal placement for each workload based on your specific business needs:
- Which workloads need to stay on-premises? Look at regulatory requirements, data sensitivity, and performance needs.
- What should move to public cloud? Look for variable workloads, development environments, and applications that benefit from cloud scalability.
- How will you handle data integration? Plan for secure, reliable connections between your infrastructure and cloud services.
Now that you understand what each approach entails, it's time to compare them directly to determine which strategy best aligns with your specific business needs.
Note: Both strategies solve genuine business problems, but the complexity of managing them shouldn't become a problem itself.
Northflank simplifies this complexity by providing a unified platform for either approach, so you can focus on your business goals rather than infrastructure management.
Book a demo to discuss your specific requirements, or try out the platform to see how it works for your use case.
| Aspect | Multi-cloud | Hybrid cloud |
|---|---|---|
| Infrastructure types | Multiple public clouds only | Private infrastructure + public cloud(s) |
| Primary goal | Avoid vendor lock-in, optimize services | Balance control with cloud benefits |
| Complexity focus | Managing multiple vendor relationships | Integrating on-premises with cloud |
| Architecture approach | Distributing workloads across different public cloud providers based on each service's strengths, pricing, or geographic requirements | Integration between private infrastructure and selected public cloud services, with careful consideration of data flow and security boundaries |
| Best for | Variable workloads, global scale, cloud-native applications | Regulated industries, predictable workloads, mission-critical applications |
| Cost model | Variable based on usage patterns | Mix of fixed (on-premises) and variable costs |
| Security approach | Distributed across multiple providers | Centralized control with selective cloud use |
| Choose when you | Want to avoid single provider dependency, need global reach with local performance, have cloud-native expertise | Have regulatory requirements, significant on-premises investments, need strict data governance, are transitioning gradually |
| Ideal if you have | Expertise to manage multiple platforms, variable workload patterns, need for best-of-breed services | Compliance requirements, predictable performance needs, existing infrastructure investments |
You've seen the benefits of both approaches, but you're likely asking: "How do I implement and manage these complex strategies without overwhelming my team?"
Northflank simplifies this challenge by providing a unified platform that sits above your infrastructure choices.
See how Northflank makes it work:
- Bring your own cloud accounts – Connect your existing AWS, Google Cloud, Azure, or on-premises accounts to one platform. (See for yourself)
- Single interface management – Manage everything through one unified dashboard
- Automated complexity handling – The platform manages multi-cloud networking, deployment pipelines, and monitoring
- Focus on building – Your team can focus on building quality products rather than struggling with infrastructure management
This gives your enterprise flexibility to adapt infrastructure choices as business needs change, freedom from vendor lock-in constraints, reduced operational complexity, and faster time-to-market for applications.
If you're ready to see how this could work for your organization, book a demo to discuss your requirements with our team, or try out the platform to test the capabilities firsthand.
Also see how Weights uses Northflank to scale to millions of users without a DevOps team
Now that you understand both approaches, let's determine which strategy fits your specific situation.
Start with these key questions:
- Regulatory requirements - Do you operate in heavily regulated industries like healthcare, finance, or government? Hybrid cloud often works better for strict compliance needs.
- Existing infrastructure - Do you have substantial on-premises investments that still deliver value? Hybrid cloud lets you extend those investments rather than abandon them.
- Workload patterns - Are your workloads predictable and steady (hybrid works well) or variable and bursty (multi-cloud often better)?
- Team expertise - Multi-cloud requires skills across multiple platforms, while hybrid cloud needs deep networking and integration expertise.
- Future growth plans - Think about your 3-5 year expansion plans, regulatory changes, and how your applications might change.
Remember: The right choice should provide a foundation for future growth, not create limitations that require expensive redesigns later.
With Northflank, you don't have to choose between flexibility and simplicity - you can implement either strategy through a single platform that adapts as your needs change.
Your choice between multi-cloud and hybrid cloud strategies ultimately depends on your unique business context, technical requirements, and organizational capabilities.
Multi-cloud works best for flexibility and avoiding vendor lock-in, while hybrid cloud suits regulatory requirements and existing infrastructure investments.
The key is making a decision based on your specific requirements rather than industry hype.
If you choose multi-cloud, hybrid cloud, or eventually implement elements of both, Northflank can simplify the complexity of managing these strategies through a unified platform.
Book a demo to discuss your specific requirements, or try out the platform to see how it can optimize your cloud journey.
1. What is the difference between hybrid cloud and multi-cloud? Multi-cloud uses multiple public cloud providers, while hybrid cloud combines on-premises infrastructure with public cloud services.
2. Can you have both multi-cloud and hybrid cloud strategies? Yes, many enterprises implement hybrid multi-cloud strategies, combining on-premises infrastructure with multiple public cloud providers.
3. Is multicloud or hybrid cloud more cost-effective? Hybrid cloud often works better for predictable workloads, while multi-cloud can optimize costs for variable workloads through competitive pricing.
4. How does vendor lock-in risk compare between multi-cloud vs hybrid cloud? Multi-cloud specifically addresses vendor lock-in by distributing workloads across multiple providers, while hybrid cloud reduces but doesn't eliminate dependency risks.
5. What skills do teams need for multi-cloud vs hybrid cloud? Multi-cloud requires expertise across multiple platforms, while hybrid cloud needs networking and integration skills. Both require DevOps and security expertise.
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