Self-host or cloud? What it really costs

The question is rarely what is cheapest in absolute terms. The question is which cost model fits your load, and who runs the thing.

Two models, briefly

SaaS you pay per seat. The cost grows with the team. Self-hosting costs about the same whether ten or two hundred people use it, but you carry setup, updates and backups yourself.

With few users SaaS almost always wins. Past a certain team size or data volume the maths flips. The point where both cost the same can be worked out in advance, and that is exactly what should happen before the decision.

Cloud is the norm, not a reflex

More than half of EU enterprises now pay for cloud services, 52.7 percent in 2025 by Eurostat figures, up from around 45 percent two years earlier. Cloud is the default. That is precisely why the expensive line items deserve a second look before the bill quietly grows with you.

The cheapest server helps little if your time to run it costs more than the saving.

Counted honestly

A server at a European provider costs little per month. Your time for maintenance, backups and security is not free. Anyone comparing self-hosting has to put those hours into the sum, or they are comparing apples with oranges. And prices move. Even low-cost providers raised their rates in 2026, which means a calculation from last year can already be wrong today.

What this means for you

• Project SaaS over three years, against your expected team size, not today’s.
• Put the operating hours for self-hosting into the sum honestly, including cover during holidays.
• Often the best answer is mixed. Non-critical and spiky in the cloud, stable and sensitive on your own infrastructure.