Public vs. private cloud environments When you’re thinking about migrating to the cloud, the first thing you need to decide is whether you’ll use a public or private cloud environment. You might also opt for a hybrid model. Public cloud environments are the most common. With public clouds, all of the servers and storage, along with any necessary hardware, are owned and maintained by a third-party provider, like AWS or Microsoft Azure. Public clouds are generally cheaper, more scalable, and more reliable than private cloud environments because the provider is able to host multiple companie...