Source: Cloud Lec 1, Cloud Lec 6.
| Model | Ownership / Access | Security & Control | Cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public | Provider-owned; open to general public | Lowest control; less secure (shared) | Pay-per-use; cost-effective | Scalable apps, startups, general workloads |
| Private | Single organization; on-prem or 3rd party | Greatest control & security | Higher CAPEX; complex setup | Regulated data, sensitive workloads |
| Hybrid | Mix of public + private, bound by standard tech | Balance: secure core + scalable burst | Pay extra only when scaling to public | Flexibility, gradual cloud migration |
| Community | Shared by orgs with common concerns | Better than public; shared governance | Cost-effective (shared infra) | Collaboration, industry-specific compliance |
| Multi-Cloud | Multiple public cloud providers simultaneously | Complex; security loopholes possible | Mix best-of-breed services | Vendor lock-in avoidance, high availability |
Deployment models define ownership, access, and security. Public cloud is provider-owned, pay-per-use, scalable, but less secure. Private cloud is dedicated to one org with greatest control and security but higher cost. Hybrid combines public and private for flexibility but is hard to manage with latency issues. Community cloud is shared by orgs with common concerns. Multi-cloud uses multiple public providers to avoid lock-in and improve availability. Selection depends on cost, compliance, scalability, and privacy requirements.