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Comparison of node infrastructure options for your project

Comparison of node infrastructure options for your project

SaaS, dedicated nodes, or node clusters: Make your informed choice

Daniel Yavorovych
February 08, 2024

Hey, it’s Daniel!

Making solutions regarding the infrastructure of your product is always non-linear. How to choose between SaaS, dedicated nodes, or node cluster version—and do not regret later—is a skill we trained with tens of our clients, and we’re good at it! I brought you bits of the theoretical background generously sprinkled with our experience. Hope you’ll enjoy this snack!

A helicopter view: Comparing features of the three variants

Feature	SaaS Nodes	Dedicated Nodes	Node Clusters
Hardware requirements	Not applicable; provided and managed by the service	High-performance servers, storage solutions, networking equipment.	Clustered servers, storage systems, high-bandwidth networking.
Software requirements	Provider-specific; typically includes access to a web interface.	OS licenses, virtualization software, monitoring tools.	Container orchestration tools (e.g., Kubernetes), cluster management software.
Cost	Subscription-based; cost varies with usage.	High initial cost; lower operational costs.	Variable; depends on management and scale.
Scalability	Scalable, limited by the provider's offer.	Scalable, primarily manual, limited by physical resources.	Dynamic scaling using orchestration tools; supports auto-scaling policies.
Security technologies	Standardized security protocols; limited customization.	Complete control over security implementations (e.g., firewalls, IDS/IPS).	Requires complex security setup (e.g., network policies, service meshes).
Data operations	Internal storage solutions under the data handling policies.	Self-managed on-premise databases or separate data center storage solutions; complete control.	Distributed storage systems, data replication, and backup strategies; complete control.
Customization	Low level of customization.	High level of customization.	High level of customization.
Performance	Depends on the provider; may vary.	Predictable performance; not shared with others.	Can be optimized for high performance.

Summing up

	Pros	Cons
SaaS-provided Nodes	Ease of use, low upfront cost, provider-managed maintenance, and scalability.	Limited customization, potential concerns over data sovereignty, reliance on provider's security and performance standards.
Dedicated Nodes	High customization, predictable performance, complete control over security and data sovereignty.	High initial cost, requires dedicated maintenance, limited scalability.
Node Clusters	Highly scalable, fault-tolerant, customizable performance and security.	Complex setup and management, requires expertise in cluster management, potentially higher operational costs.

Each of these variants can be best-matching, but there’s one we believe is quite versatile for all cases. It’s a self-hosted infrastructure with access to the archive nodes and JWT token on guard of the endpoints. It is not as expensive and hard to handle as traditional node clusters but is a little more fueled than dedicated nodes—our solution gives the best of both worlds.

Project-infrastructure correlation based on our experience

We derive the following insights based on each option's typical applications and advantages in various business contexts.

	SaaS-provided Nodes	Dedicated Nodes	Node Clusters
Types of business	Startups, SMBs, companies such as digital marketing agencies, and e-commerce platforms.	Organizations with specific compliance, security, or performance requirements, such as financial institutions, healthcare providers, and government agencies.	Large enterprises, tech companies, and research institutions that require high availability, fault tolerance, and massive scalability, such as big data analytics firms, high-traffic web applications, and SaaS providers.
Benefits to achieve	Quick deployment, scalability, and lower upfront costs. SaaS nodes are also beneficial for projects that require extensive collaboration or remote access.	More control over the hardware and software environment, handling sensitive data, requiring high performance and reliability.	Scalability and reliability for businesses with complex applications or those requiring high data processing and availability levels.

If you need advice from me and other community members, find us here:

What’s your best option for now?

Depending on the lifecycle stage of your product, you might not even think about dedicated nodes or node cluster options. But if obtaining such infrastructure is the only option to reach your goals, you have no time to think but should act accordingly.

Kind regards,

Daniel