Of the millions and millions of softwares that exist in this world, most of them offer the option to host your data in the Cloud. That’s amazing, because “the cloud” is one of the most important technological developments we’ve been exposed to in the last 15 years. It’s the reason we’ve been able to stop buying hard drives every time they’re on sale, and why you don’t need to print every picture from your vacation. It’s also been the reason for numerous hacks, data breaches, and causes for disturbance during that time.

The cloud giveth and the cloud taketh away. While some people would argue that the cloud is more safe (and they have a point — most of the time cloud storage comes with stronger perimeters and surveillance) it’s often this method of storage that leads to hacks.
It’s also important to note that “cloud-based” and “hosted” solutions are not the same things, although you may find that they’re used interchangeably. A cloud based solution is like having a unit in an apartment. You’re able to take advantage of all the utilities and advantages that come from being in the apartment, and each month you’re billed for what you use.

You never have to worry about maintaining the utilities, cutting the lawn, or making sure the security guard downstairs is doing his job. That’s all someone else’s job, same goes for when you’re entrusting your solution to the cloud.
A hosted solution is like buying your own house. You’ve got control over your domain, the ability to put any pink flamingo you want in the front yard and and colour combination of Christmas light you want every November. The only person who has access to the house? That’s you.
But guess who the only person is whose responsibility it is to make sure it’s safe, and that you’ve paid your electricity bill, and that your water hasn’t been contaminated? Well, that’s you too.

The most important question you can ask yourself when choosing a solution is “how much time do I want to spend on the technical side of things?” If you’re okay with taking charge and getting into the granularities, then hosting it on your servers might be the solution. If you’d rather someone else worry about that stuff, then consider the cloud.