Because of the similarities between websites and SAAS, some people confuse the two and think they are the same thing. But the reality is that these two things are different and they serve different purposes.
Websites are a combination of web pages that are accessed through the same URL. On the other hand, SAAS, also known as Software as a Service, is a new method of delivering services online. Here we will take a closer look at each of them to see how they work.
Are Websites Considered Software as a Service?
The reason for this comparison is that both websites and SAAS are accessed through the internet using a web browser. They are both published on one or more web servers. But the similarities end there.
Websites can be considered as a more generalized model that views various things through the cloud. They are built using software tools—but not all websites provide a software service.
Therefore, websites are not considered Software as a Service. Websites are created for different purposes: not just providing software through the cloud.
What is a Website?
A web page is accessed through the internet and contains various types of content. This may include blog posts, videos, images, audio, and other forms of media. A collection of web pages owned by a single person or organization is a website. Most companies, brands, businesses, and individuals have their websites. They use it to provide content or information to visitors. Some websites require users to create an account to access some pages, but most of them don’t.
What is SAAS?
Software as a Service, also known as SAAS or SaaS, is a software model that provides software services through the internet. SAAS provides service remotely, unlike traditional on-premise applications that are installed into the computer.
This means you don’t need a hardware device to host the software into it. SAAS provides its services through the internet and a web browser. This unique delivery model means the software is centrally hosted on a server that is owned and operated by the SAAS providers. That server stores the SAAS application along with your data. It also does all computing operations.
Even though it requires you to have an account to use the service, SAAS is still a much more convenient way to access certain services. That account may belong to a single person or an organization, depending on the SAAS provider.
Think of it as “renting” the software. In this model, you don’t own the software, and you don’t have to pay for the license to use it. Instead, you pay a subscription fee that covers a certain period, typically a month or a year.
The service providers are also responsible for most of the software management process, which is another thing that makes it very easy to use. You don’t have to worry about maintaining and updating the software because the SAAS provider does it for you. The subscription fee covers the cost of this as well. The SAAS provider will take care of security issues, hosting, maintenance, OS setup, data storage, and more.
SAAS applications can provide many different services such as messaging, customer relationship management, content management, cloud storage, etc.
So as you can see, websites and SAAS are very different. The only similarity is that they are accessed via the internet. SAAS is a cloud model that facilitates the process of setting up and managing software. Websites are online channels that display any type of content through the web. Knowing their differences, you can better utilize both for your business or company.
