Decoding Cloud Terminology: What 'Cloud-Native' Really Means
DataCenter Knowledge, Monday, July 21st, 2025
Here's how cloud-native compares in meaning to cloud-based, cloud-ready, cloud-hosted, and cloud-first.
Defining cloud-native is tough enough - due in no small part to the fact that cloud-native doesn't necessarily mean that applications have to run in the cloud (it has more to do with application architectures).
But the term can be even more confusing to parse when placed alongside other popular cloud-centric buzzwords, such as cloud-based, cloud-ready, cloud-hosted, and cloud-first.