As Atlassian has now stopped selling Server licenses and has announced that Server support will also be retired in 2024, existing Server users are facing the tough decision between choosing between Atlassian Cloud vs Data Center.
For some the choice is clear, but for others, there are questions that remain and reasons why Atlassian Cloud may not be the right fit for them. To that end, we’ve launched this Q&A series to help address some of the most prevalent concerns around Atlassian Cloud.
To recap, we’ve discussed:
Today we’re going to discuss both Data Center and Atlassian Cloud advantages and disadvantages as well as the main differences in capabilities and license tiers to help you make it a little easier to determine which path is best for your organization.
Let’s get started.
Data Center vs Atlassian Cloud Benefits
Data Center Benefits
Advanced Control & Customizability
With Data Center, you have the freedom and flexibility to manage all the details and make changes on demand.
Self-Hosting Experience
For those who prefer hosting on their own servers, and want control over their own maintenance and security.
Greater Availability
With a single server node, you run the risk of outages and downtime if your traffic suddenly peaks or you begin to outgrow your node. With Data Center you can simply provision additional nodes as needed and use load balancing to direct peak traffic to a separate node.
Cloud Benefits
Cost Reduction
With Atlassian Cloud, you can forgo the costs of obtaining physical space for your hardware along with the utilities and maintenance of your hardware.
Scalability (Available with Cloud Premium and Enterprise)
Instead of adding extra server nodes, Atlassian handles the procurement of inventory and storage for you with immediate response to spikes in demand as well as team resource usage.
Upgrades, Maintenance, Security Done For You
Atlassian Cloud provides immediate access that you gain to the latest features and available upgrades as well as rigorous security protocols to protect your infrastructure from compromise.
Data Center vs Cloud Features Comparison
The following is a side-by-side comparison between Cloud and Data Center that will be particularly helpful for existing Server customers considering a migration, for example, a Jira migration from Server to Cloud.
| SECURITY, COMPLIANCE, AND RELIABILITY | ||
|---|---|---|
| FEATURE | CLOUD | DATA CENTER |
| Hosting | Atlassian hosts your products. | You are responsible. |
| Security and Encryption | Atlassian offers built-in security and encryption. | You are responsible. |
| Privacy and Compliance | Atlassian includes privacy and compliance controls. | You are responsible. |
| SLAs | Financially-based Uptime SLAs for Premium & Enterprise | You are responsible. |
| Data Storage | Data storage provided by product. | You are responsible. |
| Data Residency | Available with the Enterprise edition | You are responsible. |
| ADMINISTRATION | ||
| FEATURE | CLOUD | DATA CENTER |
| User Management | Atlassian Access | Atlassian Crowd |
| Adoption Insights | Adoption insights provided in Premium and Enterprise versions of Atlassian Access | You are responsible. |
| Updates and Bug Fixes | Atlassian provides automatic updates and bug fixes. | You are responsible. |
| Change Management | Premium & Enterprise | Included |
| APPLICATIONS AND IDENTITY MANAGEMENT | ||
| FEATURE | CLOUD | DATA CENTER |
| Marketplace apps | 1,000+ cloud apps | 1,000+ Data Center approved apps |
| SSO and Identity Integrations | Atlassian Access | Atlassian Crowd |
| Platform Automation | Native to Atlassian | You are responsible. |
| Mobile apps | YES | YES* |
| PLANS | ||
| FEATURE | CLOUD | DATA CENTER |
| Product plans | Free, Standard, Premium, Enterprise | Standard |
| Billing | Subscription-based | Subscription-based |
| User limit per instance
|
Free: up to 10 users Standard: 5000 users Premium: 10,000 users Enterprise: 20,000 users |
Unlimited |
| Pricing | Jira Software (JSW) | Jira Software (JSW) |
*Requires migrating to Jira Software or Core 8.3+, Confluence 6.8+, Jira Service Desk Server 4.12.2+
Key Considerations for Choosing Jira Cloud vs Data Center
Data Compliance/Regulations
For those in compliance-heavy industries, facing regulations (i.e. government, healthcare, financial, etc) then compliance regulations like HIPAA, FedRAMP, SOX, etc are likely going to be the deciding factor for you if you’re considering Jira Data Center vs Cloud. And most likely, you’re going to need to go Data Center. As a recap from our earlier post in this series, let’s take a look at where Atlassian currently stands in securing compliance for their Cloud products.
Atlassian Cloud products are currently compliant with SOC2, ISO27001, ISO27018, PCI DSS, and CSA STAR. Atlassian has also completed a comprehensive GDPR compliance program and has received FedRAMP certification for Trello while Jira Cloud and Confluence Cloud are currently still under evaluation.
In the future, Atlassian also plans to add compliance for HIPAA, BaFin, and APRA for Jira Software, Jira Service Management, and Confluence Cloud.
To follow up on this, we recommend staying tuned to their cloud platform and services roadmap.
Cloud Storage
Another key consideration, particularly for those considering migration from Jira Server to Jira Cloud (and Confluence) is your storage requirements.
Here are the storage limits for Atlassian Cloud products.
| Cloud Product | Version | Storage Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Jira Core, Jira Software (JSW), Jira Service Management (JSM), Confluence | Free | 2 GB |
| Jira Core, Jira Software (JSW), Jira Service Management (JSM), Confluence | Standard | 250 GB |
| Jira Software (JSW), Jira Service Management (JSM), Confluence | Premium | Unlimited |
| Jira Software (JSW), Jira Service Management (JSM), Confluence | Enterprise | Unlimited |
If you need more storage, Data Center might be a better option for you.
Applications
Additionally, you should take a look at the applications you have and what you’ll need moving forward. For Jira users, be aware there is a difference between Jira Cloud and Server applications.
Take note of the applications you currently have and which ones are necessary, optional, and can be eliminated entirely. Once you’re clear on what you need you can start mapping out your existing application functionality to functionality in applications for another service line, for example, application functionality in Jira Cloud vs Server vs Data Center.
If your existing capability isn’t available in the hosting platform you’re considering, then it’s time to decide whether this is a non-negotiable or if you can develop a workaround.
Don’t Go it Alone
Whatever you decide, we understand that migrations can be complex. At Coyote Creek, we’re not just seasoned IT, consultants, we’re also Atlassian Partners who specialize in Atlassian licensing, co-termination, migrations, consolidation, and optimizing Atlassian products for best practices.
We help organizations like yours navigate the complexity of migrating their data with expert planning and execution. We are also capable of handling hybrid migrations via AWS and Azure.
If you’re still unsure as to whether you should choose Jira Cloud vs Data Center or an Enterprise plan vs. a Premium plan, we’ll be happy to walk you through the differences as they relate to your specific needs so you can determine the best path forward.
If you’d like to avoid the headaches and pitfalls of a do-it-yourself migration, please feel free to reach out and we’ll set up a time to talk more about your business requirements and how Coyote Creek can help you plan a seamless migration or upgrade.