Cloud vs on premise asset management comes down to one question: who runs the servers your asset records live on? With cloud software, the vendor hosts it and you sign in through a browser or an app. With on-premise software, your own IT team installs it on servers you own, inside your network, and the data never leaves the building.
Both can hold the same asset register, work orders, maintenance plans and audits. What differs is cost structure, who handles security and upgrades, whether the system works without the internet, and how much control your IT and compliance teams have. This guide compares cloud, self-hosted and on-premise asset management, shows when each one fits, and gives a checklist to use with vendors.
What is cloud vs on premise asset management?
Cloud asset management is software hosted by the vendor and used over the internet, usually paid as a subscription. On-premise asset management is software installed on an organization’s own servers and run by its own IT team. Self-hosted asset management sits between them: the organization runs the software itself, in its own data center or private cloud.
Most organizations choose cloud, because there is nothing to install and the vendor handles upgrades, backups and uptime. Organizations choose on-premise when their data may not leave the site, when a site has no reliable internet, or when IT policy requires every system to run on hardware they control.
The three deployment models
Cloud-based asset management
The vendor runs the software and the database on its own infrastructure. You pay a subscription, usually by the number of assets or users, and get new releases as they ship. Staff sign in from anywhere with an internet connection, which suits organizations with many sites, field teams and remote workers.
Self-hosted asset management
Your organization runs the vendor’s software in an environment it controls, such as a private cloud or its own virtualization platform. You decide when upgrades are applied and where backups go. Remote access is possible, but your team sets it up and secures it.
On-premise asset management
The software runs on servers inside your own buildings and network. It can work with no internet connection at all. Your IT team owns installation, backups, security patches and upgrades. “Self-hosted” and “on-premise” are often used interchangeably, since in both cases your team runs the software.
Cloud vs on premise: side-by-side comparison
| Factor | Cloud | Self-hosted or on-premise |
|---|---|---|
| Who runs the servers | The vendor | Your IT team |
| Upfront cost | Low; no hardware to buy | Servers or virtual machines, plus installation |
| Ongoing cost | Subscription | License or subscription, plus your team’s time and hardware |
| Upgrades | Applied by the vendor | Applied by your team when you choose |
| Backups | Run by the vendor | Run, stored and tested by your team |
| Access from outside | Built in, from any browser or phone | Only if your team opens a secure route in |
| Works without internet | No | Yes, for anything that does not depend on an outside service |
| Data location | The vendor’s hosting region | Your building or your chosen environment |
| Speed to start | Days | Weeks, depending on your IT process |
| Best for | Most organizations, multi-site and field teams | Restricted networks, remote sites, strict data policies |
Cloud asset management: pros and cons
Advantages
- Nothing to install. Teams can start loading assets the day the account is created.
- Access from anywhere. Technicians, auditors and managers at every site use the same system from a browser or a phone.
- No server work. Upgrades, backups and capacity are the vendor’s job, which matters for organizations with a small IT team.
- Predictable cost. A subscription replaces hardware purchases and turns a capital cost into an operating one.
- Scales easily. Adding sites, users or assets does not mean buying servers.
Disadvantages
- Needs the internet. Without a connection, the web app is unreachable, though a mobile app that works offline helps in the field.
- Less control over timing. Upgrades arrive on the vendor’s schedule.
- Data leaves your network. Some organizations’ policies, or their customers’ contracts, do not allow that.
On-premise asset management: pros and cons
Advantages
- Data stays inside. Records, files and backups never leave your network.
- Works offline. A site with no internet route can still run maintenance, audits and reports.
- Upgrades on your schedule. Regulated sites can validate a release before applying it.
- Uses your directory. Staff sign in with the same Active Directory or LDAP accounts they already use.
Disadvantages
- Your team does the work. Installation, backups, restores, patching and monitoring all fall to IT.
- Higher total cost. Hardware, staff time and usually a higher license price than the cloud.
- Remote access takes effort. Field teams outside the network need a VPN or another secure route.
- Features that depend on outside services such as push notifications to phones or SMS need a route to the internet.
Security: cloud vs on premise
Choosing on-premise changes who is responsible for security. In the cloud, the vendor secures the servers and your team secures the accounts. On-premise, your team secures both.
What matters most is the same in either model, so ask about each of these:
- Single sign-on through SAML, OpenID Connect or LDAP, so people use their company identity.
- Automatic deprovisioning, so leavers lose access the day they leave.
- Access by site and role, enforced for exports, reports and APIs as well as screens.
- Separation between customers, for cloud products that host many organizations.
- An audit trail that nobody can edit, recording who changed what and when.
- Tested backups, proven by restoring them, since a backup job alone proves nothing.
Our asset management software security page explains how each of these works in Asset Infinity, and our guide to data security and compliance in asset management covers the wider picture.
When to choose each model
- Choose cloud if you have several sites or field teams, a small IT team, no rule against hosted data, and you want to start quickly. This is most organizations.
- Choose self-hosted if your policy requires the software to run in an environment you control, but your sites have good connectivity and your IT team already runs virtual infrastructure.
- Choose on-premise if plant data may not leave the site, a site has no reliable internet (a mine, an offshore platform, a ship), or your operational network is deliberately cut off from the internet.
Examples by industry
- A multi-site facilities or IT team usually picks cloud, because staff at every site and on the road need the same register, and nobody wants to run servers.
- A refinery or chemical plant often picks on-premise, because the control network is segregated and plant data stays inside.
- A pharmaceutical manufacturer may pick on-premise so maintenance records sit under its own IT controls and upgrades wait until a release has been validated.
- A water utility may run the system inside its operational network, separate from the internet, with crews using the browser app on that network.
Questions to ask every vendor
| Question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Is the on-premise edition the same release as the cloud? | An on-premise edition that lags behind ages quickly |
| How is it installed, and does our team need you on site? | Simple installs cost less and finish sooner |
| What stops working without the internet? | You need to know before a site goes offline |
| How are upgrades delivered and verified? | Signed releases prove the software is genuine |
| How do backups work, and how do we test a restore? | A backup nobody has restored is a hope |
| Which sign-in methods are supported? | Staff should use the company directory |
| Does the mobile app work against our own server? | Field work needs phones whichever model you pick |
| What data, if any, is sent back to the vendor? | Security teams want to see what leaves |
| How is each model priced? | Total cost includes hardware and staff time on-premise |
Cloud and on premise asset management in Asset Infinity
Asset Infinity offers both, built from the same release, so an on-premise customer gets the same screens, mobile app and features as the cloud.
- Cloud. Sign in from a browser or the iOS and Android mobile app, which keeps working offline in the field. Single sign-on through SAML, OpenID Connect or LDAP, user provisioning from Okta and Microsoft Entra, and an audit trail on every record.
- On-premise and self-hosted. The software ships as a virtual appliance for VMware, Hyper-V, KVM and Proxmox, so it runs in your own data center or private virtual environment. The appliance asks for 4 virtual CPUs, 8 GB of memory and a 64 GB disk, and your IT team can install it through a browser setup form without us.
- Offline by design. Work orders, preventive plans, inspections, parts, purchasing and reports run entirely on your server. Features that need an outside service, such as push notifications, SMS and the AI copilot, are switched off on a site with no route out.
- Upgrades and backups. Each release is a signed bundle checked before it loads, and nothing upgrades itself. Built-in backups copy the database and files together, and a check restores each backup into a scratch copy to prove it works.
- No hidden data flow. An optional daily check-in sends counts and version details only, and your team can read exactly what was sent.
On pricing, the cloud starts with the asset register at $130 a month for up to 500 assets with unlimited users. On-premise is an annual subscription at twice the cloud price for the same assets and modules, with a minimum of $18,000 a year, plus a one-time $5,000 installation. You can build a quote for either, and the on-premise page covers the install step by step.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is cloud or on premise asset management cheaper?
Cloud usually costs less to start and less overall, because there is no hardware and no server work for your team. On-premise costs more upfront and in staff time, which organizations accept when their data or connectivity requires it.
Is cloud asset management secure?
It can be as secure as on-premise, and often more so for organizations without a dedicated security team. Check for single sign-on, automatic deprovisioning, site-based access, separation between customers and an audit trail that cannot be edited.
What is the difference between self-hosted and on-premise?
Both mean your team runs the software instead of the vendor. On-premise usually means servers in your own building; self-hosted can also mean a private cloud or data center you control.
Can I move from cloud to on-premise later?
Ask before you buy. A move is simpler when the vendor ships the same release for both, but you still need to know how your records, files and history are exported and loaded.
Does on-premise asset management work without the internet?
It can. In Asset Infinity, everything that only needs your own server works with no internet route, and only features that depend on someone else’s service, such as push notifications or SMS, need a connection.