A comprehensive side-by-side comparison of all 23blocks deployment options to help you choose the right fit.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Shared Cloud | Dedicated Cloud | Partner Managed | Self Managed |
|---|
| Best For | MVPs, Startups | Growing Companies | Specific Compliance | Enterprise DevOps |
| Setup Time | Instant | 7-14 days | 2-4 weeks | Your timeline |
| Management | 23blocks | 23blocks | Partner | Your team |
| Price Level | $ | $$ | $$ + Partner | $$ |
Infrastructure
| Feature | Shared Cloud | Dedicated Cloud | Partner Managed | Self Managed |
|---|
| Infrastructure Owner | 23blocks | You (AWS account) | You | You |
| Tenancy | Multi-tenant | Single-tenant | Single-tenant | Single-tenant |
| Cloud Provider | AWS | AWS | Your choice | Your choice |
| Region Selection | Limited | Any AWS region | Any | Any |
| Custom VPC | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| On-Premise | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
Data & Security
| Feature | Shared Cloud | Dedicated Cloud | Partner Managed | Self Managed |
|---|
| Data Isolation | Logical | Physical | Physical | Physical |
| Encryption at Rest | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | Your config |
| Encryption in Transit | ✅ TLS 1.3 | ✅ TLS 1.3 | ✅ TLS 1.3 | Your config |
| Custom Encryption Keys | ❌ | ✅ AWS KMS | ✅ | ✅ |
| SOC2 Ready | Shared | ✅ Dedicated | Depends on partner | Your responsibility |
| HIPAA Eligible | ❌ | ✅ | Depends on partner | Your responsibility |
| GDPR Compliant | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | Your responsibility |
| Data Residency Control | Limited | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Service Levels
| Feature | Shared Cloud | Dedicated Cloud | Partner Managed | Self Managed |
|---|
| Uptime SLA | 99.5% | 99.9% | Per partner | None |
| SLA Credits | ❌ | ✅ | Per partner | N/A |
| Scheduled Maintenance | Notified | Coordinated | Coordinated | Your schedule |
| Disaster Recovery | Included | Included | Per partner | Your config |
| Backup Frequency | Daily | Configurable | Per partner | Your config |
| Backup Retention | 7 days | 30+ days | Per partner | Your config |
Support
| Feature | Shared Cloud | Dedicated Cloud | Partner Managed | Self Managed |
|---|
| Support Channels | Email, Community | Email, Phone, Slack | Partner-provided | Email |
| Response Time (Critical) | Best effort | 15 minutes | Per partner | 24 hours |
| Response Time (Normal) | 48 hours | 4 hours | Per partner | 72 hours |
| 24/7 Support | ❌ | ✅ | Per partner | ❌ |
| Dedicated Account Manager | ❌ | ✅ | Per partner | ❌ |
| Quarterly Reviews | ❌ | ✅ | Per partner | ❌ |
| On-boarding Assistance | Docs only | ✅ Guided | ✅ Partner-led | Docs only |
Usage & Limits
| Feature | Shared Cloud | Dedicated Cloud | Partner Managed | Self Managed |
|---|
| Users Included | 1,000 | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| API Calls | 100K/month | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Storage | 10 GB | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Bandwidth | 50 GB | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Rate Limiting | Shared limits | Custom | Custom | Your config |
| Auto-Scaling | Limited | ✅ | ✅ | Your config |
Operations
| Feature | Shared Cloud | Dedicated Cloud | Partner Managed | Self Managed |
|---|
| Monitoring | Basic dashboard | Full observability | Per partner | Your tools |
| Alerting | Email | Multi-channel | Per partner | Your config |
| Log Access | 7 days | 90+ days | Per partner | Unlimited |
| Custom Metrics | ❌ | ✅ | Per partner | ✅ |
| Security Patching | Automatic | Managed | Per partner | Your responsibility |
| Updates | Automatic | Scheduled | Per partner | Your responsibility |
Pricing
| Component | Shared Cloud | Dedicated Cloud | Partner Managed | Self Managed |
|---|
| Block License | Base price | 1.5× base | 1.5× base | 1.5× base |
| Infrastructure | Included | You pay AWS | You pay | You pay |
| Management Fee | Included | 10% of AWS | Partner fee | None |
| Overage Charges | Yes | No | No | No |
| Annual Discount | 1 month free | 1 month free | 1 month free | 1 month free |
Example Monthly Cost (Auth + Files blocks)
| Mode | Block Fees | Infrastructure | Management | Total |
|---|
| Shared Cloud | $109.98 | Included | Included | ~$110 |
| Dedicated Cloud | $164.97 | ~$300 AWS | $30 | ~$495 |
| Partner Managed | $164.97 | ~$200 | ~$500 partner | ~$865 |
| Self Managed | $164.97 | ~$200 | Your team | ~$365 |
Infrastructure costs vary significantly based on usage and configuration.
Getting Started
Still Not Sure?
Choose Shared Cloud if:
- ✅ You're building an MVP or prototype
- ✅ You want to start immediately
- ✅ Budget is a primary concern
- ✅ You don't have compliance requirements
Choose Dedicated Cloud if:
- ✅ You need SOC2, HIPAA, or other compliance
- ✅ You want complete data isolation
- ✅ You're scaling beyond shared limits
- ✅ You want enterprise support
Choose Partner Managed if:
- ✅ You have specific geographic requirements
- ✅ You need on-premise or non-AWS deployment
- ✅ You prefer working with a local partner
- ✅ You have unique compliance needs
Choose Self Managed if:
- ✅ You have a DevOps/SRE team
- ✅ You want maximum control
- ✅ You have existing infrastructure investments
- ✅ You're comfortable managing operations
Need Help Deciding?
Talk to Sales →
Our team can help you evaluate options based on your specific requirements.