A Comparative Analysis of SaaS and PaaS Cloud-Based E-Learning Platforms in Terms of Cost-Effectiveness and Scalability

Educational institutions must evaluate Software as a Service against Platform as a Service for their e-learning cloud deployment because their cost models differ while trade-offs in scalability and customization needs exist. The research examines SaaS and PaaS cloud platforms to help educational institutions select better options through assessments of their value for money and flexibility and user satisfaction measures. A mixed quantitative and qualitative research design involved collecting data from twenty institutions which were equally distributed between SaaS and PaaS subscribers. These results were supplemented by interviews with IT administration personnel. The research used subscription fees and infrastructure costs as quantitative data alongside user capacity and response times under load. At the same time it collected qualitative information about usability alongside customization flexibility and security perceptions of the solutions.Institutions working with restricted budgets should choose SaaS platforms because they provide cost-effective subscription payments at $2,628.41 per year along with light IT maintenance. Scalability proved to be a challenge for SaaS because it worked with an average of 903 concurrent users at slower rates of 1,313.97ms response times under peak usage conditions. The PaaS platforms outperformed in scalability because they supported 4,656 active users and operated at stable response times of 750.69ms althoughthey demanded substantial infrastructure spending ($4,380.72 annually) and specialized technical knowledge. User satisfaction surveys highlighted SaaS’s ease of adoption (75% satisfaction) versus PaaS’s customization advantages (40% extensive customization satisfaction), though both models achieved comparable security satisfaction (70–75%).The study concludes that SaaS is optimal for institutions prioritizing affordability and simplicity, while PaaS suits those requiring long-term scalability and tailored solutions. Recommendations include hybrid cloud models to balance cost-efficiency and flexibility. These insights aim to empower educational stakeholders in aligning cloud adoption strategies with institutional goals and resource constraints