On-prem or cloud? Run the real numbers, not the sales pitch

A free Excel worksheet that compares the true 3 to 5 year cost of a server in your closet against the cloud, including the line items both sides like to leave out.

A free Excel worksheet comparing on-prem servers and cloud over 3 to 5 years. Model hardware, licensing, migration and hidden costs to find the cheaper option.

3 & 5 years
cumulative cost modeled side by side
Both models
every real cost, on one page
$0
free, no strings, yours to keep

What you'll get

A practical, ready-to-use resource you fill in with your own numbers and keep. No expiring trial, no strings.

On-Prem vs Cloud 3-5 Year TCO Worksheet
Excel workbook, yours to keep
Preview

What the TCO worksheet does

“Should we keep the server or move to the cloud?” sounds like a simple question until you try to price it out. The server quote looks cheap next to a monthly cloud bill, until you remember the refresh in year four, the licensing, the power, the cooling, and the cost of a day of downtime. The cloud looks simple until the migration bill and the egress charges show up. The honest answer almost always depends on your numbers, not on a sales pitch.

This workbook puts both options on one page over a three and five year window, so you can see which is actually cheaper for your business, and why.

See the true total cost

On-prem hardware, refresh, licensing, power, cooling, maintenance and backup against cloud subscription, migration and egress. The costs that get glossed over are already line items.

Compare over 3 and 5 years

A one-time hardware purchase and a monthly subscription look very different over time. The worksheet rolls both forward so you compare them on the same horizon.

Built for Alaska and Hawaii

Includes a cost-factor note for things mainland comparisons ignore: hardware shipping and lead times, on-site service, and how dependent each option is on your connectivity.

Yours to keep

No login, no expiring trial. Download the workbook, plug in your numbers, and reuse it the next time a server or a renewal decision comes up.

What is inside the workbook

  • An on-prem model: server hardware and refresh, licensing, power and cooling, maintenance, backup, and a downtime-risk line
  • A cloud model: monthly subscription, the one-off migration cost, egress, and licensing
  • A side-by-side cumulative cost view across three and five years
  • Per-year and total comparisons that fill in automatically as you enter your numbers
  • A short note on the cost factors that hit Alaska and Hawaii businesses: hardware shipping and lead times, on-site service, and connectivity dependence

A model is a starting point, not a verdict

Every business has a different mix of systems, staff and risk tolerance. Use this to frame the decision with your team and your IT provider, not as a final answer. If you want a second set of eyes on your inputs, we are happy to help.

Want the reasoning behind the numbers?

Before you fill in the worksheet, it helps to understand where the surprises usually hide. Our article on on-prem versus cloud cost over 3 to 5 years walks through the real trade-offs, and our cloud and IT projects hub covers migrations, servers and networks in more depth.

How it works

1

Tell us where to send it

Fill in the short form. Just enough so we know who we're helping and can tailor any follow-up, only if you want it.

2

Check your inbox

We email your copy right away, and the download is yours to keep. No expiring trial, no login.

3

Put it to work

Use it on your own, or ask us for a second set of eyes. No pressure either way.

We do not sell your information

You get the file and an email copy for later. That is it. No third-party sharing, ever.

Real local humans built this

Vicinity is a genuinely local IT provider with people in Alaska and Hawaii. The cost factors reflect what businesses actually face out here.

No sales theater

The workbook is a working tool, not a brochure. Use it whether or not we ever talk.