What type of service is AWS Elastic Beanstalk?

AWS Elastic Beanstalk is classified as a Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS). This service provides a platform that allows developers to deploy and manage applications without worrying about the underlying infrastructure. Elastic Beanstalk takes care of tasks such as load balancing, scaling, and application health monitoring, enabling developers to focus on writing code and building applications instead of managing servers or networking components.

The PaaS model is designed for developers who want to build applications using a variety of programming languages and frameworks, providing an environment that abstracts much of the management complexity. This enhances productivity and allows for rapid deployment, making it an ideal solution for developing web applications and services.

In contrast, Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) offers raw computing resources, such as virtual machines and storage, requiring users to manage the operating system and applications themselves. Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) delivers fully managed software applications over the internet, focusing on providing end-user access rather than a development environment. Function-as-a-Service (FaaS) relates to serverless computing, enabling users to run individual functions without managing servers. Elastic Beanstalk’s focus on application deployment and management aligns it closely with the PaaS model.