CKEditor Implementation: Cloud vs On-Premise Compared

You need a rich text editor for your application. Maybe you’re already sold on CKEditor as the right choice for your project. If so, you face your next question: Where do you host it? Should you choose the simplicity of the cloud or opt for more control in-house?

CKEditor was built for engineers by engineers, so we know how important this choice is. That’s why we offer the flexibility to choose either implementation. Making the right decision now saves you time downstream. This post compares the benefits and tradeoffs of the cloud and on-premises versions of CKEditor so you can make an informed decision on which is right for you.

Note: We also offer hybrid cloud and self-hosted cloud deployments, and you can always start with one option like SaaS and switch to on-prem later. But for the sake of simplicity, this article will focus on the two primary options.

#Setup and maintenance

#Cloud

SaaS excels in minimizing setup and maintenance time. CKEditor’s no different. With our SaaS cloud version, you get immediate access to the editor via a content delivery network (CDN) with far less setup required than an in-house solution. In fact, you can get up and running fast using the builder, then simply add it to your application.

The cloud version of CKEditor also simplifies maintenance, ensuring that you’re:

• Using the latest, most secure version

• Accessing the most recent feature updates, released on a regular cadence

• Up to date with the latest bug fixes and performance enhancements

Still, CKEditor remains extremely customizable with support for common frameworks and libraries like Angular, React, and Vue, as well as CSS frameworks like Bootstrap and Semantic UI.

#On-prem

Self-hosting is a trade-off. You’ll gain more control, but have to commit to more complex setups and ongoing maintenance efforts. If you have the right people on your team with the right processes, the control offered by on-premises CKEditor more than makes up for it. Still, you won’t be on your own: we offer extensive setup documentation and the option to work with our team of experts for enterprise-level support.

Beyond setup, make sure you can commit to longer-term maintenance. This isn’t a heavy lift, but your teams will need to remain up to date with new developments and patches.

If you can’t commit these resources, choose the SaaS version. However, if you have particular hosting requirements and the internal resources to do so, on-premise deployments offer extra control you won’t get with the cloud version.

#Security

#SaaS

Any app is only as secure as its weakest component. Software supply chain attacks can wreak devastation on an organization, so your RTE must be backed by strong cloud security. CKEditor protects your data with:

• Encryption both at rest with AES-256 and in transit with TLS 1.2+

• Proactive security measures, including a secure software development lifecycle and coding practices, regular security audits, and patches to address vulnerabilities

• Continuous monitoring and incident response

• Regular penetration tests (with published reports available via request on our Trust Center)

• The ability to report potential vulnerabilities for our team to address

• Compliance with rigorous security standards, including SOC 2 Type 2

CKEditor was chosen by both Fortune 500 companies and smaller organizations in highly regulated verticals like healthcare and government. In other words, we can back up our security practices.

#On-prem

Our on-premises offering offers strong security on its own as well. We follow secure coding practices using a secure software development life cycle, run regular pen tests and audits on our code base, continuously scan for vulnerabilities, and offer prompt patch updates to users. We follow the best practices of SOC 2 Type 2 on our codebase.

For more complex security or compliance needs, on-premises gives you added flexibility. If you want to manage single sign-on internally with a specific provider, retain fine-grained controls over authentication, or run your own security monitoring, the self-hosted CKEditor gives you that control. Please be aware that you will still be responsible for hosting the software and running any additional security controls on your end (such as automated security monitoring or using your own security operations center team).

Your compliance needs may also dictate an on-prem deployment. Some industry regulations may require that data be kept in-house or offline, and if so, your organization likely keeps much of its infrastructure internal.

But don’t stop at your own industry. Think about the full spectrum of data that will pass through the editor. For instance, if some of your users need to enter sensitive data like protected health information, keeping things in-house will ease any concerns (particularly important if you serve customers in regulated industries).

#Governance, monitoring, and auditing

#Cloud

SaaS reduces your governance overload. Your teams won’t have to configure logging systems, track activity, or maintain internal audit trails for the editor itself. But this doesn’t mean it’s opaque: we regularly publish third-party pen test results and compliance audit results via our Trust Center.

While you won’t get the same control as the self-hosted CKEditor instance, you’ll reduce overhead while still meeting the needs of most enterprise and regulated environments.

#On-prem

Self-hosting CKEditor adds it as one more element to your in-house infrastructure. This gives you control over diagnosing network issues, planning for peak times, or preparing for compliance audits if you’re under significant scrutiny. Also, you’ll take further charge of your security, allowing you to monitor and have more data at hand for post-incident forensics if anything occurs within your network. If you don’t need this level of transparency, SaaS works fine.

#Performance and availability

#Cloud

Users rely on CKEditor to do their jobs and create content every day. That makes downtime unacceptable.

We’re proud to host CKEditor on Amazon Web Services (AWS), allowing us to offer up to a 99.99% uptime guarantee with multiple failover regions. CKEditor offers storage in both the US and EU to help support both geographic storage requirements and to offer maximum performance. The editor also includes elastic scaling, so you don’t have to worry about capacity issues for unexpected surges in traffic or take on the added burden of capacity planning.

#On-prem

While CKEditor’s cloud was built for enterprise-grade scalability and speed, your organization may prefer even tighter control. Self-hosting your CKEditor deployment lets you optimize server resources based on usage patterns, minimize latency for time-sensitive workflows, integrate with internal caching layers or CDNs, or fine-tune performance under heavy usage (particularly useful for internal applications like intranets or internal documentation tools).

#Airgapping or internal storage

#Cloud

If you need to store data on internal hardware, then on-premises is your only option. This includes airgapping, or keeping it completely disconnected from the Internet. While our cloud offering boasts strong security, some organizations have extremely high requirements for airgapping, and that leaves on-prem as their only option.

#On-prem

Highly regulated industries like defense often need to keep software entirely disconnected from the web. Others may already run an internal-only environment, such as on a factory floor. The self-hosted version of CKEditor enables you to keep your editor instance in an entirely airgapped environment.

This can help with:

• Greater data privacy

• More fine-tuned security controls

• Regulatory controls in certain industries

• Geographical storage if needed (our cloud version stores data in the US and EU regions)

• Intellectual property protection for sensitive research

• Internal-only environments like factory floors

#Feature access

#Cloud

We strive to maintain feature parity across both versions, but there are some minor differences.

For starters, SaaS gets new features sooner. For example, our updated AI features that include a fully integrated AI writing and editing experience arrive first to the cloud version, with on-prem users receiving them a few months later. While we always aim for feature parity, this slight gap gives an edge to SaaS users.

Also, with CKEditor’s cloud version, you receive the latest and greatest features automatically. No need to keep up with release notes or push an update yourself.

#On-prem

If feature speed isn’t a major concern, then on-prem works just as well. Also, some capabilities, such as collaborative editing and document converters, require additional configuration and setup to work on your own infrastructure.

#Pricing and resourcing

#Cloud

Finally, the SaaS version of CKEditor offers clear-cut, predictable pricing options and tiers based on the number of editor loads per month, with custom plans available if needed. This makes things much simpler and offers options if you’ll have heavy usage across the board. Also, cloud options offer the ability to add one application with unlimited domains and subdomains for no extra charge.

#On-prem

With the on-premises version, we work with you to price the editor depending on your project and needs. You’ll be responsible for setup, configuration, and maintenance, but our custom plans offer the option for additional enterprise setup support. Additionally, on-premises deployments come with deep enterprise support with unlimited requests, a dedicated Account Manager and Customer Care Coordinator, and the ability to use multiple applications. Similar to cloud, on-prem also lets you use unlimited domains and subdomains.

#Hybrid options and switching

While this article focuses on cloud and self-hosted versions, you’re never locked in. CKEditor can also be deployed using a hybrid cloud model or via a private cloud in-house. Also, if you’re a smaller operation that’s growing and you want to start with SaaS, you can always switch later to the on-premises version without major issues. No matter what, CKEditor was built to match your needs.

#Which option’s best for you?

CKEditor offers two primary options for deployment. Which one you choose will depend on your technical and organizational requirements, such as whether you have the internal resources for ongoing maintenance, need to air gap due to compliance, or have security policies dictating deployment options.

Broadly speaking, if you want ease of setup and maintenance as well as faster feature access, then the cloud version offers everything you need. It’s built for enterprise-level security and uptime, so you can trust it as you go. If you have high usage needs or want more control over deployment, then self-hosting is a much better option. Ultimately, you’re not locked into either option.

Want to find out the best option for you? Contact our sales team and they can help you work out which choice makes more sense for your needs. You can also start a free 14-day trial of CKEditor SaaS to get a feel for the editor before you make a decision.