Edge Computing vs Cloud Computing

The Core Difference

While both edge computing and cloud computing aim to provide computing resources, they differ fundamentally in where and how that computation happens. Understanding these differences is crucial for choosing the right architecture for your use case.

Detailed Comparison

When to Choose Edge Computing

When to Choose Cloud Computing

Hybrid Approach: The Best of Both Worlds

Most modern applications benefit from a hybrid approach that combines edge and cloud computing. This strategy leverages the strengths of both paradigms:

Example: Smart City Infrastructure

// Edge processing for real-time traffic management
export async function handleTrafficSensor(request) {
  const sensorData = await request.json();

  // Process locally at the edge
  const trafficAnalysis = analyzeTrafficPatterns(sensorData);
  const immediateActions = determineTrafficSignals(trafficAnalysis);

  // Send to edge for immediate action
  await updateTrafficSignals(immediateActions);

  // Send aggregated data to cloud for long-term analysis
  if (shouldSendToCloud(sensorData)) {
    await sendToCloudAnalytics({
      location: sensorData.location,
      summary: trafficAnalysis,
      timestamp: Date.now()
    });
  }

  return new Response('Processed', { status: 200 });
}

Making the Choice: Decision Framework

Implementation with Clodo Framework

Clodo Framework makes it easy to implement hybrid edge-cloud architectures. You can deploy the same application logic across edge and cloud environments with minimal code changes.