Choosing between High-Performance Computing (HPC) and cloud computing is a key decision for organizations dealing with heavy data analysis, AI training, or large-scale simulations. But what exactly sets them apart? When should you choose a supercomputer, and when is cloud computing enough?
On this page, we break down the key differences, advantages per use case, and how to determine which option fits your specific needs.
What is High-Performance Computing (HPC)?
High-Performance Computing refers to the use of advanced computing systems—such as supercomputers—to perform massive calculations at scale. HPC systems are built for:
- Parallel processing of millions of computations simultaneously
- Complex scientific or engineering simulations
- Training AI models using very large datasets
- Long-running computations that would take days or weeks on a regular system
Common use cases: Climate models, fluid dynamics, DNA analysis, material simulation.
Read more: What is HPC?
What is cloud computing?
Cloud computing is het gebruik van gedeelde IT-infrastructuur via het internet. Je huurt als het ware opslag, rekenkracht of software op afroep – vaak via platforms als AWS, Azure of Google Cloud.
Cloud computing provides on-demand IT infrastructure—such as computing power, storage, or software—via the internet. Services like AWS, Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud offer scalable resources that you rent rather than own.
Cloud computing is best suited for:
- Scalable web applications
- Standard data analysis and business intelligence
- Flexible storage and fast deployment
- Software development and CI/CD pipelines
For many business tasks, cloud computing is more than sufficient. But for extremely demanding computational loads, you may hit limitations in cost, performance, or system control.
Key differences between HPC and cloud computing
| Feature | High-Performance Computing (HPC) | Cloud Computing |
| Purpose | Heavy computation, simulations, AI training | General applications, scalable services |
| Infrastructure | Supercomputers, clusters, specialized hardware | Virtual machines, containers, standard servers |
| Computing Power | Extremely high (petaflop scale) | Moderate, often limited to standard VMs or GPUs |
| Cost Model | Often subsidized or project-based | Pay-as-you-go (per second or usage duration) |
| Data Transfer | High-bandwidth internal networks | Dependent on internet connection |
| Ease of Use | More complex, guided by experts | User-friendly, web-based |
| Typical users | Researchers, engineers, AI labs | Developers, IT teams, data engineers |
When should you choose HPC?
Opt for HPC if your work involves:
- Running simulations with millions of parameters
- Training AI on large-scale image or text datasets
- Long-running computation tasks (days/weeks)
- Requiring extreme compute performance and scale
- Accessing national facilities via SURF or EuroCC
Example: An engineering firm simulating wind flow around turbines via the Snellius supercomputer.
When is Cloud Computing enough?
Choose cloud computing if you:
- Need to launch or test applications quickly
- Run small, infrequent compute tasks
- Prefer not to manage infrastructure
- Work with standardized analysis or data storage
Example: An SME building dashboards for clients or training a lightweight AI tool on limited data.
Hybrid solutions: the best of both worlds
In practice, many organisations use a hybrid approach: they develop and test in the cloud and run computationally intensive production processes via HPC. Or they train a model on a small set in the cloud and then scale up to HPC for the entire dataset.
Thanks to integrations between HPC and the cloud (e.g. via containers, JupyterHub or SLURM integrations), this transition is becoming increasingly easier.
Let EuroCC help with your choice
Not sure which approach fits your project best? EuroCC Netherlands can help you:
- Assess whether HPC brings added value
- Request access to Snellius or other European supercomputers
- Set up integrations between cloud and HPC systems
- Train your team to work effectively with HPC tools