The strategy you choose changes your total bill by 3–5×. Here's what each approach actually costs — and which one fits your situation.
Core Comparison
| Metric | Rehost | Replatform | Refactor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost per workload | $3K–$8K | $8K–$25K | $25K–$80K |
| Timeline per workload | 2–4 weeks | 4–12 weeks | 12–52 weeks |
| Post-migration cloud cost | Baseline (100%) | ~85% of baseline | ~60% of baseline |
| 3-year TCO vs on-premise | +10% | -15% | -40% |
| Risk level | Low | Medium | High |
| Best for | Legacy apps, tight timelines, early cloud adoption | Databases, mid-life apps, teams with some cloud skills | Strategic apps, microservices targets, high-traffic consumer apps |
Per-Workload Cost Tables
Different application types have very different per-workload migration costs. This is the data every vendor blog describes in prose — here it is as a table.
| Workload Type | Rehost (Lift-and-Shift) | Replatform | Refactor / Re-architect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Application | $2K–$5K | $5K–$15K | $20K–$60K |
| SQL Database | $3K–$10K | $10K–$30K | $30K–$100K |
| Batch Processing Job | $1K–$3K | $3K–$10K | $15K–$50K |
| Data Warehouse | $8K–$25K | $20K–$60K | $60K–$200K |
| Monolithic Application | $5K–$15K | $15K–$40K | $50K–$200K |
Cost ranges are per workload (not per server). Based on 2026 industry consulting rates ($150–$350/hour). Costs vary by cloud provider, geographic region, and workload complexity.
Migration Framework
Lift-and-shift. Move as-is to cloud.
Targeted cloud optimisation without full re-architecture.
Rebuild for cloud-native architecture.
Move from on-prem to SaaS (e.g., CRM to Salesforce).
Decommission applications no longer needed.
Keep on-premise — too complex, regulated, or costly to move.
Move to cloud infrastructure layer without changing OS.
Recommended Mix
Industry data from Gartner and McKinsey on what enterprise migration programmes actually look like:
Legacy apps, stable workloads, apps planned for retirement
Databases, mid-life apps with cloud optimisation potential
Strategic apps, consumer-facing, high-traffic workloads
Unused or redundant apps discovered during discovery phase
Decision framework: Use strategic importance × modernisation benefit × urgency to classify each workload. High strategic importance + high modernisation benefit = refactor. Low strategic importance + tight timeline = rehost. Everything in between = replatform.
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