Jelastic, now operating as Virtuozzo Application Platform, took a different approach to cloud hosting when it launched in 2011. Instead of offering fixed-size virtual machines, the platform automatically scales resources based on actual application consumption. You set upper limits, and the infrastructure expands and contracts with your traffic — billing adjusts accordingly.
The platform supports a wide range of application stacks: Java, PHP, Ruby, Python, Node.js, .NET, and Go all run natively. Docker containers and Kubernetes clusters are first-class citizens too. Deployment works through a visual topology editor where you drag application servers, databases, load balancers, and cache nodes into your environment architecture.
What makes Jelastic unusual is its distribution model. Rather than operating its own data centers, the company licenses its platform to hosting providers worldwide. Over 50 service providers across 30+ countries run Jelastic-powered clouds. This means you can choose a local hosting partner while getting the same PaaS experience, keeping data in your preferred jurisdiction.
The automatic vertical and horizontal scaling is genuinely useful for applications with unpredictable traffic patterns. During quiet periods, resources scale down to minimum levels (and minimum costs). When traffic spikes hit, the platform adds capacity within seconds without manual intervention or pre-provisioning.
Jelastic targets development teams that want the convenience of a PaaS without vendor lock-in to a specific cloud. Since the platform runs on multiple providers, migrating between them is straightforward. The company has processed billions of cloudlets (their resource measurement unit) since launch, serving everything from small agency projects to enterprise Java applications.
