Most people use cloud computing every day without even realising it. For example, we store our pictures in online folders, use email to communicate with people or share files, all of which are examples of using a cloud.
Cloud computing is a sector of the IT industry that is growing fast and is expected to continue growing in the future. In this article, we look at cloud computing statistics in Canada as well as globally to give you a wider picture of the industry.
Cloud Computing Statistics for Canadians
- Cloud computing refers to a physical network of servers that host data. These networks can be public, private, or hybrid.
- The revenue from IaaS, SaaS, and PaaS platforms has grown from around US$90 billion in 2016 to over US$900 billion in 2025.
- The Canada cloud computing market size was expected to reach US$54.78 billion in 2025.
- Canadian companies allocate around 29% of their IT budgets to cloud computing.
- 92% of Canadian companies use some form of cloud computing.
- 41% of Canadian companies have plans to invest in hybrid or multi-cloud technology.
- Eleks, Leonovus, and Sync.com are some of the biggest Canadian cloud computing providers.
What is cloud computing?
Cloud is a physical network of servers that host data you can access online. All you need is an internet connection, which makes cloud computing convenient for both business and personal users.
Cloud services include everything from cloud storage to infrastructure platforms such as Amazon Web Services. All online streaming content is hosted on cloud servers, including Netflix, Spotify, and YouTube videos.
Cloud computing is an integral part of any modern business and often takes up a large portion of IT infrastructure spending. Personal users also depend on cloud services, even if they are not aware of it. For example, if a user has a Gmail account or shares files through Dropbox, they are using cloud services.
Types of cloud computing
There are three main types of cloud computing which are public, private, and hybrid. Public clouds are the most common type and they are owned and operated by third-party service providers such as Microsoft Azure, iCloud, and Sync.com. Users of public cloud services have lower costs, high reliability, and no maintenance.
Private clouds are used by a single organisation and the organisation is responsible for maintaining the servers that host the cloud. Examples of private cloud users include government agencies and large companies. Using a private cloud gives the users better control and privacy as well as increased flexibility.
Hybrid clouds allow users to combine the advantages of public and private clouds. For example, users can use public cloud resources when they need them and save money.
There are also community cloud systems, but these are not very popular, as the statistics show.
IaaS, SaaS, and PaaS
In this article, we will also use the terms IaaS, SaaS, and PaaS, which refer to:
- Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
- Platform as a Service (PaaS)
- Software as a Service (SaaS)
According to BigCommerce, these platforms have grown over the last decade with the worldwide revenue increasing from 90 billion USD to around 340 billion USD between 2016 and 2020.
SaaS platforms involve software available from third parties over the internet. Examples of SaaS include Google Workspace, MailChimp, and DocuSign. SaaS is the most common service within the cloud market, with the platforms making software available to users over the internet. Often, there is a monthly subscription fee for the service. With SaaS, vendors can manage data, storage, and servers.
PaaS focuses on hardware and software tools available over the internet. Examples include Heroku, Google App Engine, and OpenShift. Using PaaS provides companies with a framework, software, and tools they need to build apps and software accessible through the internet. The main difference to SaaS is that users access an online platform rather than online software.
IaaS is a cloud-based and pay-as-you-go service including storage, virtualization, and networking such as Rackspace, Digital Ocean, and Google Compute Engine. IaaS offers companies an alternative to on-premises physical infrastructure. With IaaS, companies can purchase resources when they need them rather than having to buy and manage hardware.
The global market for cloud computing continues to grow
According to market data, the cloud and storage companies generated approximately US$912.8 billion in 2025, and the figure is expected to grow further to around US$1.1 trillion in 2026.
The market has shown no signs of slowing down. Quite the opposite, as there is a lot more potential for development worldwide. For example, large regions in Africa, Asia, and South America are still waiting to have the infrastructure in place that will allow efficient employment of cloud computing services.
Public cloud is the most popular cloud service model worldwide and in Canada
Because of their different characteristics, it is quite challenging to compare the market sizes of public, private, and hybrid models exactly. However, it is safe to say that public cloud servers bring in the most revenue. This is partly because of the widespread adoption of cloud services in industrialised countries.
Globally, the biggest public cloud providers include Amazon Web Services (AWS), Azure (by Microsoft), and Google Cloud. Other key players include IBM corporation and Oracle corporation.
AWS leads the industry with a 32% share of the public cloud services market, followed by Azure with 20%, and Google with 9%. The AWS also has the fastest growth rate, which was further increased during the global pandemic. These companies provide more than just public cloud services. However, most of their revenue comes from public cloud services.
In Canada, 29% of the IT budget of all Canadian companies is allocated to public clouds. Based on current trends from Statista, spending on public cloud computing reached approximately US$17.8 billion in 2025, reflecting continued strong growth. This represents a substantial increase compared to US$5.8 billion in 2019, and represents a compound annual growth rate of around 15%.
Majority of Canadian businesses are using public cloud services
More and more Canadian businesses have been investing in cloud computing in recent years and 92% of all businesses now use public cloud services in Canada. In addition to public cloud computing, 34% of Canadian companies use IaaS, and 47% use PaaS in some form.
The recent statistics for cloud computing in Canada show that IaaS and PaaS are less popular than public cloud services among Canadian businesses. However, some experts predict that there will be further increases in the adoption of IaaS and PaaS users in the near future.
Private cloud market
In 2025, the private cloud market size was around US$180 billion, lagging behind the public cloud market. The main reason for this is that most businesses do not have to opt for private clouds, at least not completely. Notably, organisations that have to pay close attention to the security of information are more likely to opt for private cloud providers.
The private cloud market is more even than the public cloud market. While Amazon and Microsoft represent over 50% of the public market, in the private cloud sector, VMWare is the market leader with just a 7% share.
IBM has the second largest market share in the private cloud sector at 4%. The company also has a significant share of the market in the public cloud sector with 5%. While there are not as many private cloud users as there are public cloud users, those who use private cloud systems pay much more for the services compared to cloud or hybrid users.
Hybrid cloud market
The hybrid cloud market is expected to grow more in the future as businesses might opt to use private clouds for sensitive data and communications and public clouds for activities that are less sensitive. In 2025, the hybrid cloud market was approximately US$160 billion.
According to Newswire, 41% of all Canadian organisations have plans to invest in hybrid or multi-cloud technology. This trend reflects the global picture with most companies benefiting from combining different cloud services.
Community cloud services have not proven popular
Community cloud is when different stakeholders from a community (not necessarily a geographical community) invest together to create a cloud infrastructure, which they then share. The market size of community cloud systems was around US$1.5 billion in 2017 and grew to approximately US$10 billion by 2025, showing a slower growth rate compared to public, private, and hybrid cloud models.
Community clouds are similar to public clouds, but instead of using a third-party provider such as Microsoft or Google, the organisations develop their public clouds only within their strictly defined community.
SaaS market
The global SaaS market reached over US$230 billion in 2025. Using the SaaS model, the consumer doesn’t own the software in any way and has no right to change it, except within the scope allowed by the service provider. Most people use SaaS daily when using a web browser or sending and receiving emails.
Canadian revenue in the SaaS segment was projected to reach US$8.1 billion in 2025, according to Statista, and it is expected to continue growing at an annual rate of around 7.5%.
IaaS market
The trends indicate that the global revenues from IaaS reached around US$175 billion in 2025. The consumer has more control of the software with IaaS than with SaaS, and things such as virtual machines, storage, and networks are some of the main components of the IaaS cloud computing market.
According to cloud computing statistics collected by Statista, the IaaS cloud computing market in Canada exceeded US$3 billion in 2025. The Canadian IaaS market continues to grow at an annual rate of around 16–17%, and spending per employee in IaaS in Canada is estimated at US$115 in 2025.
PaaS market
The global PaaS market is estimated to have reached around US$115 billion in 2025. In Canada, the PaaS segment revenue is estimated at US$2.1 billion in 2025, according to Statista. The expected annual growth rate between 2025 and 2030 is around 20%, which could result in a Canadian market value of approximately US$5 billion by 2030.
The biggest Canadian cloud computing providers
Eleks, which has around US $15 million in annual revenue, is one of the notable cloud‑related technology companies connected to the Canadian market; it supports digital transformation and cloud services from its presence in Toronto and globally and employs over 1,600 professionals.
Leonovus is a Canadian cloud software company specialising in secure data management across hybrid and multi‑cloud environments; it has historically worked with federal departments such as the Department of National Defence and Justice Canada, though recent developments include the sale of its software assets to a U.S. company for about C$2.5 million in 2024.
Sync.com is based in Toronto and is one of the Canadian cloud hosting and secure file‑sharing companies with a user base in the hundreds of thousands; its estimated annual revenue is about C$4 million as of 2025.
Cloud companies that have the largest market shares in Canada
While the above companies are popular in Canada, the most popular cloud service providers are large international companies. Amazon Cloud Storage Canada, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud have by far the largest market shares in the country.
Conclusion
Cloud computing is used by most computer users in Canada every day for example, when using email or web-based storage. The Canadian cloud computing trends follow the global trends with public clouds the most popular type of cloud computing.
While there are popular Canadian cloud computing companies, the market is dominated by international giants such as Amazon and Microsoft. Revenue from cloud computing has grown year by year and experts predict this trend will continue in the future.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Canadian companies use cloud computing?
Yes, 92% of Canadian companies use some form of cloud computing. Public clouds are most common, but companies and organisations that handle sensitive information are more likely to use private or a hybrid cloud.
How much money do companies in Canada spend on cloud computing?
The amount a company spends on cloud computing will depend on its size and the type of cloud. On average, companies in Canada allocate 29% of their IT budget to cloud computing.
Are there any Canadian cloud computing providers?
Yes, there are, including Eleks, Leonovus and Sync.com. However, companies such as Amazon, Microsoft, Google have the biggest market share.
What percentage of Canadian companies use other than public cloud computing services?
34% of Canadian companies use IaaS and 47% use PaaS in some form.
What is cloud computing?
Cloud computing is a physical network of servers that host data,