Serverless Doesn’t Mean No Servers: A Common Misconception Explained
If you’re new to modern cloud development, you’ve probably heard the term “serverless” and wondered:
“How can something run without servers?”
Short answer: it can’t.
Long answer: serverless doesn’t mean there are no servers — it means you don’t manage them.
Let’s clear up one of the most common misconceptions in cloud computing.
So… What Does “Serverless” Actually Mean?
When developers say serverless, they’re not claiming that servers disappear.
What they really mean is:
You write and deploy code without worrying about servers, scaling, or infrastructure.
The servers still exist — they’re just:
- Provisioned automatically
- Managed by a cloud provider
- Scaled up and down for you
- Patched and maintained behind the scenes
You focus on business logic, not infrastructure.
Traditional Backend vs Serverless Backend
Traditional Backend (Server-Managed)
In a traditional setup, you are responsible for:
- Renting or provisioning servers
- Installing and updating the operating system
- Setting up …