Single tenant describes a structure in which each version of a software application, a database and the associated hardware belongs to a single tenant or user. This means that each user or customer has their own special and isolated environment that is not shared with others.
The main difference between single-tenant and multi-tenant environments lies in the number of software instances on both platforms. In the single-tenant model, a single platform user operates an independent platform code base on their website. In contrast, in the multi-tenant scenario, an unlimited number of users share the same code base. While this sharing reduces costs, it comes at the expense of usability and control. In the single-tenant model, costs are usually higher as it requires more resources for setup, maintenance and customization. A single-tenant architecture is considered more scalable and reliable compared to multi-tenant environments. Each customer has their own virtual machines and host hardware, which allows for greater control.
The advantages of single-tenant are flexibility in software management, individual configurations and complete control over their own resources. Customers in this environment need to provide their own training and support resources as the solution is custom-built.