# Choose Your Cluster Type

ScyllaDB Cloud offers two cluster types: **X Cloud** and **Standard**. This
page helps you decide which one is right for your workload.

## Quick Recommendation

**Not sure? Start with X Cloud.** It requires less capacity planning, scales
automatically, and is the default for new clusters in the ScyllaDB Cloud UI.
Choose Standard when you need Multi-DC deployments, vNodes, or a
fixed-topology cluster you size manually.

## Comparison

|                     | Standard      | X Cloud        |
|---------------------|---------------|----------------|
| Tablets             | Yes (default) | Yes (enforced) |
| vNodes              | Yes           | No             |
| Storage Utilization | Up to 70%     | Up to 90%      |
| Multi-DC            | Yes           | No             |
| Vector Search       | Yes           | Yes            |
| ScyllaDB Features   | Full          | Full           |

## When to Choose X Cloud

X Cloud is built on the Tablets architecture. Storage and compute scale
independently and automatically, so you do not need to pre-size capacity for
peak load.

Choose X Cloud if:

* Your workload is variable, bursty, or hard to predict.
* You want automatic scaling without manual resize operations.
* You are starting a new project and want the simplest operational model.
* You do not need Multi-DC replication.

## When to Choose Standard

Standard clusters use a fixed topology — you choose the number and size of
nodes at creation time. You can resize later, but scaling is a deliberate
operation.

Choose Standard if:

* You need Multi-DC replication (for example, active-active across regions).
* Your workload is steady and predictable, and you prefer fixed costs.
* You require vNodes for specific data distribution needs.
* You are migrating from an existing ScyllaDB or Cassandra cluster and want a
  topology that matches your current setup.

## Next Steps

* [X Cloud Clusters](https://cloud.docs.scylladb.com/stable/cloud-setup/cluster-types/xcloud-clusters.md) —
  Full details on X Cloud architecture, autoscaling, and configuration.
* [Standard Clusters](https://cloud.docs.scylladb.com/stable/cloud-setup/cluster-types/standard-clusters.md) —
  Full details on Standard cluster configuration and sizing.
* [X Cloud Autoscaling Behavior and Best Practices](https://cloud.docs.scylladb.com/stable/cloud-setup/cluster-types/xcloud-autoscaling-behavior.md) — How autoscaling
  works and how to tune it.