Cloud Migration Strategy: The 6 Rs and How to Choose
By The Uptime Report editorial team · Last updated September 2026
A cloud migration strategy decides how each workload moves to the cloud using the 6 Rs framework, and the choice sets the cost and risk. It matters because 70% of cloud migrations exceed cost or time, almost always from strategy and planning gaps.
Key takeaways
- 70% of cloud migrations exceed cost or time (Medha Cloud, 2026).
- The 6 Rs framework: rehost, replatform, repurchase, refactor, retire, retain.
- Lift-and-shift (rehost) leads at 38.3%; refactor is growing 22% a year.
- 47% of delays come from legacy dependencies missed during assessment.
- The strategy is chosen per workload by value, risk, and complexity.
What is a cloud migration strategy?
A cloud migration strategy is the plan for how each workload moves to the cloud. There is no single right answer for a whole environment; each application has a different value, risk, and complexity, so each gets its own approach. Getting this right is what separates smooth migrations from the 70% that exceed cost or time.
What are the 6 Rs of cloud migration?
| Strategy | What it means |
|---|---|
| Rehost | Lift and shift as-is |
| Replatform | Minor changes to fit cloud services |
| Repurchase | Move to a SaaS product instead |
| Refactor | Re-architect for the cloud |
| Retire | Decommission what is no longer needed |
| Retain | Leave in place for now |
Lift-and-shift leads at 38.3% because it is fastest and lowest risk, while refactor is growing 22% a year as businesses pursue deeper cloud value.
How do you choose a strategy per workload?
Weigh three things for each application: its business value, its risk if the migration goes wrong, and its technical complexity. A stable, low-complexity app is a rehost candidate; a strategic app that would gain from cloud-native features may justify a refactor; a redundant one should be retired. Mapping every workload to a strategy up front is the discovery work that prevents overruns.
Why do cloud migration strategies fail?
Because discovery is skipped. 47% of migration delays come from legacy application dependencies that were not identified during assessment, and 38% of projects exceed budget by an average of 14 to 23%. A sound strategy pairs the right per-workload approach with disciplined preparation: automated discovery, dependency mapping, pilot waves, and tested rollback (Auvik tracks migration-approach data).
Frequently asked questions
What is a cloud migration strategy?
The plan for how each workload moves to the cloud, chosen per application by its value, risk, and complexity using the 6 Rs framework.
What are the 6 Rs of cloud migration?
Rehost, replatform, repurchase, refactor, retire, and retain, each a different way to handle a workload during migration.
Which migration strategy is most common?
Rehost (lift and shift) at 38.3%, because it is the fastest and lowest-risk approach, though refactor is growing 22% a year.
Why do cloud migrations fail?
Usually planning gaps. 70% exceed cost or time, and 47% of delays come from legacy dependencies missed during assessment.
How do you choose a migration strategy?
Evaluate each workload’s business value, risk, and complexity, then map it to the appropriate one of the 6 Rs.
What is the difference between rehost and refactor?
Rehost moves an app as-is for speed and low risk; refactor re-architects it for the cloud, costing more but delivering deeper value.
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