For many organizations, the decision to move from Relativity Server to RelativityOne comes with one major question: What are the real migration costs?

In the latest episode of 5 in 5, Relativity’s Senior Manager, Technical Account Managemen, Mike Kolek sits down with CDS Vice President of Operations Rich Das to unpack one of the most misunderstood aspects of cloud migration: the difference between perceived cost and actual cost.

The conversation explores why organizations are often surprised by RelativityOne pricing, what drives long-term spend in the cloud, and why migration planning is about far more than simply moving data from one environment to another. If your organization is considering a move to RelativityOne, this episode offers a practical look at the decisions that can either control costs or quietly inflate them over time.

Why Migration Costs Feel Different in RelativityOne

One of the biggest takeaways from the discussion is that RelativityOne is not necessarily more expensive than Server. Instead, it makes costs more visible.

In traditional Server environments, years of inactive workspaces and unused data could accumulate with little day-to-day financial impact. In the cloud, however, active data storage becomes much more transparent. Every gigabyte matters, and organizations that fail to evaluate what truly needs to move often end up carrying unnecessary long-term costs.

The episode also addresses a common misconception around migration sizing. As Rich explains, a terabyte in Server is not the same as a terabyte in RelativityOne. Database structures, indexes, and other components stored in Server environments do not always translate directly to the cloud, meaning organizations frequently overestimate how much data they are actually moving. Understanding these details early can have a major impact on overall migration costs.

Better Planning Leads to Lower Migration Costs

The discussion also highlights the operational side of migration planning. Teams that successfully control costs are intentional about what moves into active review, what stays upstream, and what gets archived.

Rather than treating migration as a simple “lift and shift” project, organizations should take the time to assess active versus inactive matters, evaluate workflows, and establish a long-term cost strategy before migration begins.

As Rich notes throughout the conversation, the organizations that plan early maintain flexibility and control. Those that wait until the last minute often face a more expensive and more difficult transition. Proactive planning, data hygiene, and smarter workspace management all play a significant role in reducing migration costs over time.

Watch the full episode below to hear the complete conversation between Relativity and CDS.