Scalability
A system's ability to handle increasing load without disproportionate cost or redesign.
Plain English
Can this keep working when usage gets much larger?
In context
Scalability covers technical capacity cost and operational effort as demand grows.
Example
“We need to test scalability before the regional launch.”
When you'll hear this
- capacity planning
- architecture review
- business growth
Common misunderstanding
Scalability is not the same as current speed or reliability.
Also known as
scale
Commonly used by
Related terms
Updated: 2026-08-25
