It's different in that you get to choose your host and your apps separately. If you want to use some particular app, but you don't trust that developer, you can run it on a different host that you do trust. If you don't trust the Sandstorm team to host your server, then by all means, don't get hosting from us. You can run your own (the code is all open source), or get your friend whom you trust to share the instance they set up, or perhaps there will even be competing paid hosts some day.
Its good to run our own server for control, freedom, security and so on. Makes sense. I have been doing that for decades but ok.
So now we add the term "cloud" to it, and wrap it up. Some great ideas that I like sure.
But.. I can rent my own private server on their cloud platform...... HOw is that different from almost every other vendor.
Inside my house/business sure.