Purpose In this study, we investigated the impact of perceived risk and switching costs on switching intention to cloud service based on PPM (Pull-Push-Mooring) model. Design/methodology/approach We focused on revealing the switching factors of the switching intention to the cloud services. The switching factors to the cloud services were defined as perceived risk consisting of performance risk, economic risk, and security risk, and switching costs consisting of financial and learning costs. On the PPM model, we defined the pull factors consisting of perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use, and the push factor as satisfaction of the legacy system, and the mooring factor as policy supports. Findings The results of this study as follows; (1) Among the perceived risk factors, performance risk has a negative effect on the ease of use of pull factors, and finally it was found to affect the switching intention to the cloud services. Therefore, cloud service providers need to improve trust in cloud services, service timeliness, and linkage to the legacy systems. And it was found that economic risk and security risk among the perceived risk factors did not affect the switching intention to the cloud services. (2) Of the perceived risk factors, financial cost and learning cost did not affect the satisfaction of the legacy system, which is a push factor. It indicates that the respondents are positively considering switching to cloud service in the future, despite the fact that the respondents are satisfied with the use of the legacy system and are aware of the switching cost to cloud service. (3) Policy support was found to improve the switching intention to cloud services by alleviating the financial and learning costs required for cloud service switching.