European alternatives to Amazon Web Services (AWS)
AWS is the largest cloud provider in the world, but it is subject to US law. For workloads with high data-sovereignty requirements, there are powerful European cloud alternatives.
Why look for an alternative?
Reasons include digital sovereignty, EU data residency, predictable costs (especially for data transfer) and independence from US providers. For standard workloads, European clouds are often significantly cheaper.
What to look for in an alternative
- EU data residency and European provider headquarters
- Suitable services: compute, storage, Kubernetes, databases
- Certifications (e.g. ISO 27001, SecNumCloud where applicable)
- Transparent prices, fair data transfer costs
- Migration effort and existing team know-how
The best European alternatives at a glance
Sorted by suitability as a replacement for the tool you searched. The Sovereignty Score independently rates how European and data-sovereign a provider is – so the two values can differ.
Sovereign German business cloud from the Schwarz Group with data centers exclusively in Germany and Austria.
German cloud and server provider with very good value for money and data centers in DE/FI.
Europe's largest cloud provider from France – from bare metal to public cloud, with SecNumCloud and HDS qualification.
Developer-friendly French cloud (iliad Group) with modern API, Kubernetes and serverless offerings.
Large German hosting and cloud provider with a broad offering from web hosting to enterprise cloud.
Independent Swiss cloud and hosting provider with own data centers – from web hosting and email to public cloud, 100% green electricity.
Open-source, S3-compatible object store from Germany (Apache 2.0) – a self-hostable alternative to MinIO and AWS S3, still in early development.
Comparison table
| Providers | Fit | Sovereignty | Headquarters | Open Source | Self-hosting | EU hosting | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STACKIT | 86 | 89 | Germany | Pay-as-you-go (data transfer free) | |||
| Hetzner | 85 | 85 | Germany | from 3,79 € / Monat | |||
| OVHcloud | 84 | 86 | France | from 4,54 $ / Monat | |||
| Scaleway | 82 | 84 | France | Pay-as-you-go | |||
| IONOS | 78 | 80 | Germany | from 1 € / Monat | |||
| Infomaniak | 76 | 86 | Switzerland | Web hosting / cloud (pay-as-you-go) | |||
| Alarik | 55 | 88 | Germany | Open source (Apache 2.0, self-hosted, free) |
The top providers in detail
STACKIT is the cloud platform of the Schwarz Group (Lidl/Kaufland) and positions itself as a sovereign European alternative to US hyperscalers. Collection, storage and processing take place exclusively in German and Austrian data centers. The platform is certified according to BSI C5 Type 2, ISO/IEC 27001, ISO 20000 as well as ISAE 3000 (SOC 2) and ISAE 3402; data transfer is currently free. The offering targets business customers and the public sector with high requirements for data sovereignty.
Strengths
- Data exclusively in DE/AT, 100% GDPR-compliant
- BSI C5 Type 2, ISO 27001/20000, ISAE 3000 (SOC 2)/3402
- Strong corporate group backing, free data transfer
Weaknesses
- Younger provider with a still-growing ecosystem
- Prices are less transparently visible publicly
Hetzner is one of the best-known European hosting providers and operates its own data centers in Nuremberg and Falkenstein (Germany) as well as Helsinki (Finland). These are certified according to ISO/IEC 27001:2022 and additionally attested according to BSI C5 Type 2; a GDPR-compliant DPA can be concluded electronically. The offering ranges from low-cost cloud servers (from approx. €3.79 per month) to dedicated machines and object storage. For many developers and companies, Hetzner is the most price-attractive European AWS alternative for standard workloads.
Strengths
- Very low, transparent prices (cloud from approx. €3.79/month)
- Own data centers in Germany and Finland, ISO 27001:2022 + BSI C5
- Reliable cloud and dedicated servers
Weaknesses
- Smaller managed-services portfolio than AWS/Azure
- Fewer ready-made PaaS building blocks
OVHcloud is the largest European cloud provider with its own data center network. The portfolio ranges from dedicated servers and VPS (from approx. $4.54 per month) to public and private cloud and managed Kubernetes. The cloud offerings are certified according to ISO/IEC 27001, 27017, 27018 and 27701; for particularly sensitive workloads, OVHcloud offers SecNumCloud-qualified environments in France that are operated exclusively by personnel based in the EU and whose data does not leave the EU. HDS (health data) and SOC 2 Type 2 evidence are also available.
Strengths
- Very broad cloud and bare-metal portfolio
- Extensive certifications: ISO 27001/27701, SecNumCloud, HDS, SOC 2
- Own infrastructure, good scalability
Weaknesses
- Managed-service depth is lower than with US hyperscalers
- Interface and documentation are sometimes complex
Migration effort
| Providers | Migration effort | Fit |
|---|---|---|
| STACKIT | medium | 86/100 |
| Hetzner | medium | 85/100 |
| OVHcloud | medium | 84/100 |
| Scaleway | medium | 82/100 |
| IONOS | medium | 78/100 |
| Infomaniak | medium | 76/100 |
| Alarik | low | 55/100 |
When switching pays off
For many standard workloads – web servers, containers, databases, object storage – Hetzner, OVHcloud or Scaleway are mature and affordable alternatives.
When to stick with your current tool
If your architecture depends heavily on specific managed AWS services (e.g. Lambda, DynamoDB, extensive AI services), migration is time-consuming. Check which services the European providers offer at an equivalent level.
Frequently asked questions
Are European clouds cheaper than AWS?
The Sovereignty Score is an editorial orientation aid, not legal advice. How we rate.