Methodology
How Euro Toolhub works
Transparency is the foundation of a decision platform. Here we explain how we list, rate and update providers.
How we list providers
We list providers that represent a European alternative to well-known tools. Suggestions come from our own research, community tips and the “List a tool” form. Every suggestion is reviewed editorially before it is published.
The Sovereignty Score
The Sovereignty Score (Sovereignty Fit Score) is an editorial orientation aid on a scale from 0 to 100. It weights ten criteria:
| Criterion | Weight |
|---|---|
| Headquarters in EU/EEA/EFTA | 15 |
| Ownership / EU control | 10 |
| EU data residency | 15 |
| Subprocessor transparency | 10 |
| Open source / auditability | 10 |
| Self-hosting available | 10 |
| DPA available | 10 |
| Security certifications | 5 |
| Pricing transparency | 5 |
| Maturity, documentation, support | 10 |
| Total | 100 |
Which data sources we use
For every assessment we prefer official sources: the provider's website and trust center, legal documents such as DPAs and subprocessor lists, certificates (e.g. ISO 27001, BSI C5, SecNumCloud) and reputable trade press. Marketing claims are labelled as such (“per the provider”). Key details are checked against at least two sources; the sources used are linked on the provider profiles.
Confidence level
Every score gets a confidence level: high, medium, low or “unverified”. It shows how solid our data on a given provider is.
Handling uncertain data
When we don't know something for sure, we don't guess. We mark such details as “unknown” or “unverified” and lower the confidence level. Provider details are, unless noted otherwise, not independently verified.
Open source, self-hosting and data residency
We treat these three factors in a differentiated way. Open-source software can be audited independently and increases transparency. Self-hosting moves data control entirely to the user – a tool can therefore be used sovereignly even if the provider is based outside the EU (e.g. Matomo). For data residency the actual server location counts, not just the company's headquarters: a European provider may host on a US hyperscaler's infrastructure in an EU region. We state such nuances openly.
What “European” means
We distinguish between the EU (member states of the European Union), the EEA (additionally Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein) and EFTA (including Switzerland). A provider based in Switzerland is therefore European, but not in the EU – we label this accordingly.
Updates
Provider profiles carry a date of the last review. We update data when relevant information changes or corrections reach us.
Sponsoring and independence
Euro Toolhub is funded partly through sponsoring and partnerships. Important: Sponsoring never influences the score. Sponsored placements are clearly labelled as such. Rankings and ratings remain unaffected.
Report a correction
Providers and users can submit corrections at any time – on any provider profile or via the contact form. We review every report.