European Alternatives to AWS
Find GDPR-compliant, EU-hosted replacements for AWS.
AWS is widely used, but organisations across Europe are increasingly looking for alternatives that offer genuine GDPR compliance without the legal uncertainty of US data jurisdiction. The European market now offers 6 mature alternatives to AWS that match core functionality while keeping your data exclusively under European law.
The alternatives listed below are all headquartered in Europe, store data within EU/EEA data centres, and offer Data Processing Agreements aligned with GDPR Article 28. Several are open source, giving you additional transparency and flexibility that proprietary US services cannot offer.
Why Switch from AWS
Data Privacy Concerns
- US CLOUD Act jurisdiction
- Complex data residency configurations required for EU compliance
- FISA Section 702 surveillance risk
- US government access to data even in EU regions
EU Alternatives
Hetzner Cloud
Affordable European cloud infrastructure
Scaleway
European multi-cloud infrastructure provider
OVHcloud
Major European cloud infrastructure provider
IONOS
Cloud hosting and infrastructure by United Internet
Infomaniak
Swiss cloud, email, and hosting provider
UpCloud
High-performance European cloud infrastructure
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Hetzner Cloud | Scaleway | OVHcloud | IONOS | Infomaniak | UpCloud |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Hetzner Cloud | Scaleway | OVHcloud | IONOS | Infomaniak | UpCloud |
| Pricing | From €4.51/mo (usage-based) | From €7/mo (usage-based) | Free | From €1/mo | Free | From €5/mo (usage-based) |
| Free Tier | ||||||
| GDPR | ||||||
| ISO 27001 | ||||||
| Open Source | ||||||
| Headquarters | Gunzenhausen, DE | Paris, FR | Roubaix, FR | Montabaur, DE | Geneva, CH | Helsinki, FI |
| Data Centers | DE, FI | FR, NL, PL | FR, DE, GB, PL, ES | DE, GB, ES, US | CH | FI, DE, NL, GB, ES, PL |
| Cloud servers (VPS) | ||||||
| Dedicated servers | ||||||
| Managed Kubernetes | ||||||
| Load balancers | ||||||
| Block storage | ||||||
| Object storage | ||||||
| Firewalls | ||||||
| Floating IPs |
Try These Alternatives
Related Categories
GDPR-Compliant Options
What to Expect When Switching
Switching from AWS to a European alternative is typically straightforward. Under GDPR Article 20, you have the right to data portability — AWS must allow you to export your data in a machine-readable format. Most European providers offer import tools or migration guides to help you transfer your data with minimal downtime.
For small teams, migration can often be completed in a single day. Larger organisations should plan for a phased rollout over one to four weeks, starting with a pilot group to identify any workflow adjustments. The most common challenge is not the data migration itself, but updating integrations and retraining team members on the new interface.
OVHcloud and Infomaniak offer a free tier, so you can evaluate the product with real data before committing to a full migration.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best European alternatives to AWS?
Is AWS GDPR compliant?
Why switch from AWS to a European alternative?
Related Pages
Compare these two European alternatives
Compare these two European alternatives
Compare these two European alternatives
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