Scaleway vs Exoscale

Both Scaleway and Exoscale are European-built, GDPR-compliant solutions in the cloud hosting & iaas space. This comparison breaks down their features, pricing, compliance posture, and data residency so you can make an informed choice for your team.

Quick Overview

Scaleway

Headquarters: Paris, FR
Pricing: From €7/mo (usage-based)
Open Source: No

Exoscale

Headquarters: Lausanne, CH
Pricing: From €5/mo (usage-based)
Open Source: No

Key Differences

Scaleway uses usage-based pricing starting at €7/month, while exoscale uses usage-based pricing starting at €5/month. The different pricing models mean you should evaluate which approach better fits your usage pattern.
Data residency differs: Scaleway hosts data in France, Netherlands, Poland, while Exoscale hosts in Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Bulgaria. If your organisation requires data to stay in a specific EU country, this distinction matters for compliance.
Scaleway was founded in 1999, giving it a 12-year head start over Exoscale (founded 2011). More time in market often means a larger user community and more mature integrations, though newer entrants may offer more modern architectures.
Each product has unique strengths: Scaleway offers Virtual instances and Bare metal servers, while Exoscale provides Compute instances and Managed Kubernetes (SKS). Your choice depends on which capabilities matter most for your workflow.

Feature Comparison

Feature	Scaleway	Exoscale
Name	Scaleway	Exoscale
Pricing	From €7/mo (usage-based)	From €5/mo (usage-based)
Free Tier
GDPR
ISO 27001
Open Source
Headquarters	Paris, FR	Lausanne, CH
Data Centers	FR, NL, PL	CH, DE, AT, BG
Virtual instances
Bare metal servers
GPU instances
Managed Kubernetes
Serverless functions
Object storage
Managed databases
Transactional email
IoT Hub
AI inference endpoints
Compute instances
Managed Kubernetes (SKS)
DNS
Block storage
Private networks
API
CLI
EU data sovereignty

Pricing Comparison

Scaleway

From €7/mo (usage-based)

pay-as-you-go

Exoscale

From €5/mo (usage-based)

usage-based

Compliance Comparison

Scaleway

GDPRISO 27001SOC 2DPA

Exoscale

GDPRISO 27001SOC 2DPA

Get Started

Try Scaleway

European multi-cloud infrastructure provider

Visit Scaleway

Try Exoscale

Swiss cloud infrastructure with full EU data sovereignty

Visit Exoscale

How to Choose

You need enterprise-grade support and stability

Choose Scaleway

You prefer a nimble provider with personalised support

Choose Exoscale

Scaleway vs Exoscale — FAQ

What is the main difference between Scaleway and Exoscale?

Both Scaleway and Exoscale are European cloud hosting & iaas solutions with full GDPR compliance. The key differences lie in their approach: Scaleway uses pay-as-you-go pricing while Exoscale uses usage-based. Scaleway is headquartered in Paris, France, while Exoscale is based in Lausanne, Switzerland. Your choice should depend on your specific requirements for features, pricing, and data residency.

Which is more affordable, Scaleway or Exoscale?

Scaleway uses usage-based pricing starting at €7/month, while exoscale uses usage-based pricing starting at €5/month. Pricing models differ (pay-as-you-go vs. usage-based), so compare based on your usage pattern rather than just the starting price.

Are both Scaleway and Exoscale GDPR compliant?

Yes. Both Scaleway and Exoscale are European companies that store data within the EU/EEA and offer Data Processing Agreements. Neither is subject to the US CLOUD Act or FISA surveillance. Additionally, Scaleway and Exoscale hold ISO 27001 certification. For GDPR purposes, either option eliminates the legal risks associated with using US-based services.