European Alternative

European Alternatives to AWS / Azure

Powerful and globally mature, but often more cloud than smaller teams need and a weaker sovereignty story for Europe-first procurement. Here are 1 GDPR-compliant European software alternatives that give your team clearer data residency, stronger jurisdiction guarantees, and privacy-first defaults.

Why switch from AWS / Azure?

Many European teams are reconsidering their dependency on AWS / Azure due to evolving data protection requirements. Since the Schrems II ruling invalidated the EU-US Privacy Shield, transferring personal data to US-based services requires additional safeguards that can be complex to implement and maintain.

European alternatives offer structural advantages: data stays within EU or EEA jurisdiction by default, the provider operates under GDPR as primary law rather than an add-on, and procurement conversations become simpler when your tools share your regulatory framework.

Alternatives

1 European replacement for AWS / Azure

Each tool below is headquartered in Europe, offers EU-hosted infrastructure, and provides a credible migration path from AWS / Azure.

S
Hosting & Cloud

Scaleway

Public cloud and infrastructure platform for teams that want an explicitly European cloud provider with a modern product surface.

EU France and broader European regions
Best when you want a more sovereign cloud story than the hyperscaler defaults provide. View profile →
Comparison

How they compare

Key differences between AWS / Azure and European alternatives.

Tool HQ Hosting Open Source Self-Hostable
Scaleway Paris, France France and broader European regions No No
Related

More European tools in this space

Other EU-hosted tools that complement these alternatives.

H
Hosting & Cloud

Hetzner

One of the most practical EU infrastructure defaults for startups that want predictable costs and regional clarity.

EU Germany and Finland
Strong infrastructure base for self-hosted or managed sovereign stacks. View profile →
Comparisons

Detailed comparison guides

In-depth side-by-side comparisons with AWS / Azure.

Scaleway vs AWS / Azure

Side-by-side comparison of features, compliance, and hosting.

Frequently asked questions about AWS / Azure alternatives

Is AWS / Azure GDPR compliant?

While AWS / Azure offers GDPR features, the core challenge is that data may be processed in US jurisdiction, which creates complexity under Schrems II. European alternatives avoid this by keeping data within EU or EEA borders by default.

What is the best European alternative to AWS / Azure?

The best choice depends on your team's needs. Scaleway is a strong starting point — Public cloud and infrastructure platform for teams that want an explicitly European cloud provider with a modern product surface.

Can I migrate from AWS / Azure to a European tool?

Most European alternatives listed here provide migration tools and import paths to help teams transition from AWS / Azure with minimal disruption.