The verdict in three sentences
For a corporate website with forms and personal data, a European host outside the reach of the US CLOUD Act (OVHcloud, Scaleway, regional Dutch providers) is the simplest way to meet GDPR expectations and the sovereignty questions boards now ask. AWS in an EU region remains relevant for high-traffic sites or organisations already built on Amazon services, at the cost of a transfer impact assessment. The right decision rests on three-year total cost, SLA and disaster recovery, not on the headline monthly price.
Five hosting options compared
An IT director at a trade body, chamber or mid-sized group in Amsterdam faces five families of offers in 2026. Price gaps are large, but responsibility gaps are larger.
| Option | Monthly cost excl. VAT 2026 | Who handles updates | CLOUD Act exposure | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Managed shared hosting (OVHcloud, Infomaniak, local hosts) | EUR 30 to 80 | Host and agency | No | Brochure site without sensitive data |
| VPS on OVHcloud or Scaleway | EUR 40 to 200 | Agency or in-house team | No | Site with forms, medium traffic |
| Certified sovereign managed hosting (SecNumCloud-type, EUCS high) | EUR 400 to 1,500 | Certified managed provider | No | Sensitive data, public sector work |
| AWS EU region (Frankfurt, Paris, Stockholm) | EUR 80 to 600 depending on traffic | In-house or partner | Yes, US parent company | High traffic, AWS managed services |
| CDN and DDoS protection (Cloudflare, Bunny, OVHcloud) | EUR 20 to 200 | CDN provider | Depends on provider | Any option, as an add-on |
Sovereign certifications such as the French SecNumCloud label guarantee both strong security and immunity from extraterritorial laws. They are increasingly expected from organisations handling sensitive data or working with government.
Selection criteria beyond price
The table below can be presented as is to your board or executive committee.
| Criterion | Managed shared | European VPS | Sovereign certified | AWS EU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Data location | EU | EU | EU | EU, parent company in the US |
| Certification | ISO 27001 depending on offer | ISO 27001 | SecNumCloud 3.2 or equivalent | ISO 27001, SOC 2 |
| Availability SLA | 99.9 % | 99.95 % | 99.95 to 99.99 % | 99.99 % depending on service |
| Disaster recovery | Daily backup | To be built | Included, multi-site | Multi-zone, to configure |
| Exit path | Simple | Simple | Contractual | More complex (proprietary services) |
| Internal effort | Low | Medium | Low | High |
For a standard corporate site, the most common 2026 setup is a European VPS managed by the agency, plus a European CDN and backups stored in a second data centre. It balances sovereignty, cost and responsiveness.
Three-year total cost
The monthly price tells you little about real cost. Add managed services, CDN, backups and internal time.
| Three-year line item (excl. VAT) | Managed European VPS | Sovereign certified | AWS EU |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hosting | EUR 120 × 36 = 4,320 | EUR 900 × 36 = 32,400 | EUR 350 × 36 = 12,600 |
| CDN and protection | EUR 50 × 36 = 1,800 | Partly included: 900 | EUR 80 × 36 = 2,880 |
| Agency management | EUR 150 × 36 = 5,400 | Included | EUR 300 × 36 = 10,800 |
| Impact assessment and compliance | EUR 1,000 | EUR 500 | EUR 3,500 |
| Three-year total | EUR 12,520 | EUR 33,800 | EUR 29,780 |
These are 2026 estimates for a site with 50,000 to 150,000 visits a month. AWS becomes competitive with large traffic peaks or if you already rely on its managed services.
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Mini case study
Sanne, IT director of a professional chamber in Amsterdam, currently hosts the website and its event registration forms on an ageing in-house server. She spends 4 days of internal maintenance per quarter, 16 days a year at EUR 550 loaded cost, or EUR 8,800 a year. She moves to a managed European VPS at EUR 270 a month all in, EUR 3,240 a year. Savings reach EUR 5,560 a year, about EUR 16,700 over three years, and the GDPR record of processing now lists a European host outside the CLOUD Act, which simplifies conversations with the DPO.
FAQ
OVHcloud or Scaleway for a corporate website?
Both are European and outside the CLOUD Act. OVHcloud offers more sovereign-certified services, while Scaleway stands out for managed services and simple pricing from EUR 40 a month.
Can a public-facing site run on AWS and stay GDPR compliant?
Yes, with an EU region, standard contractual clauses and a transfer impact assessment. Budget EUR 2,000 to 5,000 of compliance work, and sensitive data is still best kept elsewhere.
When does sovereign certification become necessary?
As soon as the site processes sensitive data or you work with public bodies that require it. The premium is EUR 400 to 1,500 a month, but it often includes management and disaster recovery.
What SLA should a corporate site require?
Aim for at least 99.9 %, under 9 hours of downtime a year. Organisations with online services require 99.95 % and recovery within 4 hours.
How do we prepare an exit path?
Require backups in standard formats, infrastructure documentation and a 30-day exit assistance clause. Avoid proprietary services that are hard to reproduce elsewhere.
Let's scope your project. Kolonell audits your current hosting and prices a move to sovereign European hosting, with a three-year total cost from EUR 12,000 and a switchover in 2 to 4 weeks. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
