The verdict in three sentences
For a corporate website with contact and job application forms, a European host (OVHcloud, Scaleway, Hetzner, IONOS) settles the data location question for EUR 15 to 120 a month excluding VAT. A US cloud (Vercel, AWS, Netlify) remains defensible to your DPO thanks to the Data Privacy Framework, provided you document transfers and keep personal data in an EU region. The real issue for an IT director is reversibility: a poorly planned migration costs EUR 1,500 to 4,000 and several weeks.
What your DPO will ask
Your DPO will not ask "where is the website", but where personal data travels and is stored: contact forms, applicant CVs, analytics cookies, server logs. GDPR does not ban hosting outside the EU, but it requires a legal basis for each transfer (adequacy decision, standard contractual clauses) and an entry in the record of processing activities. In Germany, regulators such as the Berlin data protection authority are known for strict reviews of analytics and US transfers.
| Data | Example | GDPR requirement | Risk if poorly hosted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contact form | name, email, phone | processing record, 3-year retention | low to medium |
| Applications | CV, cover letter, diplomas | max 6 months to 2 years after last contact | high |
| Server logs | IP address, user agent | 6 to 12-month retention | low |
| Analytics | analytics cookies | consent unless exempt tool | medium |
| Client portal | credentials, documents | encryption, access control | high |
| Backups | database copy | same location as production | medium |
An often forgotten point: if your backups go to the United States while production sits in Frankfurt, your assessment must cover both.
Hosting providers compared in 2026
Indicative prices for a 30 to 50-page website, 20,000 to 60,000 visits a month, with forms and a CMS.
| Criterion | OVHcloud | Scaleway | Vercel | AWS (Frankfurt region) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost excl. VAT | EUR 15 to 90 | EUR 20 to 120 | EUR 20 to 150 (Pro plan per member) | EUR 40 to 300 |
| Data location | France, Germany (Limburg) | France, Netherlands, Poland | Global edge, functions configurable in EU | Germany or any EU region |
| Subject to the CLOUD Act | no | no | yes | yes |
| Built-in CDN | paid option | Edge Services option | included, global | CloudFront, usage-based |
| Advertised SLA | 99.9% to 99.99% | 99.9% to 99.99% | 99.99% (Enterprise) | 99.9% to 99.99% |
| Backups | included or EUR 3 to 10 option | usage-based snapshots | handled by third-party database | AWS Backup, usage-based |
| Sovereign cloud certification | dedicated offer | in progress on some offers | no | AWS European Sovereign Cloud (Brandenburg) |
The CLOUD Act is the main argument of cautious DPOs: a US provider can be compelled to hand over data to a US authority, even when stored in Frankfurt. For a brochure site without sensitive data this risk stays theoretical; for a client portal or job applications, it weighs more.
Reversibility: the cost nobody budgets
Changing host is never free. The more your architecture relies on proprietary services (serverless functions, managed database, specific object storage), the more expensive the exit.
| Migration scenario | Estimated effort | Cost excl. VAT (2026 ballpark) | Downtime |
|---|---|---|---|
| Static site or standard CMS, same stack | 2 to 3 days | EUR 1,500 to 2,000 | under 1 hour |
| CMS with large database and media | 3 to 5 days | EUR 2,000 to 3,000 | 1 to 2 hours |
| Next.js on Vercel to OVH/Scaleway container | 4 to 6 days | EUR 2,500 to 4,000 | 1 hour with DNS switch |
| Multi-service AWS architecture | 6 to 10 days | EUR 4,000 and up | must be planned |
| Reversibility plan included from day one | 0.5 to 1 day | EUR 400 to 800 | none |
Ask your provider for a reversibility document at launch: service inventory, database export, DNS switchover procedure. It is the best investment on the hosting line.
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Mini case study
Sophie, IT director of an 80-employee company in Berlin, hosts her Next.js website on Vercel (Pro plan, 2 members, about EUR 45 a month) with a careers form receiving 400 CVs a year. The DPO asks for a justification. Option A: keep Vercel, pin functions to an EU region, store CVs with a European provider and document the DPF, i.e. 1.5 days at EUR 650, EUR 975 one-off. Option B: migrate to a Scaleway container at EUR 60 a month, i.e. EUR 3,200 of migration plus EUR 180 a year in extra cost. Over 3 years, A costs EUR 975 and B about EUR 3,740. Sophie chooses A and will only migrate if the client portal planned for 2027 handles contractual data.
FAQ
Is a website hosted in the US illegal under GDPR?
No. Since July 2023, the Data Privacy Framework allows transfers to certified US companies. You still need to list it in your processing record and inform users in your privacy policy.
Is OVHcloud more reliable than AWS?
Advertised SLAs are close, between 99.9% and 99.99%. The difference lies mostly in support, applicable jurisdiction and the level of managed service included.
Does a German SMB website need a CDN?
If 90% of your visitors are in Germany, a CDN brings a modest 50 to 150 ms gain. It becomes useful with an international audience or traffic peaks during trade fairs and campaigns.
What backup frequency should I require?
A daily backup kept for 30 days, plus a weekly off-site copy, covers most SMBs. Budget EUR 3 to 15 a month depending on volume.
How long does a hosting migration take?
One to 3 calendar weeks for 2 to 10 days of actual work. The switchover itself takes under an hour if the DNS TTL is lowered 48 hours beforehand.
Let's scope your project. We audit your current hosting, personal data flows and exit cost, then deliver a reasoned recommendation for your DPO with an indicative migration budget. 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.
