The verdict in three sentences
For an HR SaaS with 15,000 users, part of them public bodies and universities, a full Scaleway setup runs 1,000 to 1,800 EUR a month, against 1,600 to 3,000 EUR on AWS for a comparable load including support and backups. Price is not the only issue: a US-law provider remains subject to the CLOUD Act, which a growing number of European public buyers now exclude in their tenders. AWS keeps the edge on managed services, but for a classic web app (API, PostgreSQL, object storage, job queues) Scaleway covers what matters.
Monthly budget for the same load
Assumption: 15,000 users, about 1,500 concurrent at peak, 400 GB database, 3 TB of files (payslips, contracts, receipts), a staging environment, business support plan. For a Dublin team, the AWS reference region is eu-west-1 (Dublin) or eu-central-1 (Frankfurt); Scaleway runs from Paris, Amsterdam and Warsaw.
| Monthly item (2026 estimate, excl. VAT) | Scaleway (Paris or Amsterdam) | AWS (Dublin or Frankfurt) |
|---|---|---|
| Compute (Kubernetes or instances, 3 nodes) | 300 to 500 EUR | 450 to 800 EUR |
| HA managed PostgreSQL | 200 to 380 EUR | 350 to 700 EUR |
| Object storage 3 TB | 40 to 60 EUR | 70 to 90 EUR |
| Egress 2 TB | 0 to 20 EUR | 150 to 180 EUR |
| Backups and snapshots | 60 to 140 EUR | 80 to 180 EUR |
| Staging, monitoring, logs, support | 400 to 700 EUR | 500 to 1,050 EUR |
| Total | 1,000 to 1,800 EUR | 1,600 to 3,000 EUR |
Most of the gap comes from managed databases and egress, which Scaleway barely charges for. With 1 or 3 year Savings Plans, AWS can drop 20 to 40%, at the cost of flexibility.
Sovereignty, compliance and public-sector requirements
| Criterion | Scaleway | AWS |
|---|---|---|
| Governing law | French (Iliad group) | US, subject to the CLOUD Act |
| SecNumCloud qualification | Dedicated offer being rolled out | No, except through trusted-cloud partners |
| Health data hosting (HDS) | Yes | Yes |
| EU regions | Paris, Amsterdam, Warsaw | Dublin, Frankfurt, Paris, Stockholm and more |
| Managed service catalogue | About 60 | Over 200 |
| GDPR data processing agreement | Yes, EU entity | Yes, plus EU Data Boundary commitments |
For an HR SaaS, payroll, sick leave and appraisal data are sensitive. Irish and French public buyers increasingly ask where data is stored and which law applies to the provider. An EU host does not always suffice, but a US host often closes the door.
Migrating from AWS to Scaleway: cost and timeline
A well-prepared migration costs 8,000 to 15,000 EUR: infrastructure as code (Terraform), containerisation if missing, database cutover with replication, load testing and a rollback plan. Plan 4 to 8 weeks, with downtime limited to 30 to 60 minutes outside business hours.
Mini case study
Siobhan, CTO of an HR SaaS in Dublin, pays 2,400 EUR a month on AWS. Two tenders from Irish universities ask for a provider outside US jurisdiction. Moving to Scaleway at 1,400 EUR a month saves 1,000 EUR monthly, 12,000 EUR a year. The 12,000 EUR migration pays for itself in 12 months on hosting savings alone, and the first public contract won, worth 40,000 EUR a year, makes the decision obvious.
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FAQ
Is Scaleway reliable enough for a production SaaS?
Yes, managed services carry a 99.9% to 99.95% SLA depending on the offer. A 3-availability-zone architecture protects against a single data centre outage.
Does the CLOUD Act apply if my data sits in AWS Dublin?
Yes, it applies to the US company wherever the data is stored. That is why many public buyers ask for a provider under European law.
Should we aim for SecNumCloud?
Only if your clients require it, since qualified hosting costs 30 to 60% more. For most HR SaaS products, an EU provider with strong access control is enough.
What team do we need to run the infrastructure?
With managed services, 2 to 4 DevOps days per month cover 15,000 users. Outsourced operations cost 800 to 2,000 EUR a month.
Can we keep AWS for some services?
Yes, a hybrid setup works, for instance AI or email on AWS and HR data on Scaleway. It requires careful handling of personal data flows.
Let's scope your project. We audit your current hosting and cost the migration (scope, indicative budget of 8,000 to 15,000 EUR, 4 to 8 week timeline). 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.
