The verdict in three sentences
To host an SME website in the EU, the 2026 budget ranges from EUR 5 to 15 per month on shared hosting to EUR 80 to 400 per month on managed cloud, with a VPS in between at EUR 15 to 60 per month. Price is not the only factor: data location, off-site backups and exposure to non-EU transfers weigh on your GDPR compliance as soon as the site collects forms, customer accounts or payments. For a brochure site or a mid-size online store, a European host such as OVHcloud, Scaleway or Hetzner with EUR 50 to 200 per month of managed operations covers the essentials.
The four hosting options and their real cost
Managing directors often compare hosting offers on the sticker price alone. Yet the real cost gap comes from time spent: who runs updates, who restores the site after an outage, who answers at 10 pm on a Friday.
| Option | 2026 monthly price (excl. VAT) | Which site | Skills required |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shared hosting (OVHcloud, IONOS, Infomaniak) | EUR 5 to 15 | Brochure site under 5,000 visits per month | Low |
| VPS (OVHcloud, Scaleway, Hetzner) | EUR 15 to 60 | Rich brochure site, small store, Node or PHP apps | Linux administration |
| Managed cloud (Scaleway, OVHcloud Public Cloud, IONOS Cloud) | EUR 80 to 400 | Active online store, customer portal, traffic peaks | DevOps or agency |
| US platforms (AWS, Vercel, Netlify) | EUR 0 to 300 and up depending on usage | Modern apps, Next.js sites | DevOps, GDPR diligence |
| Agency-managed operations | EUR 50 to 200 on top | Every option except simple shared hosting | None on the SME side |
A EUR 20 per month VPS with nobody maintaining it actually costs far more: a single unpatched CMS vulnerability can mean EUR 1,500 to 5,000 of clean-up and several days offline.
GDPR: the criteria that really matter
GDPR does not forbid hosting outside your country or with a US provider. It requires you to know where data sits, who can access it and on what legal basis. Since the 2023 Data Privacy Framework, transfers to certified US companies are allowed, but the CLOUD Act still lets US authorities request data from those companies, even when hosted in Europe. For a site collecting health data, HR data or identity documents, a host subject only to EU law greatly simplifies the assessment.
| Criterion | OVHcloud | Scaleway | AWS (Frankfurt region) | Vercel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Headquarters and applicable law | France, EU law | France, EU law | United States, CLOUD Act | United States, CLOUD Act |
| Possible data location | France, Germany (Frankfurt, Limburg) | France, Netherlands, Poland | Germany (Frankfurt) | Configurable EU functions, global CDN |
| Sovereign cloud certification | On some offers (SecNumCloud) | On some offers | Separate EU sovereign offering | No |
| Stated SLA | 99.9% to 99.99% depending on offer | 99.9% to 99.99% | 99.99% depending on services | 99.99% on enterprise plans |
| Backups | Paid or included depending on offer | Paid snapshots | Dedicated paid services | Handled at database level |
| Local-language support | French, German, English | French, English | Paid | English |
Three points to require whatever the host: a data processing agreement (GDPR Article 28), daily backups stored in another data centre with 14 to 30 days of retention, and a restore test at least once a year. A 99.9% SLA allows about 8 h 45 of downtime per year; 99.99% drops to 52 minutes.
How to choose for your site
For a brochure site without customer accounts, EU shared hosting is enough, provided HTTPS and backups are on. For a store above 50 orders per day, or a site with a customer portal, a VPS or managed cloud with managed operations becomes the right level. For a modern Next.js app, Vercel offers an excellent experience, but you must document the non-EU transfer in your records and check that the database (often with another provider) sits in Europe. A frequent 2026 alternative: the app deployed on a VPS or managed cloud at Scaleway, Hetzner or OVHcloud, with a European CDN in front.
Mini case study
Katrin, CFO of a 60-employee industrial SME in Berlin, pays EUR 290 per month today for hosting on a US platform for her catalogue site with a distributor portal (1,200 accounts). Legal asks for a non-EU transfer assessment.
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
Chosen option: managed cloud with a European host at EUR 140 per month, plus agency-managed operations at EUR 120 per month, or EUR 260 per month. One-off migration: EUR 2,500. Monthly saving: 290 - 260 = EUR 30, or EUR 360 per year. On price alone, the migration pays back in about 7 years, but the real gain lies elsewhere: no transfer impact assessment to maintain (estimated at 3 lawyer days per year, about EUR 2,400) and tested backups included in managed operations. Counting that saved time, payback drops to about 11 months.
FAQ
Is EUR 5 per month shared hosting GDPR compliant?
It can be if the host provides a data processing agreement and stores data in the EU. For a brochure site with a simple contact form, that is often enough.
Are Vercel or AWS forbidden for a European SME?
No, transfers to companies certified under the Data Privacy Framework have been allowed since July 2023. You must still document the transfer in your records and inform users in your privacy policy.
What does EUR 50 to 200 per month of managed operations cover?
System and CMS updates, 24/7 monitoring, verified backups, incident restoration and 1 to 2 hours of work. At EUR 200 per month, weekend on-call is usually included.
How much does a hosting migration cost?
Between EUR 500 and 1,500 for a brochure site, EUR 1,500 to 5,000 for a store or an app with a database, with under one hour of downtime when properly prepared.
Does an SME need a sovereign cloud certification?
Rarely: it mainly targets public bodies and sensitive data. A certified offer often costs 30 to 50% more than the same host's standard offer.
Let's scope your project. Describe your site, traffic and the data you collect: we recommend the right option, from EUR 15 to 400 per month, migration and managed operations included. 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.
