The verdict in three sentences
For a 2,000-user business application, a German provider such as Hetzner or IONOS costs half as much as AWS or less for the same scope, with ample performance. AWS Frankfurt makes sense if you rely on its advanced managed services or serve global markets, but egress traffic inflates the bill quickly. If public sector or healthcare clients require BSI C5 attestation or strict EU sovereignty, decide before go-live, because a migration costs 5,000 to 12,000 EUR.
Monthly cost for the same scope in 2026
Comparison for a typical app: 2 application servers, a managed PostgreSQL database with replica, 500 GB of object storage, daily backups and about 1 TB of monthly egress. 2026 orders of magnitude, before commitment discounts. (In France, the equivalent ranges are 150 to 300 EUR at OVHcloud and 180 to 350 EUR at Scaleway.)
| Item | Hetzner | IONOS | AWS (Frankfurt eu-central-1) |
|---|---|---|---|
| App servers (2 × 4 vCPU, 16 GB) | 30 to 60 EUR | 60 to 120 EUR | 120 to 260 EUR |
| Managed PostgreSQL with replica | 40 to 80 EUR* | 50 to 110 EUR | 120 to 280 EUR |
| Object storage 500 GB | 5 to 10 EUR | 5 to 12 EUR | 12 to 15 EUR |
| Egress 1 TB | Included (20 TB) | Included or low | 80 to 90 EUR |
| Backups and snapshots | 10 to 25 EUR | 15 to 35 EUR | 30 to 60 EUR |
| Load balancer | 6 to 15 EUR | 15 to 35 EUR | 20 to 40 EUR |
| Estimated monthly total | 100 to 220 EUR | 150 to 320 EUR | 300 to 700 EUR |
*Hetzner has no fully managed PostgreSQL in its core cloud: budget either a self-managed setup with replication or a third-party managed service, plus a few hours of ops a month.
Egress is the line that surprises most AWS customers: about 0.09 USD per GB beyond the free allowance. Hetzner includes 20 TB of traffic per instance in the EU.
Sovereignty, compliance and client requirements
Price is only one criterion. Public, healthcare or critical infrastructure clients set requirements that rule out some offers.
| Criterion | Hetzner | IONOS | AWS |
|---|---|---|---|
| HQ and governing law | Germany, EU law | Germany, EU law | United States, subject to the CLOUD Act |
| BSI C5 attestation | Not for the public cloud | Yes | Yes |
| Sovereign offer | EU-only by design | IONOS Cloud, German public sector focus | AWS European Sovereign Cloud (Brandenburg, from 2025-2026) |
| Managed services catalogue | Limited | Medium | Very broad (200+ services) |
| Support in German | Yes | Yes | Partial, paid for business tier |
| Exit cost (egress) | Very low | Low | High |
If a federal agency, a Land authority or a KRITIS operator is among your clients, ask during scoping whether C5 or a specific sovereignty level is mandatory.
Mini case study
Jonas, managing director of an HR services SME in Berlin, runs a 2,000-user business app on AWS for 620 EUR a month. Two public sector clients ask for EU-sovereign hosting.
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- AWS cost over 3 years: 620 × 36 = 22,320 EUR.
- Equivalent hosting at IONOS: 240 EUR a month, i.e. 8,640 EUR over 3 years.
- Migration (containerisation, database cutover, testing): 8,500 EUR.
- Total IONOS cost over 3 years: 8,640 + 8,500 = 17,140 EUR.
- Net saving: about 5,180 EUR over 3 years, plus eligibility for both public contracts, estimated at 60,000 EUR of annual revenue.
FAQ
How much does hosting a 2,000-user business app cost?
Budget 100 to 220 EUR a month at Hetzner, 150 to 320 EUR at IONOS and 300 to 700 EUR at AWS. 1 to 3-year commitments cut AWS by 30 to 40%.
What is BSI C5 and do we need it?
It is the German Federal Office for Information Security cloud attestation. Public sector and healthcare buyers increasingly require it; many SMEs serving private clients do not need it.
How much does migrating from AWS to an EU provider cost?
5,000 to 12,000 EUR for a mid-size containerised app, over 2 to 4 weeks. Heavy use of proprietary AWS services can raise that figure.
Is AWS still relevant for a German SME?
Yes, if you use advanced services (queues, managed AI, multi-region) or most of your clients are outside Europe.
Does GDPR forbid AWS?
No. The Frankfurt region and the EU-US Data Privacy Framework allow compliant use, but the CLOUD Act remains a point of attention for sensitive data.
Let's scope your project. Describe your application, volumes and client requirements, and we will compare hosting options and price a possible migration over 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.
