The verdict in three sentences
For a business application with 500 users handling HR data, a European host such as OVHcloud or Scaleway costs, as a 2026 order of magnitude, between EUR 250 and 900 per month, 30 to 40% less than an AWS or Azure equivalent. The real issue is not price but exposure to the US Cloud Act: once the data is sensitive, SecNumCloud-qualified hosting is easy to defend to your DPO and employee representatives, despite a 30 to 60% premium. Finally, budget EUR 5,000 to 15,000 for migration and a tested disaster recovery plan, or the monthly savings are worthless.
What each provider really costs for 500 users
An internal app of this size usually runs on two to four application instances, a managed PostgreSQL database, object storage for documents (payslips, contracts, supporting files) and a staging environment. The figures below include production, staging, backups and normal bandwidth.
| Monthly item (excl. VAT) | OVHcloud | Scaleway | AWS (Paris) | Azure (France Central) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| App instances (2 to 4) | EUR 120 to 380 | EUR 110 to 350 | EUR 210 to 600 | EUR 220 to 620 |
| Managed HA PostgreSQL | EUR 80 to 260 | EUR 70 to 240 | EUR 140 to 420 | EUR 150 to 430 |
| 1 TB object storage + transfer | EUR 15 to 40 | EUR 12 to 35 | EUR 25 to 110 | EUR 25 to 100 |
| Backups and snapshots | EUR 20 to 90 | EUR 20 to 80 | EUR 40 to 140 | EUR 40 to 130 |
| Reduced staging | EUR 30 to 130 | EUR 30 to 120 | EUR 60 to 170 | EUR 60 to 160 |
| Indicative total | EUR 265 to 900 | EUR 242 to 825 | EUR 475 to 1,440 | EUR 495 to 1,440 |
The gap comes mostly from data egress fees and managed database pricing, which are higher at the US hyperscalers. In exchange, AWS and Azure offer a broader service catalogue (message queues, managed AI, directory services). For a standard HR app, that catalogue is rarely essential.
GDPR, the Cloud Act and SecNumCloud: what your DPO will ask
Hosting in a French region is not enough. A provider whose parent company is American remains subject to the Cloud Act, which lets US authorities demand access to data, even when stored in Paris. For HR data (salaries, sick leave, annual reviews), the question will come up with employee representatives and in the impact assessment.
| Criterion | OVHcloud standard | Scaleway standard | AWS / Azure France region | SecNumCloud offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Headquarters | France | France | United States | France / EU |
| Cloud Act exposure | No | No | Yes | No |
| Non-EU transfer to document | No | No | Yes (DPF + SCCs) | No |
| ANSSI qualification | Partial (dedicated offers) | In progress on some offers | Via partners (S3NS, Bleu) | Yes |
| Premium over standard | Baseline | Baseline | Baseline | +30 to 60% |
| Fit for sensitive HR data | Yes, with encryption | Yes, with encryption | Defensible, must be justified | Yes, recommended |
Our practical recommendation: a standard European host with encryption at rest, logging of administrator access and customer-managed keys covers most HR applications. Moving to SecNumCloud is justified if you are a critical infrastructure operator, process health data at scale, or a public-sector client requires it contractually.
Backups, DR and migration: the forgotten budget
An HR app that is down for two days during payroll costs far more than a year of hosting. The contract must set an RPO (maximum acceptable data loss) and an RTO (restart time).
| Item | Minimum level | Recommended level | Indicative cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Database backup | Daily, 7 days | Hourly, 30 days | Included to EUR 90 / month |
| Off-site copy | None | Second EU region | EUR 20 to 60 / month |
| RPO / RTO | 24 h / 48 h | 1 h / 4 h | Depends on architecture |
| Restore test | Never | Twice a year | EUR 1,500 to 3,000 / year |
| Initial migration | Lift and shift | Containers + IaC | EUR 5,000 to 15,000 |
| 24/7 monitoring | Email alerts | On-call + dashboard | EUR 300 to 900 / month |
Mini case study
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Claire, CIO of a 1,800-employee industrial mid-cap near Lyon, is rolling out an HR portal used by 500 managers. AWS quote: EUR 1,150 per month. Equivalent OVHcloud quote: EUR 720 per month, a EUR 430 gap, or EUR 5,160 a year. Migration and infrastructure-as-code setup cost EUR 9,000. Over three years, net savings reach EUR 15,480 minus EUR 9,000, i.e. EUR 6,480, while removing the Cloud Act issue from the file presented to employee representatives. With DR in a second region (EUR 40 per month) and two annual restore tests (EUR 2,000), the budget stays below the original AWS offer.
FAQ
OVHcloud or Scaleway: which one for an internal app?
They are close on price, within 5 to 10%. OVHcloud offers more qualified services and regions, Scaleway a more modern developer experience and managed databases that are simple to run.
Does an AWS Paris region make hosting GDPR compliant?
It reduces latency and helps compliance, but the Cloud Act still applies. You must document the potential transfer in the DPIA and rely on the Data Privacy Framework and standard contractual clauses.
Is SecNumCloud mandatory for HR data?
No, unless a sector or contract requires it. It is still recommended for public bodies, critical operators and large-scale health data processing, at a 30 to 60% premium.
How long does an AWS to OVHcloud migration take?
Allow 3 to 6 weeks for a 500-user app, including one week of cutover and testing. Budget EUR 5,000 to 15,000 depending on existing containerisation.
Do we need a processing agreement with the host?
Yes, GDPR Article 28 requires it. Major hosts provide a standard DPA, to be annexed to the contract and checked for backup and support locations.
Let's scope your project. We price hosting, migration and DR for your business application on OVHcloud, Scaleway or AWS, with a target monthly budget and a cutover plan. 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.
