The best AWS alternatives depend on why you're moving. The other large platforms offer similar breadth, European providers lead with where your data sits and freedom from lock-in, and developer clouds focus on deploying apps with less to manage. Ten cloud providers follow, in no particular order, each described from its own website.
Teams look beyond AWS for different reasons: where their data is stored, how much there is to manage, or a wish not to rely on one provider. The alternatives split along the same lines, and it's worth knowing which group you need before you open a single sign-up page.
AWS itself isn't in this list. The ten below are listed alphabetically, in no particular order, and each description comes from the provider's own website, read as of Nov 2026. I've said which kind of provider each one is, since that matters more than any one server spec.
Cloud providers at a glance
| Tool | Type | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Cloudflare Workers | Serverless functions platform | Code deployed globally without servers of your own |
| DigitalOcean | AI-focused developer cloud | AI products, agents and inference |
| Exoscale | European cloud provider | European hosting with Kubernetes and databases |
| Fly.io | App and virtual machine platform | Apps, agents and databases on isolated VMs |
| Google Cloud | Large cloud platform | AI, data and multi-cloud services |
| Hetzner Cloud | European cloud hosting | Developers and teams wanting simple cloud servers |
| Microsoft Azure | Large cloud platform | Building AI agents on Microsoft's cloud |
| OVHcloud | Public cloud provider | Infrastructure plus managed databases and AI endpoints |
| Render | Developer app platform | Deploying apps with little to run |
| UpCloud | European cloud platform | European hosting with servers, databases and Kubernetes |
Ten cloud providers to weigh up
Cloudflare Workers
Best for: Replacing server-side functions rather than whole servers, by deploying code globally in JavaScript, TypeScript, Python or Rust.
DigitalOcean
Best for: Teams putting AI products into production, since its page now leads with managed agents, an inference engine and data services on one stack.
Exoscale
Best for: European teams needing compute, storage, Kubernetes and databases from a GDPR-compliant provider, managed with its public CLI or Terraform provider.
Fly.io
Best for: Deploying apps, agents and databases straight onto fast, hardware-isolated virtual machines, without looking after the hardware underneath.
Google Cloud
Best for: Organisations wanting a large platform for AI, security and data management, including hybrid and multi-cloud set-ups, from Google.
Hetzner Cloud
Best for: Developers and teams wanting GDPR-compliant cloud servers with a choice of shared or dedicated vCPU plans and ready-made one-click apps.
Microsoft Azure
Best for: Building AI agents and apps on Microsoft's cloud computing platform, whose page also lists a set of free Azure services.
OVHcloud
Best for: Picking infrastructure and managed platforms from one public cloud, including managed PostgreSQL, MySQL and MongoDB databases and AI endpoints.
Render
Best for: Builders who want to deploy and scale apps and agents with zero ops, plus fully managed TLS certificates for every domain.
UpCloud
Best for: Businesses after a European platform its page calls sovereign, GDPR compliant and ISO 27001 certified, with servers, databases and Kubernetes.
Where the data sits versus how much the platform does
Read the provider pages side by side and the European providers lead with where your data sits. Exoscale's page calls it a European cloud provider that's GDPR-compliant with zero lock-in, Hetzner's page says GDPR-compliant, and UpCloud's page talks about European sovereignty and an offer that's open, reversible and free of vendor lock-in.
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The large platforms lead with breadth instead, and both home pages open with AI: Microsoft's first heading is about shipping AI agents faster, and Google's cloud page carries the heading 'The new way to cloud'. So ask which of those two things you need, control over where your data lives or a very wide catalogue of services, before you compare server specs.
Which kind of provider each one is
- Large platforms. Google Cloud and Microsoft Azure sell a very wide range of services, from AI and data to security and hybrid set-ups.
- European and infrastructure clouds. Hetzner Cloud sits with the two European providers above, while OVHcloud offers a public cloud of infrastructure services and managed platforms.
- Developer clouds. DigitalOcean, Fly.io and Render focus on deploying apps and agents, with less infrastructure for you to look after.
- Serverless functions. Cloudflare Workers replaces functions rather than virtual machines, so it suits code that doesn't need a server of its own.
Moving cloud is an application and data job
Switching provider is rarely about the virtual machines. Servers are easy to recreate; the work is in the managed services your application depends on, such as databases, queues, storage, identity and monitoring, and in moving the data itself. List every managed service you use today, then check whether each new provider offers an equivalent or whether you'll run it yourself.
- Databases. Check which engines are offered as managed services, and how you'll move the data with as little downtime as possible.
- Storage. Object storage usually moves by copying, but large amounts take time, so plan it early.
- Containers. Containerised apps move more easily than ones tied to a provider's own services.
- Infrastructure as code. If you use Terraform, check the new provider has a Terraform provider, as at least one here says it does.
- Data location. If customers or regulators care where data is stored, check the regions on offer before anything else.
- Support. Ask how you'd reach a person when something breaks at night.
If you only need servers rather than a whole cloud, my lists of cloud server hosting and VPS hosting providers are a better starting point, and there's a separate list for teams leaving a developer cloud.
Five questions to ask any cloud provider
- Which regions can I keep my data in?
- Which of the managed services I use today do you offer?
- How do I get my data out again if I leave?
- Which automation tools do you support, such as a CLI or Terraform?
- What support do I get, and how fast?
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My advice for teams weighing a cloud move
Start with the application, not the server list. Moving cloud is mostly an application and data job, so write down every managed service you rely on, check each provider offers an equivalent, and only then compare virtual machines. If where your data lives is the reason you're moving, put the European providers first; if you need the widest catalogue of services, look at the other large platforms; and if you're a small team deploying apps, a developer cloud may mean far less to run. Move one small service first and learn from it before you move anything important.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the best alternative to AWS?
There isn't one answer. Large platforms suit teams that need a wide range of services, European providers suit teams that care where data is stored, and developer clouds suit small teams deploying apps.
Which cloud providers are based in Europe?
Some providers in this list describe themselves on their own pages as European, as of Nov 2026, and lead with GDPR compliance and data location. Check the regions each one offers before you sign up.
Is it hard to move away from AWS?
Moving servers is the easy part. The work is in replacing the managed services your applications rely on and moving your data, so list those first and plan the move one service at a time.
Are there free AWS alternatives?
Some large platforms list free services or free credit for new users on their own pages, as of Nov 2026. Offers change often, so check the provider's own site before you rely on one.
What's the difference between a cloud platform and a VPS host?
A cloud platform offers many managed services, such as databases, storage and AI tools, alongside servers. A VPS host mainly rents you virtual servers that you look after yourself.
Should I use more than one cloud provider?
Some teams do, to avoid relying on one company or to keep data in a particular region. It adds work, so it's worth it only when you've got a clear reason.
