
5 Best S3-Compatible Storage Providers in Europe in 2026
Jonas ScholzS3-compatible storage is useful because you can keep the ecosystem without necessarily keeping AWS.
You can use the AWS CLI, S3 SDKs, backup tools, media tools, and a million boring integrations that already know how to talk to S3. The difference is that your bucket can live with a European provider, often with simpler pricing and a better data residency story.
Here are five European S3-compatible storage providers worth comparing in 2026.
What we compared
This list focuses on European providers or providers with a strong European region story.
The criteria:
- S3-compatible API
- European data center options
- Practical pricing
- Good fit for apps and backups
- Developer experience
- Data residency and GDPR-friendly positioning
Quick comparison
| Provider | European angle | Pricing style | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sliplane | German company, German region | 5 EUR / 250 GB / month | Simple app storage |
| Scaleway | French/EU cloud | Per-GB by class | EU storage classes |
| Hetzner | German/Finnish locations | Usage-based | Hetzner users |
| OVHcloud | Large European cloud provider | Usage-based | Broader EU cloud setups |
| Exoscale | European zones incl. Germany/Austria/Switzerland | Usage-based | European data residency |
1. Sliplane Object Storage
Sliplane Object Storage is a simple European S3-compatible storage option for developers who care about predictable pricing.
Sliplane is headquartered in Berlin and offers Object Storage in Germany. You can create buckets from the same dashboard where you run apps, and you can use normal S3 clients with a custom endpoint.
Pricing is 5 EUR per 250 GB per month, excluding tax. The first GB is free. There are no request fees, no ingress fees, and no egress fees.
Sliplane does not charge per bucket, so splitting uploads, backups, staging assets, and customer files into separate buckets does not change the bill.
Use Sliplane if:
- You want German S3-compatible storage.
- You want no egress or request fees.
- You want storage close to your app platform.
- You care about predictable startup-friendly pricing.
Skip it if:
- You need many storage classes.
- You need regions across many European countries.
- You need a huge enterprise cloud portfolio.
2. Scaleway Object Storage
Scaleway Object Storage is a strong European option from France.
It supports S3-compatible clients and offers storage classes like Standard Multi-AZ, Standard One Zone, and Glacier. Scaleway is especially interesting if you want a larger EU cloud platform around your storage.
Use Scaleway if:
- You want storage classes.
- You want a French/EU cloud provider.
- You need lifecycle and archive options.
Skip it if:
- You want no egress fees.
- You want Germany specifically.
- You want the simplest storage bill possible.
3. Hetzner Object Storage
Hetzner Object Storage is a very relevant European option because Hetzner is already a favorite among developers.
It is S3-compatible and available in Nuremberg, Falkenstein, and Helsinki. Hetzner also lists object locking, versioning, pre-signed URLs, and server-side encryption.
As of July 2026, Hetzner pricing starts at 6.49 EUR/month, excluding VAT, including 1 TB of storage and 1 TB of egress. Extra storage is listed at 8.70 EUR/TB-month, extra egress at 1 EUR/TB, and Hetzner lists ingress, internal eu-central traffic, and S3 API calls as free.
The caveat in 2026 is availability under load. On July 2, 2026, Hetzner's status page showed degraded Object Storage in multiple locations and an ongoing note that high Object Storage traffic may lead to timeouts. The durability and feature set can still make sense for backups or Hetzner-local workflows, but I would not make it the first choice for availability-sensitive app paths right now.
Use Hetzner if:
- You already use Hetzner.
- You want German or Finnish storage.
- You like infrastructure products more than PaaS abstractions.
Skip it if:
- You want app hosting and storage in one workflow.
- You want no per-bucket fees, egress fees, or request fees as a clear product promise.
- You do not use Hetzner already.
4. OVHcloud Object Storage
OVHcloud Object Storage belongs on any European S3-compatible shortlist because OVHcloud is one of the largest European cloud providers.
It is a good fit if you want object storage as part of a broader public cloud setup and you are comfortable with more enterprise/cloud-style product surfaces.
Use OVHcloud if:
- You want a large European cloud provider.
- You already use OVHcloud Public Cloud.
- You need object storage as part of a bigger infrastructure setup.
Skip it if:
- You want a small developer-focused product.
- You want pricing you can explain quickly.
- You only need simple app uploads.
5. Exoscale Object Storage
Exoscale Object Storage is S3-compatible and has a European footprint across Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Bulgaria, and Croatia.
It is useful when your team cares about European data residency and wants an alternative to the hyperscalers.
Use Exoscale if:
- You want European zones.
- You care about GDPR-friendly positioning.
- You want a cloud provider outside the usual big three.
Skip it if:
- You want no egress fees.
- You want object storage bundled into your app hosting platform.
- You want the most common developer brand.
Which European S3-compatible provider should you choose?
| If you care most about... | Pick |
|---|---|
| Simple German S3-compatible storage | Sliplane |
| EU storage classes | Scaleway |
| Hetzner ecosystem | Hetzner |
| Large European public cloud | OVHcloud |
| European data residency | Exoscale |
Conclusion
European S3-compatible storage is now a real category, not just "AWS but in Frankfurt."
If you need storage classes and broader cloud products, Scaleway and OVHcloud are worth checking. If you already use Hetzner, Hetzner Object Storage is obvious. If you care about European zones beyond the usual suspects, look at Exoscale.
If you want a simple S3-compatible bucket in Germany with no egress fees and no request fees, Sliplane Object Storage is built for that.
For a similar comparison using broader object-storage wording, read Top 5 European S3-Compatible Object Storage Providers.