
5 Best S3-Compatible Storage Providers in Germany in 2026
Jonas ScholzIf you are searching for S3-compatible storage in Germany, you probably want two things at the same time: the tooling compatibility of AWS S3 and the data location story of a German or European provider.
That is a reasonable ask. Your app should be able to use normal S3 SDKs, backup tools, and CLIs without sending you into AWS billing, IAM, and region configuration land.
Here are five S3-compatible storage providers worth considering for German teams in 2026.
What we compared
For this list, I focused on providers that are useful if Germany is an important part of your storage decision.
The main criteria:
- S3-compatible API
- German or nearby European data center options
- Fit for app uploads and backups
- Public pricing or clear pricing model
- Sensible developer experience
- GDPR-friendly positioning
Quick comparison
| Provider | German angle | Pricing style | Best for | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sliplane | German company, German storage region | 5 EUR / 250 GB / month | Simple app storage | Fewer archive/storage-class knobs |
| Hetzner | German provider, German locations | Usage-based | Hetzner users | More infrastructure-style workflow |
| IONOS Cloud | Large German provider | Per-GB plus traffic rules | German business buyers | Traffic pricing needs attention |
| Exoscale | German zone plus European footprint | Usage-based | EU data residency | Less app-platform integrated |
| Scaleway | Nearby EU provider | Per-GB by storage class | EU storage classes | Not Germany-first |
1. Sliplane Object Storage
Sliplane Object Storage is the easiest pick if you want S3-compatible storage in Germany with simple billing.
Sliplane is operated by a German company headquartered in Berlin. Object Storage is available in Germany and works with standard S3 tools like AWS CLI, AWS SDKs, rclone, and backup tools that support custom S3 endpoints.
Pricing is deliberately simple: 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 S3-compatible storage in Germany.
- You want no egress and no request fees.
- You store uploads, backups, generated files, exports, or app assets.
- You want app hosting and storage in one developer-friendly platform.
Skip it if:
- You need deep archive tiers.
- You need a hyperscaler-size feature matrix.
- You need many country-specific regions.
2. Hetzner Object Storage
Hetzner Object Storage is one of the most obvious German S3-compatible options.
It is available in German and Finnish locations, supports up to 100 buckets, and includes features like object locking, server-side encryption, pre-signed URLs, versioning, and object expiry.
If your compute already runs on Hetzner, this should be on your shortlist.
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 Cloud or dedicated servers.
- You want German infrastructure.
- You are comfortable wiring together infra primitives yourself.
Skip it if:
- You want no per-bucket fees, egress fees, or request fees as the core model.
- You prefer a PaaS-style app dashboard.
- You do not already use Hetzner.
3. IONOS Cloud Object Storage
IONOS Cloud Object Storage is another German option from a large provider.
IONOS lists standalone object storage with redundant storage, S3 compatibility, free API operations, and per-GB pricing. The pricing page also notes traffic rules for data transmission, so read those before using it for public file delivery.
Use IONOS if:
- You want a large German cloud provider.
- Your company already buys from IONOS.
- Procurement and vendor familiarity matter.
Skip it if:
- You want no egress fees.
- You want a startup-style developer workflow.
- You do not want to study traffic categories.
4. Exoscale Object Storage
Exoscale Object Storage is a European S3-compatible provider with zones including Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Bulgaria, and Croatia.
It is not a German company, but it is relevant if your requirement is European/GDPR-friendly infrastructure with a German zone.
Use Exoscale if:
- You want a European provider with a German zone.
- You care about data residency.
- You want something outside AWS, Google, and Azure.
Skip it if:
- You want storage built into your app platform.
- You want no egress fees.
- You specifically need a German company.
5. Scaleway Object Storage
Scaleway Object Storage is a French/EU provider with S3-compatible object storage and multiple storage classes.
It is not Germany-first, but it is a good nearby European option if your requirement is EU infrastructure rather than German infrastructure specifically.
Use Scaleway if:
- EU storage is enough.
- You need storage classes like Standard Multi-AZ, One Zone, or Glacier.
- You want a broader European cloud provider.
Skip it if:
- You need German storage.
- You want no egress fees.
- You want one simple app-storage bucket without storage-class decisions.
Which German S3-compatible provider should you choose?
| If you care most about... | Pick |
|---|---|
| German company, German region, no per-bucket fees, egress fees, or request fees | Sliplane |
| Existing Hetzner infrastructure | Hetzner |
| Large German cloud vendor | IONOS |
| European provider with a German zone | Exoscale |
| EU storage classes | Scaleway |
Conclusion
If you need S3-compatible storage in Germany, you have good options now.
Hetzner and IONOS are obvious German infrastructure providers. Exoscale and Scaleway are worth checking when European regions are enough. But if you want the simple version with S3 compatibility, a German region, no request fees, and no egress fees, Sliplane Object Storage is the cleanest fit.
If you want the broader non-S3 wording too, read Top 5 Object Storage Providers in Germany.