gridscale vs STACKIT

Compare gridscale and STACKIT on capabilities, jurisdiction, assurance, and fit for European buyers.

Both listed as alternatives to: Amazon Web Services (AWS), DigitalOcean, Microsoft Azure

Logo: gridscale

gridscale

Germany· Cloud Computing

Needs review

Shortlist when you need a German GmbH cloud with EU/CH/AT location choice, managed Kubernetes/databases, and Hybrid Core white-label HCI. Skip when you need global hyperscaler coverage or pure lowest-cost VMs—consider Hetzner for cost-sensitive compute or AWS/Azure for worldwide breadth; use OVHcloud parent portfolio when scale across more European regions is the priority.

EU-operated (DE entity)Multi-country EU/CH locationsManaged KubernetesHybrid Core HCIBSI C5 (claimed)OVHcloud group
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Logo: STACKIT

STACKIT

Germany· Cloud Computing

Needs review

Shortlist STACKIT when you want German-entity IaaS/PaaS on Schwarz Group–owned DE/AT infrastructure with managed Kubernetes, scoped BSI C5 Type 2 claims, and optional same-campus colocation. Skip when you need global multi-region hyperscaler breadth or a fully self-hosted control plane—consider OVHcloud or Scaleway for multi-country EU clouds, or AWS/Azure when worldwide services dominate the architecture.

EU-operatedGerman legal entityGroup-owned DE/AT DCsBSI C5 Type 2 (claimed)Managed Kubernetes (SKE)EU colocation + hybrid
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Highlighted rows differ between the two products.

gridscale vs STACKIT: Snapshot
FeatureLogo: gridscalegridscaleLogo: STACKITSTACKIT
Country of originGermanyGermany
CategoryCloud ComputingCloud Computing
Open sourceNoNo
Self-hostedNoNo
HeadquartersGermanyGermany
Legal entitygridscale GmbH, Oskar-Jäger-Straße 173, 50825 Köln (HRB 97235, Amtsgericht Cologne)Schwarz Digits Cloud GmbH & Co. KG (Am Campus 1, 74177 Bad Friedrichshall; imprint lists STACKIT Beteiligungs-GmbH as general partner vehicle in Neckarsulm)
Governing lawGerman law (GTC; English GTC for information only—German prevails)Germany (imprint also notes ICT infrastructure jurisdiction Germany and Austria)
US parent / controlNo known US parentNo known US parent
CLOUD Act exposure (indicative)MediumLow
Hosting / residencyCustomer infrastructure marketed on European Tier 3 locations (Frankfurt multi-AZ, Eichenzell, Hannover, Paderborn, Amsterdam, Gais, Lucerne, Vienna); some Hybrid Core sites partner-operated (hosttech, rhöncloud, BAIONITY, windCORES). Privacy policy also lists US-group ancillary processors: Stripe (payments), Google Analytics/GTM, Microsoft Bing Ads, Meta, LinkedIn; Mautic on-prem DE; Recruitee NL. No public claim that primary VM storage runs on AWS/GCP/Azure.Vendor claims STACKIT Cloud runs in group-owned ISO 27001 data centers in Germany and Austria (sites publicly named include Neckarsulm DC01, Ellhofen DC08, Ostermiething DC10; additional EU sites claimed). Cloud regions include EU01 (Germany) and EU02 (Austria). No public evidence found that customer data-plane hosting is on AWS/GCP/Azure. A detailed third-party subprocessor list for all support/analytics tooling was not found on marketing pages—confirm in the AVV.
Summary

Cologne-based German IaaS/PaaS and Hybrid Core HCI cloud (OVHcloud group) with European locations, managed Kubernetes, and white-label private cloud options for DACH teams.

German sovereign cloud from Schwarz Digits (Schwarz Group): IaaS, managed Kubernetes, databases, and colocation on group-owned data centers in Germany and Austria.

Tags
cloudiaaspaaskuberneteshybrid-cloudhcigerman-clouddata-sovereigntyapi
cloudiaaspaaskubernetesinfrastructureprivacysovereign-cloud
At a glance: gridscale vs STACKIT
At a glanceLogo: gridscalegridscaleLogo: STACKITSTACKIT
HQCologne, GermanyNot listed
Legal entitygridscale GmbH (HRB 97235)Not listed
ParentOVHcloud (100% since Sept 2023)Schwarz Digits (Schwarz Group — Lidl/Kaufland)
HostingEuropean Tier 3 sites DE/NL/CH/AT (+ partners)Group-owned data centers in Germany & Austria (e.g. EU01/EU02); not marketed as AWS/Azure reseller
Commercial modelB2B; trial then per-minute usage meteringNot listed
Open sourceNo (API/IaC clients only)Uses open-source components; platform itself is managed, not self-hosted
HQ / legal entityNot listedBad Friedrichshall / Neckarsulm area, Germany — Schwarz Digits Cloud GmbH & Co. KG
ModelNot listedConsumption-based public cloud + quote-based colocation
External marketNot listedPublic offering from 2022 (internal roots from 2018)
Key capabilities: gridscale vs STACKIT
Key capabilitiesLogo: gridscalegridscaleLogo: STACKITSTACKIT
EU-operated (DE entity)YesYes
Multi-country EU/CH locationsYesNot listed
Managed KubernetesYesNot listed
Hybrid Core HCIYesNot listed
BSI C5 (claimed)YesNot listed
OVHcloud groupYesNot listed
German legal entityNot listedYes
Group-owned DE/AT DCsNot listedYes
BSI C5 Type 2 (claimed)Not listedYes
Managed Kubernetes (SKE)Not listedYes
EU colocation + hybridNot listedYes

gridscale

  • Panel + API + Terraform provisioning

    Deploy VMs with attached storage in seconds via the control panel or automate with the REST API and common IaC clients (Terraform, Packer). Built for teams that want both click-ops and git-ops without a hyperscaler control-plane learning curve.

  • Managed Kubernetes, databases, and load balancers

    PaaS layers cover managed Kubernetes orchestration plus fully managed databases with audit logs and automatic backups, and managed load balancers for traffic distribution—so app teams avoid running the full stack themselves.

  • S3-compatible object storage and Rocket NVMe storage

    Object storage follows S3-style APIs for backups, archives, and unstructured data, with region choice called out for GDPR-oriented placement. Rocket Storage targets high-IOPS NVMe workloads; not every Hybrid Core location exposes object storage—check the data-center matrix.

  • Per-minute GPU bare-metal for AI/ML

    GPU instances are marketed as dedicated bare-metal performance for AI/ML and data science, with CPU, RAM, and storage included and usage billed by the minute rather than only long-term reserved shapes.

  • Hybrid Core Concierge HCI and white-label cloud

    Fully managed hyperconverged packages combine hardware delivery, installation, remote operations, white-label branding/SAML options, and access to the wider gridscale location ecosystem—aimed at enterprises and hosters building private or partner clouds.

STACKIT

  • Compute Engine VMs and GPUs in group-owned EU regions

    Provision Linux and Windows virtual machines, GPU-backed instances, automated server backup and OS update management from the STACKIT portal, CLI, API, or Terraform. Workloads land in European cloud regions such as EU01 (Germany) and EU02 (Austria) on Schwarz Group–operated infrastructure rather than rented hyperscaler bare metal. Best for teams that need predictable EU residency for general compute and AI/ML training or inference on GPU shapes—confirm available instance families per region before migration.

  • STACKIT Kubernetes Engine (SKE)

    Managed, CNCF-compliant Kubernetes with a highly available control plane, automated Kubernetes/OS upgrades, repair functions, pod and node autoscaling, optional temporary cluster shutdown, and automation via Terraform, SKE API, and CLI. Suited to cloud-native apps, stateful workloads on block storage, and ML pipelines that must stay in European regions. Not a self-hosted kubeadm replacement—you consume a managed service with STACKIT-controlled plane components.

  • Managed databases, messaging, and observability

    Fully managed PostgreSQL Flex, MongoDB Flex, SQL Server Flex, MariaDB, Redis, OpenSearch, and RabbitMQ plus LogMe, Logs, and Observability stacks reduce ops load for application teams. Flex models emphasize automated maintenance, backups, and scaling inside the STACKIT cloud. Ideal when you want PaaS data services under the same German operator as your VMs/K8s—validate HA topology, backup retention, and region pairing for each service.

  • Confidential computing and key/secrets control

    Confidential Server and Confidential Kubernetes options aim to protect data in use with hardware-backed isolation; Secrets Manager and Key Management Service handle secret storage/rotation and cryptographic operations. Useful for regulated or multi-tenant sensitive workloads beyond disk encryption alone. Confirm attestation models, supported node types, and which compliance reports cover these products.

  • EU colocation with hybrid path to public cloud

    Racks, cages, and private rooms in Neckarsulm, Ellhofen, and Ostermiething facilities—with remote hands, carrier connectivity, and hybrid designs that keep non-migratable hardware next to STACKIT public cloud. Positions STACKIT for gradual cloud adoption without a pure forklift. Colocation is quote-driven and site certifications can vary by facility; request site data sheets early.

  • Object, block, file, backup, and archiving storage

    S3-compatible object storage, high-performance block volumes, NFS file storage, backup storage, and audit-oriented archiving for retention workloads. Supports application data, VM disks, and compliance archives inside the same European footprint as compute. Check durability/replication claims and cross-region options against your RPO/RTO rather than assuming hyperscaler multi-region defaults.

Assurance & compliance: gridscale vs STACKIT
Assurance & complianceLogo: gridscalegridscaleLogo: STACKITSTACKIT
Independent security / no-logs audit
Not applicable

IaaS/PaaS provider—not a no-logs VPN product. Request penetration-test or SOC-style reports under NDA if required.

Vendor claimed

Vendor claims BSI C5 Type 2 for a listed IaaS/storage product set; reports available on request (iso@digits.schwarz). Not a VPN-style no-logs audit.

ISO 27001
Vendor claimed

Vendor compliance pages and chronology claim ISO/IEC 27001; obtain current certificate for verification.

Vendor claimed

Certificates page claims ISO/IEC 27001 ISMS (with downloadable cert links) plus ISO 27017 and ISO 27018; also ISO 27001 based on IT baseline protection for named IaaS components.

ISO 27017 (cloud security)
Vendor claimed

Compliance page links a certificate PDF download; treat as vendor-published evidence until auditor validates.

Not listed
ISO 27018 (cloud PII)
Vendor claimed

Claimed on compliance/about materials; request current scope.

Not listed
SOC 2 / SOC 3
Not found

No public SOC 2 found; vendor promotes ISAE 3402 SOC 1 Type 2 instead (different standard).

Vendor claimed

Vendor states ISAE 3000 (SOC 2) and ISAE 3402 in addition to C5 Type 2; obtain current reports under NDA/request.

ISAE 3402 SOC 1 Type 2
Vendor claimed

About chronology highlights successful ISAE 3402 SOC 1 Type 2 (incl. January 2025 call-out). Request full report.

Not listed
BSI C5
Vendor claimed

Prominently listed on compliance pages; About chronology pairs C5 with January 2025 certification success. Request current attestation.

Not listed
GDPR / EU data protection
Vendor claimed

German controller (gridscale GmbH); European location marketing; privacy policy under DS-GVO. Confirm DPA and location selection for your processing.

Vendor claimed

EU legal entity; vendor claims GDPR-aligned operation with processing in own DE/AT data centers and ISO 27018 claims for PII in the cloud.

US CLOUD Act exposure (indicative)
Partial

EU entity, no known US parent (OVHcloud France owns group). Customer hosting marketed in EU/CH/AT. Partial because privacy recipient list includes US-group Stripe, Google Analytics/GTM, Microsoft, Meta, LinkedIn for payments/marketing. Not legal advice.

Partial

German operator under Schwarz Digits / Schwarz Group; no known US parent; customer cloud claimed on group-owned EU DCs without named AWS/GCP/Azure data-plane hosts. Partial (not a clean bill): confirm AVV subprocessors and any non-EU support tools. Indicative only—not legal advice.

Data processing agreement (B2B)
Vendor claimed

GTC §14.2 requires a separate order-processing contract when gridscale processes personal data for the customer, finalised at latest on contract conclusion. Execute AV/DPA—do not rely on website privacy alone.

Not found

No self-serve public AVV/DPA URL confirmed during research; expect contract packaging—request AVV, TOMs, and subprocessor list in procurement.

EU AI Act
Not applicable

Infrastructure cloud; not an AI system product. GPU capacity may host customer AI workloads under shared-responsibility model.

Not applicable

Primary offering is IaaS/PaaS infrastructure; optional AI Model Serving and related data/AI products may need separate AI Act analysis if you deploy high-risk AI systems.

Trusted Cloud (DE)
Vendor claimed

Compliance page links Trusted Cloud service listing; verify current entry on trusted-cloud.de.

Not listed
BSI C5 Type 2Not listed
Vendor claimed

C5 Type 2 claimed for Compute Engine (incl. GPU), Windows/RHEL, server backup/update management, block/object/backup/file storage, archiving—not automatically every PaaS product.

TISAX Level 3Not listed
Vendor claimed

Vendor claims TISAX Level 3; verification via ENX portal (assessment ID ATA163-1 / scope ID SH938N per certificates page).

Considerations & known limitations: gridscale vs STACKIT
Considerations & known limitationsLogo: gridscalegridscaleLogo: STACKITSTACKIT
Parent-group integration after OVHcloud acquisition
Medium

100% OVHcloud ownership since 2023 may change roadmap, tooling, support model, or cross-entity data flows over time. Confirm entity, subcontractors, and exit terms for your contract generation.

Not listed
Partner-operated Hybrid Core locations
Medium

Some sites are operated with partners (hosttech, rhöncloud, BAIONITY, windCORES, etc.). Capability matrices differ (for example object storage not everywhere). Map exact location codes to SLA and subprocessor wording.

Not listed
US-group ancillary processors (account/marketing)
Medium

Privacy policy lists Stripe, Google Analytics/GTM, Microsoft Bing Ads, Meta, and LinkedIn. Material for DPIAs even when VM disks stay in EU halls. Ask which tools touch production account identities versus marketing only.

Not listed
Certifications need current attestation packs
Low

BSI C5, ISAE 3402, and ISO claims are vendor-published. Production security reviews should obtain dated reports rather than relying on marketing badges alone.

Not listed
Narrower global footprint than hyperscalers
Low

Location set is European-weighted. Unsuitable as a drop-in for multi-continent latency or hyperscaler-only services (global CDN marketplaces, specialized managed services).

Not listed
Narrower service map than US hyperscalersNot listed
Medium

STACKIT covers core compute, K8s, databases, and storage, but global specialty services and third-party marketplace depth lag AWS/Azure/GCP. Practical impact: multi-cloud or lift-and-shift of complex hyperscaler architectures may need redesign.

C5 Type 2 is product-scopedNot listed
Medium

Attestation tables list specific IaaS/storage products. Teams assuming every managed database or PaaS SKU is C5 Type 2 covered without reading the scope can mis-state compliance. Practical impact: map each in-scope service before audits.

Limited public subprocessor inventoryNot listed
Low

Marketing asserts own data centers and EU processing; a complete public subprocessor/support-tool list was not found on the pages reviewed. Practical impact: force AVV + subprocessor exhibits before production personal data.

Retail-group operator concentrationNot listed
Low

Economic stability is a stated strength of Schwarz Group ownership, but roadmap and commercial leverage differ from pure-play clouds. Practical impact: negotiate exit, data export, and roadmap commitments explicitly.

Fit

gridscale

Best fit when

  • DACH mid-market teams wanting German contracting plus managed PaaS (Kubernetes, databases, load balancers)
  • MSPs and hosters needing white-label branding, multi-tenant accounts, and optional Hybrid Core hardware
  • Workloads that must pick DE/NL/CH/AT regions with Tier 3 marketing claims and green-energy positioning
  • AI/ML or data-science jobs that need GPU bare-metal with per-minute metering
  • Buyers who value panel + API/Terraform over hyperscaler IAM sprawl

Poor fit when

  • Global multi-region applications that need hyperscaler edge, marketplace services, or non-European regions
  • Teams optimising only for lowest bare VM or dedicated-server unit cost (evaluate Hetzner first)
  • Buyers requiring public SOC 2 Type II specifically rather than ISAE 3402 SOC 1 Type 2 / BSI C5 packs
  • Organisations that forbid any US-group ancillary processors (Stripe/Google marketing tools appear in the privacy recipient list)

Consider instead when

  • When: You need the broader European hyperscale portfolio and more regions under one group brand

    Consider: OVHcloud

    OVHcloud is the parent group; gridscale stays the HCI/panel-focused product line

  • When: Cost-sensitive VMs or dedicated servers dominate and you do not need Hybrid Core white-label

    Consider: Hetzner

    Hetzner typically wins raw price/performance for simple compute

  • When: France-centric developer cloud with different location and product skew

    Consider: Scaleway

    Compare ARM options and FR footprint versus gridscale DACH Hybrid Core

  • When: Swiss-rooted EU cloud positioning is the primary evaluation criterion

    Consider: Exoscale

    Still compare DE/CH site maps and managed service depth side by side

  • When: You need worldwide regions, marketplace depth, or US-public-sector cloud programmes

    Consider: Amazon Web Services (AWS) or Microsoft Azure

    Trade EU-entity simplicity for hyperscaler breadth and US ownership path

STACKIT

Best fit when

  • Public-sector, healthcare, finance, or retail teams that require EU residency under a German operator with dual DE/AT regions
  • Platform teams standardizing on managed Kubernetes (SKE) plus VMs and managed databases in one European cloud
  • Organizations migrating gradually via colocation racks/cages in STACKIT facilities next to public cloud projects
  • Buyers that prioritize BSI C5 Type 2 and ISO 27001 family claims on core compute/storage over hyperscaler marketplace depth
  • Workloads that benefit from GPU compute, confidential computing options, or AI model serving inside the same sovereign stack

Poor fit when

  • Architectures that depend on many specialized AWS/Azure/GCP managed services or global multi-continent regions
  • Teams that must self-host the full cloud control plane rather than consume a managed public cloud
  • Simple single-VM or low-ops hobby hosting where a basic VPS provider is enough
  • Procurement that needs every PaaS product under the same C5 Type 2 table without reviewing scope gaps
  • Use cases requiring non-European data residency as a primary requirement

Consider instead when

  • When: You need a wider multi-country European region map and a large independent cloud portfolio

    Consider: OVHcloud or Scaleway

    Different ownership and product cultures; still not US hyperscaler breadth

  • When: Your workload is mainly simple German VMs/web hosting without managed K8s/PaaS depth

    Consider: IONOS (or similar DE hosts)

    Often simpler packaging for commodity compute

  • When: You require global regions, the largest third-party marketplace, or existing multi-cloud tooling locked to hyperscaler APIs

    Consider: Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud Platform

    Trade EU ownership of the operator for ecosystem scale; apply your own CLOUD Act / transfer analysis

  • When: Swiss or other non-DE sovereignty framing matters more than Schwarz Group scale

    Consider: Exoscale

    Smaller portfolio; different jurisdiction story

Open questions for due diligence

gridscale

  • Will gridscale execute your template AV/DPA and attach a location-specific subprocessor list for the regions you enable?
  • What is the current scope and report date for BSI C5 and ISAE 3402 SOC 1 Type 2 covering the services you will buy?
  • Which privacy-policy third parties process production account/identity data versus website marketing only?
  • How are OVHcloud group affiliates involved in support, billing, or platform operations for gridscale customers post-acquisition?
  • For Hybrid Core partner sites, who is the data-center operator of record and what audit rights apply?

STACKIT

  • Will STACKIT provide a signed AVV/DPA, current TOMs, and a full subprocessor list covering support, monitoring, and marketplace components?
  • Which of our target services (SKE, PostgreSQL Flex, Confidential Kubernetes, etc.) fall inside the latest C5 Type 2 and ISO reports?
  • What are the exact region availability, geo-redundancy options, and SLA credits for our workloads across EU01/EU02 (and any additional regions)?
  • What are exit, data export, and termination assistance terms for large object stores and managed databases?
  • For public-sector or KRITIS use cases: which additional attestations, clearance processes, or reference architectures are required?