Compare Hostinger and UpCloud on capabilities, jurisdiction, assurance, and fit for European buyers.
Both listed as alternatives to: DigitalOcean
Lithuania· Cloud Computing
Needs review
Shortlist Hostinger when you want managed WordPress or a simple KVM VPS with an EU data-center option and a published DPA. Skip it when you need HIPAA or PCI, an EU-only data path, or a custom enterprise SLA. Consider Hetzner or OVHcloud instead for more operator-centric European infrastructure.
Finland· Cloud Computing
Needs review
Shortlist UpCloud when you want Finnish-contracted IaaS with MaxIOPS storage, CNCF Managed Kubernetes, managed open-source databases, and customer-pinned EU regions—plus optional global PoPs. Skip when you need hyperscaler-only PaaS depth or the absolute lowest bare-metal VPS pricing; consider Hetzner, Scaleway, or AWS/Azure/GCP depending on that gap.
Highlighted rows differ between the two products.
| Feature | Hostinger | UpCloud |
|---|---|---|
| Country of origin | Lithuania | Finland |
| Category | Cloud Computing | Cloud Computing |
| Open source | No | No |
| Self-hosted | No | No |
| Headquarters | Lithuania | Finland |
| Legal entity | EU customers: Hostinger International Ltd (Cyprus). Affiliates: HOSTINGER, UAB and HOSTINGER operations, UAB (Vilnius). Also Hostinger UK Limited and Hostinger Global S.a r.l. (Luxembourg). | UpCloud Oy (Business ID 2431560-5), Aleksanterinkatu 15 B, 00100 Helsinki |
| Governing law | Not listed | Finland (Terms of Service; arbitration Helsinki) |
| US parent / control | No known US parent | No known US parent |
| CLOUD Act exposure (indicative) | Medium | Medium |
| Hosting / residency | Customer-chosen DCs: FR, DE, LT, NL, UK plus US (Phoenix, Boston, Asheville), Brazil, India, Indonesia, Malaysia (plan-dependent). DPA subprocessors include AWS EMEA SARL, Google Cloud EMEA Limited, Cloudflare, Inc., MailChannels, Proofpoint, Inc., Anthropic Ireland, and spectra tech UAB. Privacy policy also names Google Analytics, Meta ads, Ravelin, and iDenfy. | Customer-selected regions across 15 DCs (EU majority: FI, SE, NO, DK, DE, NL, ES, PL, UK; plus US-CHI/NYC/SJO, SG, AU) in colocations (Equinix, Digital Realty, CoreSite, Telia, Verne, Green Mountain, etc.). Customer Data stays in chosen DC. Vendor: EU VMs have no customer-data subprocessors; group subsidiaries only otherwise. Account data in Finland with global support access (incl. US/SG). Payments/hCaptcha are separate third parties. |
| Summary | Lithuania-founded web hosting for WordPress, managed cloud, and KVM VPS, with selectable European data centers and Cyprus contracting for EU customers. | Finnish IaaS from UpCloud Oy (Helsinki): MaxIOPS block storage, Cloud Servers, managed Kubernetes and databases across 15 global regions with customer-selected residency. |
| Tags |
| At a glance | Hostinger | UpCloud |
|---|---|---|
| HQ / operations | Vilnius, Lithuania (also Kaunas; Yogyakarta office) | Not listed |
| EU contracting entity | Hostinger International Ltd (Larnaca, Cyprus) | Not listed |
| Founded | 2004 as Hosting Media; Hostinger brand in 2011 | 2011 |
| Product shape | Managed web/WordPress, managed cloud, KVM VPS, domains, email | Not listed |
| Open source / self-host | Neither. Proprietary platform; VPS guests are customer-managed | Not listed |
| Commercial model | Prepaid subscription with auto-renew; 30-day money-back on eligible hosting | Hourly pay-as-you-go; trial credits; zero-cost egress policy |
| HQ | Not listed | Helsinki, Finland |
| Legal entity | Not listed | UpCloud Oy (2431560-5) |
| Regions | Not listed | 15 DCs / 12 countries (EU-heavy + US/APAC) |
| Open source | Not listed | No (platform proprietary) |
| Self-hosted | Not listed | No (public/private cloud IaaS) |
| Key capabilities | Hostinger | UpCloud |
|---|---|---|
| EU-operated (Cyprus contract) | Yes | Not listed |
| ISO 27001 (claimed) | Yes | Yes |
| Managed WordPress | Yes | Not listed |
| KVM VPS + public API | Yes | Not listed |
| Public DPA | Yes | Not listed |
| Selectable EU data centers | Yes | Not listed |
| Finnish-operated IaaS | Not listed | Yes |
| MaxIOPS block storage | Not listed | Yes |
| CNCF Managed Kubernetes | Not listed | Yes |
| Selectable EU regions | Not listed | Yes |
| Zero-cost egress policy | Not listed | Yes |
Selectable European and global data centers
Web and cloud plans can be placed in France, Germany, Lithuania, the Netherlands, or the United Kingdom, or in the United States, Brazil, India, Indonesia, or Malaysia. VPS omits the Netherlands. Location is chosen at setup and can be moved later on web and cloud, but not on VPS without rebuild.
Managed WordPress on LiteSpeed and hPanel
Plans include one-click install, staging, automatic updates, malware scanning, WAF, Let's Encrypt, WP-CLI, SSH, and Git. WordPress.org lists Hostinger as a recommended host. Shared plans isolate accounts with CloudLinux LVE. Not a self-hosted WordPress appliance you run elsewhere.
KVM VPS with root, templates, and a public API
KVM guests use AMD EPYC and NVMe, weekly backups, snapshots, a managed firewall, Wanguard DDoS filtering, and one-click OS or app templates (Docker, n8n, Ubuntu, and others). A documented public API and MCP server support automation. The guest is unmanaged: you patch the OS.
Managed cloud with dedicated IP and NVMe
Cloud plans keep hPanel and add more CPU, RAM, NVMe, PHP workers, inode headroom, a dedicated IP, CDN, and daily or on-demand backups. Aimed at agencies and busier WordPress or Node.js sites that do not want root. Upgrade path from shared hosting is in-panel.
In-house hPanel, Access Manager, and migrations
hPanel is Hostinger's control plane for sites, DNS, mail, backups, and collaborators. Access Manager shares scoped access without handing over the account password. Website migration is a supported request flow for common CMS stacks. Developer tools (SSH, Git, PHP versions) live in the same panel.
Public DPA with a named sub-processor list
A click-through DPA covers hosting, VPS, email, domains, Website Builder, Horizons, and Reach. Appendix 3 lists AWS EMEA, Google Cloud EMEA, Cloudflare, MailChannels, Proofpoint, Anthropic Ireland, and spectra tech UAB. New sub-processors can be added with a 10-day objection window.
MaxIOPS clustered block storage
In-house all-flash block tier rated up to ~100,000 read IOPS at 4K, separate from compute hosts, with Standard and Archive tiers for capacity. Attach up to 16 devices per server (up to 64 TB total); encryption at rest optional. Suits databases and I/O-heavy apps that outgrow commodity cloud disks.
Cloud Servers on AMD EPYC with automation
Linux/Windows VMs with Starter, Premium, and Cloud Native plan families, hot resize options, firewall, utility and SDN private networking. Full lifecycle via control panel, REST API, CLI, Terraform/OpenTofu, Pulumi, and Crossplane—for teams automating fleets rather than clicking one-off VPS.
CNCF Managed Kubernetes (UKS)
Managed control planes with CNCF-certified Kubernetes versions, autoscaler integration, CSI block volumes, load-balancer integration, and private-only clusters. Worker nodes use ordinary Cloud Server plans including Private Cloud hosts—good fit when you want K8s without running etcd yourself.
Managed PostgreSQL, MySQL, Valkey, OpenSearch
Turnkey databases with automated backups, multi-node HA options, private utility/SDN connectivity, and point-in-time recovery on relational plans. Reduces ops load for product teams that still want open engines rather than proprietary hyperscaler databases.
Customer-selected global regions (EU-first footprint)
Fifteen data centers across twelve countries: dense Northern/Central Europe (Helsinki x2, Stockholm, Stavanger, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Madrid, Warsaw, London) plus US, Singapore, and Sydney. Customer Data stays in the chosen zone unless you request a move—use EU zones for residency programmes.
Zero-cost egress packaging and 99.999% SLA line
Public pricing emphasises no per-GB internet egress charges under a Fair Transfer Policy, plus Premium-class 99.999% SLA with service credits for unscheduled downtime. Simplifies bills for chatty APIs and multi-service architectures compared with classic egress meters—confirm fair-use limits for extreme transfer cases.
| Assurance & compliance | Hostinger | UpCloud |
|---|---|---|
| Independent security / no-logs audit | Not found Vendor describes internal pentests and a HackerOne-style responsible disclosure programme. No public independent audit PDF found. | Vendor claimed Vendor states cloud services audited against Finnish PiTuKri criteria by an independent firm; ISO 27001 ISMS regularly audited. Public PiTuKri report not fully reproduced on marketing pages—request artefacts. |
| ISO 27001 | Vendor claimed Trust Center and security article claim ISO/IEC 27001:2022. Certificate download requires Trust Center access. Not independently verified here. | Vendor claimed Vendor asserts ISO 27001 certified ISMS and publishes certificate PDF; independent registry re-check not completed in this draft. |
| SOC 2 / SOC 3 | Not found No public SOC 2 or SOC 3 report found on Trust Center overview or legal pages. | Not found Facility providers list SOC reports; no clear first-party UpCloud SOC 2 Type II product claim found on compliance pages reviewed. |
| GDPR / EU data protection | Vendor claimed EU/UK/Luxembourg contracting entities; privacy policy cites GDPR; DPA includes EU SCCs and UK addendum. Confirm entity on the invoice. | Vendor claimed Finnish controller/processor under GDPR; customer chooses region; DPA in ToS; CISPE Code of Conduct adherence claimed. |
| US CLOUD Act exposure (indicative) | Partial European group, no known US parent. Exposure is medium because customers may select US data centers and the DPA names US-group processors (AWS EMEA, Google Cloud EMEA, Cloudflare, Proofpoint). Not legal advice. | Partial Finnish entity / no known US parent; EU-region VMs can avoid US storage. Material exceptions: optional US DCs, US/SG support affiliates for account ops, US colocations if selected. Assessment not a vendor safety claim. Not legal advice. |
| Data processing agreement (B2B) | Vendor claimed Public DPA incorporated into the Terms of Service. Parties: Hostinger International Ltd, Hostinger UK Limited, or Hostinger Global S.a r.l. | Vendor claimed DPA incorporated into Terms of Service; binding on acceptance without separate signature per vendor. |
| EU AI Act | Not applicable Core product is hosting. Horizons, Kodee, and Reach are AI features inside that product, not an AI-centric system of record. | Not applicable General-purpose IaaS/platform; not an AI system provider by primary product. |
| HIPAA / PCI environment | Not applicable Hosting agreement: services are not intended to provide a PCI or HIPAA compliant environment. | Not listed |
| CISPE Code of Conduct | Not listed | Vendor claimed Vendor states adherence to CISPE data protection code for cloud infrastructure providers. |
| Considerations & known limitations | Hostinger | UpCloud |
|---|---|---|
| Optional non-EU hosting regions | Medium US, Brazil, and Asia data centers are first-class options. An operator can place production outside the EEA at checkout. Lock region in procurement if residency is required. | Medium US, Singapore, and Sydney zones are first-class options. Mis-pinned workloads or defaults can place Customer Data outside the EU. Account information is accessible to non-EEA support staff even when VMs stay in Europe. |
| US-group cloud, CDN, email, and security vendors | Medium Even an EU VM still depends on AWS EMEA, Google Cloud EMEA, Cloudflare, Proofpoint, MailChannels, plus Google/Meta marketing tools. This is why CLOUD Act exposure is not low. | Not listed |
| Cyprus contract vs Lithuanian operations | Low HQ and affiliates are Lithuanian; EU paper is usually Hostinger International Ltd (Cyprus). Invoices may also be charged by other group entities. Confirm the contracting party before security review. | Not listed |
| ISO 27001 certificate not independently verified here | Low The cert is claimed on the Trust Center but gated. Download it before treating ISO as verified. | Not listed |
| Customer still owns CMS, guest OS, and backups | Medium VPS is unmanaged. Terms require you to keep your own backups even when Hostinger offers weekly copies. Shared and cloud plans are not HIPAA/PCI environments. | Not listed |
| Narrower catalogue than hyperscalers | Not listed | Low Strong IaaS and focused managed services; missing many proprietary AWS/Azure/GCP PaaS and AI products. Multi-cloud or dual-vendor designs may still be required. |
| Limited public SOC 2 for UpCloud entity | Not listed | Medium ISO 27001 and PiTuKri claims are published; a customer-facing SOC 2 Type II for UpCloud itself was not found. Enterprise questionnaires may need NDA artefacts or reliance on ISO plus facility reports. |
| Colocation facility dependency | Not listed | Low Platform runs in third-party data centres. Facility certifications differ by site; treat them as complementary to UpCloud’s own ISMS, not a substitute for vendor due diligence. |
| Fair Transfer Policy on zero egress | Not listed | Low Zero-cost egress is a commercial differentiator but is governed by a Fair Transfer Policy—extreme or abusive transfer patterns may fall outside the marketing promise. Validate for CDN-scale or bulk egress designs. |
When: You want German-operated dedicated servers, object storage, or more operator-centric VPS without a consumer website-builder overlay
Consider: Hetzner
Hetzner is in the catalog as German web hosting and cloud.
When: You need a large European public cloud with many regions and a stronger IaaS and public-sector posture
Consider: OVHcloud or IONOS
Both are catalog EU clouds; IONOS also covers consumer-style web hosting.
When: You need US-centric SMB WordPress hosting already familiar to North American agencies
Consider: GoDaddy or Bluehost
Different jurisdiction. Useful only if European contracting is not a filter.
When: You need cheaper raw compute or dedicated servers more than managed K8s packaging
Consider: Hetzner
Often stronger on price for VPS/dedicated; compare managed service depth separately.
When: You want a broader French/EU public-cloud portfolio or different regional SKUs
Consider: OVHcloud or Scaleway
Different product breadth and commercial culture; still European-operated peers.
When: You need hyperscaler-managed platforms, global enterprise contracts, or deep marketplace ecosystems
Consider: AWS, Google Cloud, or Microsoft Azure
Trade European HQ simplicity for catalogue depth and global account teams.
When: You want a compact European cloud with Swiss roots and a tighter region set
Consider: Exoscale
Compare region map and managed feature parity to UpCloud’s 15-DC footprint.