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gridscale

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.

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gridscale is a Cologne-based infrastructure cloud from gridscale GmbH. It sells public, private, and hybrid cloud capacity: virtual machines, block and object storage, managed Kubernetes, managed databases, load balancers, and GPU instances. The company is part of the OVHcloud group.

It exists for DACH teams that want hyperscaler-style building blocks without operating a full multi-region hyperscaler account. Administrators provision through a control panel; developers automate with a REST API and Terraform or Packer.

The concrete differentiator is that German operational surface plus Hybrid Core HCI and white-label private cloud options. Integrated backups, live snapshots, cloning, and live migration are documented platform behaviours.

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

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.

Key capabilities

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

At a glance

HQ
Cologne, Germany
Legal entity
gridscale GmbH (HRB 97235)
Parent
OVHcloud (100% since Sept 2023)
Hosting
European Tier 3 sites DE/NL/CH/AT (+ partners)
Commercial model
B2B; trial then per-minute usage metering
Open source
No (API/IaC clients only)

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

Jurisdiction & ownership

Legal entity
gridscale GmbH, Oskar-Jäger-Straße 173, 50825 Köln (HRB 97235, Amtsgericht Cologne)
Governing law
German law (GTC; English GTC for information only—German prevails)
US parent / control
No known US parent
CLOUD Act exposure (indicative)
Medium
Hosting / residency
Customer 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.

No known US corporate parent—OVHcloud (France) owns 100% since 2023. CLOUD Act row is EuropeanStack indicative assessment: EU entity + EU hosting map, offset by published US-group SaaS for payments/marketing. Not legal advice.

  • Independent security / no-logs auditNot applicable
  • ISO 27001Vendor claimed
  • ISO 27017 (cloud security)Vendor claimed
  • ISO 27018 (cloud PII)Vendor claimed
  • +8

Considerations & known limitations

  • MediumParent-group integration after OVHcloud acquisition

    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.

  • MediumPartner-operated Hybrid Core locations

    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.

  • MediumUS-group ancillary processors (account/marketing)

    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.

  • LowCertifications need current attestation packs

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

  • LowNarrower global footprint than hyperscalers

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

Open questions for due diligence

  • 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?
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Frequently Asked Questions

Public data-center pages list European Tier 3 locations including multiple Frankfurt AZs, Eichenzell, Hannover, Paderborn, Amsterdam, Gais and Lucerne (Switzerland), and Vienna. Some Hybrid Core locations are partner-operated (for example hosttech, rhöncloud, BAIONITY, windCORES). Object storage availability varies by site. Confirm residency, SLA, and subcontracting terms for the exact location codes you will use.

gridscale GmbH remains the German contracting entity. OVHcloud (French European cloud group) acquired 100% of the company in September 2023, so the parent path is European, not a US corporate parent. Infrastructure marketing emphasises European locations rather than AWS/GCP/Azure as the primary host. Ancillary account/website tools still include US-group SaaS (for example Stripe and Google Analytics) per the privacy policy—review that list for your DPIA.

GTC are B2B-only. Accounts begin as a free trial, then convert to a payment account with stored payment credentials. Resources are metered with per-minute usage billing and real-time consumption views; Enterprise Cloud is positioned as a modular platform with a monthly base plus usage, and optional Hybrid Core / branding modules. Always pull the current price list from gridscale—figures are not reproduced on EuropeanStack.

Ask for current BSI C5 and ISAE 3402 SOC 1 Type 2 attestation packs (vendor chronology highlights January 2025), ISO 27001/27017/27018 evidence, the executed order-processing agreement required by GTC §14.2, the location-specific subcontractor map for your regions, and clarification of which privacy-policy third parties process account versus content data.

Choose broader OVHcloud when you need the parent group’s larger European hyperscale portfolio. Prefer Scaleway for France-centric developer cloud patterns, Exoscale when Swiss-rooted EU cloud positioning is primary, and Hetzner when cost-optimised VMs/dedicated servers dominate and you do not need Hybrid Core white-label or deeper managed PaaS packaging.