TL;DR: The CLOUD Act and FISA 702 allow US authorities to access data hosted at AWS, Google Cloud or Azure, even in Europe. French sovereign alternatives (OVHcloud from €3.50/month, Scaleway, Clever Cloud) and Swiss (Infomaniak) are now mature and competitive, with SecNumCloud and HDS certifications for sensitive sectors.
In 2026, digital sovereignty is no longer a theoretical debate — it’s a strategic issue for any company handling data. Hosting your services with a French or European provider guarantees GDPR compliance, protects your data and supports the local tech ecosystem. Here’s a complete guide to alternatives to GAFAM.
Why digital sovereignty is essential
The problem with GAFAM
When you host your data at AWS (Amazon), Google Cloud or Microsoft Azure, you’re subject to US law, in particular:
- The CLOUD Act (2018): US authorities can demand access to your data, even if stored in Europe
- FISA Section 702: mass surveillance authorised on non-US data
- Executive Order 14086: insufficient according to many European jurists to guarantee protection equivalent to GDPR
Concretely, this means a US court can access your customer data, internal documents or trade secrets — without you necessarily being informed.
What European regulation says
The GDPR requires that data transfers outside the EU be framed by adequate safeguards. In 2026, despite the Data Privacy Framework, legal uncertainties persist. The safest solution remains to host your data in France or Europe with a provider exclusively subject to European law.
The NIS2 directive and Cyber Resilience Act reinforce security obligations. Choosing a sovereign host also anticipates future regulations.
The best French sovereign hosts
OVHcloud
Europe’s leading cloud, based in Roubaix.
- Offering: public cloud, private cloud, dedicated servers, bare metal
- Certifications: SecNumCloud, HDS (health data), ISO 27001
- Data centers: France (Roubaix, Strasbourg, Gravelines), Europe, Canada
- Strengths: competitive pricing, wide service range, 24/7 support
- Note: publicly traded, massive R&D investments
- Pricing: from €3.50/month (VPS)
Scaleway (Iliad)
Subsidiary of Iliad group (Free), innovative cloud host.
- Offering: cloud instances, managed Kubernetes, object storage, serverless, GPU
- Certifications: ISO 27001, HDS
- Data centers: Paris, Amsterdam
- Strengths: modern interface, complete API, AI/GPU offer, Kapsule (managed Kubernetes)
- Note: very good choice for startups and cloud-native projects
- Pricing: from €7/month (DEV1-S instance)
Infomaniak
Swiss host with data centers in Switzerland (Swiss law = strong data protection).
- Offering: web hosting, cloud (OpenStack-based Public Cloud), mail, storage, streaming
- Certifications: ISO 27001, ISO 14001 (environment)
- Data centers: Geneva, Winterthur (100% renewable energy)
- Strengths: ecological commitment, collaborative suite (kSuite alternative to Google Workspace), excellent support
- Note: credible alternative to Google Workspace with kDrive, kMeet, kMail
- Pricing: from €5.75/month (web hosting)
Outscale (Dassault Systèmes)
Reference sovereign cloud for sensitive sectors.
- Offering: IaaS, PaaS, secure cloud
- Certifications: SecNumCloud (ANSSI qualification), ISO 27001
- Data centers: France (Île-de-France)
- Strengths: maximum security, suited to regulated sectors (defence, health, finance)
- Note: more expensive, but SecNumCloud certification is a major asset
- Pricing: on quote
Clever Cloud
French PaaS for developers.
- Offering: application hosting (Node.js, Python, Java, PHP, Go, Rust…), managed databases, add-ons
- Certifications: ISO 27001, HDS
- Data centers: Paris, Roubaix, Montreal
- Strengths: deploy in one git push, auto-scaling, zero DevOps needed
- Note: ideal for development teams focused on code
- Pricing: from €4.50/month
Offering comparison
| Host | Type | SecNumCloud | HDS | Entry price | Ideal for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OVHcloud | IaaS/PaaS | Yes | Yes | €3.50/month | Any project type |
| Scaleway | IaaS/PaaS | No | Yes | €7/month | Startups, cloud-native |
| Infomaniak | Web/Cloud | No | No | €5.75/month | SMBs, eco-friendly |
| Outscale | IaaS | Yes | Yes | On quote | Sensitive sectors |
| Clever Cloud | PaaS | No | Yes | €4.50/month | Developers, SaaS |
Beyond hosting: full sovereign alternatives
Messaging and collaboration
- ProtonMail (Switzerland): end-to-end encrypted email, alternative to Gmail
- Infomaniak kSuite: complete alternative to Google Workspace (mail, drive, video)
- Olvid: ANSSI-certified instant messaging, alternative to Slack/Teams
Storage and file sharing
- Nextcloud (self-hosted): open source alternative to Google Drive / Dropbox
- kDrive (Infomaniak): Swiss cloud storage, integrated with kSuite
- Cozy Cloud (France): French personal cloud
Project management tools
- Wekan: open source alternative to Trello
- Focalboard / Planka: self-hostable project management
- Tuleap: French open source ALM suite
Web analytics
- Matomo: open source alternative to Google Analytics, self-hostable
- Plausible: lightweight, privacy-respecting analytics
- Umami: simple and performant open source analytics
How to migrate to sovereign hosting
Step 1: Existing audit
Map all cloud services you currently use:
- Web and application hosting
- Databases
- File storage
- Emails
- Collaboration tools (Drive, Docs, etc.)
- Analytics and monitoring
Step 2: Evaluate alternatives
For each service, identify the suitable sovereign alternative. Criteria to consider:
- Features: does the alternative cover your needs?
- Performance: latency, availability, SLA
- Cost: TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) comparison
- Support: quality and responsiveness of technical support
- Certifications: SecNumCloud, HDS, ISO 27001 based on your sector
Step 3: Progressive migration
Don’t migrate everything at once. Proceed by priority:
- Most sensitive data first (customer data, health data)
- Simplest services (web hosting, DNS)
- Collaboration tools (email, drive, messaging)
- Application services (databases, APIs)
Step 4: Testing and validation
Before switching traffic:
- Test performance (response time, uptime)
- Check compatibility with your applications
- Train teams on new tools
- Plan a rollback strategy
Pitfalls to avoid
- “Sovereign cloud facade”: beware of offers that host in France but whose parent company is American. The CLOUD Act applies to the parent.
- Underestimating migration costs: plan migration time, training and temporary dual operation.
- Neglecting support: check that support is reactive and in your language before committing.
- Migrating everything at once: proceed in steps to limit risk.
Amana’s sovereignty commitment
At Amana Web Agency, digital sovereignty is a fundamental pillar of our approach. We systematically propose sovereign alternatives to our clients:
- French/European hosting for all projects (OVHcloud, Scaleway, Infomaniak)
- 100% open source stack: no dependency on a proprietary vendor
- Native GDPR compliance: integrated from design, not as an overlay
- GAFAM migration: full support, from audit to switch
- Self-hosting: for businesses that want total control
Our production server is hosted in France. Our internal tools are open source. We practice what we recommend.
Conclusion
Migrating to sovereign hosting is no longer an activist choice — it’s a rational business decision. GDPR compliance, data protection and technological independence are concrete competitive advantages. French and European alternatives are now mature, performant and often price-competitive.
Digital sovereignty starts with a first step. Identify your most critical service, find the suitable sovereign alternative and start the migration.
Need support to migrate to a sovereign infrastructure? Contact our team for a free audit of your current infrastructure.