The independent white paper “Comparison of European Cloud Providers – Data Sovereignty in Practice” (T&T Data Consultancy, October 2025) compares five European cloud providers based on 24 practical criteria. The focus is on governance readiness, identity and access management, the integration of Microsoft Entra ID, and Infrastructure-as-Code with Terraform—validated in a proof of concept.
Making the right cloud choice: A practical comparison of European providers
24 | 5 | 19 | 10/2025 | PoC |
Practical criteria | EU providers put to the test | White paper pages | Status of the investigation | Validated in field testing |
Key findings at a glance
- An EU location alone does not provide protection against the U.S. CLOUD act
Jurisdiction, operator structure, and governance are key factors—not just the data center’s location.
- The difference does not lie in the basic services
European providers differ primarily in terms of access management, integration, and Infrastructure-as-Code.
- T Cloud Public receives the highest overall rating
Hyperscaler-level IAM (comparable to AWS, according to the whitepaper), Microsoft Entra ID integration, and a comprehensive Terraform provider. “In the study, T Cloud Public achieved the highest overall rating.”
- Open standards and full auditability are governance requirements
Owned locations without external sub-processors for critical core areas, three availability zones in the Netherlands.
Download the white paper for free
Download the complete 19-page PDF directly (712.95 KB).
What the white paper details
- A clear and transparent set of criteria
24 criteria for a structured provider selection process—from autonomy to IAM to Infrastructure-as-Code. - Service maturity model
Analysis based on core, supporting, and managed services as an evaluation framework.
(Comparison table: 5 providers × 24 criteria – OVHcloud, Scaleway, STACKIT, UpCloud, T Cloud Public) - Practical lessons learned from the proof of concept
Why IAM granularity and Terraform coverage in production make all the difference. - Guidance on governance
Integration with identity platforms (Microsoft Entra ID) and full auditability.
Author / Editor
Independent study by T&T Data Consultancy, published by T Cloud Public.
Source
White paper „Comparison of European Cloud Providers – Data Sovereignty in Practice“ · 19 pages · October 2025.
Methodology
Selection criteria · Proof-of-Concept test by 5 EU providers · Snapshot 10/2025.
FAQ
In addition to location, jurisdiction, operator structure, and governance are also relevant. The whitepaper categorizes these factors and outlines proven criteria for selection.
According to the white paper, the key factors are IAM maturity, integration with identity services (e.g., Microsoft Entra ID), managed service maturity, and support for infrastructure as code (Terraform).
The study was conducted in October 2025 and provides a snapshot of the market. The market is evolving rapidly; regular reevaluation is recommended.
For IT decision-makers, CIOs, cloud architects, and organizations with high standards for compliance, governance, and data sovereignty.
For an overview of analyst and media awards, including sources, see: Awards
Relevant Resources
Advantage
Sovereignty in the T Cloud Public
How digital sovereignty is implemented in practice.
More about sovereignty
Awards
Market leaders & analyst ratings
Forrester, ISG, and iX at a glance.
Go to awards
White paper
European way of cloud (background paper)
A sovereign cloud from Europe – The white paper.
Show white paper
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