cloudscale
Zurich developer cloud on open-source technology, run only in two Swiss data centres under Swiss law
Quick Overview
| Company | cloudscale.ch Ltd. |
|---|---|
| Category | Cloud Computing |
| Headquarters | Zurich, Switzerland |
| Founded | 2016 |
| EU Presence | Switzerland (adequacy decision, outside the EEA) |
| Data Location | Switzerland only: two independently operated data centres, Lupfig (AG) and Rumlang (ZH) |
| Open Source | No |
| Compliance | ISO/IEC 27001, 27017 and 27018; ISAE 3000 report on request; data centres ISO 27001, ISO 50001, PCI DSS |
| Pricing | Billed to the second per calendar day against prepaid credit (minimum top-up CHF 10), in Swiss francs. Shared-vCPU Flex flavours from CHF 1.10 per 24 hours (4 GB, 1 vCPU) and CHF 1.65 per 24 hours (4 GB, 2 vCPUs). Each server includes 10 GB NVMe root volume, public IPv4 and IPv6, private network and 100 GB free traffic per 24 hours (CHF 2 per additional 100 GB). Extra SSD storage CHF 0.30 per GB per 24 hours. S3-compatible object storage CHF 0.03 per GB per 24 hours, outbound traffic CHF 0.02 per GB, inbound free. Load balancer CHF 45 per 24 hours. Powered-off servers are still charged, purchased credit is not refunded. |
| Replaces | AWS EC2, DigitalOcean, Linode |
Detailed Review
cloudscale.ch Ltd. is a Zurich company that says it has offered virtual servers and related cloud resources in a self-service model since 2016. Its homepage describes infrastructure-as-a-service built on open-source technologies, from virtual servers to load balancers to S3-compatible object storage, managed through a control panel, an API, Terraform or Ansible. A CSI driver for Kubernetes persistent volumes is also mentioned on the About page.
The distinguishing choice is location. Everything runs in two independently operated Swiss data centres, in Lupfig (Aargau) and Rumlang (Zurich), and the Terms of Service state that the platform is operated exclusively in Switzerland. The security page lists ISO/IEC 27001, 27017 and 27018 certification and an ISAE 3000 report on request, and says data is stored with triple replication.
Pricing is open and per second, in Swiss francs. A shared 4 GB, 1 vCPU Flex server is CHF 1.10 per 24 hours and every server includes 100 GB of traffic per day. The trade-off is breadth: there is no managed Kubernetes or database range listed on the pages we read, and servers stay billable when powered off.
What cloudscale does well
- All infrastructure in two Swiss data centres, stated in the terms
- Per-second billing with prices published in full on the pricing page
- Terraform, Ansible, API and Kubernetes CSI integrations
- ISO 27001, 27017 and 27018 certified, ISAE 3000 report on request
- S3-compatible object storage with free inbound traffic
Where cloudscale falls short
- Only two locations, both in Switzerland, so no EU region
- Priced in Swiss francs, outside the euro area and the EEA
- Narrower managed-service range than Scaleway, OVHcloud or IONOS
- Prepaid credit is non-refundable and powered-off servers are still charged
Standout feature. A developer cloud that keeps every byte in two Swiss data centres and publishes every price per second.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- All infrastructure in two Swiss data centres, stated in the terms
- Per-second billing with prices published in full on the pricing page
- Terraform, Ansible, API and Kubernetes CSI integrations
- ISO 27001, 27017 and 27018 certified, ISAE 3000 report on request
- S3-compatible object storage with free inbound traffic
Cons
- Only two locations, both in Switzerland, so no EU region
- Priced in Swiss francs, outside the euro area and the EEA
- Narrower managed-service range than Scaleway, OVHcloud or IONOS
- Prepaid credit is non-refundable and powered-off servers are still charged
Alternatives to cloudscale
Frequently Asked Questions
What is cloudscale?
cloudscale.ch Ltd. is a Zurich company that says it has offered virtual servers and related cloud resources in a self-service model since 2016. Its homepage describes infrastructure-as-a-service built on open-source technologies, from virtual servers to load balancers to S3-compatible object storage, managed through a control panel, an API, Terraform or Ansible. A CSI driver for Kubernetes persistent volumes is also mentioned on the About page.
Where is cloudscale based?
cloudscale operates from Zurich, Switzerland, which places it under Switzerland (adequacy decision, outside the EEA). Compliance: ISO/IEC 27001, 27017 and 27018; ISAE 3000 report on request; data centres ISO 27001, ISO 50001, PCI DSS.
What does cloudscale cost?
Billed to the second per calendar day against prepaid credit (minimum top-up CHF 10), in Swiss francs.
Shared-vCPU Flex flavours from CHF 1.10 per 24 hours (4 GB, 1 vCPU) and CHF 1.65 per 24 hours (4 GB, 2 vCPUs).
Each server includes 10 GB NVMe root volume, public IPv4 and IPv6, private network and 100 GB free traffic per 24 hours (CHF 2 per additional 100 GB). Extra SSD storage CHF 0.30 per GB per 24 hours. S3-compatible object storage CHF 0.03 per GB per 24 hours, outbound traffic CHF 0.02 per GB, inbound free. Load balancer CHF 45 per 24 hours. Powered-off servers are still charged, purchased credit is not refunded..
Who is cloudscale best for?
Swiss-only, developer-run IaaS with open APIs. A developer cloud that keeps every byte in two Swiss data centres and publishes every price per second.
What are the drawbacks of cloudscale?
Only two locations, both in Switzerland, so no EU region. Priced in Swiss francs, outside the euro area and the EEA. Narrower managed-service range than Scaleway, OVHcloud or IONOS. Prepaid credit is non-refundable and powered-off servers are still charged.
Is cloudscale a good alternative to AWS EC2?
cloudscale is built as a European alternative to AWS EC2: Zurich developer cloud on open-source technology, run only in two Swiss data centres under Swiss law. It will not be a like-for-like feature match in every respect, so check the review above for where the two genuinely differ before switching.
How does cloudscale compare to other Cloud Computing tools?
cloudscale is one of several European Cloud Computing tools we cover. It is most often compared with AWS EC2, DigitalOcean, Linode.