What are the best cloud providers in Germany?

Storing data with a cloud provider in Germany means you can rely on European data protection standards. This comparison will show you which providers are worth considering in your search for secure data storage.

What are the benefits of using cloud storage from Germany?

Cloud services like Google Drive, iCloud and OneDrive are convenient. They usually come linked with Android (Google Drive) or iOS (iCloud) devices. They are also often automatically integrated into Gmail accounts and Windows. However, the convenience of these readily available cloud services may be too good to be true.

If you store data in the cloud storage of these U.S. cloud providers, your data won’t be protected by German or European data protection regulations. In accordance with the 2018 Cloud Act, U.S. authorities can request to see customer data stored with U.S. cloud providers, even if the data is not located on U.S. servers.

It’s no surprise then that people who value cloud security and data sovereignty may consider German cloud providers with server locations in Germany for both personal and business data. These providers normally offer data centers with security and data protection standards outlined in the GDPR as well as ISO certifications for quality management and IT security.

If security is a top priority for you and you need to regularly create backups or access team projects asynchronously online, a secure German cloud storage provider is a great place to start. In the next section, you’ll find an overview of providers in Germany that offer cloud storage services to people residing in the U.S.

An overview of cloud providers based in Germany

(Updated: January 2024)

HiDrive Cloud Storage from IONOS

IONOS HiDrive cloud storage guarantees the highest level of protection thanks to ISO certification, ensuring optimal data center security. With cloud storage servers in Germany, your data also benefits from data protection standards that meet all GDPR requirements.

Access is flexible, and you can access your data from any device, wherever you are. Automatic synchronization and backups are reliable, and you benefit from practical access and sharing features for decentralized teamwork.

Pricing: HiDrive cloud storage from IONOS does not have a free version but does offer 100 GB of storage for just $1.50 per month. From $3 a month, you get 250 GB, and with the Business plan, you get 1,000 GB for $7 a month. (Updated: January 2024)

leitzcloud by vBoxx

leitzcloud by vBoxx offers GDPR-compliant and ISO-certified German and European data centers. Their cloud storage services come with encryption during upload and download, cross-device synchronization in real time and online file editing. There are also no upload restrictions. Their focus is clearly on businesses and larger projects with high demands in terms of cloud management, access authorization, role distribution and analysis reports. The user-friendly dashboard is also a major plus.

Pricing: Cloud individual users receive 250 GB with full functionality costs around $13 per month (annual payment). When it comes to teams, the price depends on the number of users. You can see the different individual plans they have on their website. (Updated: January 2024)

Your Secure Cloud

Your Secure Cloud is a cloud provider that meets the requirements and guidelines of German data security standards. Data centers are located in Germany and have ISO certification including AES-256 encryption for stored data. Data secured in the cloud is encrypted, meaning it is no one has access to it but you. SSL and end-to-end encryption are also used for uploads and downloads. The service is suitable for both private and professional users, and comes with web office, team features and sharing and role permissions.

Pricing: Your Secure Cloud does not offer a free option but provides private customers with 10 GB for around $3 a month, 100 GB for around $9 a month and 1,000 GB for around $55 a month. Business customers can use 50 GB per user (for teams of two or more people) for around $4 per month with the Business plan. The Enterprise plan provides access to additional storage upon request.

(Updated: January 2024).

OwnCloud.online

ownCloud.online is an open-source cloud storage provider based in Germany. Don’t confuse ownCloud.online with the open-source solution ownCloud which is used for building a cloud solution on your own server. ownCloud.online has been compared to Dropbox in terms of its functionality but it has a larger scope of features. The ONLYOFFICE integration makes it possible for users to work on documents at the same time. Data is stored in German data centers and can compete with the best in terms of security standards (such as being ISO 27001 certified and GDPR-compliant). You can opt for a 14-day free trial to see if it suits your needs or go for one of the paid plans straight away.

Pricing: The OwnCloud.online service is available for single users or for teams. With the Single User plan, you get 500 GB for around $20 per user per month (up to 4 users). The Teams plan includes 1,000 GB plus 200 GB per user. This plan starts from 5 users and you pay around $17 per user per month.

Cloud storage plus online backups for optimal security

Regardless of which cloud storage you choose, if you want the best data security, you need to back up your data that you store in the cloud. This applies to both data and end devices. Make sure that you use the automatic backup function that comes with the service you decide to use. With the automatic backup function, data is automatically backed up on a regular basis online, ensuring that it can be restored in case of an emergency. We also recommend the 3-2-1-backup-rule. This states that three copies or backups of important data should be made. These backups should be saved in two different storage media, one of which is located off-site or carried at all times.