You can build a 2026 SaaS using only EU infrastructure — and no, it’s not a pipe dream

Short answer: yes. The nuance? It depends.

It has been reported that the EU software ecosystem now offers credible alternatives for every core layer of a SaaS stack — compute, payments, CDN, analytics — so you can, in theory, avoid AWS, Azure, GCP, Stripe, Cloudflare, and Google Analytics. Is it actually possible? Absolutely. Is it practical? That’s the interesting part. If your team wants data sovereignty, simpler GDPR compliance, or to vote with its wallet against Big Tech, you will feel a real jolt of relief. But there’s tradeoffs: cost, ops burden, and feature parity vary by provider.

Compute and payments: DIY vs managed, and a Stripe analog

At the infrastructure layer you’ve got two clear routes. Hetzner is the price-performance champ — clean API, inexpensive servers, German and Finnish data centers — ideal if your engineers like getting under the hood. Want the AWS-ish, managed experience inside the EU? Scaleway offers managed Kubernetes, databases, serverless, object storage and even GPUs from Paris, Amsterdam, and Warsaw, at a higher price but lower ops overhead. For transactions, Mollie is the closest EU analog to Stripe: clean API, subscription billing, multi-currency support and support for local payment methods. It has been reported that Mollie processes payments through EU infrastructure, which matters when cross-border compliance and latency are on the table.

CDN, analytics — and privacy as a feature

You don’t need Cloudflare or Google Analytics to run a modern SaaS. Bunny.net, an EU-owned CDN from Slovenia, covers static assets, image transformation, video delivery and DDoS protection at a fraction of many competitors’ costs. For user metrics, privacy-first options like Plausible (Estonia) and Simple Analytics (Netherlands) give you the core metrics without cookies or consent banners — GDPR compliance out of the box. The emotional payoff here is real: fewer legal headaches, cleaner UX, and the warm glow of digital sovereignty. The guide that surfaced on Hacker News walks through each layer and recommends specific providers — a handy map if you’re seriously considering an all‑EU stack.

Sources: eualternative.eu, Hacker News