5 AWS S3 Alternatives for European Startups in 2026

AWS S3 is the default object storage answer. It is reliable, mature, and deeply integrated into the AWS ecosystem.

It is also very AWS: many pricing dimensions, IAM details, region choices, request fees, retrieval fees, lifecycle rules, and a console that can make a simple bucket feel like a small infrastructure migration.

If you are a European startup, you probably do not need all of that on day one. You likely need S3-compatible storage for uploads, backups, generated files, invoices, exports, and app assets.

Here are five AWS S3 alternatives worth considering in 2026.

What makes a good S3 alternative?

For this comparison, I focused on providers that make sense for European startups.

The main criteria:

• S3-compatible API
• Reasonable European data location story
• Clear pricing
• Good developer experience
• Fit for app uploads and backups
• Lower billing complexity than AWS S3

Quick comparison

1. Sliplane Object Storage

Sliplane Object Storage is the boring S3 alternative I wanted for app developers: S3-compatible buckets, simple pricing, no egress fees, no request fees, and a German region.

You can keep using the AWS CLI, AWS SDKs, rclone, backup tools, or any S3 client that supports custom endpoints. The difference is that your bill is not split across storage, egress, request classes, retrieval classes, and other tiny line items.

Pricing is 5 EUR per month for 250 GB, excluding tax. The first GB is free.

Sliplane does not charge per bucket, so splitting uploads, backups, staging assets, and customer files into separate buckets does not change the bill.

Use Sliplane if:

• You want an S3-compatible bucket for an app, not a whole AWS account adventure.
• You want German object storage.
• You care about no egress and no request fees.
• You already run or plan to run apps on Sliplane.

Skip it if:

• You need every advanced S3 feature.
• You need many global regions.
• You need deep archive tiers.

2. Cloudflare R2

Cloudflare R2 is one of the most popular AWS S3 alternatives because it removes S3's most painful line item: egress.

As of July 2026, Cloudflare lists R2 Standard storage at $0.015 per GB-month, with free egress. It charges for Class A and Class B operations after the free tier. The free tier includes 10 GB-month of storage, 1 million Class A operations, and 10 million Class B operations per month.

R2 is especially interesting if you already use Cloudflare for DNS, Workers, CDN, or edge delivery.

Use Cloudflare R2 if:

• You serve lots of files publicly.
• You already use Cloudflare.
• You want zero egress fees.
• You like edge platform workflows.

Skip it if:

• You want a German or EU-specific storage location story.
• Your app performs huge numbers of reads and operations.
• You want pricing without request classes.

3. Backblaze B2

Backblaze B2 is a classic cheap object storage option. It is S3-compatible and widely supported by backup tools.

As of July 2026, Backblaze lists B2 Cloud Storage starting at $6.95 per TB per month, with free transactions and free egress up to 3x average monthly storage, then $0.01 per GB for additional egress.

Backblaze is especially good for backups, archives, media storage, and teams that want low storage prices without self-hosting.

Use Backblaze B2 if:

• You want cheap storage at TB scale.
• You mostly use storage for backups or archives.
• You are okay with the egress allowance model.

Skip it if:

• You want German storage specifically.
• You want storage bundled into your app platform.
• You want unlimited free egress.

4. Hetzner Object Storage

Hetzner Object Storage is a very natural AWS S3 alternative for European developers, especially if you already use Hetzner Cloud.

It is S3-compatible and available in Nuremberg, Falkenstein, and Helsinki. Hetzner lists useful features like object locking, server-side encryption, versioning, pre-signed URLs, and object expiry.

As of July 2026, Hetzner pricing starts at 6.49 EUR/month, excluding VAT, including 1 TB of storage and 1 TB of egress. Extra storage is listed at 8.70 EUR/TB-month, extra egress at 1 EUR/TB, and Hetzner lists ingress, internal eu-central traffic, and S3 API calls as free.

The caveat in 2026 is availability under load. On July 2, 2026, Hetzner's status page showed degraded Object Storage in multiple locations and an ongoing note that high Object Storage traffic may lead to timeouts. The durability and feature set can still make sense for backups or Hetzner-local workflows, but I would not make it the first choice for availability-sensitive app paths right now.

Use Hetzner if:

• Your servers already live at Hetzner.
• You want German or Finnish infrastructure.
• You are comfortable wiring infrastructure pieces yourself.

Skip it if:

• You want an app platform and storage product together.
• You want a fixed block price.
• You do not already use Hetzner.

5. Scaleway Object Storage

Scaleway Object Storage is a European S3-compatible storage product from France. It offers different storage classes and has a stronger "full cloud platform" feel than smaller storage-only products.

Scaleway is a good S3 alternative if you want EU infrastructure and more cloud-style storage options, like Standard Multi-AZ, Standard One Zone, and Glacier.

Use Scaleway if:

• You want a European cloud provider.
• You need storage classes.
• You want lifecycle options and archive storage.

Skip it if:

• You want no egress fees.
• You want the simplest possible pricing.
• You only need a basic bucket for uploads.

Which AWS S3 alternative should you choose?

Conclusion

AWS S3 is still excellent if you are already deep inside AWS or need the full S3 feature surface.

But most European startups do not need that much machinery for user uploads, backups, and app assets. You can use an S3-compatible provider, keep most of your tooling, and get a simpler bill.

If you want the shortest path to S3-compatible storage in Germany, Sliplane Object Storage is built for exactly that.