The developer-friendly Scaleway alternative
Both run in the EU — but where Scaleway hands you cloud building blocks to assemble, HostStack is a git-push PaaS with managed databases bundled in, at a lower price per resource.
By Michael Michelsen, Founder of HostStack · Updated May 2026
Why developers choose HostStack
- Git-push PaaS: connect a repo and HostStack builds and deploys it. Scaleway gives you Serverless Containers, Instances, and Kubernetes that you wire together yourself
- Managed Postgres from €4/mo (Micro) vs Scaleway DEV-S at ~€11/mo — and HostStack bundles MySQL, MariaDB, MongoDB, and Redis under one platform
- 3-node Patroni HA (1 leader + 2 sync replicas, ~5 s failover) included on the €15 Standard and €50 Pro database tiers — Scaleway charges an HA add-on of roughly +50%
- One bill for app + database + queues + full-text search. On Scaleway each is a separate product you assemble and invoice
- Flat, predictable per-resource pricing prorated to the hour — no serverless metering math to forecast
- Both are EU-incorporated (HostStack Denmark, Scaleway France), so you keep clean GDPR data residency either way
Feature comparison
| Feature | HostStack | Scaleway |
|---|---|---|
| Git-push auto-deploy | Wire up containers/VMs | |
| Web services | Serverless Containers / Instances | |
| Background workers | DIY on containers/VMs | |
| Cron jobs | Serverless Jobs | |
| Managed PostgreSQL | ||
| Managed MySQL | ||
| Managed MariaDB / MongoDB | Not first-party | |
| Object storage | Connect your own S3 | |
| Bundled queues & search | Separate products | |
| Custom domains + SSL | ||
| CLI tool | ||
| Terraform provider | ||
| EU data residency | Helsinki, FI (Danish company) | FR, NL, PL (French company) |
| Managed HA database | Patroni 3-node, included | Add-on (~+50%) |
| Pricing model | Flat per-resource | Per-resource + serverless metering |
| App + DB on one bill | Assemble building blocks |
Pricing comparison
| Tier | HostStack | Scaleway |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | 1 Nano + 1 Starter Postgres — €0/mo, no card | No always-free compute tier |
| Cheapest always-on service | €1/mo Pico (128 MB) | Serverless Containers (pay-per-use) or ~€7/mo smallest Instance |
| Cheapest managed Postgres | €4/mo Micro (managed, backups) | ~€11/mo DEV-S (1 vCPU / 2 GB, single-node) |
| Production Postgres (2 vCPU / 8 GB-class) | €50/mo Pro — 3-node HA included (beta) | ~€80/mo PRO2-XXS non-HA, ~€123/mo with HA add-on |
| Managed HA | Included on Standard (€15) and Pro (€50) | HA add-on, roughly +50% on the bill |
| Bandwidth overage | 200 GB free/team, then €0.01/GB | ~€0.01/GB to public internet above quota |
When NOT to choose HostStack
Scaleway is the better fit in some cases. Here's when we'd tell you so.
You need raw IaaS — VMs, Kubernetes (Kapsule), bare-metal, or GPU instances to build your own orchestration. Scaleway is a full cloud; we are an opinionated PaaS.
You require French SecNumCloud-qualified infrastructure or are answering a French public-sector tender that names Scaleway specifically.
You're already standardized on Scaleway compute and storage and want the database in the same dashboard with zero egress between them.
You want Scaleway's broader product menu (IoT Hub, managed Kubernetes, dedicated bare metal, a large object-storage tier). We focus on application + database workloads.
Migrate from Scaleway
Open a HostStack account
Sign up at hoststack.dev with an email — no card during migration. Create a project in our EU region.
Connect your repo
Install the HostStack app on the GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket repo you deploy from. Framework auto-detection fills in build and start commands — no Dockerfile required for common stacks.
Import your environment
Push the config you set on your Scaleway Serverless Containers or Instances with hoststack env bulk svc_… KEY=VAL KEY=VAL …, or paste them in the dashboard.
Move your database
Provision a managed PostgreSQL (or MySQL) on HostStack and stream a pg_dump from your Scaleway managed database straight into it. Comparing tiers? See our Scaleway PostgreSQL pricing 2026 breakdown and the managed PostgreSQL Europe buyer's guide.
Cut over DNS
Point your A/AAAA or CNAME records at HostStack and wait for the Let's Encrypt certificate to provision. Rotate any Scaleway-issued credentials and decommission the old resources.
Frequently asked questions
Is HostStack or Scaleway cheaper for managed PostgreSQL?
HostStack is cheaper at the entry and production tiers. HostStack managed Postgres starts at €4/month (Micro), and the Pro database — 2 vCPU / 8 GB-class with a 3-node Patroni HA cluster included — is €50/month. Scaleway's smallest managed Postgres (DEV-S, single-node) is ~€11/month, and the common production tier PRO2-XXS is ~€80/month non-HA or ~€123/month with the HA add-on. Scaleway's per-tier list price is accurate as of April 2026; verify on scaleway.com before committing.
Is Scaleway a PaaS like HostStack?
Not in the same sense. Scaleway is a French cloud provider — you assemble Instances (VMs), Serverless Containers, Kubernetes, managed databases, and object storage into an application yourself. HostStack is a git-push PaaS: connect a repo and it builds, deploys, and runs the service with managed databases, queues, and search bundled on one bill. Scaleway also resells a managed PaaS ("Web Platform") powered by Clever Cloud, which is a separate product from its core cloud.
Are both HostStack and Scaleway GDPR-compliant?
Yes — and importantly, both are EU-incorporated, so for this comparison data residency is a tie, not a differentiator. Scaleway is French (data centres in Paris, Amsterdam, Warsaw); HostStack is Danish (data in Helsinki, Finland today, with Germany regions on the roadmap). Neither is subject to the US CLOUD Act, and both publish a DPA. Choose between them on developer experience, bundling, and price rather than on jurisdiction.
How do I migrate from Scaleway to HostStack?
Connect your GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket repo; HostStack auto-detects the framework and fills in build and start commands. Copy your environment variables across with the CLI, stream a pg_dump from your Scaleway managed database into a managed HostStack database, and cut over DNS once the Let's Encrypt certificate provisions.
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