AWS and OVHcloud get compared constantly, usually by people who have already decided the workload could run on either. That is normally true. What differs is cost shape, how much of the stack you run yourself, and which constraints each platform imposes.
This comparison works through the differences that actually change a decision, then says plainly which one to pick and when. Live starting prices and configuration counts for both are shown in the table below and come straight from the catalog.
Short answer. OVHcloud is the stronger option when European residency or bare metal is a hard requirement. AWS is stronger everywhere else, particularly if the workload needs managed data services rather than raw hardware.
AWS and OVHcloud at a glance
| AWS | OVHcloud | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $25.00 | $30.00 |
| Configurations available | 25 | 2 |
| Best suited to | Teams that need one platform covering compute, storage, data and generative AI. | Workloads that must stay on European infrastructure. |
| Coverage | Global | Europe first, global presence |
| Notable services | EC2, S3, Amazon Bedrock, SageMaker | Public Cloud Instances, Dedicated Servers, GPU Instances, Object Storage |
View AWS accountsView OVHcloud accounts
Service breadth
AWS
The widest service catalogue of any provider, spanning compute, storage, databases, networking, analytics and machine learning.
OVHcloud
Public cloud instances alongside a very large dedicated-server and bare-metal business.
The practical question is not which catalogue is larger but whether the one you choose contains the specific services your project needs. A large catalogue you never touch is not an advantage.
How each one charges
AWS
Per-second and per-hour billing across dozens of instance families, with reserved and spot options that reward committed usage.
OVHcloud
Competitive hourly and monthly instance pricing, and some of the cheapest bare metal available in Europe.
Beyond the instance rate, network egress is the cost that most often surprises people. On AWS, egress is billed per gigabyte and becomes a material line item on data-heavy workloads. On OVHcloud, unmetered bandwidth on many dedicated products, which changes the economics for high-egress workloads.
If the workload moves a lot of data, read our breakdown of egress charges before comparing instance prices, because egress can dominate the bill.
The differences that matter
- Different classes of platform. AWS is a full-service hyperscaler platform and OVHcloud is a European specialist one. That single fact explains most of the price gap and most of the capability gap.
- Where each is strongest. AWS is chosen for unmatched service breadth and the deepest managed AI stack. OVHcloud is chosen for European data residency and strong bare-metal pricing.
- What you give up. With AWS, cost and complexity that grow quickly if nobody is watching the bill. With OVHcloud, a console and support experience that lag the hyperscalers.
Console and learning curve
AWS. A large console that rewards familiarity but is genuinely complex for newcomers, with IAM as a first-class concept from day one.
OVHcloud. A functional control panel that reflects the breadth of the product line rather than optimising for simplicity.
Outbound email
AWS. Outbound port 25 is restricted by default; production email is expected to go through Amazon SES.
OVHcloud. Outbound mail is generally permitted, subject to the acceptable use policy.
This is a hard constraint rather than a preference, so settle it before anything else if your workload sends mail. The guide to port 25 explains which providers permit it.
Where they run
AWS. Regions on every populated continent, with fine-grained control over where data lives.
OVHcloud. European-headquartered with datacentres across Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific.
AI and machine learning
AWS. Bedrock for hosted foundation models and SageMaker for training and deployment, alongside GPU instance families.
OVHcloud. GPU instances are available for training and inference; there is no hosted foundation-model service.
If AI work is the reason for the account, our guide to choosing a cloud for AI workloads covers the ground in more detail.
Which one to choose
Choose AWS when
Pick AWS when you need more than servers, and expect to reach for managed data, analytics or AI services in the same account.
Choose OVHcloud when
Pick OVHcloud when the workload must stay in Europe, or you need bare metal rather than virtualised compute.
Before you commit
- Confirm the specific services you need exist in the region you need them in. Availability varies by region on every provider.
- Estimate egress volume and price it on both platforms. It is the cost most often left out of a comparison.
- Check quotas. A new account starts with conservative limits, and raising them takes time on either platform.
- If outbound email matters, settle that question first, because it eliminates options rather than merely adding cost.
- Consider running both. Using each platform for what it is good at is more common than standardising on one.
Conclusion
OVHcloud is the stronger option when European residency or bare metal is a hard requirement. AWS is stronger everywhere else, particularly if the workload needs managed data services rather than raw hardware.
Both platforms are available here with published configurations and pricing: Buy AWS Accounts and Buy OVHcloud Accounts. If you are still weighing them, the full comparison table puts every provider side by side, and support can talk through the specific workload.
Related cloud accounts
Accounts on the platforms discussed here, with every configuration and price published up front:
- Buy AWS Accounts — from $25.00. Over 200 services, from EC2 to Bedrock.
- Buy OVHcloud Accounts — from $30.00. European dedicated servers and GPU instances.
Further reading
- Alibaba Cloud vs OVHcloud: Which Cloud Account Should You Buy?
- AWS vs Google Cloud: Which Cloud Account Should You Buy?
- AWS vs Azure: Which Cloud Account Should You Buy?
- AWS vs UpCloud: Which Cloud Account Should You Buy?
Official documentation
Provider behaviour, quotas and pricing are defined by the platform itself. These are the first-party references for the services discussed above:
Frequently asked questions
It depends on the workload shape rather than the list price. Compare the starting prices in the table above, then add expected egress, because that is where the two most often diverge.
Plain virtual machines and object storage move relatively easily. Managed services do not, so the difficulty depends on how much of each platform's proprietary surface you used.
AWS if you need more than servers, and expect to reach for managed data, analytics or AI services in the same account. OVHcloud if the workload must stay in Europe, or you need bare metal rather than virtualised compute.
