Hosted in Germany vs. Hosting in Germany: Why the difference is crucial for your company

In an increasingly digitized world, the question of secure, sovereign, and data-compliant storage and processing of corporate data is more important than ever. Companies must decide whether they want to purchase software that stores their data in the public cloud or on their own servers in a data center (private cloud). In this context, the terms "Hosting in Germany" and "Hosted in Germany" often appear. But what exactly do these terms mean and how do they differ?

Below, we take a look at the differences between "Hosting in Germany" and "Hosted in Germany" and explain why Flexopus' dedicated servers in Germany represent a particularly attractive option for companies that have the highest requirements for data protection and data security and for whom data sovereignty is also particularly important.

Basic terms: What do "Hosting in Germany" and "Hosted in Germany" mean?

1. Hosting in Germany

The term "Hosting in Germany" primarily describes the physical location of the servers. This means that the servers are located in a data center in Germany. This term therefore indicates that the server hardware and the data are stored locally in Germany. A typical example of Hosting in Germany is the use of AWS (Amazon Web Services) in the "eu-central-1" region, which operates servers in Frankfurt.

However, it is important to understand that the term "Hosting in Germany" does not make any statement about the legal framework to which the provider is subject. An American company like AWS that operates data centers in Germany is still subject to US law, for example the CLOUD Act, which is subject to the Patriot Act. This means that US authorities can access the data under certain circumstances, even if it is stored in Germany.

2. Hosted in Germany

In contrast, "Hosted in Germany" refers to both the physical location of the servers and the legal framework to which the provider is subject. A company that offers "Hosted in Germany" is a German company that is based in Germany, employs German staff, and is subject to German law and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Well-known providers that offer "Hosted in Germany" include, for example, Hetzner, Ionos, or plusserver.

The advantage of this solution is that all legal issues are regulated in Germany and companies do not have to worry about the transfer of data to third countries or the potential application of foreign laws. This is particularly important for companies that are subject to strict data protection requirements, such as in the healthcare sector, the financial industry, or public institutions.

Comparison: AWS (Hosting in Germany) vs. dedicated servers at German providers (Hosted in Germany)

To further clarify the differences between "Hosting in Germany" and "Hosted in Germany," we look at the comparison between AWS (Amazon Web Services) and a German hosting provider like Hetzner.

Why Flexopus relies on "Hosted in Germany"

In the course of digital transformation and the growth of flexible working models such as desk sharing and working from home, it is becoming increasingly difficult for companies to maintain control over their data and IT infrastructure. Data security and compliance with regulatory requirements such as the GDPR are of central importance for companies of all sizes and industries, and not just to avoid legal consequences, but also to secure the trust of customers and partners.

Data sovereignty becomes particularly important in this context, as companies that implement desk sharing rely on cloud services. Data must be accessible everywhere, which, however, also harbors risks, especially if data is stored on servers outside of Europe. To ensure that sensitive corporate data and personal employee information do not end up in uncontrolled, foreign legal jurisdictions, it is crucial that the data remains within one's own sovereignty and complies with European data protection standards.

With Flexopus and the use of our own servers at Hetzner Online GmbH, we guarantee you complete control and transparency over your data. We operate our dedicated servers in Hetzner's data centers in Falkenstein and Nuremberg. We administer our servers ourselves, so our hosting partner Hetzner only operates the data center and provides the hardware, but has no access to the data whatsoever. This way, your data remains 100% in Germany with us, is subject to German law and strict German data protection guidelines, so that we can offer you full data sovereignty.

Many competitors advertise with "Hosting in Germany," but their servers are located in data centers of international or US companies. Even if the server location is in Germany, it cannot be fully guaranteed that data will not flow abroad, e.g., through the US Cloud Act.

Fazit: „Hosted in Germany“ oder „Hosting in Germany“ - Was ist besser?

Für Unternehmen, die höchste Anforderungen an Datenschutz, Compliance und Datensouveränität stellen, ist „Hosted in Germany“ die sicherere und zuverlässigere Wahl. Dedizierte Server bieten nicht nur rechtliche Sicherheit, sondern auch volle Kontrolle über die Infrastruktur und die Daten. Im Gegensatz dazu bietet „Hosting in Germany“ bei Anbietern wie AWS zwar Skalierbarkeit und Flexibilität, aber auch Risiken in Bezug auf den Zugriff hinsichtlich ausländischer Behörden und rechtlicher Unsicherheiten. Wer also auf Nummer sichergehen will, setzt auf einen Anbieter, der eine eigene Infrastruktur mit einem deutschen Hosting-Partner in einem deutschen Rechenzentrum betreibt.