Data foundation & sources
The comparison rests on three maintained datasets per provider: the complete service matrix (100+ services across categories like compute, storage, databases, AI/ML and networking), category ratings across all providers, and an editorial sovereignty assessment with verdict, pros/cons and verified primary sources – down to certificate evidence such as BSI C5 attestations.
Every data point links its official source at the provider. A machine-readable full-text version of all profiles and comparisons is available under /llm/.
Rating scale
Category ratings use a 1–10 scale with fixed anchors: 1–2 = no or marginal offering · 3–4 = basic offering with gaps · 5–6 = solid mid-field · 7–8 = strong offering · 9–10 = market-leading. Each category precisely defines what it measures – and what it does not.
Sovereignty assessment (SEAL)
Jurisdictional sovereignty is deliberately rated separately from technical data security: the SEAL model makes each provider's digital sovereignty maturity measurable – from ownership structure and jurisdiction to data residency and operational control. Each provider's SEAL score comes from the maintained provider datasets; the fundamentals are explained in the guide.
AI-assisted recommendations (Cloud Compass & assessment)
Recommendations in Cloud Compass and the cloud assessment are derived by an AI model from your answers and the comparison.cloud data foundation. The weighting of dimensions follows your use case; the data basis is identical for all 13 providers. Every recommendation is delivered with reasoning and is never a paid placement.
Updates
The datasets are continuously checked against provider sources. Every sovereignty assessment carries a verification date (last checked), the category ratings a review date. Provider changes – new services, certificates, pricing models – are incorporated on an ongoing basis.
Who is behind this
comparison.cloud is operated by TIMETOACT GROUP. Editorial responsibility for methodology and ratings lies with Marc Achsnich and the cloud team at synaigy (TIMETOACT GROUP) – with years of project experience in cloud strategy, migration and operations on hyperscalers and European platforms.
Funding & independence: the comparison is free and ad-free. TIMETOACT GROUP offers complementary consulting and migration services; these are labelled as such and have no influence on ratings or recommendations.
Found an error?
Data quality lives on corrections: if a data point is outdated or wrong, report it via the contact form – we verify against the primary source and fix it. About