How to Choose a Dedicated Server in Europe

The term "dedicated server in Europe" encompasses hundreds of real-life configurations, and by itself, it does not provide any information on network, legal and technical specifics of the service. Here are the key points to consider when selecting one European option over another.

What should I actually check when choosing a dedicated server location in Europe?

The server's proximity to the major internet exchange point, GDPR compliance, and physical specifics of data center that determine reliability of the service. Being "in Europe" can mean many things.

We operate three European locations ourselves — Frankfurt, London, and Amsterdam — chosen for their access to major exchange points rather than for the continent name alone.

Each of them requires its separate consideration since there is no guarantee of having a server located near the internet exchange, meeting GDPR regulations, etc. just because it says "in Europe."

Why does proximity to a major European internet exchange matter?

Networks of DE-CIX in Frankfurt and AMS-IX in Amsterdam include hundreds of networks, and they provide tens of terabits of the capacity. A server that is peered in one of such locations has shorter path to the majority of other servers on the continent.

Per Wikipedia's entry on DE-CIX, "DE-CIX Frankfurt is one of the largest Internet exchanges in the world" with "throughput of 19.6 terabits per second," and per Wikipedia's entry on AMS-IX, that network connects "882" participants and reached "12.019 Tb/s" of traffic.

Does GDPR apply the same way no matter which EU country I choose?

Yes. Obligations related to protection of personal data defined by GDPR are uniformly applicable to each EU member state, so the choice of country makes little difference.

Per Wikipedia's entry on the GDPR, controllers must ensure "appropriate technical and organizational measures" for protecting personal data — obligations that are uniformly applicable in the whole EU, not related to any particular member state.

What data center location factors matter beyond just "being in Europe"?

Proximity to power grid, telecommunications infrastructure, transportation, and climate since it influences costs of cooling and geological hazards. All these factors differ dramatically depending on whether your data center is situated in Northern or Southern Europe.

Per Wikipedia's entry on data centers, siting factors "include proximity to power grids, telecommunications infrastructure, networking services, transportation lines, and emergency services," along with "geological risks, and climate (associated with cooling costs)" — these parameters are very different for Stockholm and Madrid data centers, even though both of them are "in Europe."

Does renting versus buying change anything specific to a European deployment?

It does not make any difference specific to Europe, but the same logic still applies: the usage-based billing shifts costs from the high initial investment to continuous operational expenses. It makes no difference whether the server is situated in Frankfurt or any other place.

Per Wikipedia's entry on cloud computing, the difference is in shifting costs "from an operational expenditure model, where costs scale with usage" rather than large one-time expense paid upfront — a parameter that has nothing to do with geographic specifics and everything to do with billing scheme.

Our Bare Metal servers and VPS plans might be compared to the criteria listed above depending on the area in Europe that you consider.