Migrating from AWS to STACKIT
A practical guide to migrating from AWS to STACKIT, Europe's sovereign cloud platform, with a focus on data residency and compliance.
Migrating from AWS to STACKIT: The German Sovereign Cloud Alternative
The German Sovereign Cloud Alternative STACKIT is the cloud platform of Schwarz Digits, part of the Schwarz Group, the German retail group behind Lidl and Kaufland. It is fully German-owned, SEAL 3 certified, and operates only from data centres in Germany and Austria.
The platform was originally built to support the internal infrastructure needs of one of Europeu2019s largest retailers, a business handling millions of transactions every day across 32 countries. It is now available to external customers. For European businesses looking for a cloud platform with German data residency, no US ownership, and certified sovereignty status, STACKIT is a credible option.
This series looks at what STACKIT is, how it compares with AWS, what a migration entails, and which organisations should consider it.
Contents
The Case for German Sovereign Cloud
Why STACKIT exists, what SEAL 3 means, and how the Schwarz Groupu2019s infrastructure background has shaped the platform. Covers the legal case for German cloud ownership, what SEAL 3 certification means in practice, and why the Schwarz Groupu2019s retail-scale engineering track record matters for enterprise customers.
STACKIT vs AWS Core Services Compared
Compute, storage, databases, Kubernetes, messaging, and monitoring mapped service by service. Written for engineers who know AWS, it identifies what maps cleanly to a STACKIT equivalent, where the differences are significant, and where extra migration effort should be expected, particularly in the messaging layer.
Data Sovereignty, CLOUD Act, and DORA Compliance
What STACKITu2019s German ownership means for GDPR, DORA, and compliance in regulated sectors. Explains how German incorporation removes CLOUD Act exposure, why data location alone is not enough, and how STACKITu2019s SEAL 3 status and BSI C5 certification support ICT risk assessments under DORA.
STACKIT Pricing vs AWS u2014 What You Actually Save
Cost comparison across core services, using percentages rather than specific figures that change over time. Covers compute, object storage, managed databases, and Kubernetes, and includes notes on where the savings are most significant and how to use STACKITu2019s pricing calculator to model your own workloads.nn
Migrating from AWS to STACKIT: A Practical Checklist
he migration sequence from audit through to decommissioning, broken into six phases. Includes specific guidance on compute, storage, database, and messaging migration, with notes on the code changes required for teams moving from SQS or Kinesis to RabbitMQ, and how to handle the parallel running phase.
STACKIT for Financial Services and the Public Sector
BSI C5, ISO 27001, DORA compliance, and the EU Commission contract explained in the context of real procurement and audit requirements. Covers financial services, healthcare, legal, and public sector use cases, and explains why STACKITu2019s certification stack removes barriers that rule out most US cloud providers.
Getting Started with STACKIT u2014 Trials, Onboarding, and First Steps
How to access the platform and what to expect from the onboarding process. Covers the enterprise account model, the difference between STACKIT and open self-serve providers, and practical first steps including compute, object storage, and managed databases, with an honest note on who STACKIT is and is not suited for.nn
About iWorks
iWorks is a Dublin-based technology consultancy. We help Irish and European businesses with cloud infrastructure, legacy system modernisation, and digital strategy. For clients where data sovereignty matters, we work with Scaleway and STACKIT as our preferred European cloud providers. This series is aimed at European businesses currently running workloads on AWS who are considering a move to a European sovereign cloud provider. For our Scaleway equivalent series, see here.
If you have questions about anything covered in this series or would like to discuss a migration project, you can reach us here.