AWS → IONOS

Migrating from AWS to IONOS

IONOS (German, part of United Internet / 1&1) runs a broad managed catalogue (Managed Kubernetes, managed databases and S3-compatible object storage) from EU datacentres, and pairs it with strong price/performance. The distinctive twist is provisioning: IONOS is built around the Data Center Designer (DCD) and its Cloud API, a different model from the AWS console and CloudFormation. This page is concrete about what maps cleanly, what the DCD model changes, and where the real gaps sit.

Which AWS services have a true IONOS equivalent?

Graded conservatively. IONOS covers more of the managed layer than an IaaS-only provider, so most rows land on the mature side.

AWS services and their IONOS equivalents, each with a migration verdict.
AWSIONOSVerdict
Amazon S3IONOS Object Storage S3-compatible with one of the higher levels of S3 API coverage; most SDKs repoint by endpoint.Equivalent
Amazon EBSIONOS Block Storage Network block volumes with snapshots. Direct equivalent.Equivalent
Amazon EC2IONOS Compute Engine / Cubes Flexible vCPU/RAM instances (Compute Engine) and fixed-size Cubes, provisioned via the DCD.Equivalent
Amazon EKSIONOS Managed Kubernetes Managed control plane; portable manifests move with little friction.Equivalent
Amazon ECRIONOS Container Registry OCI registry for your images. Covered.Equivalent
Amazon RDS / AuroraIONOS Managed Databases (PostgreSQL) Managed PostgreSQL, MongoDB and MariaDB; Aurora-specific features have no twin.Partial
Amazon ElastiCacheIONOS Managed Databases (in-memory) Managed relational/document databases are covered; a managed Redis/Valkey is thinner, so verify or self-host.Partial
Amazon Route 53IONOS Cloud DNS Managed authoritative DNS; Route 53 routing policies are rebuilt by hand.Equivalent
AWS LambdaNo managed twin No serverless functions. Event-driven code runs on Kubernetes or VMs.No managed twin
Amazon MSK / KinesisNo managed twin (self-host Kafka / Redpanda) No first-party managed Kafka; streaming is self-hosted.No managed twin
Amazon DynamoDBNo managed twin (self-host ScyllaDB) No managed serverless wide-column NoSQL.No managed twin

What does the IONOS model change?

IONOS closes most of the managed catalogue, so the edges are about the provisioning model and two real gaps.

  • IONOS provisions through the Data Center Designer (DCD) and its Cloud API / Terraform provider. It is powerful, but a different model from the AWS console and CloudFormation, so IaC and tooling are rebuilt rather than translated.
  • No serverless functions and no first-party managed Kafka; those retarget to Kubernetes-hosted or self-managed equivalents.
  • DynamoDB-style NoSQL has no managed twin. Self-host ScyllaDB/Cassandra.
  • Object Storage is S3-compatible with high API coverage, so storage access is one of the cleaner parts of the move.

Which of your services move cleanly?

Scoped to the rows IONOS covers as managed services. Search or filter by verdict.

8 capabilities

  • Object storage

    Hyperscaler Amazon S3 Azure Blob Storage Google Cloud Storage
    EU-sovereign path Scaleway Object StorageOVHcloud Object Storage
    Verdict Mature

    S3-compatible API. A drop-in target for most SDKs, backups and static assets.

  • Block storage

    Hyperscaler Amazon EBS Azure Managed Disks Persistent Disk / Hyperdisk
    EU-sovereign path Scaleway Block StorageOVHcloud Block Storage
    Verdict Mature

    Network block volumes with snapshots. Standard building block, well covered.

  • Virtual machines

    Hyperscaler Amazon EC2 Azure Virtual Machines Google Compute Engine
    EU-sovereign path Scaleway InstancesOVHcloud Public CloudHetzner Cloud
    Verdict Mature

    General-purpose and dedicated instances are a solved problem in the EU.

  • Managed Kubernetes

    Hyperscaler Amazon EKS Azure AKS Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE)
    EU-sovereign path Scaleway KapsuleOVHcloud Managed Kubernetes
    Verdict Mature

    CNCF-conformant managed control planes. Portable workloads move with little friction.

  • Container registry

    Hyperscaler Amazon ECR Azure Container Registry Google Artifact Registry
    EU-sovereign path Scaleway Container RegistryOVHcloud Managed Private RegistryHarbor (self-hosted)
    Verdict Mature

    OCI registries are commodity. Self-hosted Harbor is a fully sovereign fallback.

  • Managed PostgreSQL

    Hyperscaler Amazon RDS / Aurora Azure Database for PostgreSQL Cloud SQL / AlloyDB for PostgreSQL
    EU-sovereign path Scaleway Managed DatabaseOVHcloud Managed DatabasesAiven for PostgreSQL
    Verdict Viable

    Standard PostgreSQL is well served. Aurora-specific features (e.g. global database, serverless v2 autoscaling) have no exact twin, so plan around them.

  • Managed cache (Redis/Valkey)

    Hyperscaler Amazon ElastiCache Azure Cache for Redis Memorystore for Redis
    EU-sovereign path Scaleway Managed Database for RedisAiven for Valkey/Redis
    Verdict Viable

    In-memory caching is well covered; Valkey is the emerging open successor to Redis.

  • Authoritative DNS

    Hyperscaler Amazon Route 53 Azure DNS Google Cloud DNS
    EU-sovereign path Scaleway Domains & DNSOVHcloud DNSBunny DNS
    Verdict Viable

    Managed authoritative DNS is well covered. Route 53's routing policies need a manual rebuild.

Verdicts are conservative and reflect managed, EU-jurisdiction offerings as of 2026. Provider feature sets move quickly, so we re-check on every engagement.

How many engineer-days does this take?

35–80 engineer-days

A directional range for a mid-sized estate. The DCD/IaC rebuild is the recurring line item that lifts the low end.

  • A mid-sized estate: ~20–40 VMs, managed PostgreSQL, object storage, one or two Kubernetes clusters and CI/CD.
  • The low end assumes S3-, Kubernetes- and PostgreSQL-shaped workloads mapping to IONOS managed services.
  • The high end assumes rebuilding IaC/automation around the DCD/Cloud API plus self-hosting streaming and a DynamoDB dependency.
  • Excludes application rewrites, egress from AWS and staff ramp-up on the DCD model.

Where does IONOS actually run?

A wide EU footprint, plus US regions you can simply not select. Keep sovereign workloads in the European datacentres.

  • Frankfurt, Germany (2 sites)Primary EU hub; two separate facilities for in-region resilience.
  • Berlin, GermanySecond German region for residency and DR.
  • Paris, FranceFrench data-residency option.
  • London & Worcester, UKUK regions (post-Brexit adequacy applies).
  • Logroño, SpainSouthern-EU footprint.

What are the honest limitations?

  • A DCD-centric, smaller ecosystem The Data Center Designer model and a smaller third-party ecosystem mean less off-the-shelf IaC and tooling parity than AWS; expect to rebuild automation rather than translate it.
  • Gaps in serverless and streaming No serverless functions, no first-party managed Kafka and no DynamoDB twin; event-driven and streaming workloads are re-platformed onto self-hosted stacks.

What else does a CTO ask before committing?

How disruptive is the Data Center Designer model?
It is capable but different. DCD gives a visual, data-centre-first provisioning model with a Cloud API and Terraform provider behind it. Your AWS CloudFormation/CDK IaC does not translate. You rebuild it against the IONOS provider. Plan that as explicit work, not a footnote.
Is IONOS’s managed database enough to leave RDS?
For standard PostgreSQL, MongoDB and MariaDB, yes. The gaps are Aurora-specific features and a thinner managed in-memory cache. Verify your Redis/ElastiCache dependency, and be ready to self-host it if the managed option does not fit.
Is IONOS sovereign for our compliance posture?
Its European datacentres (Germany, France, UK, Spain) are EU-operated with no US parent for the European entity, clearing GDPR and residency when you pin to those regions. Keep regulated data out of the US regions, and confirm any sector-specific certifications you require.