OpenAI API

API platform for GPT, DALL-E, Whisper and other foundation models

OVHcloud AI

European sovereign AI infrastructure—GPU compute and managed LLM APIs from France

OpenAI API

Moderate

14/25

OVHcloud AI

Excellent

25/25

Score Breakdown

DimensionOpenAI APIOVHcloud AI

Data Residency

Where is your data stored and processed?

OpenAI API: All data processed on US-based Microsoft Azure infrastructure. No EU data residency option available. Enterprise customers cannot choose hosting region.

OVHcloud AI: Exclusively European data centres with full EU sovereign cloud capabilities. SecNumCloud-qualified infrastructure for highest-sensitivity French public sector requirements. Multiple EU country options (France, Germany, UK, Poland). Maximum data residency score.

2/5

All data processed on US-based Microsoft Azure infrastructure. No EU data residency option available. Enterprise customers cannot choose hosting region.

5/5

Exclusively European data centres with full EU sovereign cloud capabilities. SecNumCloud-qualified infrastructure for highest-sensitivity French public sector requirements. Multiple EU country options (France, Germany, UK, Poland). Maximum data residency score.

Legal Jurisdiction

Which laws govern the company and your data?

OpenAI API: US Delaware LLC subject to US jurisdiction including CLOUD Act. Offers GDPR-compliant DPA for EU customers, but legal entity is solely US-based.

OVHcloud AI: French SA incorporated under French law, subject to GDPR and EU AI Act as corporate law. No US parent, no CLOUD Act exposure. Founding member of GAIA-X. Active participant in EU sovereignty frameworks. Highest possible legal jurisdiction score.

2/5

US Delaware LLC subject to US jurisdiction including CLOUD Act. Offers GDPR-compliant DPA for EU customers, but legal entity is solely US-based.

5/5

French SA incorporated under French law, subject to GDPR and EU AI Act as corporate law. No US parent, no CLOUD Act exposure. Founding member of GAIA-X. Active participant in EU sovereignty frameworks. Highest possible legal jurisdiction score.

Data Retention & Training

Is your data used for model training?

OpenAI API: API data not used for model training by default. Zero data retention option available. Clear data retention policies documented. Abuse monitoring data retained for 30 days.

OVHcloud AI: Customer data fully isolated per project. Not used for cross-customer model training. Configurable retention, audit logging, and data deletion workflows. GDPR-compliant DPA included with all cloud services.

4/5

API data not used for model training by default. Zero data retention option available. Clear data retention policies documented. Abuse monitoring data retained for 30 days.

5/5

Customer data fully isolated per project. Not used for cross-customer model training. Configurable retention, audit logging, and data deletion workflows. GDPR-compliant DPA included with all cloud services.

Certifications

ISO 27001, SOC 2, Cyber Essentials, etc.

OpenAI API: SOC 2 Type II certified. GDPR DPA available. No ISO 27001 or C5 certification publicly disclosed.

OVHcloud AI: ISO 27001, ISO 27017, ISO 27018, SOC 2 Type II, HDS (healthcare data hosting), and SecNumCloud qualification. Among the most comprehensively certified European cloud providers. HDS makes OVHcloud suitable for French healthcare AI workloads.

3/5

SOC 2 Type II certified. GDPR DPA available. No ISO 27001 or C5 certification publicly disclosed.

5/5

ISO 27001, ISO 27017, ISO 27018, SOC 2 Type II, HDS (healthcare data hosting), and SecNumCloud qualification. Among the most comprehensively certified European cloud providers. HDS makes OVHcloud suitable for French healthcare AI workloads.

Regulatory Fit

Suitability for regulated industries and professional services

OpenAI API: Suitable for many business use cases with appropriate DPA. Enterprise tier offers enhanced compliance. Not ideal for highly regulated EU industries requiring data sovereignty.

OVHcloud AI: Maximum regulatory fit for European organisations. SecNumCloud for French public sector and defence-adjacent workloads. HDS for healthcare. GDPR-native design. NIS2-aligned operational resilience. The strongest sovereignty profile of any managed AI infrastructure provider.

3/5

Suitable for many business use cases with appropriate DPA. Enterprise tier offers enhanced compliance. Not ideal for highly regulated EU industries requiring data sovereignty.

5/5

Maximum regulatory fit for European organisations. SecNumCloud for French public sector and defence-adjacent workloads. HDS for healthcare. GDPR-native design. NIS2-aligned operational resilience. The strongest sovereignty profile of any managed AI infrastructure provider.

Total Score

14/25

25/25

Best For

OpenAI API

Best for privacy-conscious teams who need strong data retention controls; teams on a tight budget.

OVHcloud AI

Best for EU-headquartered organisations needing maximum data sovereignty; organisations requiring broad certification coverage (ISO 27001, ISO 27017, ISO 27018); regulated industries (CNIL, ANSSI); privacy-conscious teams who need strong data retention controls.

Detailed Comparison

OpenAI API vs OVHcloud AI: Trust & Compliance Comparison

OpenAI API (OpenAI, US) scores 14/25 overall with a Bronze (Moderate) trust badge. API platform for GPT, DALL-E, Whisper and other foundation models. OVHcloud AI (OVHcloud, FR) scores 25/25 with a Gold (Excellent) trust badge. European sovereign AI infrastructure—GPU compute and managed LLM APIs from France.

Dimension-by-Dimension Breakdown

#### Data Residency

OVHcloud AI leads with 5/5 vs 2/5.

●OpenAI API (2/5): All data processed on US-based Microsoft Azure infrastructure. No EU data residency option available. Enterprise customers cannot choose hosting region.

●OVHcloud AI (5/5): Exclusively European data centres with full EU sovereign cloud capabilities. SecNumCloud-qualified infrastructure for highest-sensitivity French public sector requirements. Multiple EU country options (France, Germany, UK, Poland). Maximum data residency score.

#### Legal Jurisdiction

OVHcloud AI leads with 5/5 vs 2/5.

●OpenAI API (2/5): US Delaware LLC subject to US jurisdiction including CLOUD Act. Offers GDPR-compliant DPA for EU customers, but legal entity is solely US-based.

●OVHcloud AI (5/5): French SA incorporated under French law, subject to GDPR and EU AI Act as corporate law. No US parent, no CLOUD Act exposure. Founding member of GAIA-X. Active participant in EU sovereignty frameworks. Highest possible legal jurisdiction score.

#### Data Retention & Training

OVHcloud AI leads with 5/5 vs 4/5.

●OpenAI API (4/5): API data not used for model training by default. Zero data retention option available. Clear data retention policies documented. Abuse monitoring data retained for 30 days.

●OVHcloud AI (5/5): Customer data fully isolated per project. Not used for cross-customer model training. Configurable retention, audit logging, and data deletion workflows. GDPR-compliant DPA included with all cloud services.

#### Certifications

OVHcloud AI leads with 5/5 vs 3/5.

●OpenAI API (3/5): SOC 2 Type II certified. GDPR DPA available. No ISO 27001 or C5 certification publicly disclosed.

●OVHcloud AI (5/5): ISO 27001, ISO 27017, ISO 27018, SOC 2 Type II, HDS (healthcare data hosting), and SecNumCloud qualification. Among the most comprehensively certified European cloud providers. HDS makes OVHcloud suitable for French healthcare AI workloads.

#### Regulatory Fit

OVHcloud AI leads with 5/5 vs 3/5.

●OpenAI API (3/5): Suitable for many business use cases with appropriate DPA. Enterprise tier offers enhanced compliance. Not ideal for highly regulated EU industries requiring data sovereignty.

●OVHcloud AI (5/5): Maximum regulatory fit for European organisations. SecNumCloud for French public sector and defence-adjacent workloads. HDS for healthcare. GDPR-native design. NIS2-aligned operational resilience. The strongest sovereignty profile of any managed AI infrastructure provider.

Certifications at a Glance

Certification	OpenAI API	OVHcloud AI
GDPR DPA	Yes	No
HDS	No	Yes
ISO 27001	No	Yes
ISO 27017	No	Yes
ISO 27018	No	Yes
SOC 2 Type II	Yes	Yes
SecNumCloud	No	Yes

Overall Verdict

OVHcloud AI has a clear trust advantage, scoring 25/25 compared to OpenAI API's 14/25. OVHcloud AI particularly excels in data residency, legal jurisdiction, data retention & training, certifications, regulatory fit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better for EU compliance, OpenAI API or OVHcloud AI?

OpenAI API has a TrustKit score of 14/25 while OVHcloud AI scores 25/25. OVHcloud AI currently rates higher across data residency, legal jurisdiction, data retention, certifications, and regulatory fit.

How do OpenAI API and OVHcloud AI compare on data residency?

OpenAI API scores 2/5 for data residency (All data processed on US-based Microsoft Azure infrastructure. No EU data residency option available. Enterprise customers cannot choose hosting region.), while OVHcloud AI scores 5/5 (Exclusively European data centres with full EU sovereign cloud capabilities. SecNumCloud-qualified infrastructure for highest-sensitivity French public sector requirements. Multiple EU country options (France, Germany, UK, Poland). Maximum data residency score.).

Are OpenAI API and OVHcloud AI GDPR compliant?

Both tools are assessed across five compliance dimensions. OpenAI API has a regulatory fit score of 3/5 and OVHcloud AI scores 5/5. Check the full comparison above for a detailed breakdown.

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