CMS & Website Builder · European (self-hosted) (EU)
WordPress + EU Hosting
The world's leading CMS, sovereignty-first when self-hosted on EU infrastructure.
The switch
WordPress.com / WP Engine→WordPress + EU Hostingalso replaces Squarespace
About
WordPress core is open source (GPL) and entirely self-hostable. When paired with a GDPR-native EU host (Hetzner, OVHcloud, Infomaniak), you get complete data sovereignty. The most widely used CMS on earth, with full control.
Why we recommend it
- GPLv2 — self-host on any EU server
- 43%+ of all websites on earth
- No telemetry when self-hosted
- Massive plugin ecosystem (60,000+)
- Pair with Hetzner/OVH for full sovereignty
EU vs USA
WordPress + EU Hosting vs WordPress.com / WP Engine
Side-by-side on jurisdiction, data residency, and the rules that decide who can actually read your data.
Criteria
🇪🇺 WordPress + EU Hosting
🇺🇸 WordPress.com / WP Engine
Headquarters
Open source project — host where you choose
San Francisco, CA, USA
Jurisdiction
EU (GDPR) — depends on chosen host
USA (CLOUD Act, FISA 702)
Data location
Your EU server
Global, US-controlled
GDPR-native
Yes
No
CLOUD Act / FISA exposed
No
Yes
Ad tracking
No
Yes
End-to-end encryption
No
No
Open source
Yes
Yes
Ownership
WordPress Foundation (non-profit) + Automattic
Automattic Inc. (private) / WP Engine (private)
Founded
2003
2005
Compare head-to-head