Data residency in Switzerland and the EU

Your data stays where you put it

Residency is a property of the whole deployment, not of the main database alone. Pilae keeps every copy of your data in the location you choose.

You choose the country

Dedicated machines in Zurich or an EU region, one of six worldwide regions, your own datacentre, or a mix. New locations on request.

Every copy, same place

App data, files, backups and logs stay in the country you choose. Your contract names each location.

Dedicated machines

In Pilae Cloud your apps run on machines dedicated to you, in ISO 27001-certified datacentres in the region you choose.

Backups that stay put

Backups are encrypted before they leave your machine and kept at a second site in the same jurisdiction, so the storage provider holds only data it cannot read.

Switzerland, the EU or your own premises

You decide where your data lives. Pilae Cloud runs your apps on dedicated machines in Switzerland and the EU: Zurich, the default for Swiss data, Frankfurt, Falkenstein, Gravelines, Amsterdam and Helsinki. For teams that need them, six more regions are available worldwide: London, Ashburn, Hillsboro, Singapore, Tokyo and Sydney. New locations can be provisioned on request. Your own premises work the same way, including air-gapped sites. A hybrid deployment can place each app in a different location. On the Starter plan, Pilae chooses the site among its 10+ locations; to name the location yourself, choose Business or Enterprise.

Residency covers every copy. The app database, uploaded files, backups and logs stay in the region you choose, with backups on a second site in the same jurisdiction. Your contract names each region. See all regions.

The law that applies to your data

Your contract is with Pilae SA, a Swiss company, and is governed by Swiss law. Personal data is processed under the Swiss Federal Act on Data Protection, the nLPD, and the GDPR where it applies. See nLPD compliance and our data processing agreement.

The CLOUD Act, explained plainly

The US CLOUD Act lets US authorities require US companies to hand over data they control, wherever it is stored. It reaches providers under US jurisdiction, so the design goal is that no such provider sits in your data path. In Swiss and EU regions, the machines that hold your apps and backups are run by European datacentre operators, outside US jurisdiction. The worldwide regions work differently: a workload placed in a US region is stored in the US and subject to US law on data held there, so keep data that must stay under Swiss or EU law in Zurich or an EU region.

A few supporting services, such as the network edge and email notifications, come from US companies. None of them holds your application databases or files, and your signed data processing agreement names each one with its role.

Some of your own choices add US exposure. A US-hosted AI model or Microsoft Entra ID for sign-in each puts some data with a US provider. We name each one when you choose it and offer a European or self-hosted alternative, such as Keycloak for identity.

How we set your data residency

Map your data

We list the apps you run, the data each holds and any residency rules your sector or clients impose.

Choose the location

Switzerland, an EU country, your premises or a hybrid, per app if you need it.

Write it into the contract

The location of every machine and every backup target is named in your contract and data processing agreement.

Keep it there

Moving any data to another location requires your written agreement. The console shows where each app runs.

What your contract includes

Locations

The country of every machine and every backup target, named per app.

No transfer without consent

Data is not moved to another country without your written agreement.

Sub-processors

Covered by your data processing agreement, with notice before any change.

Governing law

Your contract with Pilae SA is governed by Swiss law.

Exit

Your data exported in open formats at the end of the contract, then deleted with a written confirmation.

Questions

Can my data stay in Switzerland?

Yes. Choose Zurich for Pilae Cloud or run on your own premises in Switzerland, and your apps, backups and logs stay in Switzerland. Your contract names each location.

Does the US CLOUD Act apply to Pilae?

The CLOUD Act reaches companies under US jurisdiction. What matters is where your data sits and who operates the machines. In Swiss and EU regions the machines that hold your apps and backups are run by European datacentre operators, outside US jurisdiction, and on your own premises nothing leaves your walls. A workload you place in a US region is stored in the US and subject to US law on data held there. A few supporting services, such as the network edge and email delivery, come from US companies. They are named in the DPA and do not hold your application databases or files. Connecting a US service yourself, such as a US-hosted AI model or Microsoft Entra ID, also brings US exposure, and we point that out when you choose.

Are backups kept in the same country as my apps?

Yes. Backups go to a second site in the same jurisdiction as the region you choose, encrypted before they leave, and they are named in your contract alongside the machines.

Can Pilae engineers outside my country access my data?

Access is limited to named Pilae engineers, over the private network, with every session recorded in the audit log. Where your rules require it, your contract restricts access to engineers in specific countries.

Can I run some apps on premises and others in Pilae Cloud?

Yes. A hybrid deployment places each app where its data needs to be, managed from one console and one private network.

Data residency in Switzerland and the EU for your open-source apps