Bare metal cloud: what actually matters when you choose a provider in Europe
Knowledge blog
Bare metal cloud shows up in a lot of buying research right now, and for good reason. If your workload needs consistent performance without the noisy neighbours of shared virtualization, a dedicated physical server is often the more predictable answer. But “bare metal” alone does not tell you much about whether a provider fits your situation. Here is what to actually check.
Where does the hardware live
Bare metal only makes sense if you know exactly where your data sits and who operates the facility around it. Some providers lease space in third-party data centers, others own and run their own. Worldstream owns its data centers in Europe, which means the same organisation that sells you the server also runs the building it sits in.
Network capacity and protection
A fast server is only as good as the network behind it. Ask about total network capacity and whether DDoS protection is included or an add-on. Worldstream runs a 10 Tbit/s+ network and includes 20 Gbit/s DDoS protection as standard, so it is not something you need to negotiate separately.
Pricing you can actually plan around
Bare metal pricing can get complicated once you add bandwidth tiers, support fees, or usage-based surprises. It is worth asking any provider for a fixed monthly price, in writing, before you sign. Worldstream works with fixed monthly pricing: what you agree today is what shows up on tomorrow’s invoice.
Support when something actually breaks
Hardware fails eventually, that is just physics. What matters is how fast someone picks up the phone or ticket. Worldstream’s support team answers in an average of 7 minutes, 24/7/365.
Compliance and independence
If you operate in a regulated industry, ask for proof, not promises. Worldstream holds SOC 1 and SOC 2 Type II assurance and is PCI-DSS compliant, and works on an independent, no-lock-in basis, so you are not forced into a wider platform to get bare metal.
Scale and hardware choice
Worldstream manages 15,000+ active servers, offers Instant Delivery for standard configurations plus custom builds, and runs a strong AMD EPYC line alongside AI/GPU servers for heavier workloads.
Making the decision
There is no single right answer here, providers like Hetzner, OVHcloud and Scaleway each have their own footprint and approach, and so does Worldstream. The honest way to choose is to list your own requirements (data location, network capacity, support speed, compliance, hardware type) and check each provider’s actual answers against that list, not against marketing claims.
If you want to talk through your specific setup, Worldstream’s team is happy to think along.
FAQ
It is a dedicated physical server, not shared with other customers, that you can still order and manage in a cloud-like way, for example with instant delivery or custom configurations.