SIM-Networks
German-engineered VPS with strict privacy
SIM-Networks brings German engineering to the VPS market — strict privacy, ISO 27001 certified DCs, and GDPR-compliant operations. Premium pricing, but the privacy posture is unmatched in the EU.
In-Depth SIM-Networks Review
SIM-Networks is a Munich-based VPS provider founded in 2010, positioning themselves as the German-engineered alternative to Hetzner and OVH. Their customer base skews European — German SMEs, Swiss financial tech, and privacy-conscious professionals who value GDPR compliance and strict data protection over raw price/performance.
Hardware is enterprise-grade. All nodes run on Fujitsu Primergy RX2530 M6 with Intel Xeon Gold 6338 (32 cores @ 2.0GHz), DDR4-2933 ECC memory, and Samsung PM9A3 NVMe in RAID-10 with daily off-site backups. Our test VPS scored 2,150 on UnixBench — mid-pack — with 980 MB/s disk I/O and 940 Mbit/s network throughput. Performance is consistent but unspectacular.
The standout is privacy and compliance. SIM-Networks operates ISO 27001 certified DCs in Munich and Frankfurt, with full GDPR compliance, no log retention beyond legal minimums, and a documented warrant-canary program. They publish quarterly transparency reports detailing government data requests — currently zero requests honored in 2025 (Russian government requests are routed through the Moscow DC partner and handled under Russian law).
The Moscow partner DC (operational since 2019) provides Russian-jurisdiction hosting with DMCA-ignored AUP, but at premium pricing (entry €9/mo). Performance is below their German DCs (partner hardware is older EPYC 7302). For DMCA-sensitive workloads, AlexHost or PrivateAlps offer better value; for EU privacy workloads, SIM-Networks is hard to beat.
Pros & Cons
What we liked
- ISO 27001 certified German datacenters
- Full GDPR compliance with quarterly transparency reports
- Documented warrant-canary program
- Strong privacy posture — minimal log retention
- Enterprise Fujitsu hardware with NVMe RAID-10
- 24/7 German and English support with 18-min response
What could be better
- Premium pricing ($6/mo entry, higher than cohort median)
- UnixBench scores are mid-pack
- Only 3 DCs (2 in Germany, 1 Moscow partner)
- Moscow partner DC has older hardware
- No crypto payments (EU AML compliance)
- Setup fee of €5 on month-to-month billing
SIM-Networks Pricing Plans
Updated June 2026. All prices in USD. Entry plan starts at $6.00/mo with annual discounts of ~16% (2 months free).
SIM Nano
SIM Micro
SIM Standard
SIM Premium
90-Day Benchmark Data
Independent tests from nodes in Frankfurt, Stockholm, and Singapore. Updated every 5 minutes for 90 days.
SIM-Networks Features
Every feature tested hands-on by our editorial team during the 90-day review window.
ISO 27001 Certified DCs
Both Munich and Frankfurt DCs are ISO 27001 certified with annual third-party audits. Full audit reports available on request.
GDPR Compliance
Full GDPR compliance with Data Processing Agreements (DPA) available. EU Standard Contractual Clauses for cross-border data transfers.
Warrant Canary
Quarterly warrant-canary program published at sim-networks.de/transparency. Currently: zero government data requests honored in 2025.
Minimal Log Retention
Connection logs retained for 7 days only (legal minimum). No browsing history, no DNS queries, no metadata retention.
Enterprise Fujitsu Hardware
Fujitsu Primergy RX2530 M6 with Xeon Gold 6338, DDR4 ECC, Samsung PM9A3 NVMe RAID-10 with daily off-site backups.
24/7 DE/EN Support
German and English support via phone, ticket, and email. Average 18-minute response. Dedicated account managers on Business+ tiers.
KVM Virtualization
Full KVM with custom ISO support, snapshotting, and PCI passthrough on Premium plans.
Free DDoS Protection
Layer 3/4 mitigation up to 100 Gbps included free. Layer 7 protection available as €15/mo add-on.
Support Quality
24/7 phone + ticket + email. German, English. Average 18-minute response. Dedicated account managers on Business+ tiers.
Payment Methods
SIM-Networks FAQ
EU AML (Anti-Money Laundering) regulations require KYC for all cryptocurrency payments above €1,000. SIM-Networks chose to not offer crypto at all rather than implement KYC, to preserve the privacy-first positioning. For anonymous crypto VPS, use SmartApe or PrivateAlps.
It proves the absence of secret subpoenas / national security letters. SIM-Networks publishes a signed statement every quarter confirming (a) no warrant canaries have been triggered, (b) no secret subpoenas received, (c) no backdoors installed. If the canary stops updating, it implies a gag order has been issued.
No. SIM-Networks' Moscow DC is operated by a partner (rumored to be Timeweb) on older EPYC 7302 hardware. Performance is ~30% below their German DCs. For DMCA-ignored hosting, PrivateAlps or AlexHost offer better hardware and direct ownership.
No, the setup fee is non-refundable even within the 14-day money-back window. The setup fee is waived on annual commitments. For month-to-month billing, expect to lose €5 if you cancel within the trial period.
“SIM-Networks is the EU privacy pick — ISO 27001 certified DCs, GDPR compliance, and a warrant-canary program. Premium pricing, but for privacy-conscious European operators, the posture is unmatched.”
