Self-hosted AI and Europe
European alternatives to ChatGPT (2026): the options side by side
Frans Hoorn · · 4 min read The short answer
Yes, there are full European alternatives to ChatGPT for business use. Mistral Vibe (formerly Le Chat) from France is the most complete; there are also assistants built around privacy, and open models you run in a European cloud or on your own servers. Which one fits depends mostly on how sensitive your data is.
How this list was made
- Criteria: a European provider or European hosting, clarity about where the data is stored, business terms and what the product can do.
- Source: the providers’ own websites and documentation, checked in October 2026.
- Independent: AI Heroes sells none of these products. We build model-agnostic, so you can switch later.
- Review: every six months. Products and names change quickly; Le Chat, for example, has been called Vibe since May 2026.
European assistants: ready to use
Mistral Vibe (Mistral AI, France)
- What it is: Mistral AI’s assistant, known as Le Chat until May 2026. With plans for individuals, teams and organisations.
- Strong in: general office work, writing, summarising and searching, with connectors for email and documents, among others.
- Data: hosted in the EU by default. Check in your contract which subprocessors handle data.
- Suits: organisations that want a full business assistant from a European provider.
Lumo (Proton, Switzerland)
- What it is: the AI assistant from Proton, the company behind Proton Mail, with a business plan.
- Strong in: privacy and confidentiality; conversations are not used to train models.
- Data: with Proton in Europe. Switzerland is outside the EU, but has its own privacy law that the EU recognises as adequate.
- Suits: law firms, financial advisers and other professions where confidentiality comes first.
Aleph Alpha (Germany)
- What it is: a German AI provider focused on governments and large organisations, with a platform for building your own applications.
- Note: a combination with the Canadian company Cohere was announced in 2026. Ask what that means for where your data is stored and which law it falls under.
- Suits: governments and regulated sectors looking for a European platform for their own applications.
Open models in a European cloud
If you want to build your own application, such as a knowledge assistant or customer service, you usually use a model through a cloud provider. These European providers offer open models, including Mistral’s:
| Provider | Country | What they offer |
|---|---|---|
| OVHcloud AI Endpoints | France | Open models through an API, hosted under European jurisdiction |
| Scaleway Generative APIs | France | Open models through an API, hosted in Paris |
| IONOS AI Model Hub | Germany | Open models through an API, processing in Germany |
EuroLLM deserves a separate mention: a fully open language model, trained in Europe for all 24 official EU languages. The largest version, EuroLLM-22B, came out in December 2025. You can run it yourself or use it through a cloud provider.
On your own servers
For the most sensitive data you run an open model on your own hardware or in your own data centre. Compact open models are good enough for many business tasks, such as summarising, searching documents and processing forms. The data then never leaves your own environment. What that takes and costs is explained in AI on your own servers.
The comparison in one table
| Route | Where the data is | Strong in | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mistral Vibe | EU, by default | Full business assistant | General office work |
| Lumo | Europe (Switzerland) | Privacy and confidentiality | Professions bound by confidentiality |
| Aleph Alpha | Germany | Platform for your own applications | Government and regulated sectors |
| Open model in a European cloud | France or Germany | Building your own applications | Business processes with customer or company data |
| Open model on your own servers | Your own environment | Full control | The most sensitive data |
Which one fits?
- General office work, little sensitive data: a European assistant such as Mistral Vibe.
- Confidential files: an assistant built around privacy, or your own application on a European model.
- Business processes with customer or company data: your own application on an open model in a European cloud, connected to your systems.
- The most sensitive data, such as healthcare or government: an open model on your own servers.
The honest caveat
The largest American models are still ahead on some tasks, such as complex reasoning and programming. For most business applications that gap is small. The question is what your application needs. The best way to find out is to test on your own data and questions before you choose.
What AI Heroes does here
We set up a European alternative for your team, or build an application on a European or self-hosted model. Model-agnostic, so you can switch later without rebuilding. Read how we approach it in introducing a European alternative and self-hosted AI. If you want to explore it internally first, the digital sovereignty session is a good start.
The assistant on this site works the same way: it runs in Europe, with a model we can switch.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a full European alternative to ChatGPT?
Yes. Mistral Vibe, called Le Chat until May 2026, has business plans for teams and organisations and does most of what you expect from an AI assistant. For specific applications you can also run an open model in a European cloud or on your own servers.
Which AI providers are European?
Among others Mistral AI (France), Aleph Alpha (Germany) and Proton with Lumo (Switzerland). European cloud providers such as OVHcloud, Scaleway and IONOS also offer access to open models, and EuroLLM is an open model trained in Europe for all official EU languages.
Why choose a European alternative?
To know where your data is stored and which law it falls under. The US CLOUD Act can oblige American companies to hand over data, even when it is stored in Europe. For government, healthcare and organisations with sensitive customer data, that is often a reason to choose European.
Is a European alternative GDPR compliant?
European hosting makes it easier, but you still have to arrange everything the GDPR asks: a legal basis, a data processing agreement and agreements about which data may go in. Read AI and the GDPR.
What does switching cost?
The subscriptions themselves are often in the same range as those of American providers; check current prices with the provider. If you want us to set it up for your team and connect it to your systems, that starts with a six‑day start sprint from €8,000. A build starts from €15,000.
Can I replace Copilot with a European alternative?
For the assistant itself, yes. Copilot sits deep inside Microsoft 365; a European alternative connects to the same documents and email through an integration. That takes more setting up, and that is exactly what we work out in a start sprint.
Want to set up a European alternative for your team, connected to your own systems? This is how we approach it.
Introduce a European alternativeFurther reading
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AI and the GDPR: what to arrange before you use personal data
When the GDPR applies to AI, what you need to arrange (legal basis, data minimisation, data processing agreement, DPIA), where the data may be stored and how the GDPR and the AI Act work side by side.
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AI and information security: the risks and what to do about them
Which security risks does AI bring, such as data leaks through prompts and prompt injection, and how do they fit into ISO 27001 and NIS2? The measure for each risk.
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AI agencies in the Netherlands compared (2026)
Ten AI agencies in the Netherlands side by side, with what each is strong in and who it suits. With the criteria, a comparison table and a guide to choosing. Checked in October 2026.
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