OpenAI API

API platform for GPT, DALL-E, Whisper and other foundation models

Nebius AI

European GPU cloud and LLM inference platform built for AI-native businesses

OpenAI API

Moderate

14/25

Nebius AI

Strong

20/25

Score Breakdown

DimensionOpenAI APINebius AI

Data Residency

Where is your data stored and processed?

OpenAI API: All data processed on US-based Microsoft Azure infrastructure. No EU data residency option available. Enterprise customers cannot choose hosting region.

Nebius AI: Data centres located in Finland and the Netherlands—both EU member states. Inference and compute workloads remain within EU borders. Strong data residency story for European AI builders.

2/5

All data processed on US-based Microsoft Azure infrastructure. No EU data residency option available. Enterprise customers cannot choose hosting region.

5/5

Data centres located in Finland and the Netherlands—both EU member states. Inference and compute workloads remain within EU borders. Strong data residency story for European AI builders.

Legal Jurisdiction

Which laws govern the company and your data?

OpenAI API: US Delaware LLC subject to US jurisdiction including CLOUD Act. Offers GDPR-compliant DPA for EU customers, but legal entity is solely US-based.

Nebius AI: Incorporated as Nebius Group N.V. under Dutch law. EU legal jurisdiction applies, with no CLOUD Act exposure. Corporate history as Yandex spin-off warrants due diligence on ownership structure, but current governance is EU-based.

2/5

US Delaware LLC subject to US jurisdiction including CLOUD Act. Offers GDPR-compliant DPA for EU customers, but legal entity is solely US-based.

4/5

Incorporated as Nebius Group N.V. under Dutch law. EU legal jurisdiction applies, with no CLOUD Act exposure. Corporate history as Yandex spin-off warrants due diligence on ownership structure, but current governance is EU-based.

Data Retention & Training

Is your data used for model training?

OpenAI API: API data not used for model training by default. Zero data retention option available. Clear data retention policies documented. Abuse monitoring data retained for 30 days.

Nebius AI: Customer inference requests and training data are not used to train shared models. Tenant isolation architecture. GDPR-compliant data processing posture with configurable retention for enterprise customers.

4/5

API data not used for model training by default. Zero data retention option available. Clear data retention policies documented. Abuse monitoring data retained for 30 days.

4/5

Customer inference requests and training data are not used to train shared models. Tenant isolation architecture. GDPR-compliant data processing posture with configurable retention for enterprise customers.

Certifications

ISO 27001, SOC 2, Cyber Essentials, etc.

OpenAI API: SOC 2 Type II certified. GDPR DPA available. No ISO 27001 or C5 certification publicly disclosed.

Nebius AI: ISO 27001 certification in place. As a relatively new independent entity, the broader certification portfolio (SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27701) is still developing. Expect maturation over 2025-2026.

3/5

SOC 2 Type II certified. GDPR DPA available. No ISO 27001 or C5 certification publicly disclosed.

3/5

ISO 27001 certification in place. As a relatively new independent entity, the broader certification portfolio (SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27701) is still developing. Expect maturation over 2025-2026.

Regulatory Fit

Suitability for regulated industries and professional services

OpenAI API: Suitable for many business use cases with appropriate DPA. Enterprise tier offers enhanced compliance. Not ideal for highly regulated EU industries requiring data sovereignty.

Nebius AI: Excellent fit for European organisations building AI applications and needing EU-sovereign inference infrastructure. Dutch incorporation, EU data centres, and GDPR-compliant DPA make this suitable for most regulated EU use cases. Financial services and healthcare organisations should review specifics with Nebius.

3/5

Suitable for many business use cases with appropriate DPA. Enterprise tier offers enhanced compliance. Not ideal for highly regulated EU industries requiring data sovereignty.

4/5

Excellent fit for European organisations building AI applications and needing EU-sovereign inference infrastructure. Dutch incorporation, EU data centres, and GDPR-compliant DPA make this suitable for most regulated EU use cases. Financial services and healthcare organisations should review specifics with Nebius.

Total Score

14/25

20/25

Best For

OpenAI API

Best for EU-headquartered organisations needing maximum data sovereignty; regulated industries (CNIL, BaFin); privacy-conscious teams who need strong data retention controls.

Nebius AI

Best for privacy-conscious teams who need strong data retention controls; teams on a tight budget.

Detailed Comparison

Nebius AI vs OpenAI API: Trust & Compliance Comparison

Nebius AI (Nebius, NL) scores 20/25 overall with a Silver (Strong) trust badge. European GPU cloud and LLM inference platform built for AI-native businesses. OpenAI API (OpenAI, US) scores 14/25 with a Bronze (Moderate) trust badge. API platform for GPT, DALL-E, Whisper and other foundation models.

Dimension-by-Dimension Breakdown

#### Data Residency

Nebius AI leads with 5/5 vs 2/5.

●Nebius AI (5/5): Data centres located in Finland and the Netherlands—both EU member states. Inference and compute workloads remain within EU borders. Strong data residency story for European AI builders.

●OpenAI API (2/5): All data processed on US-based Microsoft Azure infrastructure. No EU data residency option available. Enterprise customers cannot choose hosting region.

#### Legal Jurisdiction

Nebius AI leads with 4/5 vs 2/5.

●Nebius AI (4/5): Incorporated as Nebius Group N.V. under Dutch law. EU legal jurisdiction applies, with no CLOUD Act exposure. Corporate history as Yandex spin-off warrants due diligence on ownership structure, but current governance is EU-based.

●OpenAI API (2/5): US Delaware LLC subject to US jurisdiction including CLOUD Act. Offers GDPR-compliant DPA for EU customers, but legal entity is solely US-based.

#### Data Retention & Training

Both score equally at 4/5.

●Nebius AI (4/5): Customer inference requests and training data are not used to train shared models. Tenant isolation architecture. GDPR-compliant data processing posture with configurable retention for enterprise customers.

●OpenAI API (4/5): API data not used for model training by default. Zero data retention option available. Clear data retention policies documented. Abuse monitoring data retained for 30 days.

#### Certifications

Both score equally at 3/5.

●Nebius AI (3/5): ISO 27001 certification in place. As a relatively new independent entity, the broader certification portfolio (SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27701) is still developing. Expect maturation over 2025-2026.

●OpenAI API (3/5): SOC 2 Type II certified. GDPR DPA available. No ISO 27001 or C5 certification publicly disclosed.

#### Regulatory Fit

Nebius AI leads with 4/5 vs 3/5.

●Nebius AI (4/5): Excellent fit for European organisations building AI applications and needing EU-sovereign inference infrastructure. Dutch incorporation, EU data centres, and GDPR-compliant DPA make this suitable for most regulated EU use cases. Financial services and healthcare organisations should review specifics with Nebius.

●OpenAI API (3/5): Suitable for many business use cases with appropriate DPA. Enterprise tier offers enhanced compliance. Not ideal for highly regulated EU industries requiring data sovereignty.

Certifications at a Glance

Certification	Nebius AI	OpenAI API
GDPR DPA	No	Yes
ISO 27001	Yes	No
SOC 2 Type II	No	Yes

Overall Verdict

Nebius AI has a clear trust advantage, scoring 20/25 compared to OpenAI API's 14/25. Nebius AI particularly excels in data residency, legal jurisdiction, regulatory fit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better for EU compliance, OpenAI API or Nebius AI?

OpenAI API has a TrustKit score of 14/25 while Nebius AI scores 20/25. Nebius AI currently rates higher across data residency, legal jurisdiction, data retention, certifications, and regulatory fit.

How do OpenAI API and Nebius AI compare on data residency?

OpenAI API scores 2/5 for data residency (All data processed on US-based Microsoft Azure infrastructure. No EU data residency option available. Enterprise customers cannot choose hosting region.), while Nebius AI scores 5/5 (Data centres located in Finland and the Netherlands—both EU member states. Inference and compute workloads remain within EU borders. Strong data residency story for European AI builders.).

Are OpenAI API and Nebius AI GDPR compliant?

Both tools are assessed across five compliance dimensions. OpenAI API has a regulatory fit score of 3/5 and Nebius AI scores 4/5. Check the full comparison above for a detailed breakdown.

Explore Each Tool