Server-Side Tracking Hosting: Infomaniak, Google Cloud or Stape? The Swiss Sovereignty Guide

For a typical e-commerce merchant, the question of tracking hosting is often a matter of price. But for a Private Bank, an Insurance, a Clinic, or a Swiss Administration, it is a matter of digital sovereignty and legal risk.

Since the enactment of the nFADP and the uncertainties surrounding the Data Privacy Framework (USA-Europe/Switzerland transfers), one question consistently arises in our audits in Geneva and Zurich:

"If I switch to Server-Side Tracking to secure my data, where should I host this server? At Google?"

This is the modern paradox: using a Google server to protect... from Google.

At A-Track, we deploy tracking infrastructures for all types of actors. Here is our technical and legal comparison of the three dominant solutions in the Swiss market in 2026: Google Cloud Platform, Stape Europe, and the local alternative Infomaniak.

1. Google Cloud Platform (GCP): The Industry Standard

This is the default solution recommended by Google for hosting a GTM Server-Side container (via Cloud Run).

Advantages:

• Ease of Integration: The ecosystem is native. Deployment is done in a few clicks from the GTM interface.

• Scalability: The infrastructure handles millions of hits during Black Friday without flinching.

• Partial Localization: You can choose the region europe-west6 (Zurich) to physically host your servers in Switzerland.

The Problem (For Sensitive Sectors):

Even if the server is in Zurich, Google remains an American company subject to the CLOUD Act. This means that theoretically, U.S. law enforcement can demand access to the data, even if hosted abroad. For an SME, the risk is negligible. For a Swiss bank managing banking secrecy, it is a potential "Red Flag" for compliance.

A-Track Verdict: Ideal for 90% of companies (E-commerce, Retail, Services) that prioritize performance above all.

2. Stape.io (Europe): The Specialized Challenger

Stape is a company specialized solely in hosting GTM Server-Side. It is often the preferred solution of marketing agencies for its simplicity.

Advantages:

• Cost: Often cheaper than GCP for small volumes.

• Marketing Features: Stape offers pre-coded "Power-Ups" (CAPTCHA bypass, XML Anonymization, etc.) that make life easier for technicians.

• EU Sovereignty: Stape is a European company. Their "Enterprise" servers are located in the EU, providing better legal protection against the U.S. CLOUD Act.

The Problem:

This is a third-party SaaS solution ("Black Box"). You depend on their infrastructure. For a large account that requires total control over its architecture (Infrastructure as Code), this can block at the IT department level.

A-Track Verdict: Perfect for SMEs and Agencies that want a quick and GDPR-compliant setup without technical complexity.

3. Infomaniak (Switzerland): The Local "Fort Knox"

This is the option we develop for our most demanding clients regarding nFADP and sovereignty. Use Jelastic Cloud or a VPS at Infomaniak (Geneva) to host the GTM Docker container.

Strategic Advantages:

• 100% Swiss: Data stored in Switzerland, company owned by Swiss citizens, subject exclusively to Swiss law. The risk of extraterritoriality is zero.

• Brand Image: For a public institution or a local brand, showing that your data does not leave the territory is a powerful trust argument.

• Total Control: You control the OS, security, and logs of the server.

The Technical Challenge:

Google does not make this path easy. There is no "Deploy to Infomaniak" button. This requires expertise in DevOps (Dockerization, SSL certificate management, Load Balancing).

This is where the technical expertise of A-Track comes in. We have developed proprietary deployment scripts to install GTM Server-Side on Swiss infrastructures (Infomaniak or Exoscale) with the same level of reliability as on GCP.

A-Track Verdict: The mandatory option for Finance, Health, Administrations, and companies that make "Swissness" a core value.

2026 Comparison Table

Conclusion: What Architecture for Your Business?

The choice of hosting should not be left to chance or to the simple preference of a media agency. It is a matter of Data Governance.

• Are you a Shopify E-commerce? Stick with Stape or GCP.

• Are you a Private Bank or a Clinic? Do not take any risks. Switch to a sovereign Swiss infrastructure like Infomaniak.

At A-Track, we are agnostic. We master all three environments. Our role is to advise you on the architecture that aligns your marketing goals with your appetite for legal risk.