AIBRIEF
European Purpose's directory disqualifies vendors that aren't established in Europe, even when data stays in the EU, and lists 533 tools across 77 categories.
European Purpose's new directory comes with a rule that knocks out most "European alternatives": the company behind the tool must be established in Europe, and EU data hosting alone does not count. A US-incorporated vendor with servers in Frankfurt is still a US-incorporated vendor, the site says, and only the place of incorporation decides which government can compel access.
The directory's September press release puts the count at 533 tools across 77 categories from 35 European countries, with 129 head-to-head comparisons against US incumbents like Google Analytics, AWS, Slack, Gmail, Notion, and Zoom. The live site's market-research page now shows 519 tools, 78 categories, and 34 countries, with Germany at 145, France at 66, the Netherlands at 57, the UK at 38, and Switzerland at 31. The 22-tool drop between snapshots reflects August removals for failing the establishment test.
About 13% of the current 519 tools are open source. The categories the directory flags as under most pressure are web analytics, cloud infrastructure, search, email, and office software.
European Purpose does not name a founder, editor, or funder. The directory's own framing is the only available voice on its editorial rule, and readers shopping for a vendor's "European" label have to apply the test themselves.