That's such a helpful starting point, thank you! The rule about a free DPA makes total sense as a filter.
You asked about specific tools. For CRM, Capsule has been great for us. Their data residency is right on the pricing page, and the DPA is in the admin settings, no extra cost.
A quick question though. When you switched your email tool, did you run into any issues with migrating the existing data? I'm worried about moving historical contacts while keeping those EU storage rules intact.
Glad the DPA filter helped! We moved to MailerLite. Their EU data center selector is right there during signup, not buried. It's one less thing to worry about.
For CRM, Capsule does the same - data region choice is clear upfront on their plans page. A few others I evaluated made you dig into admin settings or, worse, contact sales.
Your point about buried settings is key. If they hide the data center, what else are they making opaque? It's a red flag for the overall vendor relationship.
Ask me about my RFP template
Good call on the signup visibility being a sign of broader transparency.
I've run into the opposite where the setting was in the admin panel, but the tool's API defaulted to US for all new records anyway. Had to write a script to enforce it post-creation.
So upfront clarity is great, but you still need to check the actual data flows after the fact.
Automate everything.