Yandex Cloud
6.3/10Public cloud platform from Yandex offering virtual machines, managed Kubernetes, managed databases, serverless and ML services, mainly for businesses in Russia and Kazakhstan.
Data last updated November 2026 · Our methodology
Overview
Yandex Cloud is the public cloud platform run by Yandex. Closed testing began in April 2018, the platform was announced publicly in September 2018, and it became a separate business unit in 2020. The current portfolio covers more than 75 services. They include Compute Cloud virtual machines, Managed Service for Kubernetes, Cloud Functions and Serverless Containers, Object Storage, Cloud CDN, and Cloud Backup. Managed databases cover PostgreSQL, MySQL, ClickHouse, YDB, Valkey and OpenSearch. On security, it offers Certificate Manager for TLS and Smart Web Security for L7 DDoS and bot protection. Its ML services include YandexGPT and SpeechKit. Infrastructure runs in two regions. The Russia region has five availability zones and the Kazakhstan region has one, and data stays in the region where it was created. The platform suits Russian and CIS companies that need local data residency and a hyperscaler-style service catalogue. Yandex reports more than 47,000 customers and fast revenue growth in 2025. Pricing is pay-as-you-go and itemized per service. The international site lists virtual machines from $2.85 per month, and a serverless free tier can host small sites at no cost. A price calculator gives per-service estimates. The main limitation is geography and politics. There are no regions outside Russia and Kazakhstan, some services such as Cloud Functions are not offered in Kazakhstan, Western companies face sanctions exposure, and English documentation and the third-party ecosystem lag behind AWS, Google Cloud and Azure.
Our Rating
Hosting & Infrastructure6.4/10
AI Software6.3/10
Who Yandex Cloud is best for
Good fit
It offers a broad set of IaaS, serverless and managed data services that can be driven through an API.
Large Russian companies such as Tinkoff and X5 took part in early testing, and the platform has ISO 27017 and PCI DSS certifications.
Less suited
PCI DSS compliance and local data residency suit Russian financial firms.
The serverless free tier and low-cost VMs help, but this mainly applies to startups targeting Russian or CIS markets.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- The service catalogue is broad: VMs, Kubernetes, serverless, more than six managed database engines including ClickHouse and YDB, CDN, and backup.
- The Russia region has five availability zones, and data stays in the region where it was created.
- Native ML services such as YandexGPT and SpeechKit sit alongside the infrastructure services.
- Compliance credentials include ISO/IEC 27017 and PCI DSS across service categories.
- Entry pricing is low, with VMs from $2.85 per month and a serverless free tier.
Cons
- Only two regions, Russia and Kazakhstan, with no presence in Europe, the Americas or Asia beyond them.
- Some services, including Cloud Functions and Smart Web Security, are not available in the Kazakhstan region.
- Western companies face sanctions exposure.
- English documentation is weaker and the third-party ecosystem is smaller than on AWS, Azure or Google Cloud.
- Independent English-language reviews are scarce; TrustRadius shows only a single review.
Key Features
Not included
- Managed WordPress
- Shared Hosting
Yandex Cloud Pricing
Serverless free tier
- Host a small site, app or service on serverless services at no cost
Pay-as-you-go
- Usage-based billing per service
- Itemized billing and price calculator
- Compute Cloud VMs from $2.85 per month
- Allocated cluster from $20.38 per month
Frequently Asked Questions
There are two regions. Russia has availability zones ru-central1-a, b, d, e and m, and Kazakhstan has kz1-a. Each region has its own console, and data stays in the region where it was created.
Yes. Yandex says a small site, app or service can run on its serverless free tier at no cost. A trial offer also exists, but its terms were not stated on the pricing page.
Billing is pay-as-you-go and itemized per service. A calculator estimates costs. VMs start at $2.85 per month on the international site.
PostgreSQL, MySQL, ClickHouse, YDB, Valkey, OpenSearch and others, including Sharded PostgreSQL and MPP Analytics for PostgreSQL.
Wikipedia notes ISO/IEC 27017 certification and PCI DSS compliance across all service categories.
Generally no. Reviewers point to sanctions exposure and limited global regions, and recommend it mainly for businesses operating in Russia or the CIS.
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