Koumbit
Koumbit is a Montreal-based non-profit collective, founded in 2004, providing ethical shared web hosting, NextCloud collaboration tools, Drupal/WordPress development, and system administration to non-profits, social justice groups, and small collectives seeking GAFAM-free, privacy-respecting infrastructure.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2004
- HeadquartersMontréal, Canada
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Koumbit does
Koumbit (legal name: Réseau Koumbit) is a self-managed non-profit worker collective founded in 2004 and based in Montreal/Tio'tia:ke, Quebec, Canada. It operates as a solidarity-oriented alternative to GAFAM (Google, Amazon, Facebook, Apple, Microsoft) hosting, delivering ethical web hosting, custom web development, and system administration services to non-profit organizations, social justice groups, collectives, and a smaller cohort of individual users. The organization is governed internally by its members through a Legal Committee, has no parent company, no external investors, and no traditional shareholders; in October 2025 it closed its physical office and transitioned to fully remote work, retaining only its Montreal-based data centers.
The core product portfolio is anchored by shared web hosting subscriptions (Options A/B/C at $122-$322 CAD/year, plus $396/year managed Drupal hosting), a self-managed AlternC control panel environment, and a recently launched NextCloud collaboration suite offered in two SKUs (Collective at $408 CAD/year for 50GB and Individual at $150/year for 15GB with a @koumbox.org email). The technology stack is an open-source LAMP architecture on Debian GNU/Linux, with Drupal and WordPress as the principal CMSes, Apache SolR for advanced search, Collabora Online for collaborative editing, Matomo for analytics, and OpenPGP/GPG encryption. The revenue model is primarily annual subscription recurring revenue, supplemented by project-based professional services billed via estimate, with self-serve online order forms for standardized plans and inside-sales contact for custom/dedicated/colocated infrastructure.
The go-to-market motion is hybrid: standardized plans run on self-service e-commerce-style order forms with same- or next-day activation, while custom projects rely on values-aligned inside sales. Customer acquisition is overwhelmingly community-led through word-of-mouth referrals from Quebec non-profit networks, open-source community participation (Debian, Drupal), and content marketing via a bilingual blog and Mastodon presence; the company explicitly eschews Facebook and Twitter. Notable named customers include UNRISD (United Nations Research Institute for Social Development), Conseil canadien pour les réfugiés, CESIM, Audition Québec, and Community Data Program — almost all Canadian non-profits across advocacy, education, research, and media verticals.
Koumbit firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Koumbit
- Legal name
- Réseau Koumbit
- Website
- https://koumbit.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2004
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Koumbit is a Montreal-based non-profit collective, founded in 2004, providing ethical shared web hosting, NextCloud collaboration tools, Drupal/WordPress development, and system administration to non-profits, social justice groups, and small collectives seeking GAFAM-free, privacy-respecting infrastructure.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Koumbit industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Web Hosting Services
- NAICS
- Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (5182), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (5415)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Open-Source & Developer Communities (BPAMABAM)
Keywords
Where Koumbit is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Montréal
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Koumbit business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Shared Web Hosting Subscriptions: Annual subscription-based hosting services with tiered storage and email capacity. Plans include Option A ($122/year for 50GB/100 emails), Option B ($222/year for 100GB/unlimited emails), and Option C ($322/year for 200GB/unlimited emails). Managed Drupal hosting available at $396/year.
- NextCloud Hosting: Subscription-based NextCloud hosting for collectives ($408CAD/year for 50GB) and individuals ($150/year for 15GB with personal email @koumbox.org).
- Add-on Services: Supplementary services including SolR core for advanced search ($240/year) and Collabora Online office suite ($50/year).
- Web Development Services: Custom web design and development services, evidenced by portfolio of client projects. Estimated via contact/request form.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Shared Hosting Option A: 50GB disk, 100 email addresses |
| Subscription | Annual | Shared Hosting Option B: 100GB disk, unlimited email addresses |
| Subscription | Annual | Shared Hosting Option C: 200GB disk, unlimited email addresses |
| Subscription | Annual | Managed Drupal Hosting: 15GB bandwidth, 5GB disk, LetsEncrypt SSL, monthly updates |
| Subscription | Annual | NextCloud Collective: 50GB storage for collectives and small organizations |
| Subscription | Annual | NextCloud Individual: 15GB storage with personal email address |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | SolR Core: Advanced search powered by SolR |
| Subscription | Annual | Collabora Online: Free-licensed office suite for collaborative document editing |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Koumbit product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Koumbit operates an ethical, locally hosted web hosting service on Debian-based infrastructure in Montreal, offering shared hosting plans (Options A/B/C and Managed Drupal), Virtual Private Servers, and turnkey NextCloud collaboration hosting for collectives and individuals. It complements hosting with custom web design/development (Drupal, WordPress) and system administration services, targeting non-profits, social justice organizations, collectives, and individuals seeking privacy-first alternatives to mainstream cloud providers.
Product overview
Koumbit is a self-managed, non-profit collective based in Montreal offering ethical web hosting, web development, and system administration services since 2004. The product portfolio centers on shared web hosting (Options A/B/C ranging $122-$322/year), managed Drupal hosting, and self-managed hosting via the AlternC control panel. NextCloud collaboration tools are offered as distinct sub-brands for collectives ($408/year for 50GB) and individuals ($150/year for 15GB). Optional add-ons include SolR search cores ($240/year) and Collabora Online office suite ($50/year). All services are hosted on servers located in Montreal, Quebec.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Shared Web Hosting Tiered shared web hosting with email accounts and self-managed AlternC control panel, targeted at non-profits, collectives, and individuals; activated same or next business day via online order form.
- Managed Drupal Hosting Fully managed Drupal hosting with LetsEncrypt SSL and monthly updates for one Drupal site, priced at $396 per year plus tax, targeting organizations running Drupal-based websites.
- Virtual Private Server (VPS) Virtual server hosting for customers needing more control and dedicated resources than shared hosting provides; ordered via online form or estimate request.
- NextCloud Shared Hosting Turnkey managed NextCloud hosting with file sharing, calendars, webmail, and optional add-ons like Collabora Online, offered for collectives at $408 CAD/year/50GB and for individuals at $150/year/15GB with personal @koumbox.org email.
- Web Design and Development Custom web design and development services, including Drupal and WordPress implementations, migrations, and website redesigns, scoped via estimate request and targeted at non-profits and collectives.
- System Administration Server and system administration services covering hosting infrastructure, ongoing maintenance, and 24/7 emergency support for clients.
Quantifiable outcome
- Shared hosting accounts activated same day or next work day
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Koumbit
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Koumbit technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature3 records
Koumbit partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- ECTO Cooperative Co-working SpaceminorECTO Cooperative Co-working Space partnered with Koumbit to host Koumbit's 10th birthday party in September 2014. Located at 880 rue Roy Est, suite 300, Montréal.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Koumbit competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Autistici/Inventati: An Italian non-profit collective providing privacy-respecting email, hosting, and VPN services to activists and dissidents. Comparable in cooperative governance, privacy-first stance, and reliance on free/open-source software.
- May First / People Link: A U.S.-based membership-driven cooperative providing web hosting, email, and collaboration services to activist, progressive, and movement organizations. Closely aligned with Koumbit in mission (politically-aligned hosting collective), pricing model, and target segment, differing primarily in geographic focus.
- Greenhost: A Netherlands-based hosting provider offering privacy-respecting web hosting, domain registration, and managed WordPress/Drupal services with strong commitments to digital rights and sustainability — directly overlapping Koumbit's ethical-hosting positioning and OSS-based stack.
- Riseup: A volunteer-led collective providing secure email, lists, VPN, and collaboration tools to activist and progressive movements worldwide. Closely matches Koumbit's worker-collective structure, target audience, and open-source tooling focus.
- Coopérative d'informatique Alternatives Coop (CoopAlt): A Montreal-based worker cooperative offering hosting, web development, and IT services with a values-driven, solidarity-economy model — directly overlapping Koumbit's geography, cooperative structure, and Quebec non-profit/citizen-tech clientele.
Broad incumbents
- OVHcloud: A European-headquartered global cloud and hosting provider with data centers in Canada (Beauharnois, Quebec). Competes with Koumbit on web hosting, VPS, and dedicated servers across multiple geographies and segments with a much broader feature and pricing portfolio.
- DreamHost: A large U.S.-based shared, VPS, and managed WordPress hosting provider. While not values-aligned, it competes directly with Koumbit on shared hosting plans, email, and managed WordPress at similar price points.
- Gandi: A French hosting and domain registrar with a longstanding brand association with digital rights and open-source. Overlaps with Koumbit on shared/web hosting and ethical positioning, but operates as a broader commercial incumbent serving a much wider geography.
Regional players
- EasyDNS: A long-running Canadian hosting and DNS provider serving values-aligned and technical customers. Comparable in Canada-region hosting focus but does not directly compete with Koumbit's managed Drupal/NextCloud specialization.
Emerging players
- Proton: A Swiss privacy-focused company offering Proton Mail, Proton Drive, and Proton Calendar with end-to-end encryption and EU/Swiss data residency. Competes with Koumbit's @koumbox.org email and NextCloud offering for the same GAFAM-fleeing individual user.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Koumbit social profiles
Digital presenceKoumbit compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Koumbit financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Koumbit leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Koumbit funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Koumbit M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Koumbit
What does Koumbit do?
Koumbit operates an ethical, locally hosted web hosting service on Debian-based infrastructure in Montreal, offering shared hosting plans (Options A/B/C and Managed Drupal), Virtual Private Servers, and turnkey NextCloud collaboration hosting for collectives and individuals. It complements hosting with custom web design/development (Drupal, WordPress) and system administration services, targeting non-profits, social justice organizations, collectives, and individuals seeking privacy-first alternatives to mainstream cloud providers.
Is Koumbit a public or private company?
Koumbit is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Koumbit founded?
Koumbit was founded in 2004. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Koumbit based?
Koumbit is headquartered in Montréal, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Koumbit make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Shared Web Hosting Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are nextCloud Hosting, add-on Services and web Development Services.
Who are Koumbit's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Autistici/Inventati, May First / People Link, Greenhost, Riseup and Coopérative d'informatique Alternatives Coop (CoopAlt). Broad incumbents are OVHcloud, DreamHost and Gandi. EasyDNS is listed as a regional player. Proton is listed as an emerging player.
Does Koumbit have an API?
No public API is recorded for Koumbit.
What industry is Koumbit in?
Koumbit's product category is Web Hosting Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMABAM, Open-Source & Developer Communities. Its NAICS code is 5182 and its SIC code is 7372.