Canner vs. ThinkOn
Both Canadian, both sovereign. Different tools for different jobs.
This isn't a sovereignty argument — ThinkOn is a Canadian-owned sovereign cloud, and we're glad it exists. The difference is shape: ThinkOn provides enterprise sovereign infrastructure (compute, storage, backup and disaster recovery) largely through channel and managed-service partners. Canner is a self-serve platform where a developer or small team pushes an app and it's live in about 30 seconds.
- Sovereignty is a tie: both companies are Canadian-owned and operated, so neither is exposed to the US CLOUD Act. Pick on product fit, not jurisdiction.
- ThinkOn is enterprise sovereign IaaS — virtual machines, S3-compatible object storage, backup and disaster recovery — typically procured through an MSP or channel partner, and often Protected B-capable for government.
- Canner is a managed application platform: self-serve, push-to-deploy, with Postgres, cookieless analytics, object storage, and a SQL data workspace built in. You ship apps, not servers.
- Rule of thumb: building sovereign infrastructure for an enterprise or government workload → ThinkOn. Shipping an app, tool, or client site directly, without a partner → Canner.
| Feature | Canner | ThinkOn |
|---|---|---|
| Company jurisdiction | 100% Canadian-owned | 100% Canadian-owned |
| CLOUD Act exposure | Not subject | Not subject |
| Data location | Montreal, Quebec | Canadian datacenters (multi-site) |
| What it is | Managed application deployment platform | Sovereign infrastructure (IaaS, storage, DR) |
| How you buy | Self-serve — sign up and deploy | Mainly via channel / managed-service partners |
| Time to a live app | ~30 seconds | Provision infrastructure, then build on it |
| Managed Postgres | Included per project, every tier | Run your own on a VM / storage service |
| Batteries included | Postgres, cron, analytics, object storage, SQL workspace, CLI/REST/MCP | Infrastructure primitives you compose |
| Backup & disaster recovery | Platform-managed backups | A core strength — DRaaS / BaaS offerings |
| Typical buyer | Developers, small teams, agencies, SMBs | Enterprise, government, MSPs |
When Canner is the right call
You want to ship an app, an internal tool, or a client site yourself — today, without a procurement cycle or a managed-service partner. Sign up, push a repo or a folder, and it's live in Montreal over HTTPS with Postgres attached. You get the sovereignty you'd get from any Canadian-owned provider, plus a batteries-included platform (analytics, cron, object storage, a SQL data workspace, a CLI and MCP server) so you're building features, not standing up infrastructure. For most developers and small teams, that's the faster path.
When ThinkOn is the right call
You're an enterprise, a government body, or an MSP that needs sovereign infrastructure at scale — virtual machines, S3-compatible object storage, virtual desktops, or backup and disaster recovery — and you want to build on top of it yourself or through a partner. ThinkOn is purpose-built for that: a mature Canadian sovereign cloud with a strong DR/backup practice and a channel model that suits enterprise procurement. If your need is infrastructure rather than a place to deploy a finished app, ThinkOn is the better fit — and it's a Canadian one, which is a win either way.
Ready to give it a try?
Free tier available — Starter is permanent, no card required to sign up. Cancel anytime.