You are an agency or integrator. Two models keep coming up: resell an OVHcloud or Infomaniak offer with your margin, or white label where the panel shows your logo but servers belong to an actor the client never sees. Sunday 3 a.m., database down: who opens the ticket, who replies to the client, who can restore?
The question is not "which pays better?" It is: who carries the relationship — and who can break it without you knowing?
Reseller: commercial simplicity, upstream dependency
The reseller model takes a catalogue offer — shared hosting, VPS, email — and bills the client with margin. You manage quotes, the commercial relationship and sometimes tier-1 support. Upstream manages infrastructure, technical SLA, the datacenter and tier-3 escalation.
Structural risks include thin margin, upstream price changes without notice, clients contacting the big host directly and confusion over GDPR responsibilities. Reseller fits an integrator who wants to complement a web project without becoming a de facto host.
White label: brand control, hidden operational load
White label provides a rebranded panel, billing API and sometimes tier-1 support under your name. Infrastructure stays upstream. You manage brand, client pricing, L1/L2 support, sometimes even tier 3 if the team is undersized. Upstream manages physical capacity, the hypervisor and backbone network.
The client sees you as "the host" without you controlling the datacenter. An upstream outage becomes your reputation. You need an escalation runbook, a status page under your name and the ability to speak to the client while upstream works behind the scenes.
| Criterion | Reseller | White label |
|---|---|---|
| Client panel | Often upstream | Rebranded |
| Tier-1 support | Shared | You |
| Margin | Low to medium | Medium to high |
| Reputation risk | Moderate | High |
| Operational skill | Low | Medium to high |
Three relationship levels to clarify before selling
Commercial. Who signs, who bills, who handles unpaid invoices and renewals? If the client contract is in your agency name, you carry the relationship even when upstream terminates your reseller access.
Support. Who answers in business hours versus on-call? What escalation delay to upstream? A client paying for premium white label expects a human reply, not a redirect to an anonymous ticket at an invisible provider.
Technical. Who holds root, backups, DNS? What happens if you lose the reseller contract tomorrow? A poorly drafted agreement leaves the client without access if the agency/upstream relationship breaks down.
Contracts, GDPR and continuity
Your GDPR register must mention the infrastructure subcontractor. The upstream DPA does not replace your own client documentation. Plan reversibility too: data export, exit delay, DNS account ownership. Compare resellable providers via our directory and comparator by reading termination clauses, not just price per GB.
The peak: displayed brand is not operational power
Decide and move forward without blind spots
First map the full chain: upstream, you, end client — support, access, billing, DPA. Read the reseller contract on termination, price changes and data ownership. Run a mock escalation before selling the first offer: how long to get a tier-3 reply? Choose reseller if you want to stay an integrator; white label if recurring hosting revenue is strategic and you have an L2 team available. Document who speaks to the client during an outage and who holds root access — those two answers do not always match.
Frequently asked questions
Reseller vs white label?
A reseller resells a catalogue offer with margin. White label takes panel, billing and tier-1 support under your brand with upstream infrastructure. The difference shows mainly in perceived load and reputation during outages.
Who talks to the client during an outage?
In white label, you in principle — even when the cause is upstream. Plan documented escalation, a client communication template and a status page under your name.
If upstream raises prices?
Your margin compresses or you raise the client price. Require contractual notice and delay before impact on your own contracts.
How to document for the client?
Mention infrastructure subcontractor, DPA, escalation procedure and root access holder in internal files — and adapt detail level to the client contract.
Your logo on the panel does not make you the host — it makes you the face of the outage. Choose the model knowingly.