Cloud & Infrastructure · head to head
Akamai vs Hetzner Cloud
Akamai
Cloud & Infrastructure
Leading content delivery and security platform
- From
- $1000/month
- Rated
- -
Hetzner Cloud
Cloud & Infrastructure
Affordable cloud servers in Europe
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Hetzner Cloud has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Akamai only the cloud computing services carry published rates; security and content delivery products require contacting sales for a price; Hetzner Cloud cost-Optimized plans are shown as currently unavailable
- They diverge on capability: Akamai covers CDN, Hetzner Cloud covers Cloud servers.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Akamai and Hetzner Cloud actually diverge.
| Attribute | Akamai | Hetzner Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $1000/month | Free |
| Pricing model | quote | usage-based |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Web, Api | Web, Api, Cli |
| Founded | 1998 | 1997 |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Cloud & Infrastructure).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Akamai
- CDN
- DDoS Protection
- Web Application Firewall
- Bot Management
- Image Optimization
- Video Platform
- API Gateway
- Analytics
Only in Hetzner Cloud
- Cloud servers
- Block storage
- Object storage
- Load balancers
- Networks
- Firewalls
- Floating IPs
- Backups
Both cover
- DDoS protection
- Cloud deployment
- Web support
- Api support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Akamai
- Content delivery and web performance through Ion and adaptive media deliverynot Hetzner Cloud
- DDoS protection, bot management and API securitynot Hetzner Cloud
- Running compute, Kubernetes and managed databases on Akamai's cloudnot Hetzner Cloud
- Edge compute with EdgeWorkersnot Hetzner Cloud
- Zero trust access for enterprise applicationsnot Hetzner Cloud
Hetzner Cloud
- Low-cost virtual servers for development and testingnot Akamai
- European hosting with data held in Germany or Finlandnot Akamai
- Workloads with heavy egress, where included traffic mattersnot Akamai
- Self-hosting applications away from the hyperscalersnot Akamai
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Akamai
- Only the cloud computing services carry published rates; security and content delivery products require contacting sales for a price
- Cloud pricing varies by region across North America, Europe and Asia Pacific rather than being a single rate
Hetzner Cloud
- Cost-Optimized plans are shown as currently unavailable
- The shared-resource tiers are positioned for variable usage and development rather than sustained production workloads
- Regions are limited to Germany, Finland, the United States and Singapore, so latency to other markets is a real constraint
- The uptime guarantee is 99.9 percent, below what the large hyperscalers offer on comparable services
- Support is 24/7 by email, without a phone channel
Pricing, plan by plan
Akamai
$1000/month- CDN$1000/month
- Content delivery
- Global edge network
- Real-time analytics
- Security Suite$2000/month
- DDoS protection
- WAF
- Bot management
Hetzner Cloud
Free- CX11$3.29/month
- 1 vCPU
- 1GB RAM
- 25GB SSD
- CX21$6.59/month
- 2 vCPU
- 4GB RAM
- 40GB SSD
Which should you pick?
Choose Hetzner Cloud if
- You need cloud servers.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Api, Cli.
- You also want block storage.
Questions people ask
- Is Akamai or Hetzner Cloud better?
- Neither clearly leads. Akamai starts at $1000/month and Hetzner Cloud at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Akamai or Hetzner Cloud?
- Hetzner Cloud has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $1000/month for Akamai and Free for Hetzner Cloud.
- Does Akamai or Hetzner Cloud run on more platforms?
- Akamai runs on Web, Api. Hetzner Cloud runs on Web, Api, Cli.
- Can I use Hetzner Cloud for free?
- Yes. Hetzner Cloud has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Akamai starts at $1000/month.
- What is Akamai best used for?
- Akamai is most often used for content delivery and web performance through ion and adaptive media delivery, ddos protection, bot management and api security, running compute, kubernetes and managed databases on akamai's cloud, edge compute with edgeworkers. Of those, content delivery and web performance through ion and adaptive media delivery and ddos protection, bot management and api security are not what Hetzner Cloud is typically brought in for.
- What can Akamai do that Hetzner Cloud cannot?
- Akamai covers CDN, DDoS Protection, Web Application Firewall, Bot Management. Hetzner Cloud covers Cloud servers, Block storage, Object storage, Load balancers. Both handle DDoS protection, Cloud deployment, Web support, Api support.
Related pages
More on Hetzner Cloud
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