Cloud & Infrastructure · head to head
AWS (Amazon Web Services) vs Hetzner Cloud
AWS (Amazon Web Services)
Cloud & Infrastructure
The leading cloud computing platform
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Hetzner Cloud
Cloud & Infrastructure
Affordable cloud servers in Europe
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: AWS (Amazon Web Services) data transfer in is free and data transfer out is charged, which is the standard source of unexpected bills; Hetzner Cloud cost-Optimized plans are shown as currently unavailable
- They diverge on capability: AWS (Amazon Web Services) covers EC2 - Virtual Servers, Hetzner Cloud covers Cloud servers.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which AWS (Amazon Web Services) and Hetzner Cloud actually diverge.
| Attribute | AWS (Amazon Web Services) | Hetzner Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Web, Api, Cli, Mobile | Web, Api, Cli |
| Founded | 2006 | 1997 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (usage-based), free tier (Yes), 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 AWS (Amazon Web Services)
- EC2 - Virtual Servers
- S3 - Object Storage
- RDS - Managed Database
- Lambda - Serverless Computing
- CloudFront - CDN
- VPC - Virtual Network
- IAM - Access Management
- CloudWatch - Monitoring
Only in Hetzner Cloud
- Cloud servers
- Block storage
- Object storage
- Load balancers
- Networks
- Firewalls
- Floating IPs
- Backups
Both cover
- Terraform
- Kubernetes
- Docker
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
AWS (Amazon Web Services)
- Web hostingnot Hetzner Cloud
- Data storagenot Hetzner Cloud
- Machine learningnot Hetzner Cloud
- Big data analyticsnot Hetzner Cloud
- Application developmentnot Hetzner Cloud
Hetzner Cloud
- Low-cost virtual servers for development and testingnot AWS (Amazon Web Services)
- European hosting with data held in Germany or Finlandnot AWS (Amazon Web Services)
- Workloads with heavy egress, where included traffic mattersnot AWS (Amazon Web Services)
- Self-hosting applications away from the hyperscalersnot AWS (Amazon Web Services)
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
AWS (Amazon Web Services)
- Data transfer in is free and data transfer out is charged, which is the standard source of unexpected bills
- Discounts require one or three year Savings Plan commitments rather than being automatic
- Every service is priced separately, so a working architecture has no single published cost
- The free tier is a promotional allowance rather than an ongoing free plan
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
AWS (Amazon Web Services)
Free- AWS Free TierFree
- EC2 750 hours/month
- 5GB S3 storage
- 20GB data transfer
- Pay-As-You-GoFree
- No upfront payment
- No long-term commitments
- Pay only for what you use
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 AWS (Amazon Web Services) if
- You need ec2 - virtual servers.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Api, Cli, Mobile.
- You also want s3 - object storage.
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 AWS (Amazon Web Services) or Hetzner Cloud better?
- Neither clearly leads. AWS (Amazon Web Services) starts at Free and Hetzner Cloud at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, AWS (Amazon Web Services) or Hetzner Cloud?
- AWS (Amazon Web Services) starts at Free and Hetzner Cloud at Free.
- Does AWS (Amazon Web Services) or Hetzner Cloud run on more platforms?
- AWS (Amazon Web Services) runs on Web, Api, Cli, Mobile. Hetzner Cloud runs on Web, Api, Cli.
- Can I use AWS (Amazon Web Services) for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is AWS (Amazon Web Services) best used for?
- AWS (Amazon Web Services) is most often used for web hosting, data storage, machine learning, big data analytics. Of those, web hosting and data storage are not what Hetzner Cloud is typically brought in for.
- What can AWS (Amazon Web Services) do that Hetzner Cloud cannot?
- AWS (Amazon Web Services) covers EC2 - Virtual Servers, S3 - Object Storage, RDS - Managed Database, Lambda - Serverless Computing. Hetzner Cloud covers Cloud servers, Block storage, Object storage, Load balancers. Both handle Terraform, Kubernetes, Docker.