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Cloud & Infrastructure · head to head

Chef vs Hetzner Cloud

Chef logo

Chef

Cloud & Infrastructure

Infrastructure automation and management

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Hetzner Cloud logo

Hetzner Cloud

Cloud & Infrastructure

Affordable cloud servers in Europe

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Chef priced per node per year, at $59 on Business and $189 on Enterprise, so cost scales with fleet size rather than with team size; Hetzner Cloud cost-Optimized plans are shown as currently unavailable
  • They diverge on capability: Chef covers Recipes, Hetzner Cloud covers Cloud servers.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Chef and Hetzner Cloud actually diverge.

Attributes where Chef and Hetzner Cloud differ
AttributeChefHetzner Cloud
Pricing modelopen-sourceusage-based
PlatformsLinux, Windows, Mac, ApiWeb, Api, Cli
Founded20091997

Identical on both: starting price (Free), 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 Chef

  • Recipes
  • Cookbooks
  • Roles
  • Data bags
  • Attributes
  • Chef Server
  • Chef Infra
  • Chef Compliance

Only in Hetzner Cloud

  • Cloud servers
  • Block storage
  • Object storage
  • Load balancers
  • Networks
  • Firewalls
  • Floating IPs
  • Backups

Both cover

  • Docker
  • Cloud deployment
  • Api support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Chef

  • Configuration management and infrastructure automation across server fleetsnot Hetzner Cloud
  • Enforcing compliance and audit policy on managed nodesnot Hetzner Cloud

Hetzner Cloud

  • Low-cost virtual servers for development and testingnot Chef
  • European hosting with data held in Germany or Finlandnot Chef
  • Workloads with heavy egress, where included traffic mattersnot Chef
  • Self-hosting applications away from the hyperscalersnot Chef

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Chef

  • Priced per node per year, at $59 on Business and $189 on Enterprise, so cost scales with fleet size rather than with team size
  • Tripling the price between the two published tiers puts compliance and audit features well above basic automation
  • Enterprise Plus and every self managed deployment are custom quoted with no published price

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

Chef

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Chef Infra
    • Community support
    • Full functionality
  • Chef Automate$4000/year
    • Chef Infra
    • Compliance automation
    • Insights

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 Chef if

  • You need recipes.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, Mac, Api.
  • You also want cookbooks.
Chef review

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.
Hetzner Cloud review

Questions people ask

Is Chef or Hetzner Cloud better?
Neither clearly leads. Chef 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, Chef or Hetzner Cloud?
Chef starts at Free and Hetzner Cloud at Free.
Does Chef or Hetzner Cloud run on more platforms?
Chef runs on Linux, Windows, Mac, Api. Hetzner Cloud runs on Web, Api, Cli.
Can I use Chef for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Chef best used for?
Chef is most often used for configuration management and infrastructure automation across server fleets, enforcing compliance and audit policy on managed nodes. Of those, configuration management and infrastructure automation across server fleets and enforcing compliance and audit policy on managed nodes are not what Hetzner Cloud is typically brought in for.
What can Chef do that Hetzner Cloud cannot?
Chef covers Recipes, Cookbooks, Roles, Data bags. Hetzner Cloud covers Cloud servers, Block storage, Object storage, Load balancers. Both handle Docker, Cloud deployment, Api support.
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