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Cloud & Infrastructure · head to head

Consul vs Hetzner Cloud

Consul logo

Consul

Cloud & Infrastructure

Service discovery, networking, and security

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: Consul namespaces, admin partitions and other multi tenancy controls are Consul Enterprise only; Hetzner Cloud cost-Optimized plans are shown as currently unavailable
  • They diverge on capability: Consul covers Service discovery, Hetzner Cloud covers Cloud servers.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Consul and Hetzner Cloud differ
AttributeConsulHetzner Cloud
Pricing modelopen-sourceusage-based
PlatformsLinux, Windows, Mac, CloudWeb, Api, Cli
CategoryUnknownCloud & Infrastructure
Founded20141997

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Consul

  • Service discovery
  • Health checking
  • Key/value store
  • Multi-datacenter
  • DNS interface
  • Service mesh
  • Load balancing
  • Configuration management

Only in Hetzner Cloud

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

Both cover

  • Kubernetes
  • Terraform
  • Docker
  • Cloud deployment

What people use each for

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

Consul

  • Service discovery and health checking across dynamic infrastructurenot Hetzner Cloud
  • Running a service mesh with mutual TLS between servicesnot Hetzner Cloud
  • Distributed key value configuration storage for applicationsnot Hetzner Cloud

Hetzner Cloud

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

Where each one falls short

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

Consul

  • Namespaces, admin partitions and other multi tenancy controls are Consul Enterprise only
  • Audit logging, OIDC authentication and FIPS 140-2 builds require Consul Enterprise, so compliance driven deployments cannot use the free edition
  • Automated backups, redundancy zones, read replicas and automated server upgrades are Enterprise only
  • Long Term Support releases are Enterprise only, so community users must upgrade to stay supported
  • Service mesh and advanced traffic management sit in the Premium Enterprise tier above Standard Enterprise
  • HashiCorp does not publish a Consul rate on its pricing page, which lists per resource prices for Terraform instead

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

Consul

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Service discovery
    • Health checking
    • KV store

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 Consul if

  • You need service discovery.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, Mac, Cloud.
  • You also want health checking.
Consul 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 Consul or Hetzner Cloud better?
Neither clearly leads. Consul 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, Consul or Hetzner Cloud?
Consul starts at Free and Hetzner Cloud at Free.
Does Consul or Hetzner Cloud run on more platforms?
Consul runs on Linux, Windows, Mac, Cloud. Hetzner Cloud runs on Web, Api, Cli.
Can I use Consul for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Consul best used for?
Consul is most often used for service discovery and health checking across dynamic infrastructure, running a service mesh with mutual tls between services, distributed key value configuration storage for applications. Of those, service discovery and health checking across dynamic infrastructure and running a service mesh with mutual tls between services are not what Hetzner Cloud is typically brought in for.
What can Consul do that Hetzner Cloud cannot?
Consul covers Service discovery, Health checking, Key/value store, Multi-datacenter. Hetzner Cloud covers Cloud servers, Block storage, Object storage, Load balancers. Both handle Kubernetes, Terraform, Docker, Cloud deployment.
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