Software · head to head
DigitalOcean vs Hetzner Cloud
The short version
- Each has a real cost: DigitalOcean data transfer overage charged at $0.01 per GiB beyond included allowances; Hetzner Cloud cost-Optimized plans are shown as currently unavailable
- They diverge on capability: DigitalOcean covers Droplets (VPS), Hetzner Cloud covers Cloud servers.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which DigitalOcean and Hetzner Cloud actually diverge.
| Attribute | DigitalOcean | Hetzner Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Linux, Cloud (AWS, GCP, Azure backend) | Web, Api, Cli |
| Founded | 2011 | 1997 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (usage-based), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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 DigitalOcean
- Droplets (VPS)
- Managed Kubernetes
- App Platform
- Managed Databases
- Spaces (Object Storage)
- Load Balancers
- Git
- GitHub
Only in Hetzner Cloud
- Cloud servers
- Block storage
- Object storage
- Load balancers
- Networks
- Backups
- Ansible
- API
Both cover
- Floating IPs
- Firewalls
- Terraform
- Docker
- Kubernetes
- Cloud deployment
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
DigitalOcean
- Developers seeking affordable VPS starting at $4/month for small applicationsnot Hetzner Cloud
- Teams deploying containerised workloads with Kubernetes starting at $12/month cluster costnot Hetzner Cloud
- Data scientists and ML engineers requiring NVIDIA GPU access at $1.91/GPU/hour (committed)not Hetzner Cloud
Hetzner Cloud
- Low-cost virtual servers for development and testingnot DigitalOcean
- European hosting with data held in Germany or Finlandnot DigitalOcean
- Workloads with heavy egress, where included traffic mattersnot DigitalOcean
- Self-hosting applications away from the hyperscalersnot DigitalOcean
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
DigitalOcean
- Data transfer overage charged at $0.01 per GiB beyond included allowances
- Free tier includes only 3 static sites; additional static sites require paid upgrade
- Container registry free tier capped at 500 MiB storage; exceeding requires paid tier
- Functions free tier allows 90,000 GiB-seconds monthly; overages billed on usage basis
- GPU Droplets require minimum monthly commitment for lower hourly rates; on-demand significantly more expensive
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
DigitalOcean
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the DigitalOcean review.
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 DigitalOcean if
- You need droplets (vps).
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Linux, Cloud (AWS, GCP, Azure backend).
- You also want managed kubernetes.
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 DigitalOcean or Hetzner Cloud better?
- Neither clearly leads. DigitalOcean 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, DigitalOcean or Hetzner Cloud?
- DigitalOcean starts at Free and Hetzner Cloud at Free.
- Does DigitalOcean or Hetzner Cloud run on more platforms?
- DigitalOcean runs on Linux, Cloud (AWS, GCP, Azure backend). Hetzner Cloud runs on Web, Api, Cli.
- Can I use DigitalOcean for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is DigitalOcean best used for?
- DigitalOcean is most often used for developers seeking affordable vps starting at $4/month for small applications, teams deploying containerised workloads with kubernetes starting at $12/month cluster cost, data scientists and ml engineers requiring nvidia gpu access at $1.91/gpu/hour (committed). Of those, developers seeking affordable vps starting at $4/month for small applications and teams deploying containerised workloads with kubernetes starting at $12/month cluster cost are not what Hetzner Cloud is typically brought in for.
- What can DigitalOcean do that Hetzner Cloud cannot?
- DigitalOcean covers Droplets (VPS), Managed Kubernetes, App Platform, Managed Databases. Hetzner Cloud covers Cloud servers, Block storage, Object storage, Load balancers. Both handle Floating IPs, Firewalls, Terraform, Docker.