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Software · head to head

Fastly vs Hetzner Cloud

Fastly logo

Fastly

Software

High performance edge computing platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Hetzner Cloud logo

Hetzner Cloud

Software

Affordable cloud servers in Europe

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Fastly bandwidth is priced per region, and delivery to India, Africa and South Korea is $0.28 per GB against $0.12 in North America and Europe; Hetzner Cloud cost-Optimized plans are shown as currently unavailable
  • They diverge on capability: Fastly covers Edge Compute, Hetzner Cloud covers Cloud servers.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Fastly and Hetzner Cloud differ
AttributeFastlyHetzner Cloud
PlatformsWeb, ApiWeb, Api, Cli
Founded20111997

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 Fastly

  • Edge Compute
  • CDN
  • DDoS Protection
  • Real-time Analytics
  • Image Optimization
  • Video Streaming
  • Instant Purge
  • GitHub

Only in Hetzner Cloud

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

Both cover

  • API
  • Terraform
  • DDoS protection
  • Cloud deployment
  • Web support
  • Api support

What people use each for

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

Fastly

  • Serving static and dynamic content through a global CDNnot Hetzner Cloud
  • Running edge logic and caching in front of an origin applicationnot Hetzner Cloud

Hetzner Cloud

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

Where each one falls short

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

Fastly

  • Bandwidth is priced per region, and delivery to India, Africa and South Korea is $0.28 per GB against $0.12 in North America and Europe
  • The same traffic therefore costs more than twice as much depending on where the audience is, which is invisible until the bill arrives
  • The free allowance is 100 GB of bandwidth and 1M requests a month
  • Requests are billed separately from bandwidth, at $0.01 per 10,000 above the first million
  • High volume rates past 50 TB are not published and require contacting sales

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

Fastly

Free
  • Free TrialFree
    • CDN
    • DDoS protection
    • Real-time analytics
  • Pay-As-You-GoFree
    • Usage-based pricing
    • Advanced features
    • Priority support

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 Fastly if

  • You need edge compute.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want cdn.
Fastly 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 Fastly or Hetzner Cloud better?
Neither clearly leads. Fastly 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, Fastly or Hetzner Cloud?
Fastly starts at Free and Hetzner Cloud at Free.
Does Fastly or Hetzner Cloud run on more platforms?
Fastly runs on Web, Api. Hetzner Cloud runs on Web, Api, Cli.
Can I use Fastly for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Fastly best used for?
Fastly is most often used for serving static and dynamic content through a global cdn, running edge logic and caching in front of an origin application. Of those, serving static and dynamic content through a global cdn and running edge logic and caching in front of an origin application are not what Hetzner Cloud is typically brought in for.
What can Fastly do that Hetzner Cloud cannot?
Fastly covers Edge Compute, CDN, DDoS Protection, Real-time Analytics. Hetzner Cloud covers Cloud servers, Block storage, Object storage, Load balancers. Both handle API, Terraform, DDoS protection, Cloud deployment.
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Related pages

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