Software · head to head
Google Cloud Platform vs Hetzner Cloud
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Google Cloud Platform the $300 Free Trial credit expires 90 days from signup, whichever comes first with spending it; Hetzner Cloud cost-Optimized plans are shown as currently unavailable
- They diverge on capability: Google Cloud Platform covers Compute Engine, Hetzner Cloud covers Cloud servers.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Google Cloud Platform and Hetzner Cloud actually diverge.
| Attribute | Google Cloud Platform | Hetzner Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2008 | 1997 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (usage-based), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web, Api, Cli), 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 Google Cloud Platform
- Compute Engine
- App Engine
- Cloud Run
- Cloud Storage
- Cloud SQL
- BigQuery
- Dataflow
- Cloud Pub/Sub
Only in Hetzner Cloud
- Cloud servers
- Block storage
- Object storage
- Load balancers
- Networks
- Firewalls
- Floating IPs
- Backups
Both cover
- Terraform
- Kubernetes
- Docker
- Cloud deployment
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Google Cloud Platform
- Running compute, storage and managed data services on Google's cloudnot Hetzner Cloud
- Hosting Kubernetes workloads on GKE alongside BigQuery analyticsnot Hetzner Cloud
Hetzner Cloud
- Low-cost virtual servers for development and testingnot Google Cloud Platform
- European hosting with data held in Germany or Finlandnot Google Cloud Platform
- Workloads with heavy egress, where included traffic mattersnot Google Cloud Platform
- Self-hosting applications away from the hyperscalersnot Google Cloud Platform
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Google Cloud Platform
- The $300 Free Trial credit expires 90 days from signup, whichever comes first with spending it
- Free Tier Compute Engine is limited to one non-preemptible e2-micro instance per month and only in the us-west1, us-central1 or us-east1 regions
- Free Tier Compute Engine includes only 30 GB-months of standard persistent disk and 1 GB of outbound North America data transfer per month
- Free Tier Cloud Storage covers 5 GB-months of regional storage in US regions only, 5,000 Class A and 50,000 Class B operations per month
- Free Tier outbound data transfer allowances exclude destinations in China and Australia
- Compute Engine resources are governed by allocation quotas that require a quota increase request to exceed
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
Google Cloud Platform
Free- Free TierFree
- Compute Engine 744 hours/month
- Cloud Storage 5GB
- Cloud SQL 250MB storage
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 Google Cloud Platform if
- You need compute engine.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Api, Cli.
- You also want app engine.
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 Google Cloud Platform or Hetzner Cloud better?
- Neither clearly leads. Google Cloud Platform 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, Google Cloud Platform or Hetzner Cloud?
- Google Cloud Platform starts at Free and Hetzner Cloud at Free.
- Does Google Cloud Platform or Hetzner Cloud run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, Api, Cli, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- Can I use Google Cloud Platform for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Google Cloud Platform best used for?
- Google Cloud Platform is most often used for running compute, storage and managed data services on google's cloud, hosting kubernetes workloads on gke alongside bigquery analytics. Of those, running compute, storage and managed data services on google's cloud and hosting kubernetes workloads on gke alongside bigquery analytics are not what Hetzner Cloud is typically brought in for.
- What can Google Cloud Platform do that Hetzner Cloud cannot?
- Google Cloud Platform covers Compute Engine, App Engine, Cloud Run, Cloud Storage. Hetzner Cloud covers Cloud servers, Block storage, Object storage, Load balancers. Both handle Terraform, Kubernetes, Docker, Cloud deployment.