Software · head to head
Hetzner Cloud vs Alibaba Cloud
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Hetzner Cloud cost-Optimized plans are shown as currently unavailable; Alibaba Cloud technical support is a separate subscription, from $19.99 a month for Developer up to $8,000 a month for Enterprise, with only Basic included
- They diverge on capability: Hetzner Cloud covers Cloud servers, Alibaba Cloud covers Elastic Compute Service.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Hetzner Cloud and Alibaba Cloud actually diverge.
| Attribute | Hetzner Cloud | Alibaba Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Web, Api, Cli | Linux, Windows, Api, Cli |
| Founded | 1997 | 2009 |
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 Hetzner Cloud
- Cloud servers
- Block storage
- Object storage
- Load balancers
- Networks
- Firewalls
- Floating IPs
- Backups
Only in Alibaba Cloud
- Elastic Compute Service
- Object Storage Service
- RDS Database
- MaxCompute
- Function Compute
- CDN
- Load Balancer
- API Gateway
Both cover
- Terraform
- Ansible
- Docker
- Kubernetes
- Cloud deployment
- Api support
- Cli support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Hetzner Cloud
- Low-cost virtual servers for development and testingnot Alibaba Cloud
- European hosting with data held in Germany or Finlandnot Alibaba Cloud
- Workloads with heavy egress, where included traffic mattersnot Alibaba Cloud
- Self-hosting applications away from the hyperscalersnot Alibaba Cloud
Alibaba Cloud
- Cloud compute and storage with a strong footprint in China and Asia Pacificnot Hetzner Cloud
- Pay-as-you-go infrastructure without upfront commitmentnot Hetzner Cloud
- Committed-use discounts through savings plans for steady workloadsnot Hetzner Cloud
- CDN and data transfer packages for content deliverynot Hetzner Cloud
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
Alibaba Cloud
- Technical support is a separate subscription, from $19.99 a month for Developer up to $8,000 a month for Enterprise, with only Basic included
- Service prices are not shown as a rate card and route through a calculator or sales
- Committed discounts require savings plans, reserved instances or capacity packages rather than being automatic
Pricing, plan by plan
Hetzner Cloud
Free- CX11$3.29/month
- 1 vCPU
- 1GB RAM
- 25GB SSD
- CX21$6.59/month
- 2 vCPU
- 4GB RAM
- 40GB SSD
Alibaba Cloud
Free- Free TrialFree
- Free tier credits
- ECS instances
- Cloud storage
- Pay-as-You-GoFree
- Flexible billing
- No commitments
- Global reach
Which should you pick?
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.
Choose Alibaba Cloud if
- You need elastic compute service.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Linux, Windows, Api, Cli.
- You also want object storage service.
Questions people ask
- Is Hetzner Cloud or Alibaba Cloud better?
- Neither clearly leads. Hetzner Cloud starts at Free and Alibaba Cloud at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Hetzner Cloud or Alibaba Cloud?
- Hetzner Cloud starts at Free and Alibaba Cloud at Free.
- Does Hetzner Cloud or Alibaba Cloud run on more platforms?
- Hetzner Cloud runs on Web, Api, Cli. Alibaba Cloud runs on Linux, Windows, Api, Cli.
- Can I use Hetzner Cloud for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Hetzner Cloud best used for?
- Hetzner Cloud is most often used for low-cost virtual servers for development and testing, european hosting with data held in germany or finland, workloads with heavy egress, where included traffic matters, self-hosting applications away from the hyperscalers. Of those, low-cost virtual servers for development and testing and european hosting with data held in germany or finland are not what Alibaba Cloud is typically brought in for.
- What can Hetzner Cloud do that Alibaba Cloud cannot?
- Hetzner Cloud covers Cloud servers, Block storage, Object storage, Load balancers. Alibaba Cloud covers Elastic Compute Service, Object Storage Service, RDS Database, MaxCompute. Both handle Terraform, Ansible, Docker, Kubernetes.