Software · head to head
Hetzner Cloud vs AWS (Amazon Web Services)
AWS (Amazon Web Services)
Software
The leading cloud computing platform
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Hetzner Cloud cost-Optimized plans are shown as currently unavailable; AWS (Amazon Web Services) data transfer in is free and data transfer out is charged, which is the standard source of unexpected bills
- They diverge on capability: Hetzner Cloud covers Cloud servers, AWS (Amazon Web Services) covers EC2 - Virtual Servers.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Hetzner Cloud and AWS (Amazon Web Services) actually diverge.
| Attribute | Hetzner Cloud | AWS (Amazon Web Services) |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Web, Api, Cli | Web, Api, Cli, Mobile |
| Founded | 1997 | 2006 |
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 AWS (Amazon Web Services)
- EC2 - Virtual Servers
- S3 - Object Storage
- RDS - Managed Database
- Lambda - Serverless Computing
- CloudFront - CDN
- VPC - Virtual Network
- IAM - Access Management
- CloudWatch - Monitoring
Both cover
- Terraform
- Docker
- Kubernetes
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 AWS (Amazon Web Services)
- European hosting with data held in Germany or Finlandnot AWS (Amazon Web Services)
- Workloads with heavy egress, where included traffic mattersnot AWS (Amazon Web Services)
- Self-hosting applications away from the hyperscalersnot AWS (Amazon Web Services)
AWS (Amazon Web Services)
- Web hostingnot Hetzner Cloud
- Data storagenot Hetzner Cloud
- Machine learningnot Hetzner Cloud
- Big data analyticsnot Hetzner Cloud
- Application developmentnot 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
AWS (Amazon Web Services)
- Data transfer in is free and data transfer out is charged, which is the standard source of unexpected bills
- Discounts require one or three year Savings Plan commitments rather than being automatic
- Every service is priced separately, so a working architecture has no single published cost
- The free tier is a promotional allowance rather than an ongoing free plan
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
AWS (Amazon Web Services)
Free- AWS Free TierFree
- EC2 750 hours/month
- 5GB S3 storage
- 20GB data transfer
- Pay-As-You-GoFree
- No upfront payment
- No long-term commitments
- Pay only for what you use
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 AWS (Amazon Web Services) if
- You need ec2 - virtual servers.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Api, Cli, Mobile.
- You also want s3 - object storage.
Questions people ask
- Is Hetzner Cloud or AWS (Amazon Web Services) better?
- Neither clearly leads. Hetzner Cloud starts at Free and AWS (Amazon Web Services) at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Hetzner Cloud or AWS (Amazon Web Services)?
- Hetzner Cloud starts at Free and AWS (Amazon Web Services) at Free.
- Does Hetzner Cloud or AWS (Amazon Web Services) run on more platforms?
- Hetzner Cloud runs on Web, Api, Cli. AWS (Amazon Web Services) runs on Web, Api, Cli, Mobile.
- 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 AWS (Amazon Web Services) is typically brought in for.
- What can Hetzner Cloud do that AWS (Amazon Web Services) cannot?
- Hetzner Cloud covers Cloud servers, Block storage, Object storage, Load balancers. AWS (Amazon Web Services) covers EC2 - Virtual Servers, S3 - Object Storage, RDS - Managed Database, Lambda - Serverless Computing. Both handle Terraform, Docker, Kubernetes.