Cloud & Infrastructure · head to head
Hetzner Cloud vs Chef
Hetzner Cloud
Cloud & Infrastructure
Affordable cloud servers in Europe
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Hetzner Cloud cost-Optimized plans are shown as currently unavailable; Chef priced per node per year, at $59 on Business and $189 on Enterprise, so cost scales with fleet size rather than with team size
- They diverge on capability: Hetzner Cloud covers Cloud servers, Chef covers Recipes.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Hetzner Cloud and Chef actually diverge.
| Attribute | Hetzner Cloud | Chef |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | usage-based | open-source |
| Platforms | Web, Api, Cli | Linux, Windows, Mac, Api |
| Founded | 1997 | 2009 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Cloud & Infrastructure).
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 Chef
- Recipes
- Cookbooks
- Roles
- Data bags
- Attributes
- Chef Server
- Chef Infra
- Chef Compliance
Both cover
- Docker
- Cloud deployment
- Api 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 Chef
- European hosting with data held in Germany or Finlandnot Chef
- Workloads with heavy egress, where included traffic mattersnot Chef
- Self-hosting applications away from the hyperscalersnot Chef
Chef
- Configuration management and infrastructure automation across server fleetsnot Hetzner Cloud
- Enforcing compliance and audit policy on managed nodesnot 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
Chef
- Priced per node per year, at $59 on Business and $189 on Enterprise, so cost scales with fleet size rather than with team size
- Tripling the price between the two published tiers puts compliance and audit features well above basic automation
- Enterprise Plus and every self managed deployment are custom quoted with no published price
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
Chef
Free- Open SourceFree
- Chef Infra
- Community support
- Full functionality
- Chef Automate$4000/year
- Chef Infra
- Compliance automation
- Insights
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 Chef if
- You need recipes.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Linux, Windows, Mac, Api.
- You also want cookbooks.
Questions people ask
- Is Hetzner Cloud or Chef better?
- Neither clearly leads. Hetzner Cloud starts at Free and Chef at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Hetzner Cloud or Chef?
- Hetzner Cloud starts at Free and Chef at Free.
- Does Hetzner Cloud or Chef run on more platforms?
- Hetzner Cloud runs on Web, Api, Cli. Chef runs on Linux, Windows, Mac, Api.
- 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 Chef is typically brought in for.
- What can Hetzner Cloud do that Chef cannot?
- Hetzner Cloud covers Cloud servers, Block storage, Object storage, Load balancers. Chef covers Recipes, Cookbooks, Roles, Data bags. Both handle Docker, Cloud deployment, Api support.