Software · head to head
Hetzner Cloud vs Google Cloud Platform
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Hetzner Cloud cost-Optimized plans are shown as currently unavailable; Google Cloud Platform the $300 Free Trial credit expires 90 days from signup, whichever comes first with spending it
- They diverge on capability: Hetzner Cloud covers Cloud servers, Google Cloud Platform covers Compute Engine.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Hetzner Cloud and Google Cloud Platform actually diverge.
| Attribute | Hetzner Cloud | Google Cloud Platform |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 1997 | 2008 |
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 Hetzner Cloud
- Cloud servers
- Block storage
- Object storage
- Load balancers
- Networks
- Firewalls
- Floating IPs
- Backups
Only in Google Cloud Platform
- Compute Engine
- App Engine
- Cloud Run
- Cloud Storage
- Cloud SQL
- BigQuery
- Dataflow
- Cloud Pub/Sub
Both cover
- Terraform
- Docker
- Kubernetes
- Cloud deployment
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 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
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
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
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
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
Google Cloud Platform
Free- Free TierFree
- Compute Engine 744 hours/month
- Cloud Storage 5GB
- Cloud SQL 250MB storage
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 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.
Questions people ask
- Is Hetzner Cloud or Google Cloud Platform better?
- Neither clearly leads. Hetzner Cloud starts at Free and Google Cloud Platform at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Hetzner Cloud or Google Cloud Platform?
- Hetzner Cloud starts at Free and Google Cloud Platform at Free.
- Does Hetzner Cloud or Google Cloud Platform run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, Api, Cli, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- 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 Google Cloud Platform is typically brought in for.
- What can Hetzner Cloud do that Google Cloud Platform cannot?
- Hetzner Cloud covers Cloud servers, Block storage, Object storage, Load balancers. Google Cloud Platform covers Compute Engine, App Engine, Cloud Run, Cloud Storage. Both handle Terraform, Docker, Kubernetes, Cloud deployment.