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Cloud & Infrastructure · head to head

Hetzner Cloud vs Netlify

Hetzner Cloud logo

Hetzner Cloud

Cloud & Infrastructure

Affordable cloud servers in Europe

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Netlify logo

Netlify

Technology

The fastest way to build the fastest sites

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Hetzner Cloud cost-Optimized plans are shown as currently unavailable; Netlify the free tier is an individual account with 300 credits; team members require the Pro plan at $20 a month
  • They diverge on capability: Hetzner Cloud covers Cloud servers, Netlify covers Continuous deployment.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Hetzner Cloud and Netlify actually diverge.

Attributes where Hetzner Cloud and Netlify differ
AttributeHetzner CloudNetlify
Pricing modelusage-basedfreemium
PlatformsWeb, Api, CliWeb
CategoryCloud & InfrastructureTechnology
Founded19972014

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Netlify

  • Continuous deployment
  • Instant rollbacks
  • Deploy previews
  • Split testing
  • Forms handling
  • Identity/Auth
  • Serverless functions
  • Edge handlers

Both cover

  • DDoS protection

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 Netlify
  • European hosting with data held in Germany or Finlandnot Netlify
  • Workloads with heavy egress, where included traffic mattersnot Netlify
  • Self-hosting applications away from the hyperscalersnot Netlify

Netlify

  • Hosting static sites and frontend frameworks with global CDN deliverynot Hetzner Cloud
  • Deploy previews on every pull requestnot Hetzner Cloud
  • Serverless functions alongside a static sitenot Hetzner Cloud
  • Netlify Database and Blob storage for small application statenot 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

Netlify

  • The free tier is an individual account with 300 credits; team members require the Pro plan at $20 a month
  • Everything is metered in credits, so bandwidth at 20 credits per GB and production deploys at 15 credits each consume the allowance in ways a bandwidth figure alone would not show
  • Compute is billed at 10 credits per GB-hour, so server-rendered work costs more than static hosting
  • Running past the allowance means buying credit packs, at $5 for 500 on Personal and $10 for 1,500 on Pro
  • AI inference is priced by model rather than at a flat credit rate

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

Netlify

Free
  • StarterFree
    • 100GB bandwidth
    • 300 build minutes
    • 1 concurrent build
  • Pro$19/month
    • 400GB bandwidth
    • 25,000 build minutes
    • 3 concurrent builds
  • Business$99/month
    • 600GB bandwidth
    • 35,000 build minutes
    • 5 concurrent builds
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Custom bandwidth
    • Custom build minutes
    • Unlimited concurrent builds

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.
Hetzner Cloud review

Choose Netlify if

  • You need continuous deployment.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want instant rollbacks.
Netlify review

Questions people ask

Is Hetzner Cloud or Netlify better?
Neither clearly leads. Hetzner Cloud starts at Free and Netlify at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Hetzner Cloud or Netlify?
Hetzner Cloud starts at Free and Netlify at Free.
Does Hetzner Cloud or Netlify run on more platforms?
Hetzner Cloud runs on Web, Api, Cli. Netlify runs on Web.
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 Netlify is typically brought in for.
What can Hetzner Cloud do that Netlify cannot?
Hetzner Cloud covers Cloud servers, Block storage, Object storage, Load balancers. Netlify covers Continuous deployment, Instant rollbacks, Deploy previews, Split testing. Both handle DDoS protection.
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