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Hetzner Cloud vs Nginx

Hetzner Cloud logo

Hetzner Cloud

Cloud

Affordable cloud servers in Europe

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Nginx logo

Nginx

Web Development

High-performance web server and reverse proxy

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Hetzner Cloud cost-Optimized plans are shown as currently unavailable; Nginx open-source nginx has no admin API for changing arbitrary config at runtime; dynamic reconfiguration requires editing the config file and reloading via 'nginx -s reload'
  • They diverge on capability: Hetzner Cloud covers Cloud servers, Nginx covers High-performance web server.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Hetzner Cloud and Nginx differ
AttributeHetzner CloudNginx
Pricing modelusage-basedUnknown
PlatformsWeb, Api, CliWindows, macOS, Linux
CategoryCloudWeb Development
Founded19972011

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 Nginx

  • High-performance web server
  • Reverse proxy
  • Load balancing
  • HTTP caching
  • SSL/TLS termination
  • Gzip compression
  • Rate limiting
  • Static file serving

Both cover

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

Nginx

  • HTTP web server and static file servingnot Hetzner Cloud
  • Reverse proxy and load balancernot Hetzner Cloud
  • TLS/SSL termination (SNI, HTTP/2, HTTP/3)not Hetzner Cloud
  • Content cachingnot Hetzner Cloud
  • Kubernetes Ingress Controller backendnot Hetzner Cloud
  • TCP/UDP stream proxyingnot 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

Nginx

  • Open-source nginx has no admin API for changing arbitrary config at runtime; dynamic reconfiguration requires editing the config file and reloading via 'nginx -s reload'
  • No official built-in GUI or dashboard for management or live metrics in the open-source edition
  • Advanced capabilities such as active health checks, dynamic upstream reconfiguration without reload, and a full API gateway feature set are exclusive to the paid NGINX Plus product, not open-source nginx
  • No published list price for NGINX Plus on the current F5 product page; pricing requires contacting sales

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

Nginx

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Web server
    • Reverse proxy
    • Load balancing

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 Nginx if

  • You need high-performance web server.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux.
  • You also want reverse proxy.
Nginx review

Questions people ask

Is Hetzner Cloud or Nginx better?
Neither clearly leads. Hetzner Cloud starts at Free and Nginx at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Hetzner Cloud or Nginx?
Hetzner Cloud starts at Free and Nginx at Free.
Does Hetzner Cloud or Nginx run on more platforms?
Hetzner Cloud runs on Web, Api, Cli. Nginx runs on Windows, macOS, Linux.
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 Nginx is typically brought in for.
What can Hetzner Cloud do that Nginx cannot?
Hetzner Cloud covers Cloud servers, Block storage, Object storage, Load balancers. Nginx covers High-performance web server, Reverse proxy, Load balancing, HTTP caching. Both handle Docker, Kubernetes, DDoS protection.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Hetzner Cloud: What types of cloud plans does Hetzner Cloud offer?

Hetzner Cloud offers Shared Resource plans (Cost-Optimized and Regular Performance) for development and testing, and Dedicated Resource plans (General Purpose) for business applications. Plans are available with a price calculator on their website.

Source
Nginx: How much does nginx cost?

nginx is free and open source software distributed under the 2-clause BSD License. Enterprise distributions, commercial support, and training are available from F5 Inc. at custom pricing.

Source
Hetzner Cloud: What is included with Hetzner Cloud servers?

Every cloud server comes with free one-click apps like Docker, WordPress, Nextcloud, and GitLab. All servers include stateful firewalls at no additional cost, networking capabilities, APIs, and CLI tools.

Source
Hetzner Cloud: Where are Hetzner Cloud servers located?

Hetzner Cloud servers are available in Germany, Finland, Singapore, and the USA, with data centers in Falkenstein, Nuremberg, Helsinki, Hillsboro (Oregon), Ashburn (Virginia), and Singapore.

Source
Hetzner Cloud: What uptime guarantee does Hetzner Cloud provide?

Hetzner Cloud provides an SLA with 99.9% guaranteed uptime and clearly defined credits in case of malfunction. They also offer 24/7 support by email for business-critical workloads.

Source
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