Cloud & Infrastructure · head to head
Hetzner Cloud vs Scaleway
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; Scaleway scaleway's entry-level cloud instances start at 4.99 EUR per month, and its consumption-based services (serverless jobs, IoT hub, container functions) bill by vCPU-second and GB-second beyond a fixed free-tier allowance per account per month, so costs scale with usage rather than a flat seat price.
- They diverge on capability: Hetzner Cloud covers Cloud servers, Scaleway covers Virtual Instances.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Hetzner Cloud and Scaleway actually diverge.
| Attribute | Hetzner Cloud | Scaleway |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 1997 | 1999 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (usage-based), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web, Api, Cli), 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 Scaleway
- Virtual Instances
- Bare Metal
- Kubernetes Kapsule
- Object Storage
- Serverless Functions
- Managed Databases
- Container Registry
- Load Balancer
Both cover
- Terraform
- Ansible
- Docker
- Kubernetes
- Cloud deployment
- Web support
- 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 Scaleway
- European hosting with data held in Germany or Finlandnot Scaleway
- Workloads with heavy egress, where included traffic mattersnot Scaleway
- Self-hosting applications away from the hyperscalersnot Scaleway
Scaleway
- Web hostingnot Hetzner Cloud
- Container orchestrationnot Hetzner Cloud
- Development environmentsnot Hetzner Cloud
- Data storagenot 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
Scaleway
- Scaleway's entry-level cloud instances start at 4.99 EUR per month, and its consumption-based services (serverless jobs, IoT hub, container functions) bill by vCPU-second and GB-second beyond a fixed free-tier allowance per account per month, so costs scale with usage rather than a flat seat 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
Scaleway
Free- DEV1-S$7.99/month
- 2 vCPU
- 2GB RAM
- 20GB SSD
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 Scaleway if
- You need virtual instances.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Api, Cli.
- You also want bare metal.
Questions people ask
- Is Hetzner Cloud or Scaleway better?
- Neither clearly leads. Hetzner Cloud starts at Free and Scaleway at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Hetzner Cloud or Scaleway?
- Hetzner Cloud starts at Free and Scaleway at Free.
- Does Hetzner Cloud or Scaleway 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 Scaleway is typically brought in for.
- What can Hetzner Cloud do that Scaleway cannot?
- Hetzner Cloud covers Cloud servers, Block storage, Object storage, Load balancers. Scaleway covers Virtual Instances, Bare Metal, Kubernetes Kapsule, Object Storage. Both handle Terraform, Ansible, Docker, Kubernetes.