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Software · head to head

Hetzner Cloud vs Vault

Hetzner Cloud logo

Hetzner Cloud

Software

Affordable cloud servers in Europe

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Vault logo

Vault

Software

Manage Secrets and Protect Sensitive Data

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Hetzner Cloud cost-Optimized plans are shown as currently unavailable; Vault vault 1.15.0 and later is licensed under the Business Source License 1.1, not an OSI open source licence, with IBM Corporation as licensor
  • They diverge on capability: Hetzner Cloud covers Cloud servers, Vault covers Secrets management.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Hetzner Cloud and Vault differ
AttributeHetzner CloudVault
Pricing modelusage-basedopen-source
PlatformsWeb, Api, CliLinux, Windows, Mac, Cloud
Founded19972015

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Vault

  • Secrets management
  • Encryption
  • Authentication
  • Authorization
  • Audit logging
  • API access
  • High availability
  • Replication

Both cover

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

Vault

  • Centrally storing and rotating secrets, API keys and database credentialsnot Hetzner Cloud
  • Issuing short-lived dynamic credentials to applications instead of static passwordsnot Hetzner Cloud
  • Encryption as a service and PKI certificate issuancenot 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

Vault

  • Vault 1.15.0 and later is licensed under the Business Source License 1.1, not an OSI open source licence, with IBM Corporation as licensor
  • The Additional Use Grant forbids offering Vault to third parties on a hosted or embedded basis in a paid product that competes with IBM's paid versions of Vault
  • Each version only converts to MPL 2.0 four years after that version is published, and the Change Date is tracked per version
  • Replication, HSM support, namespaces, performance standby nodes, FIPS builds, control group authorisation, multi-factor authentication, secrets sync and lease count quotas all require a Vault Enterprise licence
  • A Vault Enterprise licence must be applied to the cluster before any Enterprise feature can be used

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

Vault

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Secrets management
    • Encryption as a service
    • Identity management
  • EnterpriseFree
    • Advanced features
    • Premium support
    • Dedicated updates

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 Vault if

  • You need secrets management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, Mac, Cloud.
  • You also want encryption.
Vault review

Questions people ask

Is Hetzner Cloud or Vault better?
Neither clearly leads. Hetzner Cloud starts at Free and Vault at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Hetzner Cloud or Vault?
Hetzner Cloud starts at Free and Vault at Free.
Does Hetzner Cloud or Vault run on more platforms?
Hetzner Cloud runs on Web, Api, Cli. Vault runs on Linux, Windows, Mac, Cloud.
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 Vault is typically brought in for.
What can Hetzner Cloud do that Vault cannot?
Hetzner Cloud covers Cloud servers, Block storage, Object storage, Load balancers. Vault covers Secrets management, Encryption, Authentication, Authorization. Both handle Terraform, Ansible, Docker, Kubernetes.
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