Software · head to head
Hetzner Cloud vs Vultr
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Hetzner Cloud cost-Optimized plans are shown as currently unavailable; Vultr vultr Cloud Compute pricing as captured 31 December 2022 started at $5/month (1 vCPU, 1GB RAM, 25GB storage, 1TB transfer), scaling to $10/month and $20/month with more vCPU/RAM/storage; bandwidth overage billed at $0.01 to $0.05 per GB depending on plan
- They diverge on capability: Hetzner Cloud covers Networks, Vultr covers Bare metal servers.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Hetzner Cloud and Vultr actually diverge.
| Attribute | Hetzner Cloud | Vultr |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 1997 | 2014 |
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
- Networks
- Floating IPs
- Backups
- Docker
Only in Vultr
- Bare metal servers
- CLI
Both cover
- Cloud servers
- Block storage
- Object storage
- Load balancers
- Firewalls
- Terraform
- Ansible
- Kubernetes
- API
- Firewall
- DDoS protection
- Private networks
- Cloud deployment
- Web 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 Vultr
- European hosting with data held in Germany or Finlandnot Vultr
- Workloads with heavy egress, where included traffic mattersnot Vultr
- Self-hosting applications away from the hyperscalersnot Vultr
Vultr
- High performance computingnot Hetzner Cloud
- Game serversnot Hetzner Cloud
- Streamingnot Hetzner Cloud
- Database hostingnot Hetzner Cloud
- Application serversnot 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
Vultr
- Vultr Cloud Compute pricing as captured 31 December 2022 started at $5/month (1 vCPU, 1GB RAM, 25GB storage, 1TB transfer), scaling to $10/month and $20/month with more vCPU/RAM/storage; bandwidth overage billed at $0.01 to $0.05 per GB depending on plan
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
Vultr
Free- Cloud Compute$2.5/month
- 512MB RAM
- 10GB SSD
- 500GB bandwidth
- Bare Metal$32/month
- Dedicated hardware
- High performance
- Full root access
Which should you pick?
Choose Hetzner Cloud if
- You need networks.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Api, Cli.
- You also want floating ips.
Choose Vultr if
- You need bare metal servers.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Api, Cli.
- You also want cli.
Questions people ask
- Is Hetzner Cloud or Vultr better?
- Neither clearly leads. Hetzner Cloud starts at Free and Vultr at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Hetzner Cloud or Vultr?
- Hetzner Cloud starts at Free and Vultr at Free.
- Does Hetzner Cloud or Vultr 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 Vultr is typically brought in for.
- What can Hetzner Cloud do that Vultr cannot?
- Hetzner Cloud covers Networks, Floating IPs, Backups, Docker. Vultr covers Bare metal servers, CLI. Both handle Cloud servers, Block storage, Object storage, Load balancers.