Cloud & Infrastructure · head to head
Oracle Cloud vs Hetzner Cloud
Oracle Cloud
Cloud & Infrastructure
Enterprise cloud computing services
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Hetzner Cloud
Cloud & Infrastructure
Affordable cloud servers in Europe
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Oracle Cloud the free trial gives US$300 of credit that expires when consumed or after 30 days, whichever comes first; Hetzner Cloud cost-Optimized plans are shown as currently unavailable
- They diverge on capability: Oracle Cloud covers Autonomous Database, Hetzner Cloud covers Cloud servers.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Oracle Cloud and Hetzner Cloud actually diverge.
| Attribute | Oracle Cloud | Hetzner Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Linux, Windows, Api, Cli | Web, Api, Cli |
| Founded | 2019 | 1997 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (usage-based), free tier (Yes), 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 Oracle Cloud
- Autonomous Database
- Compute Instances
- MySQL Database Service
- Object Storage
- Block Volume
- Load Balancers
- Virtual Cloud Network
- API Gateway
Only in Hetzner Cloud
- Cloud servers
- Block storage
- Object storage
- Load balancers
- Networks
- Firewalls
- Floating IPs
- Backups
Both cover
- Terraform
- Ansible
- Kubernetes
- Docker
- Cloud deployment
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Oracle Cloud
- Running virtual machines, databases and storage on Oracle's cloud infrastructurenot Hetzner Cloud
- Hosting Oracle Database workloads on infrastructure from the same vendornot Hetzner Cloud
Hetzner Cloud
- Low-cost virtual servers for development and testingnot Oracle Cloud
- European hosting with data held in Germany or Finlandnot Oracle Cloud
- Workloads with heavy egress, where included traffic mattersnot Oracle Cloud
- Self-hosting applications away from the hyperscalersnot Oracle Cloud
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Oracle Cloud
- The free trial gives US$300 of credit that expires when consumed or after 30 days, whichever comes first
- The US$300 cloud credit is available only in select countries
- Only one Oracle Cloud Free Trial or Always Free account is permitted per person
- Accounts left idle for 30 days or more are eligible for suspension or termination as abandoned
- Always Free NoSQL Database is restricted to the Phoenix region
- Free Tier availability is subject to capacity limits, and the published per-service capacity figures are estimates that assume the entire credit is spent on that one service
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
Pricing, plan by plan
Oracle Cloud
Free- Always FreeFree
- Oracle Autonomous Database
- 2 compute instances
- 100 GB storage
- Pay-as-You-GoFree
- Flexible pricing
- No long-term commitment
- Enterprise support
Hetzner Cloud
Free- CX11$3.29/month
- 1 vCPU
- 1GB RAM
- 25GB SSD
- CX21$6.59/month
- 2 vCPU
- 4GB RAM
- 40GB SSD
Which should you pick?
Choose Oracle Cloud if
- You need autonomous database.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Linux, Windows, Api, Cli.
- You also want compute instances.
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.
Questions people ask
- Is Oracle Cloud or Hetzner Cloud better?
- Neither clearly leads. Oracle Cloud starts at Free and Hetzner Cloud at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Oracle Cloud or Hetzner Cloud?
- Oracle Cloud starts at Free and Hetzner Cloud at Free.
- Does Oracle Cloud or Hetzner Cloud run on more platforms?
- Oracle Cloud runs on Linux, Windows, Api, Cli. Hetzner Cloud runs on Web, Api, Cli.
- Can I use Oracle Cloud for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Oracle Cloud best used for?
- Oracle Cloud is most often used for running virtual machines, databases and storage on oracle's cloud infrastructure, hosting oracle database workloads on infrastructure from the same vendor. Of those, running virtual machines, databases and storage on oracle's cloud infrastructure and hosting oracle database workloads on infrastructure from the same vendor are not what Hetzner Cloud is typically brought in for.
- What can Oracle Cloud do that Hetzner Cloud cannot?
- Oracle Cloud covers Autonomous Database, Compute Instances, MySQL Database Service, Object Storage. Hetzner Cloud covers Cloud servers, Block storage, Object storage, Load balancers. Both handle Terraform, Ansible, Kubernetes, Docker.