Hetzner Cloud vs DigitalOcean
A detailed comparison to help you choose between Hetzner Cloud and DigitalOcean.
Quick Verdict
4.4/5
Hetzner Cloud
468 reviews
4.1/5
DigitalOcean
413 reviews
Hetzner Cloud is rated higher (4.4 vs 4.1). German cloud provider offering the best price-to-performance ratio in the market. CX22 (2 vCPU, 4GB RAM, 40GB NVMe) costs €4.35/month. Loved by European developers for fast NVMe, generous bandwidth, a Cloud VPS and managed services platform offering droplets, databases, and app hosting. Built for developers who want straightforward pricing and documentation without enterprise complexity.
Hetzner Cloud Affordable VPS hosting with fast deployment and transparent pricing | DigitalOcean Simple, predictable cloud infrastructure for developers | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Rating | 4.4 (468 reviews)✓ | 4.1 (413 reviews) |
| Pricing model | paid | paid |
| Starting price | From €4/mo✓ | From €6/mo |
| Best for | Developers and small teams seeking cost-effective, predictable VPS infrastructure in Europe with straightforward management and no long-term contracts. | Startups and solo developers building web applications, APIs, and small-scale infrastructure who prioritize simplicity and documentation over enterprise features. |
| Specifications (entry plan) | ||
| CPU cores | 2 vCPU✓ | 1 vCPU |
| RAM | 4 GB✓ | 1 GB |
| Storage | 40 GB✓ | 25 GB |
| Bandwidth | 20 TB/mo✓ | 1 TB/mo |
| SLA uptime | 99.9% | 99.99%✓ |
| Data-center count | 5 | 15✓ |
| €/vCPU/mo | €2.00✓ | €6.00 |
| €/GB RAM/mo | €1.00✓ | €6.00 |
| Performance | ||
| CPU score (sysbench) | 4,820✓ | 2,200 |
| Disk read (fio) | 2,100 MB/s✓ | 560 MB/s |
| Disk IOPS (4K random) | 42,000✓ | 8,400 |
| Network out | 1 Gbps✓ | 0.5 Gbps |
| Latency (TTFB) | 18 ms✓ | 32 ms |
| Features | ||
| IPv6 | ||
| DDoS protection | ||
| Automated backups | ||
| Snapshots | ||
| Managed option | ||
| Bare metal | ||
| GPU available | ||
| S3-compatible | ||
| Hourly billing | ||
| Free tier | ✓ | |
| Data-center locations | ||
| Regions | GermanyFinlandUnited States | United StatesNetherlandsSingaporeUnited KingdomGermanyCanada+2 |
| Tags | ||
| Tags | hourly billingnvme storageipv6ddos protectionbackups includedsnapshotseu datacenterus datacentergdpr compliantterraform providerapi access | free tierhourly billingnvme storageipv6ddos protectionbackups includedsnapshotsmanaged options3 compatibleeu datacenterus datacenterapac datacenterterraform providerkubernetes supportprivate networkingapi access |
| Visit Hetzner Cloud → | Visit DigitalOcean → | |
Hetzner Cloud
Pros
- + Deploy servers in minutes with per-minute billing
- + Access competitive pricing with no hidden fees or setup costs
- + Manage resources via API and web console with detailed documentation
- + Choose from multiple European and US data center locations
Cons
- - Limited OS templates compared to some competitors
- - Smaller community and fewer third-party integrations than larger providers
DigitalOcean
Pros
- + Deploy Droplets in under one minute with streamlined console
- + Access extensive community documentation and tutorials
- + Get transparent, predictable pricing with no surprise fees
- + Manage infrastructure via API, CLI, or web dashboard
Cons
- - Limited geographic presence compared to AWS or Google Cloud
- - Smaller ecosystem of third-party integrations and tools
- - Scaling to enterprise requirements may require migration elsewhere
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