Amazon Web Services (AWS) vs Hetzner Cloud: Which is Better in 2026?
Choosing between Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Hetzner Cloud? Both are popular hosting tools. Below we compare them on pricing, free tiers, features, and pros & cons so you can pick the right fit for your stack.
Amazon Web Services (AWS) is for: Teams that need many infrastructure services from one provider, enterprise compliance, or a cloud their customers already require.
Hetzner Cloud is for: Developers comfortable running their own Linux servers who want cheap VPS capacity in Europe, the US or Singapore.
Quick verdict
There’s no single winner; pick on your constraint. Choose Amazon Web Services (AWS) if your enterprise customers or compliance needs require AWS. Choose Hetzner Cloud if you can run Linux servers yourself and want low monthly costs.
Amazon Web Services (AWS) vs Hetzner Cloud — Side by Side
| Amazon Web Services (AWS) | Hetzner Cloud | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Hosting | Hosting |
| What it is | Hyperscale cloud provider | Cloud VPS provider |
| How you pay | Pay as you go, per service | Fixed monthly price per server |
| Free access | Up to $200 credits over 6 months; 30+ always-free services | None |
| What it runs | Anything: VMs, containers, serverless, managed databases | Linux VMs; load balancers, volumes, object storage |
| Who runs the servers | You configure and run it; many managed services | You run the servers |
| Pricing | Usage-based | From $7/mo |
| Starting price | Pay-as-you-go | From $7/mo |
| Free tier | — | — |
| Rating | 5.0 | 4.6 |
| Best for | Hosting — enterprise, broad service catalogue, compliance | Hosting — VPS, self-hosting, EU servers |
Pros & Cons
- Most comprehensive service catalog
- Global infrastructure
- Enterprise compliance (PCI DSS, SOC2, HIPAA)
- Mature ecosystem and tooling
- Complex pricing model
- Steep learning curve
- Cost management requires dedicated effort
- Unbeatable price-performance
- Generous RAM/CPU for the money
- Hourly billing
- Now has US regions
- Raw VPS — you manage the stack
- No managed PaaS layer
- Fewer managed services than AWS/Azure
- Several 2026 price increases
Key Features Compared
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
- New accounts get $100 in credits, plus up to $100 more for trying key services
- Free plan lasts up to 6 months or until credits run out
- More than 30 services always free within monthly limits
- Pay-as-you-go pricing per service
Hetzner Cloud
- Cost-Optimized servers from €5.99 a month, Regular Performance from €6.49
- General Purpose servers with dedicated vCPUs from €43.49 a month
- Locations in Germany, Finland, Singapore and the US (Oregon and Virginia)
- Load balancers, free stateful firewalls and S3-compatible object storage
- Prices exclude VAT
Choose Amazon Web Services (AWS) if…
- Your enterprise customers or compliance needs require AWS.
- You need services a PaaS doesn’t offer, such as queues, data warehouses or ML hosting, in one account.
- You have someone who can manage IAM, networking and cost alerts.
Choose Hetzner Cloud if…
- You can run Linux servers yourself and want low monthly costs.
- You self-host tools such as Coolify, databases or n8n.
- Your users are in Europe and you want EU-based servers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Amazon Web Services (AWS) better than Hetzner Cloud?⌄
There’s no single winner; pick on your constraint. Choose Amazon Web Services (AWS) if your enterprise customers or compliance needs require AWS. Choose Hetzner Cloud if you can run Linux servers yourself and want low monthly costs.
What is the difference between Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Hetzner Cloud?⌄
What it is — Amazon Web Services (AWS): Hyperscale cloud provider. Hetzner Cloud: Cloud VPS provider. How you pay — Amazon Web Services (AWS): Pay as you go, per service. Hetzner Cloud: Fixed monthly price per server. Free access — Amazon Web Services (AWS): Up to $200 credits over 6 months; 30+ always-free services. Hetzner Cloud: None. What it runs — Amazon Web Services (AWS): Anything: VMs, containers, serverless, managed databases. Hetzner Cloud: Linux VMs; load balancers, volumes, object storage. Who runs the servers — Amazon Web Services (AWS): You configure and run it; many managed services. Hetzner Cloud: You run the servers.
Amazon Web Services (AWS) vs Hetzner Cloud: which is cheaper?⌄
Amazon Web Services (AWS) pricing: Usage-based. Hetzner Cloud pricing: From $7/mo. Confirm current pricing on each tool's official site, as plans change.
Which is rated higher, Amazon Web Services (AWS) or Hetzner Cloud?⌄
In our catalog, Amazon Web Services (AWS) rates 5.0 out of 5 and Hetzner Cloud rates 4.6 out of 5, so Amazon Web Services (AWS) has a slight edge on reviews.
When should I skip both Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Hetzner Cloud?⌄
Skip Amazon Web Services (AWS) if you want to deploy from Git without managing infrastructure. Vercel, Render and Railway do that. Skip Hetzner Cloud if you don’t want to manage servers. Render, Railway and Vercel are fully managed.
Sources · tool facts checked November 2026
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