Cloudways Velocity vs Hetzner Cloud: Which is Better in 2026?
Choosing between Cloudways Velocity 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.
Quick verdict
Both are solid hosting options. Hetzner Cloud is cheaper to start, but the right choice depends on the specific features and integrations you need.
Cloudways Velocity vs Hetzner Cloud — Side by Side
| Cloudways Velocity | Hetzner Cloud | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Hosting | Hosting |
| Pricing | From $20/mo | From $4/mo |
| Starting price | From $20/mo | From $4/mo |
| Free tier | — | — |
| Rating | 4.7 | 4.6 |
| Best for | Hosting — several Node.js apps on one flat bill | Hosting — cloud, vps |
Pros & Cons
- Flat monthly price with no usage-based compute billing
- Several Node.js apps can share one plan
- Persistent servers, so no cold starts
- Cloudflare Enterprise CDN, WAF and DDoS protection included
- Terabytes of bandwidth included on every plan
- Built for Node.js — other runtimes and Docker deploys are not listed
- No free tier (3-day trial on the two smallest plans)
- Scaling is by changing plan; horizontal autoscaling is not documented
- New product (GA September 2026) with a short track record
- 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
Cloudways Velocity
- 2 GB RAM, 2 vCPU
- Up to 5 Node.js apps sharing the plan
- 3 TB server bandwidth, 250 GB CDN bandwidth
- Cloudflare Enterprise CDN, WAF, DDoS and malware protection
- Automatic backups, SSL and OS patching
- 24/7 support
Hetzner Cloud
- Shared/dedicated vCPU VMs
- Hourly or monthly billing
- EU + US locations
- Load balancers, volumes, firewalls
Choose Cloudways Velocity if…
- Flat monthly price with no usage-based compute billing
- Several Node.js apps can share one plan
- Persistent servers, so no cold starts
Choose Hetzner Cloud if…
- Budget is tight — paid plans start lower ($4/mo vs $20/mo).
- Unbeatable price-performance
- Generous RAM/CPU for the money
- Hourly billing
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cloudways Velocity better than Hetzner Cloud?⌄
Both are solid hosting options. Hetzner Cloud is cheaper to start, but the right choice depends on the specific features and integrations you need.
What is the difference between Cloudways Velocity and Hetzner Cloud?⌄
Cloudways Velocity — Managed Node.js hosting from Cloudways (DigitalOcean) with flat monthly plans, Git-based deploys and bundled Cloudflare Enterprise security. Hetzner Cloud — The price-performance king — cheap, fast cloud VPS from German/Finnish (and US) data centers. Both are hosting tools; the comparison table above breaks down pricing, free tiers, and what each is best for.
Cloudways Velocity vs Hetzner Cloud: which is cheaper?⌄
Cloudways Velocity pricing: From $20/mo. Hetzner Cloud pricing: From $4/mo. Confirm current pricing on each tool's official site, as plans change.
Which is rated higher, Cloudways Velocity or Hetzner Cloud?⌄
In our catalog, Cloudways Velocity rates 4.7 out of 5 and Hetzner Cloud rates 4.6 out of 5, so Cloudways Velocity has a slight edge on reviews.
See more options in our guide to the best hosting tools for startups.
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