Overview
Hetzner Cloud is the virtual server arm of Hetzner, a German hosting company that runs its own data centers in Falkenstein, Nuremberg and Helsinki, with cloud locations also in Ashburn, Hillsboro and Singapore. Servers come in three lines: Cost-Optimized (older Intel, AMD and Ampere Arm hardware, cheapest), Regular Performance (newer shared AMD vCPUs) and General Purpose (dedicated vCPUs).
Billing is per hour with a monthly cap, so a server never costs more than its monthly price, but it is billed while it exists, even when switched off. EU servers include at least 20 TB of outbound traffic; US and Singapore servers include much less. IPv4 addresses are billed separately, while IPv6 is free.
2026 brought two price rises: one on 1 April for everyone, and one on 15 June for new orders and resizes, which more than doubled the CPX and CCX lines. Existing servers keep their price until you rescale them. The cheapest CX and CAX plans were marked unavailable when we checked, so check stock before planning around them.
There is no managed database or managed Kubernetes offering; you get servers, volumes, networks, firewalls, load balancers and object storage, driven through a console, REST API, CLI and Terraform provider.
Pricing and plans
checked 28 Sept 2026| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| CX23 (Cost-Optimized) | €5.49/mo | 2 shared vCPU (Intel/AMD), 4 GB RAM, 40 GB disk; shown as not available when read |
| CX33 (Cost-Optimized) | €8.49/mo | 4 shared vCPU, 8 GB RAM |
| CAX11 (Arm) | €5.99/mo | 2 Ampere Arm vCPU, 4 GB RAM |
| CPX22 (Regular Performance) | €19.49/mo | 2 shared AMD vCPU, 4 GB RAM, 20 TB traffic in the EU |
| CPX32 (Regular Performance) | €35.49/mo | 4 shared AMD vCPU, 8 GB RAM |
| CCX13 (Dedicated vCPU) | €42.99/mo | 2 dedicated AMD vCPU, 8 GB RAM |
What it does
- Monthly price cap
- Servers are billed hourly but never above their monthly price; deleting a server early means you pay only the hours used.
- Generous EU traffic
- Servers in Germany and Finland include at least 20 TB of outgoing traffic; incoming and internal traffic is free.
- Arm and x86 options
- Ampere Arm64 servers (CAX) sit next to Intel and AMD plans in the Cost-Optimized line.
- Networking included
- Private networks and stateful firewalls come at no extra cost and can be attached to any number of servers.
- One-click apps
- Images for Docker, WordPress, Nextcloud, GitLab and others install on a new server in minutes.
- Automation
- REST API, CLI and integrations for Terraform, Ansible and Kubernetes cover the whole platform.
Strengths and limitations
Strengths
- 20 TB of included traffic per EU server is far above hyperscaler and most VPS allowances.
- German company with ISO 27001-certified data centers and BSI C5 attestation, which helps GDPR-driven projects.
- Hourly billing with a monthly cap makes short-lived test servers cheap.
- Free private networks and firewalls, plus Arm servers for ARM-native workloads.
Limitations
- The 15 June 2026 price change raised CPX and CCX plans by roughly 2x to 2.7x for new orders and resizes.
- The cheapest Cost-Optimized plans were listed as not available when checked, and Hetzner says their number is limited.
- US and Singapore servers include only 1 TB or more of traffic, not 20 TB.
- Servers are billed while powered off; only deleting them stops charges.
- Support is by email, and there are no managed databases.
Who it suits
Good for
- European projects that need data kept in the EU
- Self-managed apps and Kubernetes clusters
- Traffic-heavy sites that would pay egress fees elsewhere
Look elsewhere if
- Teams that want managed databases on the same bill
- Projects needing many regions in Asia, South America or Africa
Pricing history
-
Second 2026 Hetzner increase hits CPX and CCX plans
Effective 15 June 2026 for new orders and resizes, CX and CAX plans rose about 30% to 38% (CX23 €3.99 to €5.49) while CPX and CCX plans rose about 2x to 2.7x (CPX22 €7.99 to €19.49, CCX13 €15.99 to €42.99). Existing servers keep their price until rescaled. Source ↗
-
Hetzner raises cloud prices for all servers
Effective 1 April 2026 (announced in February), Hetzner raised cloud and dedicated prices by roughly 30% or more for new and existing servers; the CX23 went from €2.99 to €3.99 a month. Source ↗
Alternatives to Hetzner Cloud
| Tool | From | Free option | Stages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Akamai Cloud (Linode) Cloud VPS | $5/mo | ||
| Amazon Lightsail Cloud VPS | $5/mo | ||
| BinaryLane Cloud Servers Cloud VPS | A$4.90/mo | ||
| Cherry Servers Cloud VPS Cloud VPS | $3.51/mo | ||
| DigitalOcean Droplets Cloud VPS | $4/mo | ||
| Infomaniak VPS VPS | CHF 2.70/mo |
Hetzner Cloud vs DigitalOcean Droplets → All vps and cloud servers →
Questions
How much is the cheapest Hetzner Cloud server in 2026?
The CX23 (2 vCPU, 4 GB) lists at €5.49/month in the EU excluding VAT and IPv4 since 15 June 2026, but it was marked not available when we checked. Regular Performance plans start higher, with the CPX22 at €19.49.
Does Hetzner charge for a server that is switched off?
Yes. Hetzner bills every created server until it is deleted, because resources stay allocated. Take a snapshot and delete the server to stop paying.
How much traffic is included with Hetzner Cloud?
EU servers include at least 20 TB of outgoing traffic per month; US and Singapore servers include at least 1 TB. Incoming and internal traffic is free.
Did Hetzner raise prices on existing servers?
The 1 April 2026 increase applied to all servers. The 15 June 2026 increase applies only to new orders and to resizing an existing server.
Sources read for this page