AWS and Hetzner represent opposite ends of the cloud spectrum. AWS is the world's largest cloud with 200+ services and global reach. Hetzner is Europe's best-value provider, offering the highest compute-per-euro ratio in the industry. For European deployments and budget-conscious workloads, Hetzner is hard to beat.
Provider A
Amazon Web Services
6 wins
Provider B
Hetzner Cloud
3 wins
Across 10 head-to-head categories, AWS comes out ahead, winning 6 versus 3 (with 1 tied). AWS leads on entry price, vcpu accounts, global reach. Hetzner leads on compute value, server limits, gdpr / eu data. The best choice depends on your workload — read the full breakdown below.
Head to Head
$15
Winner$45 (5 servers)
Standard market pricing
2–3x better than AWS
WinnerYes (8–512 vCPU)
WinnerServer limit accounts
33 regions worldwide
WinnerEU + US-East + Singapore
High default quotas
5/10/25/100 server accounts
WinnerEU regions available
German-based (ideal for GDPR)
Winner200+ services
WinnerCloud, Dedicated, Storage
2–8 Hours
Winner30min–12 Hours
7 Days
Tie7 Days
Tie$100K credits
Winner100 servers ($999)
Strengths & Trade-offs
Where it wins
Where it falls behind
Where it wins
Where it falls behind
In Depth
AWS takes this category with $15, compared to $45 (5 servers) on Hetzner. If entry price is a priority for your workload, AWS is the stronger pick.
Hetzner takes this category with 2–3x better than AWS, compared to Standard market pricing on AWS. If compute value is a priority for your workload, Hetzner is the stronger pick.
AWS takes this category with Yes (8–512 vCPU), compared to Server limit accounts on Hetzner. If vcpu accounts is a priority for your workload, AWS is the stronger pick.
AWS takes this category with 33 regions worldwide, compared to EU + US-East + Singapore on Hetzner. If global reach is a priority for your workload, AWS is the stronger pick.
Hetzner takes this category with 5/10/25/100 server accounts, compared to High default quotas on AWS. If server limits is a priority for your workload, Hetzner is the stronger pick.
Hetzner takes this category with German-based (ideal for GDPR), compared to EU regions available on AWS. If gdpr / eu data is a priority for your workload, Hetzner is the stronger pick.
AWS takes this category with 200+ services, compared to Cloud, Dedicated, Storage on Hetzner. If service breadth is a priority for your workload, AWS is the stronger pick.
AWS takes this category with 2–8 Hours, compared to 30min–12 Hours on Hetzner. If account delivery is a priority for your workload, AWS is the stronger pick.
AWS takes this category with $100K credits, compared to 100 servers ($999) on Hetzner. If max account tier is a priority for your workload, AWS is the stronger pick.
Background
Amazon Web Services is a leading cloud platform. Our verified AWS accounts come pre-activated with credits applied and limits raised, so you can deploy production workloads within hours instead of waiting on signup approvals and quota requests.
Hetzner Cloud is a leading cloud platform. Our verified Hetzner accounts come pre-activated with credits applied and limits raised, so you can deploy production workloads within hours instead of waiting on signup approvals and quota requests.
Decision Guide
Final Verdict
Hetzner wins decisively on price-per-compute in European regions and GDPR compliance. AWS wins on global reach, service breadth, and maximum scale. For European-focused deployments, Hetzner provides dramatically better value. For global infrastructure and complex cloud-native architectures, AWS is the clear choice.
Choose Hetzner if you are deploying primarily in Europe, need the best compute-per-dollar, and do not need the full AWS service catalog. Choose AWS if you need global presence, advanced AI/ML services, or the full range of enterprise cloud features.
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