Hetzner and Vultr are both budget-friendly cloud providers but approach it differently. Hetzner maximizes compute value in European regions; Vultr prioritizes global coverage with 32 locations and includes bare metal options. Both are excellent for compute-heavy workloads at a fraction of AWS or GCP costs.
Provider A
Hetzner Cloud
4 wins
Provider B
Vultr
3 wins
Across 10 head-to-head categories, Hetzner comes out ahead, winning 4 versus 3 (with 3 tied). Hetzner leads on compute value, server limit accounts, aged accounts. Vultr leads on entry price, global locations, gpu instances. The best choice depends on your workload — read the full breakdown below.
Head to Head
$45 (5 servers)
$30 ($200 credit)
WinnerBest in Europe
WinnerGood globally
EU + US + Singapore
32 locations worldwide
WinnerYes (dedicated server line)
TieYes (in credits)
TieLimited
A100, A40 available
WinnerYes (5/10/25/100)
WinnerNo (credit-based)
Yes ($180)
WinnerNo
30min–12 Hours
Tie30min–12 Hours
Tie7 Days
Tie7 Days
Tie100 servers ($999)
Winner$300 credit ($99)
Strengths & Trade-offs
Where it wins
Where it falls behind
Where it wins
Where it falls behind
In Depth
Vultr takes this category with $30 ($200 credit), compared to $45 (5 servers) on Hetzner. If entry price is a priority for your workload, Vultr is the stronger pick.
Hetzner takes this category with Best in Europe, compared to Good globally on Vultr. If compute value is a priority for your workload, Hetzner is the stronger pick.
Vultr takes this category with 32 locations worldwide, compared to EU + US + Singapore on Hetzner. If global locations is a priority for your workload, Vultr is the stronger pick.
Vultr takes this category with A100, A40 available, compared to Limited on Hetzner. If gpu instances is a priority for your workload, Vultr is the stronger pick.
Hetzner takes this category with Yes (5/10/25/100), compared to No (credit-based) on Vultr. If server limit accounts is a priority for your workload, Hetzner is the stronger pick.
Hetzner takes this category with Yes ($180), compared to No on Vultr. If aged accounts is a priority for your workload, Hetzner is the stronger pick.
Hetzner takes this category with 100 servers ($999), compared to $300 credit ($99) on Vultr. If max account tier is a priority for your workload, Hetzner is the stronger pick.
Background
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.
Vultr is a leading cloud platform. Our verified Vultr 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 on compute value, server limit flexibility for large deployments, and European data sovereignty. Vultr wins on global location count, GPU availability, and lower entry price. For European bulk server deployments, Hetzner has no peer. For global distribution and GPU access, Vultr is the better choice.
Choose Hetzner for European deployments, maximum compute per dollar, and large-scale server farms. Choose Vultr for worldwide presence, GPU compute, and workloads that benefit from 32 global locations.
Got Questions?
More Comparisons