Hetzner vs AWS EC2
Side-by-side comparison of Hetzner and AWS EC2. Pricing, features, best use cases, and honest verdict from a developer who has tested both.
Key Takeaways
- +Hetzner is better for: infrastructure, vps, dedicated
- +AWS EC2 is better for: infrastructure, compute, vps
- ~Both are infrastructure tools. Your choice depends on workflow preference and team setup.
Hetzner
European cloud and dedicated server provider. Famously cheap dedicated boxes, generous bandwidth, and Cloud VPS that undercut AWS by an order of magnitude.
AWS EC2
Amazon's flagship compute service. Hundreds of instance types, every region, deep integration with the rest of AWS. The default enterprise compute layer.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Hetzner | AWS EC2 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Infrastructure | Infrastructure |
| Type | Platform | Platform |
| Pricing | Free | See website for pricing |
| Best For | AI-powered development | AI-powered development |
| Language / Platform | Multi-language | Multi-language |
| Open Source | No | No |
In Depth
Hetzner
Hetzner is the budget power user's cloud. A dedicated AX-line server with 64 cores and 128GB of RAM costs less than a single mid-tier AWS EC2 instance, and bandwidth is effectively free at typical workloads. The trade-off is that you operate it yourself: no managed Kubernetes, no managed databases, no global edge. Many indie hackers and bootstrapped SaaS teams have moved core infrastructure to Hetzner and pair it with Coolify or Dokku for app deploys. Frankfurt and Helsinki regions, plus a US presence as of 2024.
AWS EC2
EC2 is the foundational compute primitive of AWS. You pick an instance type and an AMI, and you get a virtual machine you can do anything with. The breadth is unmatched: GPU instances, ARM Graviton, bare metal, spot pricing, reserved capacity, every region on Earth. The cost is complexity and price: EC2 is more expensive than Hetzner or DigitalOcean for raw compute, and the AWS console can overwhelm new users. Best fit when you need the full AWS ecosystem, regulatory coverage, or specific hardware (GPUs at scale).
The Verdict
Both Hetzner and AWS EC2 are strong tools in the infrastructure space. The right choice depends on your workflow. Read the full review of each tool for a deeper dive, or watch the video walkthroughs to see them in action.
