---
title: "Edge Compute vs Hetzner Cloud"
description: "Compare Edge Compute to Hetzner Cloud. Per-resource pricing, free signup with no card, global decentralised regions, and prepaid billing with no surprise bills."
url: https://edge.network/compute/compare/hetzner/
---

# Edge Compute vs Hetzner Cloud

[Compute](https://edge.network/compute)

Compute Comparison

# Edge vs Hetzner Cloud

A detailed comparison of Edge Compute and Hetzner Cloud for cloud virtual machines.

## How we compare to Hetzner

Hetzner Cloud has earned a strong reputation for aggressive pricing — its shared
vCPU plans start at just a few euros a month, and on raw price per plan it's one
of the cheapest providers anywhere. If your workload fits neatly into one of its
fixed plans and its European-centred regions, it's genuinely hard to beat on cost.

Edge competes on a different axis. Instead of fixed plans, you pay
[per resource](https://edge.network/pricing) —
vCPU, RAM, and NVMe disk are priced independently and billed hourly from a prepaid
balance, so you never pay for capacity you don't use and a surprise bill is
impossible by design. Signup is free with no card and no identity checks.

Edge's decentralised network also offers global coverage where Hetzner is
concentrated in Germany and Finland, plus [GPU instances](https://edge.network/compute/gpus) that
Hetzner Cloud doesn't offer. See the [compute docs](https://edge.network/docs/compute) to get started.

### Key Differences

- **Per-resource pricing** – Pick exact vCPU, RAM, and disk — no fixed plans
- **Free signup, no card** – No payment details or ID checks to get started
- **Global coverage** – Hetzner locations are concentrated in Europe
- **Prepaid billing** – A surprise bill is impossible by design

## Feature Comparison

How Edge and Hetzner Cloud compare feature by feature.

| Feature | Edge | Hetzner Cloud |
| Pricing Model | Per resource | Fixed server plans |
| Custom vCPU / RAM / Disk |
| Sign Up Without Card |
| Billing | Hourly, prepaid | Hourly, postpaid |
| Surprise Bills Possible |
| Region Coverage | Global | EU, US, Singapore |
| Egress Fees | Free | Allowance, then per TB |
| NVMe Storage |
| GPU Instances |
| Identity Checks at Signup | None | Sometimes required |
| Decentralized |
| Sustainable by Design | Green energy DCs |

## How the Pricing Models Differ

Hetzner sells fixed plans priced in euros; Edge prices each resource independently.
Rather than compare plan-for-plan, here's what each model means for you.

### Hetzner: fixed plans

Hetzner's shared vCPU plans start at a few euros per month and scale in fixed
steps of vCPU, RAM, and disk. Prices are quoted in euros excluding VAT, with a
bandwidth allowance included and per-TB charges beyond it. Check Hetzner's
current pricing for exact figures.

On raw price per plan, Hetzner is often the cheapest option — but if your
workload needs, say, lots of RAM and little disk, you still pay for the whole bundle.

### Edge: per resource

vCPU is $0.004/hr (~$2.92/mo), RAM is $0.00256/GiB-hr (~$1.87/mo), and NVMe disk
is $0.074/GiB-mo. Combine them however you like and pay hourly from a prepaid balance.

- 1 vCPU · 2 GB RAM · 40 GB NVMe $9.62/mo
- 2 vCPU · 4 GB RAM · 80 GB NVMe $19.24/mo
- 4 vCPU · 8 GB RAM · 160 GB NVMe $38.47/mo

* Edge prices are calculated from our published [per-resource rates](https://edge.network/pricing). Hetzner pricing as published at the time of writing — check Hetzner's site for current figures.

## When to Choose Edge

Hetzner is a great budget choice for European workloads. Here's when Edge makes more sense.

### You need regions beyond Europe

Hetzner's locations are concentrated in Germany and Finland, with limited US and Singapore presence. Edge's decentralised network spans the globe.

### You want to size VMs exactly

Hetzner's plans are fixed bundles, so you pay for resources you may not use. Edge prices vCPU, RAM, and disk independently.

### You want zero-friction signup

Hetzner requires payment details and sometimes identity verification before you can deploy. Edge signup is free with no card required.

## Ready to try Edge?

Create a free account — no card required — and deploy your first VM in under a minute.

[Get Started with Edge Compute](https://edge.network/account) [View All Comparisons](https://edge.network/compute/compare)