Vultr vs Hetzner: Which Cheap VPS Fits a Small Project?
Vultr vs Hetzner is mostly a trade between region choice and headline price. Here is what each provider publishes today, and how to decide.
See Vultr plansQuick answer
Pick Vultr if you need a server close to users in many countries or want a $5/month entry plan in US regions; Vultr's public API lists 33 regions and plans from $2.50 to $5 for small instances. Pick Hetzner if your users are mostly in Europe or the US and you want a German-run provider; its cloud page lists plans from €5.99 per month excluding VAT, in Germany, Finland, Singapore and the USA.
Vultr vs Hetzner: the short comparison
| Vultr | Hetzner | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | $2.50/mo (IPv6-only, 512 MB), $3.50/mo (512 MB, one region), $5/mo (1 vCPU, 1 GB) | From €5.99/mo excl. VAT (cost-optimized); €6.49/mo for regular performance |
| Dedicated-CPU entry | Separate Vultr plan families | General Purpose from €43.49/mo excl. VAT |
| Locations | 33 regions across 20 countries (Vultr API) | Germany, Finland, Singapore, USA (Falkenstein, Nuremberg, Helsinki, Hillsboro, Ashburn) |
| Included transfer on $5 plan | 1,024 GB listed in the API | Check the plan page; not stated in the sources we reviewed |
| Tooling | API, control panel | REST API and CLI, Terraform and Ansible integrations, firewalls, private networks |
Prices are not strictly like for like: Vultr shows US dollars, while Hetzner's cloud page shows euros before VAT. Convert and add VAT before you compare, and check what each plan includes in storage and traffic.
Cheapest on the price list is not always cheapest in practice: region, VAT and traffic decide the real bill.
What Vultr's small plans include
| Plan | vCPU | RAM | SSD | Transfer | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| vc2-1c-1gb | 1 | 1 GB | 25 GB | 1,024 GB | $5/mo |
| vc2-1c-2gb | 1 | 2 GB | 55 GB | 2,048 GB | $10/mo |
| vc2-2c-2gb | 2 | 2 GB | 65 GB | 3,072 GB | $15/mo |
| vc2-2c-4gb | 2 | 4 GB | 80 GB | 3,072 GB | $20/mo |
| vc2-4c-8gb | 4 | 8 GB | 160 GB | 4,096 GB | $40/mo |
These figures come from Vultr's public plans API. The $5 and larger regular plans are listed in 31 locations; the cheapest 512 MB plans are limited to one or two.
What Hetzner publishes
Hetzner's cloud overview splits servers into shared-resource and dedicated-resource families. The cost-optimized tier starts at €5.99 per month and the regular-performance tier at €6.49 per month, both excluding VAT, and the page flags the cost-optimized tier's availability, so confirm it before you plan around it. General Purpose servers with dedicated vCPUs start at €43.49 per month. Hetzner also lists REST API, CLI, Terraform and Ansible support, firewalls and private networks. Its docs note an additional €0.50 per month (excl. VAT) for IPv4 Primary IPs; IPv6 Primary IPs are not charged. For up-to-date specs, use Hetzner's cloud page.
Which one for which project
Vultr
From $2.50–$5/mo- 33 regions in 20 countries
- 1 vCPU, 1 GB, 25 GB SSD at $5
- Good for latency to users in Asia, LATAM or Africa
- 1,024 GB transfer on the $5 plan
Hetzner (no PickNexo link)
From €5.99/mo excl. VAT- Germany, Finland, Singapore, USA
- Shared and dedicated-vCPU families
- GDPR-compliant, German-run
- Extra €0.50/mo for IPv4 Primary IP
Pick Vultr if... / Pick Hetzner if...
Pick Vultr if
- Your users are spread across continents.
- You want a small $5 US-dollar plan with a clear transfer figure.
- You need a region Hetzner does not list.
Pick Hetzner if
- Your users are mostly in Europe or the US.
- EU data-protection positioning matters to you.
- You want shared and dedicated vCPU options from one provider.
Strengths on paper / Watch-outs
Strengths on paper
- Vultr: widest region list, low entry prices.
- Hetzner: European data centres, API, CLI and Terraform support.
Watch-outs
- Vultr's cheapest plans are limited to one or two locations.
- Hetzner prices exclude VAT and some tiers show limited availability.
- We could not verify uptime or speed; neither provider was tested by us.
FAQ
Is Vultr cheaper than Hetzner?
On entry price alone, yes: Vultr lists $2.50 and $3.50 plans and $5 for 1 vCPU and 1 GB, against Hetzner's €5.99 excluding VAT. Currency, VAT and included resources differ, so compare the exact plan.
Does Hetzner have more locations than Vultr?
No. Vultr's API lists 33 regions in 20 countries, while Hetzner lists Germany, Finland, Singapore and the USA.
Which is better for a small side project?
Either works for a small app. Pick by where your users are, and check transfer and VAT.
Is Vultr worth it for beginners?
Vultr offers a control panel and API with small plans. For a longer look, see our Vultr review.
Related on PickNexo
- Vultr vs CloudCone: which cheap VPS fits a small project
- What is Vultr? Full VPS review
- Railway vs VPS: when a PaaS is worth the premium
- CloudCone SC2 plans compared
- All PickNexo guides
Sources
PickNexo has not tested these products hands-on; this article summarises official information and reputable reports. Some links are affiliate links, which may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. Affiliate disclosure.