Hetzner Cloud vs UpCloud: Complete Comparison (2026)
An in-depth comparison of Hetzner Cloud and UpCloud to help you choose the right tool for your business.
Last updated: November 2026
Hetzner Cloud
6.2/10
Hourly-billed virtual cloud servers, object storage, networking and load balancers from German host Hetzner, aimed at developers and cost-conscious technical teams.
UpCloud
7/10
A Finnish cloud infrastructure provider offering cloud servers, managed Kubernetes, managed databases, object storage, and networking to developers and businesses.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | H Hetzner Cloud | |
|---|---|---|
| Scores | ||
| Overall Rating | 6.2/10 | 7/10 |
| Integration | 7/10 | 7/10 |
| Support | 4/10 | 8/10 |
| Cost | 8/10 | 6/10 |
| Customization | 7/10 | 7/10 |
| Security | 6/10 | 7/10 |
| Reliability | 7/10 | 8/10 |
| Ease of Use | 7/10 | 7/10 |
| Analytics | 4/10 | 5/10 |
| Scalability | 6/10 | 7/10 |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | No | No |
| Cheapest paid plan | €6/mo Cost-Optimized CX23 | €3/mo Starter |
| Estimated cost for 10 users | €6/mo Cost-Optimized CX23 | €3/mo Starter |
| Features | ||
| API and CLI | ||
| Automatic Backups | ||
| Cloud Compute | ||
| Multiple Regions | ||
| Object Storage | ||
| Uptime SLA | ||
| VPS Hosting | ||
| Content Delivery Network | Not listed | |
| Dedicated Servers | Not listed | |
| Managed Databases | Not listed | |
| Managed Kubernetes | Not listed | |
Hetzner Cloud vs UpCloud cost by team size
UpCloud costs less at every team size we checked.
| Team size | Hetzner Cloud | UpCloud |
|---|---|---|
| 1 user | €6/moCost-Optimized CX23 | €3/moStarter |
| 5 users | €6/moCost-Optimized CX23 | €3/moStarter |
| 10 users | €6/moCost-Optimized CX23 | €3/moStarter |
| 25 users | €6/moCost-Optimized CX23 | €3/moStarter |
| 50 users | €6/moCost-Optimized CX23 | €3/moStarter |
The plan that fits each team size, billed monthly, before add-ons and usage charges. Each cost opens that tool's pricing calculator for the team size.
Which One Should You Choose?
HWhy choose Hetzner Cloud
- Higher Cost score (8/10 vs 6/10)
Why choose UpCloud
- Lower estimated cost for 10 users: €3/mo vs €6/mo
- Higher Support score (8/10 vs 4/10)
- Higher Security score (7/10 vs 6/10)
Pros & Cons
HHetzner Cloud
Pros
- EU servers include 20 TB of traffic, and extra traffic costs only €1 per TB.
- Hourly billing capped at a monthly price, with no contracts.
- A full API and CLI plus Terraform and Ansible integrations make automation straightforward.
- Stateful firewalls and private networks come at no extra cost.
- Still cheaper per spec than DigitalOcean in independent 2026 comparisons.
Cons
- Prices rose twice in 2026, with CPX and CCX new orders up by as much as about 176%.
- Cost-Optimized types are listed as unavailable, and provisioning was limited for new customers from June 2026.
- Many users report account verification failures and suspensions with little explanation.
- No managed database, serverless or managed Kubernetes products.
- US and Singapore servers include far less traffic than EU servers.
UpCloud
Pros
- Independent benchmarks recorded very low p99 disk latency on its MaxIOPS storage
- Advertises a 100% uptime SLA with 50x credits for downtime
- Fixed plan prices include data transfer, which keeps bills predictable
- Official Terraform provider, REST API, and CLI support infrastructure as code
- Broad managed portfolio covering Kubernetes, four database engines, object storage, and a CDN
- EU headquarters, ISO 27001 certification, and GDPR focus suit European buyers
Cons
- Reviewers find it several times more expensive than Hetzner for similar specs
- Fewer locations than larger providers, concentrated in Europe
- Smaller community and fewer third-party reviews than DigitalOcean or Vultr
- One user reports outbound port 25 is blocked by default, which hinders mail servers
- Pricing is changing in November 2026, so older published prices may be out of date
Not sold on either?
Frequently Asked Questions
UpCloud scores higher on our Hosting & Infrastructure criteria: 7/10 against 6.2/10 for Hetzner Cloud. The largest gap is in Support: 4/10 for Hetzner Cloud and 8/10 for UpCloud.
UpCloud costs less for 10 users: about €3/mo on its Starter plan, against about €6/mo on its Cost-Optimized CX23 plan for Hetzner Cloud, billed monthly.
No, neither Hetzner Cloud nor UpCloud lists a free plan.
