What is the difference between AWS Amplify and Hetzner?

AWS Amplify is best for AWS developers wanting fast frontend hosting, while Hetzner is best for European developers wanting affordable, powerful servers. AWS Amplify starts at Free and Hetzner starts at €3.29/mo.

Is AWS Amplify or Hetzner cheaper?

AWS Amplify starts at Free with a free tier. Hetzner starts at €3.29/mo.

Is there a free alternative to Hetzner?

Yes, AWS Amplify offers a free tier (Generous free tier).

AWS Amplify vs Hetzner

AWS Amplify is full-stack hosting and CI/CD for web apps built on AWS infrastructure, while Hetzner is german cloud provider with high-performance servers at unbeatable prices. The biggest difference up front: AWS Amplify is free, while Hetzner starts at €3.29/mo. AWS Amplify is built for aws developers wanting fast frontend hosting, whereas Hetzner targets european developers wanting affordable, powerful servers.

At a glance

	AWS Amplify	Hetzner
Best for	AWS developers wanting fast frontend hosting	European developers wanting affordable, powerful servers
Starting price	Free	€3.29/mo
Free tier	✓	—
Open source	—	—
Free tier available	✓	—
Open source	—	—
API	✓	—
Auth	✓	—
Block Storage	—	✓
CI/CD	✓	—
Cloud VMs	—	✓
Dedicated Servers	—	✓
Hosting	✓	—
Load Balancers	—	✓

AWS Amplify

Strengths

Built-in CI/CD pipelines automate testing and deployment on every push
Includes Auth as a core feature, purpose-built for cloud hosting workflows
Generous free tier — generous enough for most small teams to get real work done
Includes api alongside the core feature set — fewer separate tools needed

Weaknesses

Free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade
Developer-oriented tooling may not suit non-technical team members
Costs can spike unexpectedly during traffic surges if limits aren't configured
Mobile experience lags behind the desktop version in features and polish

Try AWS Amplify → Full review

Hetzner

Strengths

Includes Dedicated Servers as a core feature, purpose-built for cloud hosting workflows
Includes Cloud VMs as a core feature, purpose-built for cloud hosting workflows
Affordable at €3.29/mo — one of the lower-priced options in the cloud hosting category
Established product with 29+ years on the market and a mature ecosystem

Weaknesses

No free plan — you need to pay €3.29/mo from day one to use it
Fewer built-in features means you may need additional tools to cover gaps
Costs can spike unexpectedly during traffic surges if limits aren't configured
Mobile experience lags behind the desktop version in features and polish

Try Hetzner → Full review

The bottom line

Pricing: AWS Amplify is completely free (Generous free tier), which makes it the obvious pick if budget is the top concern. Hetzner starts at €3.29/mo. That cost buys you a more polished or feature-rich experience, so it comes down to whether the extras justify the spend.

Feature gaps: AWS Amplify offers API, Auth and CI/CD that Hetzner lacks. Hetzner brings Block Storage, Cloud VMs and Dedicated Servers that AWS Amplify does not have.

Team fit: Both tools target any size teams, so the decision hinges on features and workflow fit rather than scale.

Where each tool shines: AWS Amplify's biggest strengths are: built-in ci/cd pipelines automate testing and deployment on every push. includes auth as a core feature, purpose-built for cloud hosting workflows. Hetzner's biggest strengths are: includes dedicated servers as a core feature, purpose-built for cloud hosting workflows. includes cloud vms as a core feature, purpose-built for cloud hosting workflows.

Watch out for: With AWS Amplify, users commonly note that free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade. With Hetzner, the main complaint is that no free plan — you need to pay €3.29/mo from day one to use it.

Choose AWS Amplify if...

You need a tool built for aws developers wanting fast frontend hosting
Budget is a hard constraint — AWS Amplify is free, Hetzner is not
You specifically need API and Auth
You care about includes auth as a core feature, purpose-built for cloud hosting workflows
The free tier works for you: generous free tier

Choose Hetzner if...

You need a tool built for european developers wanting affordable, powerful servers
You specifically need Block Storage and Cloud VMs
You care about includes cloud vms as a core feature, purpose-built for cloud hosting workflows