What is the difference between Netlify and Hetzner?

Netlify is best for Jamstack sites and static/hybrid web projects, while Hetzner is best for European developers wanting affordable, powerful servers. Netlify starts at Free and Hetzner starts at €3.29/mo.

Is Netlify or Hetzner cheaper?

Netlify starts at Free and is free. Hetzner starts at €3.29/mo.

Is there a free alternative to Hetzner?

Yes, Netlify offers a free tier.

Netlify vs Hetzner

Netlify is web hosting and automation platform for modern web projects with serverless backend, while Hetzner is german cloud provider with high-performance servers at unbeatable prices. The biggest difference up front: Netlify is free, while Hetzner starts at €3.29/mo. Netlify is built for jamstack sites and static/hybrid web projects, whereas Hetzner targets european developers wanting affordable, powerful servers.

At a glance

	Netlify	Hetzner
Best for	Jamstack sites and static/hybrid web projects	European developers wanting affordable, powerful servers
Starting price	Free	€3.29/mo
Free tier	✓	—
Open source	—	—
Free tier available	✓	—
Open source	—	—
Block Storage	—	✓
Cloud VMs	—	✓
Dedicated Servers	—	✓
Forms	✓	—
Git Deploy	✓	—
Identity	✓	—
Load Balancers	—	✓
Serverless Functions	✓	—
Split Testing	✓	—

Netlify

Strengths

Generous free tier
Framework-agnostic — works with any static site generator
Built-in forms, identity, and serverless functions
Deploy previews for every branch

Weaknesses

Build times can be slow
Serverless functions have cold start issues
Less integrated than Vercel for Next.js
Support responsiveness varies by plan

Try Netlify → 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: Netlify is completely free, 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: Netlify offers Forms, Git Deploy and Identity that Hetzner lacks. Hetzner brings Block Storage, Cloud VMs and Dedicated Servers that Netlify 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: Netlify's biggest strengths are: generous free tier. framework-agnostic — works with any static site generator. 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 Netlify, users commonly note that build times can be slow. With Hetzner, the main complaint is that no free plan — you need to pay €3.29/mo from day one to use it.

Choose Netlify if...

You need a tool built for jamstack sites and static/hybrid web projects
Budget is a hard constraint — Netlify is free, Hetzner is not
You specifically need Forms and Git Deploy
You care about framework-agnostic — works with any static site generator

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