What is the difference between Vercel and Hetzner?

Vercel is best for Frontend developers deploying Next.js and modern web apps, while Hetzner is best for European developers wanting affordable, powerful servers. Vercel starts at Free and Hetzner starts at €3.29/mo.

Is Vercel or Hetzner cheaper?

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

Is there a free alternative to Hetzner?

Yes, Vercel offers a free tier.

Vercel vs Hetzner

Vercel is frontend cloud platform for deploying web applications with serverless functions and edge network, while Hetzner is german cloud provider with high-performance servers at unbeatable prices. The biggest difference up front: Vercel is free, while Hetzner starts at €3.29/mo. Vercel is built for frontend developers deploying next.js and modern web apps, whereas Hetzner targets european developers wanting affordable, powerful servers.

At a glance

	Vercel	Hetzner
Best for	Frontend developers deploying Next.js and modern web apps	European developers wanting affordable, powerful servers
Starting price	Free	€3.29/mo
Free tier	✓	—
Open source	—	—
Free tier available	✓	—
Open source	—	—
Analytics	✓	—
Block Storage	—	✓
Cloud VMs	—	✓
Dedicated Servers	—	✓
Edge Network	✓	—
Git Deploy	✓	—
Load Balancers	—	✓
Preview Deploys	✓	—
Serverless Functions	✓	—

Vercel

Strengths

Zero-config deployment from Git
Best-in-class Next.js support
Global edge network for fast load times
Preview deployments for every pull request

Weaknesses

Pricing can spike unpredictably with traffic
Vendor lock-in with Vercel-specific features
Limited backend capabilities
Enterprise pricing is opaque

Try Vercel → 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: Vercel 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: Vercel offers Analytics, Edge Network and Git Deploy that Hetzner lacks. Hetzner brings Block Storage, Cloud VMs and Dedicated Servers that Vercel 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: Vercel's biggest strengths are: zero-config deployment from git. best-in-class next.js support. 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 Vercel, users commonly note that pricing can spike unpredictably with traffic. With Hetzner, the main complaint is that no free plan — you need to pay €3.29/mo from day one to use it.

Choose Vercel if...

You need a tool built for frontend developers deploying next.js and modern web apps
Budget is a hard constraint — Vercel is free, Hetzner is not
You specifically need Analytics and Edge Network
You care about best-in-class next.js support

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