Hetzner vs DigitalOcean
We resell both, side by side in the same catalog, so this comparison has no horse in the race. The short version: Hetzner wins on price per gigabyte by a wide margin, DigitalOcean wins on where you can put the server. Whichever fits, you deploy it from one Initech account and one prepaid balance.
Two different value propositions
You want maximum hardware per dollar
Hetzner Cloud is the price/performance benchmark of the European market, and it shows in our catalog:
- 4GB RAM, 2 vCPU, 40GB NVMe from $9/mo
- NVMe storage and up to 20TB transfer on EU plans
- Dedicated-vCPU CCX line from $38/mo
- Cheaper add-ons: volumes $0.13/GB vs $0.20/GB
You need the location, not the discount
DigitalOcean trades price for reach and polish:
- 9 regions through us, including Sydney, Bangalore, Toronto and London
- Intel and AMD premium variants of every Basic tier
- A mature platform ecosystem around the droplet
- Transfer allowances that scale with the plan, up to 5TB and beyond
Plan for plan, matched by RAM
| Tier | Hetzner | From | DigitalOcean | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry | CX23: 2 vCPU, 4GB RAM, 40GB NVMe, 1TB | $9/mo | Basic: 1 vCPU, 1GB RAM, 25GB SSD, 1TB | $12/mo |
| 4GB RAM | CX23: 2 vCPU, 40GB NVMe | $9/mo | Basic: 2 vCPU, 80GB SSD, 4TB | $48/mo |
| 8GB RAM | CX33: 4 vCPU, 80GB NVMe | $15/mo | Basic: 4 vCPU, 160GB SSD, 5TB | $96/mo |
| 16GB RAM | CX43: 8 vCPU, 160GB NVMe | $28/mo | Larger Basic and premium tiers available in the order form | |
| Dedicated vCPU | CCX13: 2 dedicated vCPU, 8GB, 80GB NVMe | $38/mo | Not sold through our catalog |
Prices are our retail USD pricing, lowest region for each plan family; some plans vary by region and exact figures are on the order form. DigitalOcean Intel/AMD premium variants cost roughly 17% over the listed Basic tiers.
5 Hetzner locations, 9 DigitalOcean regions
Hetzner
DigitalOcean
Do not pick one account. Pick neither.
Both platforms live in the same Initech catalog: one signup with just an email, one prepaid balance, and the same panel for deploy, reinstall and console. Start on Hetzner for the price, add a DigitalOcean droplet in Sydney when a customer needs it, and pay for both with PayPal or any of 18 cryptocurrencies. Add-ons stay honest too: volumes are $0.13/GB on Hetzner and $0.20/GB on DigitalOcean, backups $20 and $15 respectively.
Hetzner vs DigitalOcean questions
Which is cheaper, Hetzner or DigitalOcean?
At our retail pricing, Hetzner, by a wide margin at every matched RAM tier: 4GB is $9/mo on Hetzner against $48/mo on DigitalOcean, and 8GB is $15/mo against $96/mo. DigitalOcean earns the difference back only if you need its regions or ecosystem.
Which has more locations?
DigitalOcean, with 9 regions through us across North America, Europe, India, Singapore and Australia. Hetzner offers 5 locations through us: Nuremberg, Helsinki, Virginia, Oregon and Singapore.
Can I run Windows on either?
Not on these two lines: both are Linux in our catalog. If you need Windows Server with RDP, we sell Vultr Windows VPS and Amazon Lightsail Windows, both also payable in crypto.
Do I need separate Hetzner and DigitalOcean accounts?
No. Both deploy from one Initech account with one prepaid balance. You never create accounts with the providers themselves, and you can mix providers freely as needs change.
How do I pay?
PayPal or any of 18 cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin, Lightning and Monero. Registration asks for an email address and a country; no card or ID documents are required.
Deploy whichever won
Both platforms, one account, one balance. Online in minutes.
Hetzner plans DigitalOcean plans