How to Choose Between Hetzner's Dedicated, Cloud, Managed, and Web Hosting Products

Choose based on how much control you need over the server versus how much operational work you want to hand off. If you need dedicated hardware for heavy, steady workloads, pick a Dedicated Server; if you need flexible resources that scale up and down, pick Cloud; if you want Hetzner to handle the technical operations, pick a Managed Server; and if you just need a simple, low-cost website, pick Web hosting. All four run in Hetzner's own data centers in Germany and Finland, so the decision is mainly about workload profile, budget floor, and who administers the system.

Quick comparison

Prices above are the entry points Hetzner lists on its product overview; the actual configuration you need will cost more.

Dedicated Server: exclusive hardware for heavy loads

A dedicated server gives you an entire physical machine — CPU, RAM, and disks are not shared with other customers. Hetzner positions these as "dedicated root servers to meet any need," with top performance and an excellent connection.

Choose this when your workload is predictable and sustained: high-traffic applications, large databases, virtualization hosts, or anything where noisy-neighbor effects are unacceptable. The trade-off is that you administer the operating system and software yourself, and the entry price (€ 59.00/month) is the highest of the four options.

If you want dedicated-class hardware at a lower price, Hetzner also runs a Server Auction where you bid on hardware and watch prices drop, starting at € 65.70 per month. The auction process is: enter your desired hardware specification, compare offers, keep an eye on price changes, and snap up your offer — but offers can be taken by other bidders, so you can't wait indefinitely.

GPU workloads

Hetzner's dedicated line includes GPU servers. The GEX430 is a multi-GPU server with four NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 GPUs and 384 GB of VRAM, aimed at demanding AI workloads. Newer entries include the GEX63 (one NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Max-Q with 96 GB GDDR7 ECC VRAM, announced for professional AI workloads) and the GEX45, described as entry-level-priced AI power. If your project is AI/ML rather than general hosting, start from the GPU line rather than the standard dedicated servers.

Cloud: flexible and cheap to start

Cloud servers are the lowest-cost way to get a real server you control: flexible cloud servers on high-end hardware starting at € 5.99 per month. You still manage the software, but resources are virtualized, so you can resize as your project grows or shrinks.

Choose Cloud when:

• You're launching something new and don't yet know the load.
• Traffic is spiky or seasonal and you want to scale rather than over-provision.
• You want multiple small servers (for example, separate app and database instances) without buying separate physical machines.

The trade-off is that you share physical hardware with other customers, so a dedicated server remains the better fit for workloads that need guaranteed, exclusive performance.

Managed Server: a server without the administration

A managed server is the middle path: you get a server, but Hetzner takes care of the technical side. The pitch is a "stress-free server connection" starting at € 34.00 per month.

Choose this when you need more than shared web hosting — custom software, a specific stack, more resources — but don't have the time or in-house skills to run patches, updates, and server maintenance. It costs more than Cloud but less than Dedicated, and it removes the operational burden that both of those place on you.

Web hosting: the fastest, cheapest route to a site

Web hosting is "the quick and cheap way to your own homepage," with prices for beginners and businesses starting at € 1.60 per month. You don't manage a server at all; you get a hosting environment for a website.

Choose this for personal homepages, small business sites, and brochure-style sites where the requirement is "get online quickly and cheaply," not "run custom server software." If you later need custom applications or root access, you'll outgrow this tier and move to Cloud or Managed.

Adjacent products worth knowing

Hetzner's overview also lists storage products, which are often paired with the server options above rather than replacing them:

• Storage Share — store and share files, accessible anytime from anywhere, starting at € 4.29 per month.
• Storage Boxes — storage accessible from PC, smartphone, and tablet, starting at € 3.20 per month.
• Custom Solutions — tailored setup and hardware on demand, for businesses whose needs don't fit a standard product.

A practical way to decide

1. Do you need root access or custom server software? If no, and you just need a website, choose Web hosting.
2. Do you want to avoid server administration entirely but need more than shared hosting? Choose Managed Server.
3. Do you need full control and your load is steady and heavy? Choose Dedicated Server (or check the Server Auction for better pricing on the hardware you want).
4. Do you need full control but your load is variable or your budget is tight? Start with Cloud and scale as needed.

Two practical notes before you commit: all listed prices are per month excluding VAT, and the figures shown are starting prices — the configuration that actually fits your project will be higher. Check the current product pages for the exact specs and prices of the tier you choose, since Hetzner updates its lineup (the GPU line, for example, has expanded with the GEX63 and GEX45).