Hetzner
Affordable EU cloud servers, dedicated hardware and hosting — an alternative to AWS and GCP.
Overview
Hetzner is a Gunzenhausen, Germany-based European company building cloud infrastructure and hosting software since 1997. As an EU-headquartered provider, Hetzner operates under GDPR and is outside the reach of the US CLOUD Act, making it a privacy-friendly alternative to AWS, Google Cloud, and Azure for European teams.
Why European teams pick Hetzner
Teams in Europe pick Hetzner when they want a cloud infrastructure provider that bills in EUR, supports their local data-protection officer requirements, and keeps customer data under Germany law, operating since 1997. Compared with AWS, Google Cloud, and Azure, Hetzner avoids cross-border data transfers under Schrems II and the US CLOUD Act, which is often the deciding factor for European procurement and legal teams.
See more EU cloud infrastructure tools or browse other startups from Germany.
About
Hetzner is a family-owned German cloud and hosting provider founded in 1997 and consistently ranked as the best-value EU cloud platform. Its Cloud product offers virtual machines starting from approximately €3.79/month, S3-compatible Object Storage, load balancers, private networks, and firewalls — all hosted in Nuremberg, Falkenstein (Germany), and Helsinki (Finland). Hetzner's infrastructure is ISO 27001 certified, and it offers a standard GDPR DPA to all customers. For teams migrating from AWS, Hetzner Cloud replaces EC2 and S3 at roughly one-third the cost without any US data exposure. Hetzner also operates one of Europe's largest dedicated server parks with bare-metal options from €39/month.
Details
- Founded
- 1997
- Headquarters
- Gunzenhausen, Germany
Categories
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Frequently asked questions
What is Hetzner?
Hetzner is a family-owned German cloud and hosting provider founded in 1997 and consistently ranked as the best-value EU cloud platform. Its Cloud product offers virtual machines starting from approximately €3.79/month, S3-compatible Object Storage, load balancers, private networks, and firewalls — all hosted in Nuremberg, Falkenstein (Germany), and Helsinki (Finland). Hetzner's infrastructure is ISO 27001 certified, and it offers a standard GDPR DPA to all customers. For teams migrating from AWS, Hetzner Cloud replaces EC2 and S3 at roughly one-third the cost without any US data exposure. Hetzner also operates one of Europe's largest dedicated server parks with bare-metal options from €39/month.
What does Hetzner do?
Hetzner is affordable eu cloud servers, dedicated hardware and hosting — an alternative to aws and gcp. It is listed under cloud infrastructure and hosting on EU Alts because its core functionality serves teams looking for a European cloud infrastructure tool with EU data residency, typically as a switch away from AWS, Google Cloud, and Azure.
Is Hetzner a good European cloud infrastructure alternative?
Hetzner is a fit for European businesses evaluating cloud infrastructure options where data residency and GDPR alignment matter — typical buyers include EU-based SaaS teams, public-sector projects, regulated industries (healthcare, finance, legal), and any organisation that needs to demonstrate that customer data does not leave the EU. It also overlaps with hosting use cases.
Is Hetzner GDPR compliant?
Hetzner is headquartered in Gunzenhausen, Germany and falls under EU jurisdiction, so it processes user data under the GDPR by default. Customer data processing is supervised by Germany's data protection authority, the Bundesbeauftragte für den Datenschutz und die Informationsfreiheit (BfDI). Because the company is not US-incorporated, it is not subject to the US CLOUD Act — meaning US authorities cannot compel Hetzner to disclose customer data the way they can with AWS, Google Cloud, and Azure. For European buyers, that often simplifies DPIA paperwork and standard contractual clauses.
How do teams switch from AWS to Hetzner?
Most teams move to Hetzner from AWS, Google Cloud, and Azure because they want EU data residency without giving up the core cloud infrastructure workflow. Hetzner's Germany base means a single jurisdiction for both the company and (typically) its hosting infrastructure, so you can drop Schrems II transfer impact assessments for this part of your stack. Plan the migration in stages: export your data from the US incumbent, pilot Hetzner with a small team, then move the rest once the integration coverage you need is confirmed.
Where is Hetzner based?
Hetzner is headquartered in Gunzenhausen, Germany. The company was founded in 1997. Its main website is https://www.hetzner.com.