Who should choose Netlify?

Teams that want build and deploy modern web apps

Who should choose Hetzner?

Teams that want european cloud and dedicated servers

Software comparison - Hosting Platforms

Netlify vs Hetzner: 2026 Comparison

Netlify and Hetzner address different deployment models: Netlify automates modern web app builds and delivers static content globally, while Hetzner gives you bare VMs for full-stack flexibility. Your choice depends on whether you want [launch guides](/resources/launch-guides) for managed deployment or ops freedom.

Comparison dimensions

Dimension	Netlify	Hetzner	Winner
DX & Deploys	8/10Netlify's DX is best-in-class for frontend teams. Git push triggers builds, tests, previews and deploys atomically. GitHub/GitLab integration is seamless; CI/CD comes free.	8/10Hetzner requires you to manage deployments yourself. Plenty of teams wire GitHub Actions to Hetzner via SSH and custom scripts, but automation is your responsibility, not the platform's.	Tie
Performance	9/10Netlify's global CDN and edge compute deliver static and dynamic content at sub-100ms latency worldwide. Image optimization and serverless functions are baked in.	7/10Hetzner's bare VMs are performant if you architect carefully. You tune Nginx, add Redis caching and manage CDN separately. More moving parts means more tuning work.	Netlify
Pricing	7/10Netlify's per-site pricing starts free and scales with bandwidth. Low-cost for blogs and small projects, but premium for sustained high traffic.	9/10Hetzner wins on predictability and value at scale. Fixed monthly cost per server plus bandwidth. A €10/month entry-level VPS outperforms Netlify's free tier on raw CPU for sustained load.	Hetzner
Scaling	7/10Netlify's scaling is automatic—hit 100x traffic and your site stays up. Functions scale independently. Zero config required.	9/10Hetzner requires load balancing and replica management. You add instances, configure Nginx reverse proxy, manage session affinity. More manual but gives you fine-grained control.	Hetzner
Integrations	9/10Netlify integrates with React, Next, Gatsby, Astro and a dozen frameworks natively. Plugins extend functionality. Ecosystem is frontend-centric and deep.	8/10Hetzner doesn't prescribe a stack. You run Node, Python, Go, Rust or anything—but you wire integrations yourself. Flexibility beats built-in convenience.	Netlify
Support	7/10Netlify support and docs are excellent. Clear onboarding, helpful community Slack, status page transparency. Enterprise support tiers exist.	8/10Hetzner support is serviceable for IaaS—good for hardware issues, weak for app-level debugging. Community and third-party docs carry you further than official channels.	Hetzner

DX & Deploys

Netlify: Netlify's DX is best-in-class for frontend teams. Git push triggers builds, tests, previews and deploys atomically. GitHub/GitLab integration is seamless; CI/CD comes free.

Hetzner: Hetzner requires you to manage deployments yourself. Plenty of teams wire GitHub Actions to Hetzner via SSH and custom scripts, but automation is your responsibility, not the platform's.

Performance

Netlify: Netlify's global CDN and edge compute deliver static and dynamic content at sub-100ms latency worldwide. Image optimization and serverless functions are baked in.

Hetzner: Hetzner's bare VMs are performant if you architect carefully. You tune Nginx, add Redis caching and manage CDN separately. More moving parts means more tuning work.

Pricing

Netlify: Netlify's per-site pricing starts free and scales with bandwidth. Low-cost for blogs and small projects, but premium for sustained high traffic.

Hetzner: Hetzner wins on predictability and value at scale. Fixed monthly cost per server plus bandwidth. A €10/month entry-level VPS outperforms Netlify's free tier on raw CPU for sustained load.

Scaling

Netlify: Netlify's scaling is automatic—hit 100x traffic and your site stays up. Functions scale independently. Zero config required.

Hetzner: Hetzner requires load balancing and replica management. You add instances, configure Nginx reverse proxy, manage session affinity. More manual but gives you fine-grained control.

Integrations

Netlify: Netlify integrates with React, Next, Gatsby, Astro and a dozen frameworks natively. Plugins extend functionality. Ecosystem is frontend-centric and deep.

Hetzner: Hetzner doesn't prescribe a stack. You run Node, Python, Go, Rust or anything—but you wire integrations yourself. Flexibility beats built-in convenience.

Support

Netlify: Netlify support and docs are excellent. Clear onboarding, helpful community Slack, status page transparency. Enterprise support tiers exist.

Hetzner: Hetzner support is serviceable for IaaS—good for hardware issues, weak for app-level debugging. Community and third-party docs carry you further than official channels.

Best for Netlify

Teams that want build and deploy modern web apps
Users prioritizing integrations
Growth-stage teams

Best for Hetzner

Teams that want european cloud and dedicated servers
Users prioritizing performance
Growth-stage teams

Decision notes

Choose Netlify for frontend apps that deploy on commit; choose Hetzner for full-stack or unconventional apps needing total control. Netlify is faster to market, Hetzner is cheaper long-term.

Export/import support between Netlify and Hetzner
Team onboarding and learning curve
Pricing at your seat count
Integration coverage for your stack

Frequently asked questions

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