Oracle Cloud and Hetzner get compared constantly, usually by people who have already decided the workload could run on either. That is normally true. What differs is cost shape, how much of the stack you run yourself, and which constraints each platform imposes.
This comparison works through the differences that actually change a decision, then says plainly which one to pick and when. Live starting prices and configuration counts for both are shown in the table below and come straight from the catalog.
Short answer. Oracle Cloud’s Always Free tier can genuinely cost nothing for a small workload. Hetzner costs money but gives you far more predictable capacity and no risk of a free-tier reclaim.
Oracle Cloud and Hetzner at a glance
| Oracle Cloud | Hetzner | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $45.00 | $50.00 |
| Configurations available | 2 | 3 |
| Best suited to | Long-running small workloads and Oracle database estates. | Cost-sensitive production workloads inside the EU. |
| Coverage | Global | Germany and Finland, plus US locations |
| Notable services | OCI Compute, Always Free Resources, OCI Generative AI, Autonomous Database | Cloud Servers, Dedicated Servers, Storage Box, Load Balancers |
View Oracle Cloud accountsView Hetzner accounts
Service breadth
Oracle Cloud
A full infrastructure catalogue with particular depth around Oracle Database and its autonomous variants.
Hetzner
Cloud servers, dedicated servers, storage boxes and load balancers. No managed database or analytics layer.
The practical question is not which catalogue is larger but whether the one you choose contains the specific services your project needs. A large catalogue you never touch is not an advantage.
How each one charges
Oracle Cloud
Aggressive pricing on compute and notably cheap egress compared with the other hyperscalers.
Hetzner
Among the lowest price-to-performance ratios available anywhere, particularly on dedicated hardware.
Beyond the instance rate, network egress is the cost that most often surprises people. On Oracle Cloud, egress pricing is materially lower than AWS, Google Cloud or Azure, with a large free monthly allowance. On Hetzner, a very large transfer allowance is included with each server, well beyond what most providers bundle.
If the workload moves a lot of data, read our breakdown of egress charges before comparing instance prices, because egress can dominate the bill.
The differences that matter
- Different classes of platform. Oracle Cloud is a full-service hyperscaler platform and Hetzner is a European specialist one. That single fact explains most of the price gap and most of the capability gap.
- Where each is strongest. Oracle Cloud is chosen for an Always Free tier that is genuinely usable, and the cheapest egress of the large providers. Hetzner is chosen for price to performance that the hyperscalers cannot approach, on EU hardware.
- What you give up. With Oracle Cloud, a smaller ecosystem and a sign-up process that is well known for being difficult. With Hetzner, you manage almost everything yourself; there is no managed service safety net.
Console and learning curve
Oracle Cloud. A console that assumes some familiarity with enterprise infrastructure concepts such as compartments.
Hetzner. A simple, fast console that does exactly what it needs to and nothing more.
Outbound email
Oracle Cloud. Outbound port 25 is blocked; the OCI Email Delivery service is the supported route.
Hetzner. Outbound mail is permitted subject to the acceptable use policy, which makes it viable for mail servers.
This is a hard constraint rather than a preference, so settle it before anything else if your workload sends mail. The guide to port 25 explains which providers permit it.
Where they run
Oracle Cloud. A broad and growing global region footprint including dedicated and sovereign regions.
Hetzner. Datacentres in Germany and Finland, with US locations added more recently. GDPR compliance is a core selling point.
AI and machine learning
Oracle Cloud. OCI Generative AI for hosted models, plus GPU shapes for training.
Hetzner. Dedicated GPU servers are available, but there is no managed AI tooling.
If AI work is the reason for the account, our guide to choosing a cloud for AI workloads covers the ground in more detail.
Which one to choose
Choose Oracle Cloud when
Pick Oracle Cloud when you want long-running small workloads at no cost, or you run Oracle Database.
Choose Hetzner when
Pick Hetzner when cost per unit of compute is the deciding factor and you are comfortable running your own stack.
Before you commit
- Confirm the specific services you need exist in the region you need them in. Availability varies by region on every provider.
- Estimate egress volume and price it on both platforms. It is the cost most often left out of a comparison.
- Check quotas. A new account starts with conservative limits, and raising them takes time on either platform.
- If outbound email matters, settle that question first, because it eliminates options rather than merely adding cost.
- Consider running both. Using each platform for what it is good at is more common than standardising on one.
Conclusion
Oracle Cloud’s Always Free tier can genuinely cost nothing for a small workload. Hetzner costs money but gives you far more predictable capacity and no risk of a free-tier reclaim.
Both platforms are available here with published configurations and pricing: Buy Oracle Cloud Accounts and Buy Hetzner Accounts. If you are still weighing them, the full comparison table puts every provider side by side, and support can talk through the specific workload.
Related cloud accounts
Accounts on the platforms discussed here, with every configuration and price published up front:
- Buy Oracle Cloud Accounts — from $45.00. A generous Always Free tier plus OCI Generative AI.
- Buy Hetzner Accounts — from $50.00. German infrastructure, GDPR compliance, strong price to performance.
Further reading
- Hardening SSH on a New Cloud Server
- European Cloud Providers and Data Residency
- Hetzner vs OVHcloud: Which Cloud Account Should You Buy?
- AWS vs Oracle Cloud: Which Cloud Account Should You Buy?
Official documentation
Provider behaviour, quotas and pricing are defined by the platform itself. These are the first-party references for the services discussed above:
Frequently asked questions
It depends on the workload shape rather than the list price. Compare the starting prices in the table above, then add expected egress, because that is where the two most often diverge.
Plain virtual machines and object storage move relatively easily. Managed services do not, so the difficulty depends on how much of each platform's proprietary surface you used.
Oracle Cloud if you want long-running small workloads at no cost, or you run Oracle Database. Hetzner if cost per unit of compute is the deciding factor and you are comfortable running your own stack.
