Hetzner vs. Scaleway Costs: Which Cloud Provider Is Cheaper?

Introduction

Choosing a cloud provider often starts with the bottom line: cost. Two popular European players, Hetzner and Scaleway, promise low‑price infrastructure, but how do their pricing models really stack up? This guide breaks down the numbers, highlights hidden fees, and helps you decide which platform delivers the best bang for your buck.

Quick Cost Comparison at a Glance

At a glance, Hetzner is cheaper on compute, storage, and especially bandwidth, while Scaleway’s pricing is more tiered and includes optional services.

Detailed Pricing Breakdown

1. Compute (VMs)

• Hetzner Cloud Servers: Fixed hourly rate that translates to a lower monthly price when you run instances 24/7. Snapshots and backups are extra (≈ €0.08 per GB per month).
• Scaleway Instances: Prices depend on the instance family (DEV, GP, or GPU). You pay for CPU, RAM, and a “flexible” hourly rate that can be higher for burstable workloads.

2. Storage

• Hetzner Volume: Block storage at €0.015 / GB / month. No charge for IOPS; performance is consistent.
• Scaleway Block Storage: €0.02 / GB / month with optional high‑performance tier adding €0.01 per GB. Object storage (S3 compatible) starts at €0.01 / GB / month.

3. Network Traffic

• Hetzner: 20 TB free outbound traffic per month; beyond that, €1 per additional TB.
• Scaleway: First 1 TB free for most regions, then €0.09 per GB (≈ €90 per TB). In‑region traffic is free, but cross‑region transfers incur extra fees.

4. Additional Services

• Managed Kubernetes, Load Balancers, and Firewalls have per‑hour pricing on both platforms. Hetzner’s rates are slightly lower, but Scaleway bundles a free load balancer with some plans.
• Both providers offer 24/7 support, but Hetzner’s premium support is a paid add‑on (€30 / month), whereas Scaleway includes standard tickets in the base price.

Hidden Costs to Watch

• Data Egress: If your application serves large files to global users, Hetzner’s generous 20 TB allowance can save thousands.
• Backup & Snapshots: Both platforms charge per GB, but frequent snapshots can add up quickly on Hetzner.
• Scaling Charges: Scaleway’s “flexible” instances may auto‑scale and increase hourly rates during spikes. Plan for the worst‑case usage.

Performance vs. Price

Price isn’t the only factor. Hetzner’s data centers are located in Germany and Finland, offering low latency to EU users. Scaleway has more locations (Paris, Amsterdam, Warsaw) and a stronger focus on edge services. If latency matters, weigh performance alongside cost.

Which One Is Right for You?

• Start‑ups & hobby projects: Hetzner’s simple, flat‑rate pricing and generous bandwidth make it ideal for budget‑tight developers.
• Enterprises needing regional redundancy: Scaleway’s multi‑region footprint and built‑in load‑balancing can justify the higher price.
• Heavy data‑transfer workloads: Hetzner wins unless you need specific edge locations that Scaleway provides.

FAQ

Is there a free tier?

Both providers offer a limited free trial credit, but no perpetual free tier. Hetzner’s smallest server starts at €5.99/mo, Scaleway at €6.99/mo.

Which provider has better SSD performance?

Benchmarks are close, but Hetzner’s dedicated NVMe drives on higher‑tier plans tend to have slightly lower latency.

Can I migrate workloads between the two?

Yes, both support standard images (Ubuntu, Debian, CentOS). You’ll need to handle data transfer costs yourself.

How does support differ?

Scaleway includes ticket‑based support in the base price; Hetzner offers free email support and paid phone support.

Conclusion

When it comes to pure cost efficiency, Hetzner generally offers lower compute, storage, and bandwidth prices, making it the go‑to choice for cost‑conscious developers. Scaleway, however, provides a broader regional network and some bundled services that can simplify architecture for larger projects. Evaluate your traffic patterns, required regions, and growth plans to pick the provider that delivers the best value for your specific use case.

Call to Action

Ready to test the savings? Sign up for a Hetzner trial today or spin up a Scaleway instance to compare performance side‑by‑side. Share your findings in the comments – we love hearing how real‑world results stack up!